The tree oiolairë (or 'Ever-summer') was an evergreen that grew in Tol Eressëa, and the Elves of that island gave it as a gift to the Men of Númenor. In Númenor the tree grew on the fragrant slopes of Nísimaldar, and it became a custom among Númenórean mariners to carry a bough of oiolairë on the prow of their ships. They adopted this custom from the Eldar of Eressëa, who carried the bough - in full the Green Bough of Return - on their ships as a token of their friendship with the Maiar of the Sea, Ossë and Uinen. The bough was traditionally set in place by a woman of the captain's family, and it remained green throughout the voyage until the ship that bore it returned to port.
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The origins of this custom are not explained in detail, but the use of the Bough of Return was particularly associated with vessels making the journey from Númenor to Middle-earth. The first such voyage was made by Vëantur in II 600, so in this sense the Bough of Return cannot predate that year. It is perfectly possible, of course, that it developed from a tradition among those making shorter journeys by sea around the coasts of Númenor during the earlier Second Age. Ultimately the Númenóreans adopted this custom from the Eldar of Eressëa, and in that sense among the Elves it might very well have predated the foundation of Númenor itself.
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- Updated 23 June 2023
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