Of Beleriand and Its Realms

[ArcusCalion]

This is the first draft of the chapter Of Beleriand and Its Realms

Our basis text is that of the Quenta Silmarillion given in HoME 5. The changes from QS to LQ are tracked. Wherever the text is different from that this is marked by an editing mark.

The markings are:
BR-xx for any questions about the accuracy or canon aspect of the phrase or section.
BR-EX-xx for the changes from QS to LQ as well as expansions from the Grey Annals or other materials.

Some conventions of my writing:
Normal Text is from the basic text that is mentioned above (when I change the basic-Text it will be mentioned)
Bold Text = source information, comments and remarks
{example} = text that should be deleted
[example] = normalised text, normally only used for general changes
<source example> = additions with source information
...... = This section of the paragraph is unchanged from the source.

In LQ2 there were several names that were changed to the final form on the manuscript. I do not track those changes here, simply adding them in as the emended final form in LQ2:

Bladorion > Ard-galen; Nivrost > Nevrast; Helcarakse > Helcaraxë; Inglor > Finrod; Eglorest > Eglarest; Ingwil > Ringwil; Nan Dungorthin > Nan Dungortheb; Umboth Muilin > Aelin-uial; Taur-na-Faroth > Tair-en-Faroth; Finrod > Finarfin

OF BELERIAND AND ITS REALMS

§105. This is the fashion of the lands into which the {Gnomes}[Noldor] came, in the North of the western regions of Middle-earth, in the ancient days. BR-EX-01 <LQ2 [Footnote: These matters, which are not in the BR-01{Pennas}[Quenta] of {Pengolod}[Pengolodh], {I have added}[have been added] and taken from the Dorgannas Iaur (the account of the shapes of the lands of old that Torhir Ifant made and is kept in Eressëa), that those who will may understand more clearly, maybe, what is later said of their princes and their wars{: quoth AElfwine}.]> In the North of the world ...... These {Melko}[Morgoth] BR-EX-02 <LQ2 {built in the elder days}[had built in ages past]> as a fence to his citadel, Utumno, and this lay at the BR-EX-03 <LQ2 {western end}[midmost]> of his northern realm. .... the frozen straits at Helcaraxë. BR-EX-04 {Behind their walls Melko coming back into Middle-earth made the endless dungeons of Angband, the hells of iron, where of old Utumno had been. But}[ Behind their walls Melkor had made also a fortress (after called Angband) as a defense against the West, if any assault should come from Valinor. This was in the command of Sauron. It was captured by the Valar, and Sauron fled into hiding; but being in haste to overthrow Melkor in his great citadel of Utumno, the Valar did not wholly destroy Angband nor search out all its deep places; and thither Sauron returned and many other creatures of Melkor, and there they waited in hope for the return of their Master. Therefore when he came back into Middle-earth Melkor took up his abode in the endless dungeons of Angband, the hells of iron; and]> he made a .... rocks before the doors of hell.
§106. To the West of Thangorodrim lay Hithlum BR-EX-05 <LQ2 (Hísilómë)>, the land of mist, for .... West again lay Nevrast [Footnote: BR-EX-06 <LQ2 {Which is West Vale in the tongue of Doriath}[ Which is 'Hither Shore' in the Sindarin tongue, and was given at first to all the coast-lands south of Drengist, but was later limited to the land whose shores lay between Drengist and Mount Taras]>.] beyond .... upon a promontory. BR-EX-07 <LQ2 {And Nivrost was a pleasant land watered by the wet winds from the sea, and sheltered from the North, whereas the rest of Hithlum was open to the cold winds.}[ And Nevrast was by some held to belong rather to Beleriand than to Hithlum, for it was a milder land, watered by the wet winds from the Sea and sheltered from the North and East, whereas Hithlum was open to cold north-winds. But it was a hollow land, surrounded by mountains and great coast-cliffs higher than the plains behind, and no river flowed thence. Wherefore there was a great mere amidmost, and it had no certain shores, being encircled by wide marshes. Linaewen was the name of that mere, because of the multitude of birds that dwelt there, of such as love tall reeds and shallow pools. Now at the coming of the Noldor many of the Grey-elves (akin to those of the Falas) lived still in Nevrast, nigh to the coasts, and especially about Mount Taras in the south-west; for to that place Ulmo and Ossë had been wont to come in days of old. All that folk took Turgon for their lord, and so it came to pass that in Nevrast the mingling of Noldor and Sindar began sooner than elsewhere; and Turgon dwelt long in those halls that he named Vinyamar, under Mount Taras beside the Sea. There it was that Ulmo afterwards appeared to him.]> To the East of Hithlum lay Ard-galen, as has been said; and below that the great highland that the BR-EX-08 <LQ2 {Gnomes}[Dark-elves]> first named Dorthonion. BR-EX-09 <LQ2 {[Footnote: Ilkorin name.]}> This stretched for BR-EX-10 <LQ2 {a hundred}[sixty]> leagues from West to East .... hastening towards Beleriand.
§107. Now the great and fair ...... one hundred and BR-EX-11 <LQ2 {twenty}[thirty]>-one leagues, .... upon the confines of Doriath.
