The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Fëanor and his people landed here in Valian Year 1497 (that is, about twenty-two years before the first rising of the Sun); Losgar was destroyed with most of Beleriand at the end of the First Age
Location
On the coasts northwestward of Beleriand, at the mouth of the Firth of Drengist
Race
Division
Family
The ships of the Teleri were burned here by Fëanor and his Sons
Pronunciation
lo'sgarr ('rr' indicates that the final r sound should be pronounced)
Meaning
Perhaps 'place of flowers'1

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 10 August 2021
  • This entry is complete

Losgar

The place of the burning of the ships

Map of Losgar
Losgar at the mouth of the Firth of Drengist (somewhat conjectural)2
Losgar at the mouth of the Firth of Drengist (somewhat conjectural)2

A place at the mouth of the Firth of Drengist, in the cold lands northwest of Beleriand. It was here that Fëanor landed at the beginning of the First Age, and gave the order to burn the stolen ships of the Teleri in which he had sailed to Middle-earth. His half-brother Fingolfin, trapped in Aman by this deed, was forced to march across the deadly Helcaraxë with his people to reach the Hither Lands.


Notes

1

In the very early story The Cottage of Lost Play, Losgar appears as the name of a place on the isle of Tol Eressëa, and there its meaning is explicitly 'place of flowers'. Whether Losgar on the Firth of Drengist was intended to carry the same meaning is far from certain, but 'place of flowers' does fit the Elvish elements that make up the name.

2

The canonical sources are not specific about the location of Losgar, except to say that it was at the outlet of Firth of Drengist. That might potentially place it anywhere along a stretch of coastline on either the northern or southern shores of the Firth. The location shown on this entry's map is based on the Second 'Silmarillion' Map in The History of Middle-earth volume V. That draft map includes a black marker at the point shown, and though that marker is not labelled or otherwise explained, it represents at least a plausible location for the burning of the ships at Losgar.

See also...

Swan-ships

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 10 August 2021
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2000, 2021. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.
How do your personal strengths fit in with career matching? How can you identify them? Try a free personality test from myDISCprofile.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry