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Places in Middle-earth

Belegost

Type: Cities, Towns, Settlements

Region: Beleriand & North

Meaning: Great fortress

Other Names
Gabilgathol
Great Fortress
Great City
Turosto

Location: The location of Belegost was moved by JRR Tolkien in the course of his map-making. It is definitely on the eastern side of the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) but is at times north of Mount Dolmed, other times 'far south'. The map in the Silmarillion shows it as north, right near the River Ascar and on the Dwarf Road. Discussion and different locations can be found in HoMe 4, The Shaping of Middle-earth, and HoMe 7, The Treason of Isengard, where Map I shows the southern location. Note that Karen Wynn Fonstad's The Atlas of Middle-earth uses the southern location, acknowledging the issue in footnote 54 of that section.

Description: [They] had delved for themselves great halls and mansions, after the manner of their kind, on the east-side of Eryd Luin, north and south of Mount Dolmed, in those places which the Eldar named Belegost and Nogrod (but.they Gabilgathol and Tumunzahar)."

The War of the Jewels, HoME Vol 11, Part 1, The Grey Annals

[There is also some apparent contradiction in statements by Tolkien as to when Belegost was abandoned:]

"When the ancient cities of Nogrod and Belegost in the Blue Mountains were ruined at the breaking of Thangorodrim."

The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Durin's Folk

[and in the Second Age:]

"c. 40 Many Dwarves leaving their old cities in Ered Luin go to Moria and swell its numbers."


The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix B, The Tale of Years: The Second Age

[The only resolution if both are correct was that the cities were severely damaged but not destroyed, and it took the dwarves some years to complete their relocation.]

These names the Sindar did not attempt to adapt, but translated according to their sense, as Belegost 'Mickleburg' […] for use in Quenya they translated the names anew as Turosto…

The War of the Jewels, HoME Vol 11, Part 4, Quendi and Eldar: Appendix B: Elvish names for the Dwarves

Contributors: Lyllyn 7Jun03
Tanaqui 29Nov04

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