§108. Thus Beleriand was bounded ...... East by the towers of {Eredlindon}[Ered Lindon], BR-EX-12 <LQ2 [Footnote: Which signifieth the Mountains of Ossiriand; for the Noldor called that land Lindon, region of music, and they first saw these mountains from Ossiriand. But their right name was {Eredluin}[Ered Luin] the Blue Mountains{, quoth Ælfwine}.]> the Blue Mountains, .... and {Gelion}[Duin Daer] was little visited by the {Gnomes}[Noldor], BR-EX-13 <LQ2 Taur-im-Duinath, [Footnote: Forest Between the Rivers.]> a tangled forest ...... ever east of {Eredlindon}[Ered Lindon] while BR-EX-14 <LQ2 {that land}[their realm]> lasted.
§109. Following Sirion from North to South there lay upon the right hand West Beleriand, at its widest BR-EX-15 <LQ2 {seventy}[ninety-nine]> leagues from river to sea: first the Forest of Brethil between Sirion and {Taiglin}[Taeglin], and then the realm of Nargothrond, between BR-EX-16 <LQ2 {Sirion}{[Taiglin]}[Taeglin]> and Narog. ..... things save birds of the sea.
§110. But upon the left hand of Sirion lay East Beleriand, at its widest a hundred leagues from Sirion to {Gelion}[Duin Daer] and the borders of Ossiriand: BR-EX-17 <LQ2 {first the empty lands under the faces of the southern precipices of Dorthonion, Dimbar between Sirion and Mindeb, and Nan-dungorthin between Mindeb and the upper waters of Esgalduin; and these regions were filled with fear by the enchantments of Melian, as a defense of Doriath against the North, and after the fall of the Gnomes they became places of terror and evil. Beyond them to the East lay the north-marches of Beleriand, where the sons of Fëanor dwelt. Next}[ first between Sirion and Mindeb the empty land of Dimbar under the peaks of the Crissaegrim, abode of eagles, south of Gondolin (though that was for long unknown); then between Mindeb and the upper waters of Esgalduin the no-land of Nan Dungortheb. And that region was filled with fear, for upon its one side the power of Melian fenced the north-march of Doriath, but upon the other side the sheer precipices of Ered {Orgoroth [> Orgorath]}[Gorgoroth], mountains of terror, fell down from high Dorthonion. Thither {Ungoliantë}[Ungoliant] had fled from the whips of the Balrogs, and had dwelt there a while, filling the hideous ravines with her deadly gloom, and there still, when she had passed away, her foul broods lurked and wove their evil nets; and the thin waters that spilled from Ered {Orgoroth [> Orgorath]}[Gorgoroth] were all defiled, and perilous to drink, for the hearts of those that tasted them were filled with shadows of madness and despair. All living things shunned that land, and the Noldor would pass through Nan Dungortheb only at great need, by paths nigh to the borders of Doriath, and furthest from the haunted hills.
But if one fared that way he came eastward across Esgalduin and Aros BR-EX-17.5 Moved from later Maeglin Map Note insertion <({Beyond}beyond the {Ford}river was an entirely uninhabited region between the mountains {north [? Read} in the north,{]} and Esgalduin and Aros and Doriath: not even birds came there. It was thus called Dor {Dhinen}[Dínen] the 'Silent Land'.)> {(and Dor Dinen the silent land between)} to the North Marches of Beleriand, where the sons of Fëanor dwelt. But]> southward lay the kingdom of Doriath; .... bank of Esgalduin, where BR-EX-18 <LQ2 {he}[it]> turned westward; ....... wholly under the power of Thingol.
§111. Beyond Doriath to ....... wide land of {Thargelion}[Talath Rhúnen], BR-EX-19 <LQ2 {[Footnote: {or} Radhrost [in the tongue of Doriath].]}> where Caranthir dwelt of old. ....... in many channels. BR-EX-20 <LQ2 This region the {Elves of Doriath}[Noldor] named {Umboth Muilin,[Footnote: But the Gnomish names were Hithliniath the pools of mist or Aelin-uial Lakes of Twilight.]} [Aelin-uial]> the Twilight Meres, for there were many mists, and the enchantment of Doriath lay over them.
§112. BR-EX-21 <LQ2 {For}[Now]> all the northern half ...... as in the North. BR-EX-22 <LQ2 {Yet all the lower plain of Sirion was divided from the upper plain by this sudden fall, which looking North appeared as an endless chain of hills running from Eglorest beyond Narog in the West to Amon Ereb in the East, within far sight of Gelion.}[Yet all the lower fields of Sirion were divided from the upper fields by this sudden fall, which to one looking from the south northward appeared as an endless chain of hills.]> Narog came BR-EX-23 <LQ2 {south through}[through these hills in]> a deep gorge, ....., Finrod established Nargothrond.
§113. But some seventy miles ....... dwelt there after the great defeat. BR-EX-24 <LQ2 {But until that time all the wide forests of East Beleriand south of Andram and between Sirion and Gelion were little inhabited, and the Gnomes came there seldom.}[ But until that time all the wide woods south of the Andram and between Sirion and {Gelion}[Duin Daer] were little known. Taur-im-Duinath, the forest between the two rivers, the Noldor called that region, but few ever ventured in that wild land; and east of it lay the far green country of Ossiriand,{
§114. And east of this wild land lay the country of Ossiriand,} between {Gelion}[Duin Daer] and {Eredlindon}[Ered Lindon]. {Gelion}[Duin Daer] was a great river, and it arose in two sources, and had at first two branches: BR-02 Little {Gelion}[Duin Daer] that came from the hill of Himring, and Greater {Gelion}[Duin Daer] that came from Mount Rerir, an outlier of {Eredlindon}[Ered Lindon]; ....... Between Ascar in the North and Adurant BR-EX-25 <QS [Footnote: And at a point nearly midway in its course the stream of Adurant divided and joined again, enclosing a fair island; and this was called {Tolgalen}[Tol-galen], the Green Isle. There Beren and Lúthien dwelt after their return.]> in the South, and between {Gelion}[Duin Daer] and the mountains, lay Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, filled with green woods wide and fair.
