A lake that formed along the lower course of the river Nunduinë that flowed approximately southwestward out of the central plains of Númenor. The lake, though small,1 was nonetheless the most significant in the land, extending for some miles along the river as it ran out of the Mittalmar toward the coast. Its western end was some three miles from the Sea, and Nunduinë flowed on westward from the lake to empty into the Bay of Eldanna at the port of Eldalondë.
All along the banks of Nísinen, numerous shrubs and trees grew that gave off pleasant scents (from which the lake took its name, meaning 'fragrant water'). A few miles beyond its western end, along the shores either side of Nunduinë's mouth, was a coastal region known as Nísimaldar, the 'Fragrant Trees', which was also host to many sweet-smelling trees. The plants of the Nísimaldar were brought to Númenor out of the West by the Eldar, and the fragrant trees of Nísimaldar perhaps gave rise to those that grew along the banks of Nísinen.2
Notes
1 |
Each of our few references to the lake make a point of describing it as small, though our only detailed map of Númenor shows Nísinen extending for (very approximately) ten miles from end to end. So, it was a small lake by the measure of some of those in Middle-earth, but it was still of a considerable size. (It is not impossible that the dimensions of the lake are exaggerated on the map of Númenor for clarity, but nonetheless it seems to have been at least several miles in length.)
|
2 |
There is good reason to imagine a connection between the fragrant lake and the fragrant shoreland nearby to the west. Not only were these two locations only a few miles apart, but the use of the Elvish word for 'fragrant' in both the names Nísinen and Nísimaldar seems hard to ignore. The natural assumption would probably be that the trees and shrubs of Nísimaldar spread inland along the lake of Nísinen, though this is not specifically stated. It would be a remarkable coincidence if the two fragrant places were not connected in some way, but such a connection is never directly described.
|
Indexes:
About this entry:
- Updated 13 April 2026
- This entry is complete
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2002, 2020, 2026. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.
Explore the benefits of using a personality profile to discover yourself and make the most of your career.
SHARE
