Halls of Mandos

The Halls of Mandos were the dwellings of Námo, the Doomsman of the Valar; he was more often given the name Mandos from his own halls.

The Halls of Mandos stood on the northern shores of Valinor, looking out across the Encircling Sea. They were said to be great cavernous delvings, growing in size as the World aged, and their walls were lined with the tapestries of Námo's spouse Vairë, depicting all the events of unfolding history.

It was to the Halls of Mandos that the fëar of Elves were gathered to await their respective afterlives, and so Mandos was given its name of the Halls of Awaiting. After brief respite in the Halls, the immortal Elves would be re-embodied, and return from the Halls to their kin in Aman.

For fëar of Men, it is known to the Eldar that they (many or all, they do not know) go also to Halls of Waiting, but what their fate is after Námo releases them, the Eldar have no sure knowledge. Men, knowing little, say many different things, some of which are fantasies of their own devising and are darkened by the Shadow. The wisest of Men, and those least under the Shadow, believe that they are surrendered to Eru and pass out of Eä; for this reason many of the Elves in later days under the burden of their years envied the Death of Men, and called it the Gift of Ilúvatar.

Little is known of the Dwarves, though on his deathbed Thorin's last words were "Farewell, good thief. I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed."

No one, not even Morgoth, could escape the Halls without Mandos' permission.