AelKennyr Rhiano
Fand Gloster
Jasper DragonHeart
Rhun Darkmoon
Shawn Daysleeper
Ael began with giving some general information about Alqualonde: Alqualonde, in Tolkien, is the chief city of the Teleri elves who completed the journey West. The city is said to be north and east of Tirion between the Calacirya and Araman in northern Eldamar. The city was built in a natural harbour made of rock, and was also walled. Other than the great harbours it also housed the Tower of Olwë. The city was covered with the pearls the Elves had found in the sea and jewels which they obtained from the Noldor. With aid from the Ñoldor, the city was built during the time of the trees, sometime after the elves arrived in Valinor; it was constructed by the Teleri, who loved the seas and the starlight. Olwë, brother of Thingol, lived in Alqualondë and was its lord.
At this point Rhun clarified that this meant that in Tolkien's world and times, Alqualonde was in the eternal twilight of Aman. Ael agreed that this was so, "Aman is in an eternal twillight. Arien takes the vessel of the sun and traverses across Middle Earth." He then went on to mention about Elwe. As you are aware, after Elwe became smitten with the Maia Melian, and they decided to make eyes at each other for...what...a hundred years or so, Olwe took the rest of the Teleri and resumed the journey to Valinor. Elwe, you all may remember, went on to marry Melian, and became known as Elu Thingol. His people became the Sindar.
Here is what Tolkein wrote of Alqualonde: "Many jewels the Noldor gave them, opals and diamonds and pale crystals, which they strewed upon the shores and scattered in the pools; marvelous were the beaches of Elende in those days. And many pearls they won for themselves from the sea; and their halls were of pearl, and of pearl were the mansions of Olwe at Alqualonde, the Haven of the Swans, lit with many lamps. For that was their city, and the Haven of their ships; and those were made in likeliness of swans, with the beaks of gold and eyes of gold and jet."
In Aman all of the Teleri regard Olwë as their High King, since Elwe was lost to them, and Olwe brought them safely to Valinor. But each time they stopped along their journey, a group of Teleri would stay behind. Thus, many of the elven clans in Middle Earth can trace their roots back to Teleri, either through the groups that stayed or through Elu.
We then looked at a little back history of the Elves. The Great Journey, or the Great March was the journey that the Elves known as the Eldar took from Cuiviénen, the place of their awakening, to Valinor in Aman. The Eldar are those elves of the awakening. After the War of the Valar against Melkor much of northern Middle-earth was broken, and then Oromë returned to take the Eldar with him into the West. The majority of the Elves departed, but a part remained behind, becoming known as the Avari, in the Sundering of the Elves.
Oromë guided the Eldar north of the Sea of Helcar, passing under the smoke of the ruined Iron Mountains (Ered Engrin). Some Eldar fled in fear, and disappeared from history. Later the host passed through a great forest (the later Mirkwood) on the path where later was the Dwarf-Road, and then long waited at the shores of a Great River (Anduin) while Oromë sought a way to get them over the Hithaeglir or the Misty Mountains, which were much higher in those days.
The Vanyar and Ñoldor were ferried across Belegaer or the Great Sea on Tol Eressëa, which would later be permanently anchored of the coast of Aman by Ulmo, while the Teleri finally entered Beleriand. When Ulmo returned for them the greater part of the Teleri finally crossed Belegaer. Thus the first city of the Teleri elves in Valinor is on Tol Eressea, the lonely isle
It was noted that, contrary to what some have claimed rpwise, however, Olwe never stepped down as Lord of Tol Eressea.
In Tolkien, however, the most noteworthy event that occurred in the peaceful, tranquil Swanhaven was the First kinslaying. The Kinslayings are the collective term for the three battles fought between the Eldar.
The first battle, the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (Swanhaven), appears in print in The Silmarillion. It involves the Noldorin Elves under their king, Fëanor, against their fellow Elves, the Teleri. Fëanor had induced the Noldor to leave Valinor to make war upon the Dark Lord Morgoth in revenge for the theft of his Silmarilli jewels and the murder of his father Finwë. As the easiest route to Middle-earth was by sea, Fëanor and his sons led one host of the Noldor to the city of Alqualondë and asked the seafaring Teleri of Alqualondë for their vessels. The Teleri refused to help them defy the Valar. Bitter fighting broke out (although it is not clear who began the fighting, the Silmarillion states that fighting began when the Noldor attempted to take control of the Teleri's ships) and eventually many (perhaps hundreds) of Elves on both sides were slain. Though the Teleri were lightly armed, they were able to defend themselves to some degree until a second host of the Noldor, led by Fëanor's half-nephew Fingon, arrived together with some of his father Fingolfin's people. Fingon's people assumed erroneously that the Teleri had attacked the Noldor under orders of the Valar. In the end, many of the Fëanor had induced the Noldor to leave Valinor to make war upon the Dark Lord Morgoth in revenge for the theft of his Silmarilli jewels and the murder of his father Finwë. As the easiest route to Middle-earth was by sea, Fëanor and his sons led one host of the Noldor to the city of Alqualondë and asked the seafaring Teleri of Alqualondë for their vessels. The Teleri refused to help them defy the Valar. Bitter fighting broke out (although it is not clear who began the fighting, the Silmarillion states that fighting began when the Noldor attempted to take control of the Teleri's ships) and eventually many (perhaps hundreds) of Elves on both sides were slain. Though the Teleri were lightly armed, they were able to defend themselves to some degree until a second host of the Noldor, led by Fëanor's half-nephew Fingon, arrived together with some of his father Fingolfin's people. Fingon's people assumed erroneously that the Teleri had attacked the Noldor under orders of the Valar.
It was commented that for those seeing this as a religious work, The Kinslaying was the elves' equivalent of man's Original Sin, in that they fell to evil and were expelled from paradise.
The second battle is the Sack of Doriath where Dior was killed by the Sons of Fëanor.
The third battle in the Kinslaying is the attack by the Sons of Fëanor on the Mouths of Sirion where Elwing was attacked. The last Kinslaying is considered the cruellest of them all because many women and children were also murdered by the Fëanorians.
It was stated by Eönwë herald of Manwë that because of these evil deeds the remaining Sons of Fëanor had lost all right to the Silmarils, and when Maedhros and Maglor finally retrieved them, the Silmarils burned their hands, driving Maedhros to suicide and Maglor to wander the Earth forever.
