Cuiviénen

Cuiviénen (Quenya; IPA: ) was the location where the Quendi, or Elves, first awoke, in the far east of Arda.
==Description==
Cuiviénen was said to have been on the shore of a large gulf in the inland Sea of Helcar, in the distant east of Middle-earth.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter III: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor" It was an eastern bay of the Inland Sea of Helcar, formed by the meltwaters of the pillar of Illuin when Melkor destroyed the Two Lamps, before the Years of the Trees.The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Introduction"
After the First Age and the War of Wrath, the Sea of Helcar and Cuiviénen were drained, leaving behind only the Sea of Núrnen and Sea of Rhûn, prompting the Elvish adage "and to Cuiviénen there is no returning", both a reference to physical geography and a metaphor for the Sundering of the Elves.
==History==
In YT 1050, the Awakening of the Elves took place in Cuiviénen.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman The Elves dwelt there for a long time in bliss under the starlight, and were content. They divided into three basic groups: the Minyar (Vanyar), Tatyar (Ñoldor), and Nelyar (Teleri), and in Cuiviénen learned or developed culture, skills of survival, and language.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, Part Four: Quendi and Eldar, Appendix: The legend of the Awaking of the Quendi (Cuivienyarna)
Unfortunately, Melkor discovered this land first before the other Valar. Many Elves feared him when they saw him, and were forced to exit Cuiviénen and hide, while those unfortunate enough to be left behind or overwhelmed by fear and unhappiness were taken by Melkor or slain. Then, years later, the Vala Oromë discovered Cuiviénen on his travels throughout Middle-earth. Oromë reported his discovery back to the Valar in Valinor, and, after a Great Debate,The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part One. Time and Ageing: XIII. Key Dates", pgs. 96-8 they decided that the Elves would be safer living in the Undying Lands, in the peace and protection of the Valar. Oromë returned to Cuiviénen and relayed this to the Elves, urging them to emigrate far west to Valinor. And so the first Sundering of the Elves took place when the Eldar, the name given by Oromë to the Elves using their own tongue, departed from Cuiviénen to Valinor, on what was called the Great Journey. Some of these Elves refused to leave, from fear of the unknown, and turned back after reaching the huge range of the Misty Mountains, or simply decided to stay in Middle-earth (and not return to Cuiviénen) by choice.
It is untold for how long the remaining Avari remained at Cuiviénen in the First Age, but, they were there when Men awoke at the first rising of the Sun in the nearby land of Hildórien, and its Elven residents befriended early Men and apparently taught them the basic skills of survival.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XII: "Of Men"
===Other mentions===
In his attempt to sway the Ñoldor to join him in pursuit of Melkor to Middle-earth, Fëanor spoke of the "sweet waters" of Cuiviénen that they had left in vain to travel to Aman.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
==Etymology==
Cuiviénen is a Quenya name that means "Water of Awakening",The Silmarillion, Index of Names from cuivié ("awakening") and nen ("water").The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Arabic 	سويڥيينين
Armenian 	Կյիվիէնեն
Assamese 	কুইভিয়েনেন
Belarusian Cyrillic	Куівіэнен
Bengali 	কুইভিএনেন
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Куивиенен
Chinese (Hong Kong)	庫維因恩
Danish 	Cuiviénen ("Våge-vandene")
Georgian 	კუივიენენი
Greek 	Κουιβιένεν
Gujarati 	કુવીયન
Hebrew 	קואיוויינן
Hindi 	चुइविएनेन
Japanese 	クイヴィエーネン
Kannada 	ಕ್ಯುವಿಯೆನೆನ್
Kazakh 	Кұівіэнен (Cyrillic) Kuiviénen (Latin)
Konkani 	कुइव्हिएनेन
Korean 	쿠이비에넨
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Куивиэнэн
Macedonian Cyrillic	Куивиенен
Maithili 	कुइविएनेन
Malayalam 	കുവിയെനെൻ
Marathi 	कुविएनयेन
Mongolian Cyrillic 	Куивиэнэн
Nepalese 	चुइविएनेन
Pashto 	چویویېنېن ?
Persian 	کوئیوینن
Punjabi 	ਕੁਈਵਿਏਨਨ
Russian 	Куйвиэнен
Sanskrit 	चुइविएनेन्
Serbian 	Кујвијенен (Cyrillic) Kujvijenen (Latin)
Sinhalese 	චුඉවිඑනෙන්
Tajik Cyrillic 	Чуивиенен
Tamil 	குவியெனென்
Telugu 	చుఇవిఎనెన
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Куівієнен
Urdu 	کواوینان ?
Uzbek 	Куивиенен (Cyrillic) Kuivienen (Latin)
Yiddish 	קויוויéנען
==References==
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ru:Куивиэнен
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uk:Куівієнен
Category:Regions
Category:Elven realms
Category:Quenya names & words
Category:Far Eastern Lands
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