Dunland

2006-10-11T14:11:04Z

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'''Dunland''' means 'Hill Land' in the language of neighbouring [[Rohan]], who's people named it after arriving in nearby [[Calenardhon]] in the later [[Third Age]].

The ancient ancestors of the Dunlendings inhabited the forested regions of [[Middle-earth]] either side of the [[Gwathló]] in the early [[Second Age]], and so were called 'Gwaithuirim' by the early Númenoreans. They spoke a language related to that of the Second House of Men, the [[Haladin]], rather than the vastly different [[Bëor]]ian/[[Marach]]ian tongue which stood at the base of [[Adûnaic]], and this lack of mutual understanding led to outright hostility. The Númenoreans greedily harvested their forests for timber, and after much war and bloodshed, the Gwaithuirim from south of the Gwathlo fled east to the [[Hithaeglir]], while others scattered to the cape of [[Eryn Vorn]] and the [[White Mountains]].

At the end of the Second Age, the land north of the Gwathlo and south of the [[Baranduin]] was named [[Minhiriath]], 'Land between the Rivers', although the land south of Minhiriath remained unnamed.
It's inhabitants were ignored, although a city grew up on the Gwathlo, west of the Misty Mountain hill-folk who had been Gwaithuirim long before.

It was not until [[Gondor]] abandoned this city ([[Tharbad]]) in T.A 2050 that the people and their land were renamed: both became known as [[Enedwaith]], 'The Middle-folk' and 'The Middle Region', because they no longer owed allegiance to either North or South Kingdom.

These Hill-folk of the Hithaeglir kept their hatred of the descendants of Númenor, unlike those of Eryn Vorn and the White Mountains, who nevertheless remained uncooperative. The Dead Men of [[Dunharrow]], for example, who betrayed [[Isildur]], were descended from Gwaithurim.

When [[Gondor]] decided to give the depopulated province of [[Calenardhon]] to the numerous people of [[Éothéod]] in 2510 T.A., the Hill-folk of the Hithaeglir felt threathened by these 'Forgoil', or ''Strawheads'' (referring to the blonde hair). The Hill-folk had slowly colonized Calenardhon during the dwindling of the [[Dúnedain]], and had already reclaimed all the land between the rivers [[Adorn]] and [[Isen]].

Still, open war was not waged until the reign of [[Helm Hammerhand]] (2741 T.A. - 2759 T.A.). [[Freca]], the lord of the hill-men (whom the Rohirrim now called [[Dunlendings]]) tried to get the throne of Rohan for himself by petitioning for the marriage of his son [[Wulf]] to the daughter of Helm. Freca was killed, and Wulf led the Dunlendings into open war with Rohan. They unsuccessfully besieged the [[Hornburg]] during the [[Long Winter]] of 2758–2759. Wulf did take [[Edoras]] and killed Haleth, the son of Helm, in front of the golden hall of [[Meduseld]]. But in the refuge of [[Dunharrow]] Helm's nephew [[Fréaláf]] held out against the Dunlendings. He recaptured Edoras in the end of the long winter and killed Wulf personally. The Dunlendings were driven out of Rohan, and Fréalaf succeeded the deceased Helm Hammerhand.

Guarding the [[Gap of Rohan]] was the fortress of [[Isengard]], where a hereditary guard watched for Gondor. However, by the time of the [[Steward of Gondor]] [[Beren]], these guards had mixed with Dunlendings, and it had become hostile to Gondor. To remedy this situation, Beren gave [[Saruman]] the keys to [[Orthanc]], to guard Isengard for Gondor.

Saruman used this old history to tempt the Dunlendings into supporting him during the [[War of the Ring]].

After the battle at [[Helm's Deep]], the Rohirrim allowed the surviving Dunlendings to return to their homes. The Rohirrim required that all hostilities cease, and that the Dunlendings retreat behind the [[Isen]] river again.

[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Regions]]

Second People

2006-10-06T23:04:53Z

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'''Second People''' was a name given by the [[Elves]] to the race of [[Men]]; the literal meaning of both the [[Quenya]] word [[Atani]] and the [[Sindarin]] [[Edain]].

[[Category:Men]]

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Dunland

Second People