Lasselanta

The Elves divided the year into a series of six seasons, and as part of this system they treated autumn not as a single season, but as two separate periods. The first of these, Yávië, marked later summer and harvest-time, while the second saw the fall of leaves and the transition of the year into winter. This second part of autumn was commonly called Quellë, 'fading', but it was also known as Lasselanta, the season of the 'leaf-fall'.

This division was important to the Elves because their calendar began in spring, so the point where the year passed from Yávië into Lasselanta represented the middle part of their year. This was marked by a series of three enderi or 'middle-days' inserted into the calendar between the two seasons so that the entire system would align the calendar to a full solar year.

When used as part of a formal calendar (at least in the case of the Reckoning of Rivendell), the season of Lasselanta would last for fifty-four days, covering a period between 28 September and 20 November on a modern calendar. It was followed by the long season of Hrívë, during which the true cold of winter descended.

Lasselanta was a Quenya name for this season. No direct Sindarin equivalent is recorded, but this same period was known in that tongue as Firith (meaning 'fading', and translating Quenya Quellë). Another alternative Sindarin name for the same season was Narbeleth, but that name has no linguistic connection to Quenya Lasselanta, and means 'sun-waning' rather than 'leaf-fall'.