§115 BR-EX-26 <LQ2 {There dwelt the Danian Elves, who in the beginning were of Gnomish race, but forsook the march from Kuivienen,}[ There dwelt the Nandor, the Elves of the Host of {Dân}[Lenwë], who in the beginning were of Telerian race, but forsook their lord {Thingol}[Olwë] upon the march from Cuiviénen]> and came ..... Ossiriand was Denethor BR-EX-27 <LQ2 son of {Dân}[Lenwë]>, friend of Thingol; ...... when the Orcs were first BR-03 {made}[unleashed] and broke the ...... had taken thought and meaning. BR-EX-28 <LQ2 For which reason the Noldor named that land Lindon. [Footnote: the Land of Song.] (Here endeth the matter taken from the Dorgannas.)>
§116. In this way the chieftains ...... second son of Fingolfin, held Nevrast BR-EX-29 <LQ2 {until the Second Battle, and returned thither afterward, and his folk were numerous. But the unquiet of Ulmo increased upon him, and after a few years he arose and took with him a great host of Gnomes, even to a third of the people of Fingolfin, and their goods and wives and children, and departed eastward. His going was by night and his march swift and silent, and he vanished out of knowledge of his kindred. But he came to Gondolin, and built there a city like unto Tun of Valinor, and fortified the surrounding hills; and Gondolin lay hidden for many years.}[, and there he ruled a numerous folk, both Noldor and Sindar, for one hundred years and sixteen, until he departed in secret to a hidden kingdom, as afterwards is told.]>
§117. The sons of Finarfin held ....... to the keeping of his BR-04 brother[‘s son] Orodreth. BR-EX-30 <LQ2 {But Angrod and Egnor watched Bladorion}[His younger brethren Angrod and {Egnor}[Aegnor] watched the fields of Ard-galen]> from the northern slopes of Dorthonion; and their folk was not great for the land was barren, and the great highlands behind were deemed to be a bulwark that Morgoth would not lightly seek to cross.
§118. But east of Dorthonion ....... But {Celegorn}[Celegorm] and Curufin fortified Aglon, and manned it with great strength, and BR-EX-31 <Maeglin Map Note {they held all the land southward between the river Aros that arose in Dorthonion and his tributary {Celon}[Limhir] that came from Himring.} [ The Himlad (cool-plain) behind {Aglond}[Aglon] and Himring, between the northern courses of the Rivers Aros and {Celon}[Limhir], {he}they claimed as {his}their land. {He and his}They and their people naturally kept watch on the Ford of Aros[, the Arossiach]; but they did not prevent the few hardy travellers (Elves or Dwarves) that used the road West - East past the north fences of Doriath. Moved to earlier {(Beyond the Ford was an entirely uninhabited region between the mountains {north [? Read} in the north,{]} Esgalduin and Aros and Doriath: not even birds came there. It was thus called Dor Dhinen the 'Silent Land'.)} Beyond the Aros (some 25 miles) lay the more formidable obstacle of the Esgalduin in which no fordable point was to be found. In the 'peaceful days' before the return of Morgoth and Ungoliant, when Doriath's north borders were the mountains of Fuin (not yet evil), the West - East road passed over the Esgalduin by a bridge outside the later fence of Melian. This stone-bridge, the Esgaliant or Iant Iaur (old bridge) was still in existence, and watched by the wardens of Doriath, but its use by Eldar was not hindered. It was necessary therefore to fugitives crossing Aros to turn {S.W.}[southwest] to the bridge. From there they would keep as close as they could to the Fences of Doriath (if Thingol and Melian were not hostile to them). {At the time of this story, though}Though many evils lurked in the Mountains the chief peril lay in passing Nan Dungortheb from which clouds and darkness would creep down almost to the Fences.> And between ...... into East Beleriand before the BR-05 {Second}[Third] Battle. Therefore, ..... ] was before called by the Dark-elves BR-EX-32 <LQ2 {Radhrost}[Talath Rhúnen]>, the East Vale.]
§119. Thus the sons of Fëanor ...... won friendship of the Green-elves. BR-EX-33 <LQ2 {But Inglor was King of Nargothrond and overlord of the Dark-elves of the western havens; and with his aid}[ But Finrod was king of Nargothrond and over-lord of all the Dark-elves of Beleriand between Sirion and the Sea, save only in the Falas. There dwelt still those of the Sindar who still loved ships and the Sea, and they had great havens at Brithombar and Eglarest. Their lord was Círdan the Shipbuilder. There was friendship and alliance between Finrod and Círdan, and with the aid of the Noldor]> BR-EX-34 <GA 65 §90. {Here with}With the aid of the Noldor (whose skill far surpassed that of the Sindar) Brithombar and Eglarest were walled about with great walls, and fair towns were raised within, and harbors with quays and piers of stone>{. Brithombar and Eglarest were rebuilt and became fair towns}, recalling somewhat the havens of the Elves upon the shores of Valinor.
§120. And Finrod let build the tower ....... havens built new ships, BR-EX-35 <GA 65 though needlessly, as it proved. For at no time ever did Morgoth essay to build ships or to make war by sea. Water all his servants shunned, and to the Sea none would willing go nigh, save in dire need.> {and}And {they}[the folk of Nargothrond] went forth ....... and most hated by Morgoth.
§121. And in Doriath ...... in awe among them.

