The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Location
A minor river running through the northern highlands of Lebennin in Gondor
Race
Division
Culture
Source
In the southern White Mountains, near the eastern end of the range
Tributaries
None named, though the river formed from three distinct sources
Outflow
Into the river Sirith
Pronunciation
ke'los
Meaning
Related to Quenya kelussë, 'water flowing swiftly from a rocky spring'
Other names
Sometimes spelt Kelos

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 9 June 2023
  • This entry is complete

River Celos

A river of eastern Gondor

Map of the river Celos
"Silver flow the streams from Celos to Erui
In the green fields of Lebennin!
"
Words of Legolas
from The Return of the King V 9
The Last Debate

Rivers of Gondor

A lesser river or stream that flowed out of the White Mountains into the Gondorian land of Lebennin, a little to the west of Minas Tirith. It was a tributary of the larger river Sirith, flowing into that river from the west.


The smaller-scale map that accompanies many editions of The Lord of the Rings actually shows Celos flowing into Sirith from the east, but the large-scale contour map of Gondor shows it flowing from the west. A brief reference in Unfinished Tales suggests that the Celos was the next river eastward from the Gilrain, which would make the large-scale map correct (and Christopher Tolkien confirms this in notes in The History of Middle-earth volume VII). The river's name on that map, incidentally, is transliterated 'Kelos' rather than 'Celos', but the pronunciation is the same in either case.


See also...

River Sirith

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 9 June 2023
  • This entry is complete

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