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Doriath

Doriath is a fictional Elven kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, located in Beleriand during the First Age. It was ruled by King Thingol (Elu Thingol) with Melian the Maia as queen, whose presence gave the realm its distinctive protection. A magical barrier, known as the Girdle of Melian, encircled Doriath and kept outsiders at bay unless granted passage, making the land a guarded enclave within the war-torn lands of Morgoth.

The capital and primary seat of the realm was Menegroth, the Thousand Caves, a vast underground city

Doriath is central to the tale of Beren and Lúthien, who sought a Silmaril from Morgoth and

Doriath remains a major element of Tolkien’s First Age, notable for its fortified, inward-looking nature, its

carved
into
rock
with
halls
and
chambers
that
served
as
court,
treasury,
and
sanctuary.
The
Doriathrim,
or
the
people
of
Doriath,
were
primarily
Sindar
Elves,
though
the
realm
attracted
other
Elves
and
served
as
a
cultural
and
political
center
in
western
Beleriand.
interacted
extensively
with
Thingol
and
Melian.
The
couple’s
journey
through
the
realm,
including
the
conditions
Thingol
imposed
to
allow
Beren
to
pass,
is
a
key
part
of
its
history.
Later,
a
dispute
over
the
Silmaril
and
the
Nauglamír
necklace
led
to
the
murder
of
Thingol
by
dwarves
from
Nogrod,
and
Melian
withdrew
from
Middle-earth.
With
her
departure,
the
Girdle’s
protective
power
waned,
and
Doriath’s
strength
declined,
culminating
in
its
eventual
destruction
and
the
scattering
of
its
people.
underground
capital,
and
its
pivotal,
tragic
role
in
the
chronicles
of
the
Silmarils.