Eriador

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Eriador
Region
File:Middle-earth map (1 of 4).gif
General Information
Other namesThe Lone-lands, almost synonymous with Arnor
LocationNorth-west Middle-earth
TypeRegion
DescriptionLarge, temperate, inhabited region scattered with hills and forests
RegionsAngmar, Arnor, Arthedain, Eregion, The Shire
People and History
InhabitantsDwarves, Elves, Hobbits, Men
EventsFoundation of Arnor,Forging of the Rings of Power, War of the Elves and Sauron, Arrival of Hobbits, The Great Plague, The Fell Winter
GalleryImages of Eriador

Eriador is a large region in Middle-earth.

Boundaries

"Eriador was of old the name of all the lands between the Misty Mountains and the Blue; in the South it was bounded by the Greyflood and the Glanduin that flows into it above Tharbad."
Appendix A, I: The Númenorean Kings, iii: Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur

In the Second and Third ages, the boundaries of the region were as follows:

  • To the north, the Ice-bay of Forochel, which flooded part of the lands of Morgoth after the War of Wrath.
  • To the south, the river Greyflood and the land of Enedwaith. After the War of Wrath, part of the southwestern border lies along the shores of Belegaer.

Geography

Important rivers were the Lune (Elvish Lhûn), the Brandywine (Elvish Baranduin) and the Greyflood.

History

Second Age

In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build Ships out of them.

Third Age

Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which later split into the rival kingdoms of Rhudaur, Arthedain and Cardolan. The Shire occupies part of the former kingdom of Arthedain, while Bree and its neighbouring villages lie on the border with the former Cardolan. The Barrow-wights dwell within ancient burial mounds constructed in the First Age by the Edain as they journeyed to Beleriand. Other important places in Eriador are Rivendell and the abandoned kingdoms of Eregion and Angmar. By the time of the War of the Ring, Eriador was largely deserted.

Inhabitants

  • Elves, who dwelled in Rivendell in the East; the Grey Havens in the West and during the Second Age, Eregion.
  • Men, dwelled in Bree in central Eriador; and the Eryn Vorn to the Southwest.
  • Dwarves, Lived in the Blue Mountains on Eastern side of both the Northern, and Southern ranges.
  • Hobbits, lived in the Shire, and some in Bree, in central Eriador

Etymology

Eriador is Sindarin and is derived from erja-, "solitary" and dor, "land": "Solitary Land". [1]

In Other Version of the Legendarium

In the earlier sketches of the maps of Middle-earth, Eriador is originally called "Forodwaith" - the name which is now applied to the very cold region to the north of Middle-earth. [2]

Eriador
Tengwar, Sindarin mode

References

  1. Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), Vinyar Tengwar, vol. 42, July 2001. Need page ref and article info.
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien (e.d.), The Treason of Isengard, "The First Map", pp. 305-306.