Havens of Círdan

Círdan was one of the oldest of the Elves, and was among those Teleri who came to the shores of Beleriand as they made their Great Journey into the West. By those shores, Círdan and his people encountered the Maia Ossë, who taught them of the Sea and of shipbuilding. Ultimately these Elves decided to remain behind on the shores of Middle-earth while the others of their clan set out across the Great Sea to Aman.

For much of the First Age, Círdan and his people held a land on the western coasts of Beleriand known as the Falas, or simply the 'shore'. Círdan's people thus became known as the Falathrim, the Elves of the Falas. They established two havens, Brithombar and Eglarest, at the mouths of rivers running down to the Sea in this region. They explored far and wide on the ocean, and even early in history they were gathering pearls from around the Isle of Balar, far to the south of the Falas.

After the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Morgoth sent a great force agains the Havens of the Falas and they fell. Nonetheless Círdan was able to escape, sailing away into the south to establish himself on the Isle of Balar. Once there, he evidently created new havens for the survivors among his people, or settled in havens that already existed. These havens are not named, being known simply as the 'Havens of Círdan'. It was from here, at the bidding of Turgon of Gondolin, that Círdan sent out mariners to seek aid from the Valar in the West. All of these failed, but the return of one of them, Voronwë, set in progress a chain of events that would lead to the birth of Eärendil and the relief of Beleriand.

The Isle of Balar and its havens did not survive the War of Wrath that followed, in which the Valar sent their forces against Morgoth. Along with most of the rest of Beleriand, the island was consumed by the Great Sea, and so Círdan and his people were forced to find themselves another new home. They settled in Lindon, once far inland, but now the last surviving shoreland of old Beleriand. There Círdan founded a new set of havens. Most famous among these was Mithlond, the Grey Havens on the Gulf of Lhûn from which he sent out vessels out to carry the Eldar away from Middle-earth into the West.