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Possible inconsistencies in the legendarium

2017-08-22T16:48:04Z

Viresse:

[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] paid a great deal of attention to detail in his [[Secondary world]] to preserve a realistic consistency.

However his work has been admired, studied and analyzed by "[[Tolkienist]]s" over the years in various aspects and levels; unavoidably, some more or less obvious '''inconsistencies seem to have slipped the author's attention'''. Most are revealed after more than one reading of the book and possibly thorough study.

Fans of Tolkien usually accept that in any work there are usually plot holes. In a larger, far more detailed and realistic book we expect fewer (if any) plot holes, when in reality there is a far greater chance because of its complexity.

Any inconsistency can be blamed on the fictitious Tolkien who adapted ancient sources such as the Red Book or on the characters who wrote and compiled those sources. Tolkien himself mentioned in Appendix D that he might have made many errors on the calendar while "translating" the "ancient sources", a comment written as a fail-safe for any narrative mistakes the author might have made, and mentioned in Appendix F ("Of the Elves") that Frodo had erred in thinking the dialect of Sindarin spoken by the elves of Lórien was Silvan Elvish.<ref>{{FR|II6}}. A footnote directs the reader to the correction in the appendix.</ref>

Such explanations attributing the mistakes to the "translator Tolkien" or the "original sources" are easy and unenlightening. Therefore many fans prefer to explain those inconsistencies with some internal explanation. The explanations below of are this type. For example, at least some of the logical mistakes can be attributed to the characters themselves who said a contradicting phrase, since none of them is supposed to have the "omniscience" of the author. Contradictions of this type are grouped as "character mistakes". Others are grouped as "factual mistakes", of which mistakes in chronology are a subgroup.

=Character mistakes=
==The Eldest==
Possibly the most noticeable inconsistency in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' is that both [[Tom Bombadil]] and [[Treebeard]] are referred to as the [[eldest]] being in [[Middle-earth]]. Tom says that about himself,<ref>{{FR|I7}}, "Eldest, that's what I am.... Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn." </ref> and [[Elrond]] mentions that the Elves knew Tom as "oldest and fatherless".<ref name="CofE">{{FR|II2}}</ref> However, [[Gandalf]] tells [[Théoden]] that Treebeard is "the oldest of all living things",<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|III8}}</ref> and Celeborn addresses Treebeard as "Eldest".<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[Many Partings]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe Tom is not "alive" as Treebeard is<ref>Tom Shippey, ''The Road to Middle-earth: Revised and Expanded Edition'', p. 107</ref> (though he seems to be). On this subject, Gandalf, [[Saruman]], and [[Sauron]] have existed far longer than Treebeard, as they are [[Maiar]], but they haven't been alive (in a physical body) as long.

==Giving up a Ring of Power==
Gandalf says, "'A Ring of Power looks after itself, Frodo. ''It'' may slip off treacherously, but its keeper never abandons it. At most he plays with the idea of handing it on to some one else's care—and that only at an early stage, when it first begins to grip. But as far as I know Bilbo alone in history has gone beyond playing, and really done it.'"<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|I2}}</ref> However, [[Narya|Gandalf's own ring]] was given to him freely by [[Círdan]].<ref name="AppThird">{{App|TA}}</ref>

;Explanation: Perhaps Gandalf meant only the rings that [[Sauron]] had had a hand in making, which might be the only ones that "grip". Gandalf's ring is one of the [[Three Rings|Three]], which Sauron didn't touch.

==Sam's spying==
[[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] tells [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] that as a result of [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]'s eavesdropping, he and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] "know most of what Gandalf has told you about the [[The One Ring|Ring]]".<ref name=ACU>{{FR|I5}}</ref> Most of what Gandalf told Frodo was in one long conversation, at the end of which Gandalf caught Sam.<ref name="Shadow"/> This contradicts Merry's statement that after Sam was caught, he "seemed to regard himself as on parole, and dried up".<ref name=ACU/>

;Explanation: Maybe Sam's information was what he learned before he was caught, though that's not what Merry says.

==A choice of dangers==
[[Aragorn]] tells the hobbits, as they prepare to leave [[Bree]], "After [[Weathertop]] our journey will become more difficult, and we shall have to choose between various dangers."<ref name=Strider/> The ridges they have to climb after Weathertop may be more difficult than the [[Midgewater Marshes]], but they encounter no dangers on the route Aragorn chooses, and Aragorn doesn't warn the hobbits of any dangers, except the chance that the Nazgûl will find them as they cross the [[Last Bridge]].<ref name="Flight">{{FR|I12}}</ref>

;Explanation: Aragorn does cite two other possible courses. One is going north through the [[Ettenmoors|Ettendales]] instead of crossing the [[Ford of Bruinen]], but in addition to the danger of [[trolls]], that route would take too long and the Company would run out of food. The other is finding the Ford without following the Road, but that's impossible.<ref>{{FR|I12}}, "'We cannot hope to find a path through these hills. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford.'"</ref> Maybe although he describes these alternatives as impossible when he faces them, in Bree they only seemed to present the danger of taking too long or getting lost.

==Aragorn's knowledge==
Aragorn tells the hobbits in Bree, "I know all the lands between [[the Shire]] and the [[Misty Mountains]], for I have wandered over them for many years."<ref name="Strider"/> But later, speaking of the Ettendales, he says, "That is troll-country, and little known to me," and "I do not know the way" to Rivendell by detouring through them.<ref name="Flight"/> The Ettendales or Ettenmoors are on a line between the Shire and the northern part of the Misty Mountains.
;Explanation:If we take Aragorn's line "wandered over them" literally, we can accept that Aragorn has also wandered over the Ettendales. Of course that doesn't necessarily means that Aragorn should know ''everything'' about those lands, or even know ''all'' ways (e.g., to Rivendell) through them. He does say that he knows those lands a "little".

