Fornost Erain

2009-12-21T21:29:39Z

173.172.201.133: /* Portrayal in Adaptations */

{{location
| image=[[Image:Fornost rotwk.JPG|250px]]
| name=Fornost Erain
| othernames=Deadman's Dike, Norbury of the Kings
| etymology="Northern Fortress (of the) Kings"
| type=City/Fortress
| location=[[North Downs]]
| inhabitants=[[Dúnedain]]
| realms=[[Arnor]]<br/>[[Arthedain]]<br/>[[Reunited Kingdom]]
| description=
| events=[[Fall of Fornost]]
| references=
|}}

<center>{{quote|Deadman's Dike, you say. So it has been called for long years; but its right name, [[Barliman Butterbur|Barliman]], is '''Fornost Erain''', Norbury of the Kings.|[[Gandalf]]<ref name="Bound">{{HM|RK}}, "[[Homeward Bound]]"</ref>}}</center>
'''Fornost Erain''' was the capital of [[Arthedain]]. It was located at the south end of the North Downs, about 100 [[Númenórean]] miles north of [[Bree]].

==History==
===Early history===
It is not known when Fornost was founded or when the kings of [[Arnor]] moved there from [[Annúminas]], but it is known that the kings moved to Fornost some time before [[Third Age 861|T.A. 861]], when King [[Eärendur, King of Arnor|Eärendur]] died, and Arnor was divided into three kingdoms with Fornost the capital of the greatest kingdom, Arthedain.<ref name="AA"/>

===Fall===
:''Main article: [[Fall of Fornost]]
In [[Third Age 1974|T.A. 1974]], Arthedain was overrun by the forces of [[Angmar]]. Fornost was captured, and King [[Arvedui]] fled into the northern wastes and was lost in the [[Icebay of Forochel]] with the two palantirs he had saved from the forces of [[Angmar]]. In the following year, a fleet of ships from [[Gondor]], led by [[Eärnur]], landed at [[Mithlond]]. The Elves of [[Lindon]], led by [[Círdan]], joined the forces of [[Gondor]], the remaining [[Dúnedain of the North]] came, and so did a few archers from the Shire. Eärnur fought the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] in the plains west of Fornost and defeated the armies of Angmar, but the Witch-king himself escaped.<ref name="AA">{{HM|AA}}</ref>

===Deadman's Dike===
After Fornost Erain was abandoned, the inhabitants of the nearest settlement, [[Bree]], referred to it as '''Deadman's Dike''', and did not come there. Only [[Dúnedain of the North|Rangers]] came there from time to time, but no-one knew what they did there.<ref>{{HM|FR}}, "[[Strider (chapter)|Strider]]"</ref>

After [[Aragorn II|King Elessar]] reunited [[Reunited Kingdom|the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor]], he had the city rebuilt and made a great city where Men dwelt once again.<ref name="Bound"/>

==Etymology==
Fornost Erain is [[Sindarin]]. It means "Northern Fortress (of the) Kings"; from ''forn'' "north" and ''[[ost]]'' "fortress", and ''erain'' is the plural of ''[[aran]]''. It was called "Norbury of the Kings" in [[Westron]], a fitting translation.

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
'''2006: ''[[EA's The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:In the expansion pack, ''[[EA's The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king|The Rise of the Witch-king]]'', Fornost is besieged by the forces of the Witch-king. [[Arveleg I|Arveleg]] survives the Fall, only to be destroyed later.
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Fornost Erain is simply called Fornost and is located in the northern end of the [[North Downs]]. It is populated with wights, orcs and wargs.

{{references}}
[[Category:Cities in Eriador]]
[[Category:Arnor]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[de:Fornost]]
[[fi:Fornost Erain]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Fornost Erain