BR-EX-01: Footnote inserted in LQ2.
BR-01: This is the Quenta, not the Pennas, correct? Thus I changed it. If this is wrong, then i retract this change.
BR-EX-02: Change from LQ2
BR-EX-03: change from LQ2
BR-EX-04: change from LQ2
BR-EX-05: addition from LQ2
BR-EX-06: change from LQ2
BR-EX-07: change from LQ2
BR-EX-08: change from LQ2
BR-EX-09: deletion from LQ1
BR-EX-10: change from LQ2
BR-EX-11: change from LQ2
BR-EX-12: change from LQ2
BR-EX-13: addition from LQ2
BR-EX-14: change from LQ2
BR-EX-15: change from LQ2
BR-EX-16: change from LQ2
BR-EX-17: change from LQ2
BR-EX-17.5: This is an addition to notes on the expanded map of beleriand accompanying the Maeglin story. They seemed to fit best here.
BR-EX-18: change from LQ2
BR-EX-19: change from LQ2
BR-EX-20: change from LQ2
BR-EX-21: change from LQ2
BR-EX-22: change from LQ2
BR-EX-23: change from LQ2
BR-EX-24: change from LQ2
BR-02: The names "Little Duin Daer" and "Greater Duin Daer" seem awkward in the extreme and would definitely have been changed. I am not sure what to do.
BR-EX-25: addition from QS
BR-EX-26: change from LQ2
BR-EX-27: change from LQ2
BR-03: This I changed because Melkor did not make the Orcs at this time in the later myth.
BR-EX-28: change from LQ2
BR-EX-29: change from LQ2
BR-04: Orodreth is the son of Angrod in this version, yes?
BR-EX-30: change from LQ2
BR-EX-31: This is another pertinent addition from the note on the map of Beleriand from the Maeglin story.
BR-05: I am not sure which battle this refers to, but since the earlier emendation from second to third was made as a notation, and this was left unchanged, I think that it was merely an oversight, and as both were written as "Second" originally, then they should both be changed to third.
BR-EX-32: change from LQ2
BR-EX-33: change from LQ2
BR-EX-34: This information from the Grey Annals was not written anywhere else, so I added it in.
BR-EX-35: The same as 34 above.

