Amnon

2022-02-07T03:01:56Z

172.68.50.147:

'''Amnon''' was a [[Seer|prophet]] of old according to the early version of the [[legendarium]] in ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]''. His most known prophesy was "''Great is the [[fall of Gondolin]]''", which was quoted again by [[Turgon]], King of [[Gondolin]], at the time the event took place.<ref>{{LT2|III}}, p. 184</ref>

==Other versions of the legendarium==
In the first version of the [[Doom of Mandos]] appearing in ''The Book of Lost Tales'', it is a servant of [[Vefántur]] who proclaims, among other misfortunes, the fall of Gondolin; and the [[Noldoli]] remembered those words as the "Prophecies of Amnos" (''[[Amnos]]'' being the place where they had heard them).<ref>{{LT1|VII}}, p. 167</ref> Later, [[Tolkien]] wrote a couple of notes referring to the "Prophecy of Amnon", with the words "''Great is the fall of Gondolin. When the [[Lothengriol|lily of the valley]] withers then shall Turgon fade''", but it is unclear if here ''Amnon'' is a place or a person. As [[Christopher Tolkien]] suggests, the prophet Amnon could be the servant of Vefántur that proclaimed the doom of the Noldoli.<ref>{{LT1|VIIn}}, p. 172</ref>

== Inspiration ==
In the Bible, Amnon was the wicked eldest son of David. [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] was surely aware of this character (as he was a Catholic), and it is curious to speculate on his particular choosing of this name, as it was in his earlier works.

{{references}}
[[Category:Characters in The Book of Lost Tales]]
[[Category:Characters of unknown race]]
[[Category:Qenya names]]

Nan Dungortheb

2022-01-16T13:00:42Z

172.68.50.147:

{{location infobox
| name=Nan Dungortheb
| image=[[File:Peter Xavier Price - Aredhel Escapes Nan Dungortheb.jpg|250px]]
| caption=''Aredhel Escapes Nan Dungortheb'' by [[Peter Xavier Price]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Valley of Dreadful Death
| location=[[Beleriand]], north of [[Doriath]], south of [[Dorthonion]]
| type=Region
| description=Haunted valley of dread
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=Spawn of [[Ungoliant]]
| created=
| destroyed={{FA|587}}, [[War of Wrath|Destruction of Beleriand]]
| events={{FA|464}}: [[Beren]]'s Journey to Doriath
}}
'''Nan Dungortheb''' was the dreadful valley in northern [[Beleriand]] that ran west to east between the haunted mountains of the [[Ered Gorgoroth]] and the enchanted northern marches of [[Doriath]].<ref>{{S|Map}}</ref>

==History==
After [[Ungoliant]] fled [[Lammoth]] and the [[Balrogs]] of [[Morgoth]] she made her way to the valley below the Ered Gorgoroth. There she bred such horrors that the valley was given the name ''Nan Dungortheb''. After she had departed the land was infested with [[Spiders|her offspring]].<ref>{{S|Flight}}</ref> Waters that spilled into the valley from the Ered Gorgoroth were defiled, filling the hearts of those that drank of them with madness and despair. All living things other than the spiders avoided the valley, including the [[Noldor]] who would only cross it by paths nearest to Doriath.<ref>{{S|Beleriand}}</ref>

When [[Aredhel]], daughter of [[Fingolfin]], attempted to ride eastward across Nan Dungortheb, her party was separated by the shadows. While she succeeded in reaching [[Himlad]], her companions could not find her and were chased away by spiders. Returning to [[Gondolin]], they reported her as lost to [[Turgon]].<ref>{{S|Maeglin}}</ref>

[[Beren]], sorely pressed by the forces of [[Morgoth]] who sought for him in [[Dorthonion]], passed over the Ered Gorgoroth and crossed Nan Dungortheb from north to south. He never spoke of his journey through this land lest the horror of it return to his mind.<ref>{{S|Beren}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The name ''Nan Dungortheb'' is translated as "Valley of Dreadful Death",<ref>{{S|Index}}</ref> containing the word ''nan'' ("valley").<ref>{{S|Appendix}}, entry ''nan(d)''</ref>

== Other versions of the legendarium ==
In ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the land was identified as '''''Nan Dumgorthin''''', the "Land of the Dark Idols". Instead of being inhabited by the offspring of Ungoliant (who never ventured to Middle-earth in this version), it is populated by strange Men that worshipped mysterious deities.<ref>{{HM|LT2}}, pp. 35, 62, 374</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Beleriand]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]
[[Category:Valleys]]

[[de:Nan Dungortheb]]
[[fi:Nan Dungortheb]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/beleriand/nan_dungortheb]]

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Amnon

Nan Dungortheb