Eldamo : Quenya : Lórien

Q. Lórien (Lóriend-) pn. “*Dream Lands”

Q. Lórien (Lóriend-), pn. “*Dream Lands”

The gardens of Irmo in Valinor, often used as the name of that Vala as well (S/28). Its initial element is lórë “dream”. Its final element -ien² is seen in the names of other lands, such as Arvernien and Hildórien. This name was also used as the Quenya name for the forest-kingdom of Galadriel, S. Lórien, which appeared in the Quenya subtitle of the Namárië poem: Altariello nainië Lóriendesse “Galadriel’s lament in Lórien” (RGEO/58). This example also indicates that the stem form of this name was Lóriend-.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, but in its earliest manifestation, ᴱQ. Lórien was only the name of the Vala (LT1/66), glossed “King of Dreams” (QL/56). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, ᴹQ. Lórien was still only the name of the Vala (LR/205) and the name appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of ᴹ√LOS “dream” (Ety/LOS). His true name Irmo did not emerge until Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/150), at which point Lórien became the name of his lands.

References ✧ MRI; PE17/48-49; RGEO/58; S/28; SI/Lórien¹; UT/253; UTI/Lórien¹; WJI

Variations

Lórien ✧ MRI/Lórien; PE17/48; PE17/49; S/28; SI/Lórien¹; UT/253; UTI/Lórien¹; WJI/Lórien
Lorien ✧ MRI/Lórien

Lórien was the name of the gardens and dwelling-place of the Vala Irmo “Desire” ✧ PE17/48
Irmo is the true name of Lórien ✧ S/28
S. Lórien was influenced by Lórien ✧ UT/253
S. Lothlórien “Dreamflower” ✧ PE17/48