[Findegil]

To every thing I do not comment on, I agree.

BR-01: Correct, it is the Quenta.

BR-02: As fare as I could find, both names ‘Little Gelion’ and ‘Greater Gelion’ are only used in this chapter. ‘Little Gelion’ twice, ‘Greater Gelion’ only here. So I think it is safe to skip using the names and addresses them by the term ‘smaller tributery of Duin Daer’ and ‘greater tributary of Duin Daer’.

BR-EX-25: I agree to this addition, even so it is from an older source.

BR-03: I agree that we have to change it, but ‘unleashed’ is nice but too risky. The Orks were seen in Beleriand before, so they were not leashed. What about ‘sent out’?

BR-04: Yes, Orodreth is the son of Angrod. I agree to the change.

BR-05: The battle before which the Orcs came through Maglor’s Gap was the Dagor Aglareb, the Third Battle.

BR-EX-17.5: I agree to the change, but the editing is somewhat defective. Within the brackets you end with full stopp, but then the sentence from before the brackets continues. I don’t think that is gramatically fully correct. I would change it thus:

BR-EX-17.5 <Moved from later Maeglin Map Note insertion Beyond the {Ford}river Aros was an entirely uninhabited region between the mountains {north [? Read} in the north,{]} and Esgalduin and Aros and Doriath: not even birds came there. It was thus called Dor {Dhinen}[Dínen] the 'Silent Land'.> But if one fared that way he came eastward across Esgalduin and Aros {(and Dor Dinen the silent land between)} to the North Marches of Beleriand, where the sons of Fëanor dwelt.

Respectfully
Findegil

[ArcusCalion]

Agreed to all.

[ArcusCalion]

I actually just realized a mistake. In the paragraph about Nargothrond, this change should be made:

But the realm of Nargothrond extended also west of Narog, even to the sea, save only in the country of the Falas (or Coast), south of Nevrast. There dwelt the Dark-elves of the havens, Brithombar and Eglarest, and they were of ancient Telerian race; BR-EX-16.5 {but}[and] they took {Felagund, lord of Nargothrond}[Círdan, lord of the Falas], to be their king.

It is said later on that Cirdan and Finrod had "alliance" and in the Narn, Faramir and Arminas are clearly not subjects of Nargothrond, so this must be changed thusly.

[Findegil]

Since we speak about the Falas and Círdan was not called 'King' I would edit diffrently:

But the realm of Nargothrond extended also west of Narog, even to the sea, save only in the country of the Falas (or Coast), south of {Nivrost}[Nevrast]. There dwelt the Dark-elves of the havens, Brithombar and {Eglorest}[Eglarest], and they were of ancient Telerian race; BR-EX-16.5 {but}[u]and[/b] they {took Felagund, lord of Nargothrond}had taken Círdan, to be their {king}[lord].

Respectfully
Findegil

[ArcusCalion]

This seems good.

[Findegil]

I have looked into the composition of Sil77 and found some parts worth at least considering:

BR-EX-13.5: We discussed this in another thread. Since I want to keep at least the possibility of Galadriel crossing Ered Lindon before the end of the First Age, we have either to skip this passage or alter it:

… But the land between the mouths of Sirion and {Gelion}[Duin Daer] was little visited by the {Gnomes}[Noldor], BR-EX-13 <LQ2 Taur-im-Duinath, [Footnote to the text: Forest Between the Rivers.]> a tangled forest in which no folk went save here and there a few Dark-elves wandering; and beyond {Gelion}[Duin Daer] the {Gnomes}[Noldor] seldom came, nor BR-EX-13.5 <editorial addition based on LotR came many of them >ever east of {Eredlindon}[Ered Lindon] while BR-EX-14 {that land}<LQ2 their realm> lasted.

