Amroth is a Sindarin Elf King of the realm of Lothlorien. His name is from the Lemberin language (also Avarin) with "am" meaning up or high, as Amroth means high climber or up climber. He resided in a flet, a platform high up on a Mallorn, a gigantic tree in Lothlorien. Despite his Sindarin lineage, he acquired the ways of the Tree People or Galadhrim, the later realm of Galadriel and Celeborn. In SA 3434, Amroth succeeded Amdir as King of Lothlorien when he died in the Battle of Dagorlad. Amroth was the last Sindarin King of Lorien.
Amroth and Nimrodel
Amroth's lover was Nimrodel. [1] Legolas sang about their romance as the Fellowship reached a river named after Nimrodel. She was an enchanting Elf-Maiden, who lived in Lothlorien's forests long before the Noldor and Sindar arrived in the realm. She dreaded the coming of the Elves of Beleriand, sensing that they bring threat to the golden woods since Morgoth had long since sought their destruction. In TA 1980, Nimrodel fled from the realm when the Balrog arose from Khazad-Dum, close to Lothlorien. The Dwarves also escaped the creature from the deeps while the Elves of Lothlorien moved further deep in the forest and strengthened their defenses. Nimrodel dwelled by the river for a while as she refused to mingle with the Galadhrim. She saw them as disturbers of the peace of Lothlorien. In 1981, Nimrodel sought refuge from the Forest of Fangorn, yet she couldn't set foot within. She remained by the forest's periphery.
Amroth pursued her to Fangorn and was frightened by the whisperings and motion of the Black Huorn, the creatures guarding the forest. He found her after a day, and the lovers conversed deeply for a while. Amroth asked for her hand in marriage, and Nimrodel gave her word that she would be his wife once he takes her to a land of peace, far from the troubles and danger of darkness. He agreed and promised to depart from Lothlorien and his people, even though he was their king, all for Nimrodel's love. But Amroth understood that Middle-earth is restless, and there is no peace in these lands. He offered to take her through the seas and sail to Aman, the Valar's refuge, safe from dark powers. Amroth knew of his Sindarin kin who traveled before towards the Bay of Belfalas, a harbor in the golden forest's south. Many of them had departed and voyaged to Valinor. But he also knew that some remained to craft vessels and take Elves across the sea to Aman. Soon after, they fled from Lothlorien. Mithrellas and a company of Silvan Elves traveled with the two.
In 1981 as they journeyed by the White Mountains, they split up, and Amrod lost Nimrodel. He looked for her but failed to find her anywhere. Then he moved on towards the Sundering Seas, hoping they will meet somewhere along the way. Soon, Amroth arrived in the Bay of Belfalas. He met some of the last Sindarin Elves in Middle-earth and discovered they only have one ship capable of sailing across the sea. They agreed for Amroth to join their voyage but declined to wait further for his beloved. They also told him of the White Mountains' dangers, with evil men and beasts lurking in its midst, and wished she reached Gondor instead. Summer is passing, and the Sindarin Elves anticipated gales and storms in the approaching autumn. They pitied the deeply troubled Amroth, and so they delayed the journey for his sake. As they already left their dwellings and their belongings were all aboard. They waited while on the ship for several weeks.
Autumn has come, and summer has ended, but Nimrodel did not come. Then a raging storm came, among the most destructive of all Gondor had witnessed. Out of the Northern Waste, it wreaked havoc in Gondor and Eriador. It carried most of Gondor's vessels far out of the sea and ruined many of them. But the Sindar's ship was light, the gale cast it far from the coast of Belfalas and away from the dock. The storm calmed at sunrise the next day.
Amroth awakened and found that they were so far away he could barely see the harbor. In his hopelessness, he shouted the name of Nimrodel, then cast himself upon the sea. The Elven vessel never returned to Middle-earth, having taken Arda's currents into the island of Tol Eressea, where the Sindarin Elves embark and continue their voyage to Aman. No one had seen Nimrodel and Amroth after, but many myths arose from Nimrodel's vanishing.
