Today is Mother’s Day in the US – and here at TheOneRing.net we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the importance mothers and motherhood play in our everyday lives. We honor those maternal bonds that are everlasting – bonds that time and distance can never truly break. To this end, we thought it might be a bit geeky to list out the names of the highlighted Mother’s from the Silmarillion, Index of Names. If you have not read the Silmarillion, or are not familiar with Middle-earth history, there will be some spoilers ahead!
Elwing – Daughter of Dior, who escaping from Doriath with the Silmaril wedded Earendil at the Mouths of Sirion and went with him to Vali-nor; mother of Elrond and Elros. The name means ‘Star-spray’ ; see Lanthir Lamath. [Elwing by Moon-blossom]
Emeldir – Called the Man-hearted; wife of Barahir and mother of Beren; led the women and children of the House of Beor from Dorthonion after the Dagor Bragollach. (She was herself also a descendant of Beor the Old, and her father’s name was Beren; this is not stated in the text.)
Hareth – Daughter of Halmir of Brethil; wedded Galdor of Dor;mother of Hurin and Huor.
Idril – Called Celebrindal ‘Silverfoot’ ; the daughter (and only child) of Turgon and Elenwe; wife of Tuor, mother of Earendil, with whom she escaped from Gondolin to the Mouths of Sirion; departed thence with Tuor into the West.
Indis – Vanyarin Elf, close kin of Ingwe; second wife of Finwe, mother of Fingolfin and Finarfin.
Lindorie – Mother of Inzilbeth.
Melian – A Maia, who left Valinor and came to Middle-earth; afterwards the Queen of King Thingol in Doriath, about which she set a girdle of enchantment, the Girdle of Melian; mother of Luthien, and fore-mother of Elrond and Elros.
Miriel – (I) The first wife of Finwe, mother of Feanor; died after Feanor’s birth. Called Serinde ‘the Broideress’.
Morwen – Daughter of Baragund (nephew of Barahir, the father of Beren); wife of Hurin and mother of Turin and Nienor; called Eledhwen (translated in the text as ‘Elfsheen’) and the Lady of Dor-lomin.
Nimloth – (2) Elf of Doriath who wedded Dior Thingol’s Heir; mother of Elwing; slain in Menegroth in the attack by the sons of Feanor.
Rian – Daughter of Belegund (nephew of Barahir, the father of Beren);wife of Huor and mother of Tuor; after Huor’s death died of grief on the Haudh-en-Ndengin.
Silmarien – Daughter of Tar-Elendil, the fourth King of Numenor ;mother of the first lord of Andunie and ancestress of Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anarion.
[The Silmarillion – Paperback