BR-EX-23.5: Well from Maeglin and the later map of Beleriand we know that Duin Daer had a Fall above the confluence of Ascar. So we have to change §119:

… And in the East the wall became ever less sheer, for the vale of {Gelion}[Duin Daer] sloped ever southward steadily, and {Gelion}[Duin Daer] had BR-EX-23.5{neither}[only one] fall {nor}[and no] rapids throughout his course, but was ever swifter than was Sirion. …

BR-EX-28.5:

§116 In this way the chieftains of the {Gnomes}[Noldor] held their lands and the leaguer upon Morgoth after his defeat in the Second Battle. Fingolfin and Fingon his son held Hithlum, and their chief fortress was at Eithel Sirion in the east of {Eredwethion}[Ered Wethrin], whence they kept watch upon {Bladorion}[Ard-galen]; and their cavalry rode upon that plain even to the shadow of Thangorodrim, and their horses multiplied for the grass was good. Of those horses many of the sires came from Valinor BR-EX-28.5{.}<GA §83 , and were given to Fingolfin by {Maidros}[Maedros] in atonement of his losses, for they had been carried by ship to Losgar.> But Turgon the wise, second son of Fingolfin, …

BR-EX-30.5:

§117 The sons of [Finrod}[Finarfin] held the northern march from the pass of Sirion between Hithlum and Dorthonion unto the eastern end of Dorthonion, where is the deep gorge of Aglon. And {Inglor}[Finrod] held the pass of Sirion, and built a great watchtower, {Minnastirith}[Minas Tirith], upon an isle in the midst of the river; but after the founding of Nargothrond this fortress he committed mostly to the keeping of his BR-04 brother[‘s son] Orodreth. BR-EX-30 {But Angrod and Egnor watched Bladorion}<LQ2 [His younger brethren Angrod and {Egnor}[Aegnor] watched the fields of {Bladorion}[Ard-galen]> from the northern slopes of Dorthonion BR-EX-30.5 <Sil77 based on GA §85 , and were the vassals of their brother Finrod, lord of Nargothrond>; and their folk was not great for the land was barren, and the great highlands behind were deemed to be a bulwark that Morgoth would not lightly seek to cross.

BR-EX-33.5: The River Nenning is not included so fare in our description and here we have a nice chance.
BR-EX-34: I think there was a mistake here in the editing. It should be:

… BR-EX-33 {But Inglor was King of Nargothrond and overlord of the Dark-elves of the western havens; and with his aid}<LQ2 But Finrod was king of Nargothrond and over-lord of all the Dark-elves of Beleriand between Sirion and the Sea, save only in the Falas BR-EX-33.5 <Sil77 based on GA§85 , west of {Narog to }the River Nenning, that reached the sea at Eglarest>. There dwelt still those of the Sindar who still loved ships and the Sea, and they had great havens at Brithombar and Eglarest. Their lord was Círdan the Shipbuilder. There was friendship and alliance between Finrod and Círdan, and with the aid of the Noldor> BR-EX-34 {Brithombar and Eglorest were rebuilt and became fair towns}<GA 65 §90 {Here with the aid of the Noldor} (whose skill far surpassed that of the Sindar) Brithombar and Eglarest were walled about with great walls, and fair towns were raised within, and harbors with quays and piers of stone> , recalling somewhat the havens of the Elves upon the shores of Valinor.

BR-EX-32.5: A snipet from GA:

§119 Thus the sons of Fëanor under the leadership of {Maidros}[Maedros] were lords of East Beleriand, but their folk was in that time mostly in the north of the land; and southward they rode only to hunt, and to seek solitude for a while BR-EX-32.5{.} <GA §86 , and there {Damrod and Diriel}[Amros] abode and came seldom northward while the Siege lasted.>And thither for like purpose the other Elflords would sometimes come, …

Respectfully
Findegil

[ArcusCalion]

These are all great, thanks Fin!!