Amroth pursued her to Fangorn and was frightened by the whisperings and motion of the Black Huorn, the creatures guarding the forest. He found her after a day, and the lovers conversed deeply for a while. Amroth asked for her hand in marriage, and Nimrodel gave her word that she would be his wife once he takes her to a land of peace, far from the troubles and danger of darkness. He agreed and promised to depart from Lothlorien and his people, even though he was their king, all for Nimrodel's love. But Amroth understood that Middle-earth is restless, and there is no peace in these lands. He offered to take her through the seas and sail to Aman, the Valar's refuge, safe from dark powers. Amroth knew of his Sindarin kin who traveled before towards the Bay of Belfalas, a harbor in the golden forest's south. Many of them had departed and voyaged to Valinor. But he also knew that some remained to craft vessels and take Elves across the sea to Aman. Soon after, they fled from Lothlorien. Mithrellas and a company of Silvan Elves traveled with the two.
In 1981 as they journeyed by the White Mountains, they split up, and Amrod lost Nimrodel. He looked for her but failed to find her anywhere. Then he moved on towards the Sundering Seas, hoping they will meet somewhere along the way. Soon, Amroth arrived in the Bay of Belfalas. He met some of the last Sindarin Elves in Middle-earth and discovered they only have one ship capable of sailing across the sea. They agreed for Amroth to join their voyage but declined to wait further for his beloved. They also told him of the White Mountains' dangers, with evil men and beasts lurking in its midst, and wished she reached Gondor instead. Summer is passing, and the Sindarin Elves anticipated gales and storms in the approaching autumn. They pitied the deeply troubled Amroth, and so they delayed the journey for his sake. As they already left their dwellings and their belongings were all aboard. They waited while on the ship for several weeks.
Autumn has come, and summer has ended, but Nimrodel did not come. Then a raging storm came, among the most destructive of all Gondor had witnessed. Out of the Northern Waste, it wreaked havoc in Gondor and Eriador. It carried most of Gondor's vessels far out of the sea and ruined many of them. But the Sindar's ship was light, the gale cast it far from the coast of Belfalas and away from the dock. The storm calmed at sunrise the next day.
Amroth awakened and found that they were so far away he could barely see the harbor. In his hopelessness, he shouted the name of Nimrodel, then cast himself upon the sea. The Elven vessel never returned to Middle-earth, having taken Arda's currents into the island of Tol Eressea, where the Sindarin Elves embark and continue their voyage to Aman. No one had seen Nimrodel and Amroth after, but many myths arose from Nimrodel's vanishing.
Legend of Amroth and Nimrodel
They named the river near Lothlorien as Nimrodel, after the She-Elf because she used to dwell close to it. Its waters also lead to the Bay of Belfalas, where Amroth waited for her. As told in the Elves' legend, they sometimes hear Nimrodel with the river's gushing and Amroth from the waves of the sea.
The Song of Nimrodel
In the Lord of the Rings, Legolas sings a portion of an Elven song about Amroth and Nimrodel. It has sorrowful lyrics that moved Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship as they rest by the waters of Nimrodel. The verses of the lyrics detail that long ago, a fair Elf-maiden lived called Nimrodel. She shines like a star in her white clothes with gold trimmings and her silvery-gray shoes during the day. Star-light emanates from her eyebrows and hair, just like the rays of the sun in the golden trees of Lorien's magnificent land. She had long hair, and her skin was fair. She was beautiful and moved gracefully as the wind carries a Linden tree leaf as it falls. The refreshing, crystal waters of the falls of Nimrodel emanates the sound of her voice. But she became lost in the mountains, and no one knew where she went from then on. The wind blows from the mountain as the Elves' ship waited for her from a grey harbor. The Northwind swept the ship from the Elven harbor into the sea. At the break of dawn, the land was no more, and the mountains fade in the mists of the waves. Amroth looked at the vanishing coast on the horizon and blamed the ship for taking him away from his beloved Nimrodel. He was a king in his former glory, a lord that reigns over valleys and golden spring forests in Lothlorien. They saw him as he jumped like a shooting arrow and dive deep into the sea, then he moved through the waters as a swan. But no news came from the West or Middle-earth of what happened to Amroth from then on.
In Tolkien's other Writings
In the first manuscripts of J.R.R. Tolkien, he named Amroth as Ammalas, and his beloved Nimrodel was Inglorel. Another version of the story reveals Amroth was Celebrian's brother and son of Celeborn and Galadriel. This narrative changes his fate that he later dwells in Eriador, and within TA 1350 and TA 1400, he left with his brother and mother, Celebrian and Galadriel.
Video Games
Lord of the Rings Online [2] features Amroth's character in a scene about the battle in SA 3440, the Siege of Barad-dur.
