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Places in Middle-earth

Rómenna

Type: Cities, Towns, Settlements

Region: Numenor

Location: The major port city of Númenor, located in the eastern part of Arandor, the Kingsland; known for its skilled mariners and shipwrights.

Description: The central portion [of Númenor] was called Mittalmar (Inlands), and it had no coast, except the land about Rómenna and the head of its firth. A small part of the Mittalmar was however, separated from the rest, and called Arandor, the Kingsland. In Arandor were the haven of Rómenna, the Meneltarma, and Armenelos...; and it was at all times the most populous region of Númenor.

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 1, Description of the Island of Númenor

... the craft of ship-building. ... near Rómenna, where was the chief haven of Númenor, the greatest shipyards, and the most skilled shipwrights. ...

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 2, Aldarion and Erendis

... the roads of Númenor were for the most part unpaved..., and heavy cargoes were borne by sea. The chief and most ancient road suitable for wheels, ran from the greatest port, Rómenna in the east, to the royal city of Armenelos, and thence on to the Valley of the Tombs and the Meneltarma; and this road was early extended to Ondosto within the borders of the Forostar, and thence to Andúnië in the west.

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 1, Description of the Island of Númenor

Aldarion was much loved by Vëantur his mother's father, and he dwelt often in Vëantur's house on the southern side of the firth of Rómenna. That house had its own quay, ... for Vëantur would never journey by land if he could by water ...

It is said that Aldarion himself wrote records of all his journeys to Middle-earth, and they were long preserved in Rómenna, though all were afterwards lost. ...

... in those days [Aldarion] put to use the knowledge he had gained of Círdan concerning the making of ships..., and he began also to set men to the improvement of the havens and the quays, for he was ever eager to build greater vessels. ...

At that time [Aldarion]..., had a ship built that should serve as his dwelling-place; he named it therefore Eämbar, and at times he would sail in it from haven to haven of Númenor, but for the most part it lay at anchor off Tol Uinen: and that was a little isle in the bay of Rómenna that was set there by Uinen the Lady of the Seas. Upon Eämbar was the Guildhouse of the Venturers, and there were kept the records of their great voyages ...

But Meneldur forbade the Queen and the sisters of Aldarion to bear the bough of oiolairë to Rómenna where lay the Palarran, saying that he refused his blessing to his son ...

The mariners thought it an ill thing that the Captain should depart thus; but when all was made ready and men prepared to weigh anchor Erendis came there, little though she loved the noise and bustle of the great harbour and the crying of the gulls. ...

At the open rebellion of Aldarion the King rescinded his authority as Lord of the Ships and Havens of Númenor; and he caused the Guildhouse of the Venturers on Eämbar to be shut, and the shipyards of Rómenna to be closed, and forbade the felling of all trees for shipbuilding. ...

He set himself to the repairing of the neglects of his long absence...; and at the time great harbour works were put in hand, especially at Rómenna. ...

Aldarion turned his thoughts again to the works at Rómenna, and busied himself with the building of great sea-walls, and the raising of a tall tower upon Tol Uinen: Calmindon, the Light-tower, was its name. ...

So it was that ere long he turned again from forestry to the building of ships, and a vision came to him of a mighty vessel.... Then in the yards of Rómenna the saws and hammers were busy, while among many lesser craft a great ribbed hull took shape ...

Hirilondë he named it, Haven-finder; but it went from Númenor without the blessing of Tar-Meneldur; and Erendis was not at the harbour to set the green Bough of Return....

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 2, Aldarion and Erendis

Now the Elendili dwelt mostly in the western regions of Númenor; but Ar-Gimilzôr commanded all that he could discover to be of this party to remove from the west and dwell in the east of the land; and there they were watched. And the chief dwelling of the Faithful in the later days was thus nigh to the harbour of Rómenna ...

Therefore Amandil withdrew to Rómenna, and all that he trusted still to be faithful he summoned to come thither in secret; for he feared that evil would now grow apace, and all the Elf-friends were in peril. ...

... Elendil had remained in Rómenna, refusing the summons of the King when he set forth to war; and avoiding the soldiers of Sauron that came to seize him and drag him to the fires of the Temple, he went aboard his ship and stood off from the shore, waiting ... when the devouring wave rolled over the land and Númenor toppled to its fall, then he would have been overwhelmed...; but the great wind took him, wilder than any wind that Men had known, roaring from the west, and it swept his ships far away ... and after many days cast them away upon the shores of Middle-earth.

The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

Contributors: Moriel 6.8.03
Quotes added - Lyllyn 6.09.03
added quotes: Elena Tiriel 11Nov05

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