[gondowe]

As a minor thing I detected revising your draft. I think that this chapter is a good one to include a passage (that f.e. I entitled Of de buildings of the Eldar) at the end with material extracted from Words, phrases and Passages in PE17 pages 108, 109.
I give the work to you because I have not the digitised text in English. Only have a composition extraction copied from the issue translated by me into Spanish.
Greetings

[Findegil]

That is a good find, gondowe!
Here is passage gondowe is referring to: Words, Phrases and Passages; ‘Q ambar, metta, world end; ¶ Ambar, umbar, Turambar.’ PE 17; page 108 – 109:

In Sindarin, owing to the quite different circumstances and history of the Eldar left behind in Beleriand, the development was different. Before the coming of the Exiles from Eldamar a large part of the Sindar lived in primitive conditions, mostly in groves or forest-land; permanent built dwellings were rare, especially those of smaller kind corresponding more or less to our ‘a house’. The natural talents of the of the Quendi had already begun to develop many crafts before the beginning of the westward journey of the Eldar. But thought the journey had an object, in this period the Eldar became accustomed to a nomadic life, and after reaching Beleriand they long continued with it, even after those among the Sindar who still desired to cross the Sea had abandoned hope. Thus the earliest essays of the Sindar in masonry were on the West Coasts in the realm of Círdan the Shipbuilder: harbour-works, quays and towers. After the return of Morgoth to Thangorodrim their building remained undomestic, being mainly devoted to defensive works. Their skill developed rapidly during their association with the Dwarves of the Ered Luin, and later was still more enhanced by the great arts of the exiled Noldor. These latter had great effect in those regions where the Exiles and the Sindar were intermingled; but the Exiles’ arts and habits had little or no influence in Doriath, the realm of Thingol, owing to his hatred of the Sons of Fëanor. In Doriath the only great permanent dwelling was Menegroth, which had been constructed with the aid and advice of the Dwarves: excavated not ‘built’, and underground in the manner of the Dwarves: grim, strong, secret, though made beautiful within by the Valian arts of Melian. Outside the buildings of this period , the Siege of Angband, were mainly of defensive or warlike charchter: walls and battlements and forts. Even the great ‘house’ of Finrod, Minas Tirith, as its name ‘Tower of Watch’ signifies, on an island in Sirion, was primarily a fort intended to command the accesses into Beleriand from the North. Only in Gondolin, a secret city, was the art of the Exiles fully employed in building fair houses as dwellings. But the Noldor generally built family houses in their territories, and even villages of smaller dwellings, and were followed in this by the Men who came into Beleriand and became their allies. Partly in order to establish friendship and alliance with the Sindar, and partly under the necessity of exiles numerically inferior to the former inhabitants, the Noldor learned and ultimately adopted the Sindarin tongue.[Author’s note to the text: Or tongues: the Northern Sindarin had developed in many ways diverged from the dialects of Beleriand (and notably of secluded Doriath), though little is now preserved of it, except in place names. [Its chief phonological divergences were in preservation of intervocal m, and of long open ǭ as such (not as in the South diphtongized to au).] The adoption of Sindarin was also naturally furthered by the intermarriage of Noldor and Sindar in some regions resulting in an almost complete blend of the two Kindreds.][Editorial note to the text: Note that the reading “in many ways diverged” is clear; sc. “having diverged” or “divergent.”]There were thus tendencies in both (a) for Noldorin terms for things peculiar to their culture to be translated into Sindarin forms or imitated, and (b) for Sindarin terms, especially those of which the components were still recognizable related to Quenya, to be given Quenya ‘dress’ in the Quenya ised by the Noldor. Examples of both tendencies were (a) the use of Sindarin bâr [< mbǎr(a)] for ‘house’, a settled built dwelling of a family, larger or smaller: in true Sindarin use it only denoted a small area in which some group had at last settled more or less permanently; (b) of the word for ‘home’. This in its emotional uses as the place of one’s birth, or desire, or one’s ‘home’ returned to after journey or absence, naturally found expression in Sindarin.
[Editorial note to the text: The version of Ambar, umbar, Turambar with continuously numbered pages originally ended at this point. A replacement for the final page, given the same page number, contains the following revision of the end of the discussion.]
¶ But the Noldor generally built family houses in their territories, and often established communities within encircling walls in the manner of ‘towns’. The Men who later entered Beleriand and became their allies adopted the same customs. In order to establish friendship and alliance with the Sindar, and also under the necessity of exiles much outnumbered by the former inhabitants, the Noldor learned the Sindarin tongue,[Author’s note to the text: Or tongues. On this point, see note 2 below, p. …] and for most them it soon became their primary or ‘first-learned’ language.
There was thus a tendency: (a) for Noldorin words and terms for things peculiar to their culture to be translated into Sindarin, or imitated; and (b) for Sindarin terms to be given a Quenya dress and adopted into that language, especially in the case of names compounded of elements that were still recognizably related to their Quenya equivalents.
Examples of these processes are: (a) the use of Sindarion bâr [< *mbǎr(a)] for ‘house’: the permanent building serving as the home of a family, larger or smaller, though in genuine older Sindarin use the word referred to a (small) area, in which some group had at last settled, more or less permanently. [Author’s note to the text: In Sindarin also there arose a new word barthan, in the North also bartham, denoting a large building of masonry used as a dwelling. This was modelled on Q martan (martam-).]
Of (b) an example is the (exilic) Quenya word for ‘home’ in its emotional uses as the place of one’s birth, or the familiar places from which one was separated by journey of necessity, or driven out by war. These circumstances the Noldor had not suffered in Aman, but knew later only too well, not only in their exile from Aman, but in the increasing destruction of their new realms and settlements by the assaults of Morgoth. The word they used in Quenya was mélamar.
Mélamarimma ‘Our Home’ was used of their lost ‘home’ in Aman, but not by the followers of the Sons of Fëanor. Nonetheless this word was modelled on S milbar ‘beloved dwelling’ applied to the places best known and most frequented. It was derived from older mēlā-mbar > mīl(a)mbar. (In true Quenya the adjective form ‘dear’ had the form melda.)

I would put that as gondowe at the end of the chapter, so I would not introduce a sub-title:

§121 And in Doriath abode Thingol, the hidden king, and into his realm none passed save by his will, and when summoned thither; and mighty though the Kings of the Noldor were in those days, and filled with the fire and glory of Valinor, the name of Thingol was held in awe among them.BR-EX-36
<Words, Phrases and Passages; PE17 Before the coming of the Exiles from Eldamar a large part of the Sindar lived in primitive conditions, … Only in Gondolin, a secret city, was the art of the Exiles fully employed in building fair houses as dwellings.> BR-EX-37 <Words, Phrases and Passages; PE17 But the Noldor generally built family houses in their territories, and often established communities within encircling walls in the manner of ‘towns’. The Men who later entered Beleriand and became their allies adopted the same customs. In order to establish friendship and alliance with the Sindar, and also under the necessity of exiles much outnumbered by the former inhabitants, the Noldor learned the Sindarin tongue,[Footnote to the text: {Or tongues. On this point, see note 2 below, p. …}<BR-EX-38 <Words, Phrases and Passages; PE17 Or tongues: the Northern Sindarin had developed in many ways diverged from the dialects of Beleriand (and notably of secluded Doriath), though little is now preserved of it, except in place names. [Its chief phonological divergences were in preservation of intervocal m, and of long open ǭ as such (not as in the South diphtongized to au).] The adoption of Sindarin was also naturally furthered by the intermarriage of Noldor and Sindar in some regions resulting in an almost complete blend of the two Kindreds.>] and for most them it soon became their primary or ‘first-learned’ language.
There was thus a tendency: … were still recognizably related to their Quenya equivalents.
Examples of these processes are: … more or less permanently. [Footnote to the text: In Sindarin also there arose a new word barthan, in the North also bartham, denoting a large building of masonry used as a dwelling. This was modelled on {Q}/Quenya/ martan (martam-).]
Of (b) an example is the (exilic) Quenya word for ‘home’ … The word they used in Quenya was mélamar.
Mélamarimma ‘Our Home’ was used of their lost ‘home’ in Aman, but not by the followers of the Sons of Fëanor. Nonetheless this word was modelled on {S}/Sindarin/ milbar ‘beloved dwelling’ applied to the places best known and most frequented. It was derived from older mēlā-mbar {>}/by way of/ mīl(a)mbar. (In true Quenya the adjective form ‘dear’ had the form melda.)>

BR-EX-36: This is the insert of the first unrevised part.
BR-EX-37: Here we switch to the revised part.
BR-EX-38: The Author’s note in the revised part is cryptically for me. I used that from the unrevised text instead.
I expanded ‘<’, ‘>’, ‘S’ and ‘Q’. I hope that all these nice phonological sings will go through. Mark that in the last sentence I was not able to find an ‘a’ with macron and caron for the fisrt'a' in mēlā-mbar. For the original text I would have to look harder.

Respectfully
Findegil

[ArcusCalion]

This is amazing! I do not have access to any of the VT or PE writings, so any additions from them will have to come from you guys. Fin, your edit looks good.

[Elvellon]

BR-EX-18 <LQ2 {he}[it]> turned westward; and all Doriath lay west of Sirion,

Should be east of Sirion, not west.

[Findegil]

Thanks for catching this! I have no clou what happend here.

Respectfully
Findegil