==Building Barad-dûr==
Elrond says at his council that the foundations of [[Barad-dûr]] were made with the One Ring,<ref>{{FR|II2}, "The Dark Tower was broken, but its foundations were not removed; for they were made with the power of the Ring, and while it remains they will endure.</ref> which is consistent with its destruction when the Ring is destroyed. However, according to the Tale of Years, Sauron began building Barad-dûr in about S.A. 1000 and forged the Ring in about S.A. 1600.<ref>https://www.quora.com/What-inconsistencies-if-any-appear-in-the-Hobbit-Lord-of-the-Rings-and-the-Silmarillion</ref>
;Explanation: Maybe he used the Ring for some critical aspect of the foundations, 600 years after he started work.

==Possession of the [[Nine Rings]]==
In ''[[The Council of Elrond]]'' [[Gandalf]] says that the [[Nazgûl]] kept their Rings by saying "The Nine the Nazgûl keep"<ref name="CofE"/>. However in most other references, it is mentioned that Sauron had taken them.<ref>{{FR|I2}}, "the Nine [Sauron] has gathered to himself; the Seven also, or else they are destroyed."</ref><ref>{{FR|II7}}, "You saw the Eye of him that holds the Seven and the Nine."</ref> Furthermore, Frodo doesn't see any Rings on them on [[Weathertop]], and it is believed that if they did wear the Rings, they would have been fully [[Unseen|invisible]] (including their cloaks).<ref>http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q0-InvRiders</ref>

The line in the Council of Elrond represents Tolkien's earlier intention that the Nazgûl should still be wearing their Rings, but he later changed his mind and simply missed revising that sentence.

;Explanation: The phrase can be also interpreted as "The Nine keep the Nazgûl [in Sauron’s thralldom]"; or as the Nazgûl are Sauron's slaves, his owning the Rings may be equivalent to the Nazgûl's keeping them.
:Or perhaps, Gandalf was mistaken. The Nazgûl were not well known by the Council nor were all of Sauron's personal actions, and it is possible that they assumed they kept the Rings when in reality they did not.

==Feeling the [[Mithril#The_Mithril_Coat|''mithril'' coat]]==
The ''mithril'' coat that Bilbo gives Frodo is "almost as supple as linen",<ref name="Ring">{{FR|II3}}</ref> and Aragorn carries Frodo in Moria (after the orc chieftain spears Frodo) without noticing the coat.<ref>{{FR|II5}}</ref> However, when Bilbo slaps Frodo on the back after giving him the coat, he says, "Ow!... You are too hard now to slap!"<ref name="Ring"/>
;Explanation: Perhaps Bilbo is joking.

==Galadriel's mind-reading==
Galadriel tells Frodo and Sam that she knows Sauron's thoughts that concern the Elves.<ref name="Mirror">{{FR|II7}}</ref> It seems strange that they don't ask her whether she has any information they might find useful and she doesn't offer them any. Also, she doesn't seem to have known about [[Saruman]]'s betrayal some nineteen years earlier, though the defection of a member of the [[White Council]] might be thought to concern the Elves. At least, she didn't warn Gandalf in the messages he got from Lórien after reading the [[Scroll of Isildur]], the year before he trustingly entered [[Orthanc]].<ref name="CofE"/> (Also, when Aragorn was serving in Gondor under the name [[Thorongil]], he "often warned [[Ecthelion II|Ecthelion]] not to put trust in Saruman".<ref>{{HM|AA}}</ref> It's strange that he knew not to trust Saruman but Gandalf didn't.)
;Explanation: Conceivably Galadriel gained the ability to read Sauron's mind sometime after the messages went to Gandalf.

==[[Galadriel]]'s role==
Galadriel tells the Fellowship, "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, or in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be."<ref>{{FR|I6}}</ref> Later she tells Frodo, "I do not counsel you one way or the other. I am not a counsellor."<ref name="Mirror"/> However, the rhyme she sends Aragorn advises a specific course: the [[Grey Company]] should come out of [[Rivendell]], and Aragorn should take the [[Paths of the Dead]].<ref>{{TT|III5}}</ref> Likewise [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] conclude that Galadriel sent the message to the Grey Company telling them to join Aragorn in [[Rohan]]; this seems to be "contriving" and "choosing between one course and another". Incidentally, it is odd that the Grey Company got this message without knowing who it was from.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Passing of the Grey Company]]"</ref>

;Explanation: One could imagine that someone else (Celeborn?) made the decisions and Galadriel only sent the messages; Legolas and Gimli may have erred in thinking she was the source. Alternatively, it is conceivable that Galadriel's words to the Fellowship were calculated to have a desired impact, even though at face value they seemed to be of no use.

==Tales of hobbits==
Pippin tells [[Théoden]], "I have wandered in many lands, since I left my home, and never till now have I found people that knew any story concerning hobbits."<ref name="Isengard"/> But hobbits live in [[Bree]], [[Tom Bombadil]] knows many stories about hobbits, one would think the [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]] (who guard [[the Shire]] and Bree) and the Elves of Rivendell (where Bilbo has been living) would know some, and the Elves of Lórien have at least heard of hobbits.<ref>{{FR|II6}}, "We had not heard of—hobbits, of halflings, for many a long year...."</ref>

;Explanation: Pippin has just woken up from a nap, after a lunch that included wine, and is talking to a king for the first time in his life; he may not be thinking clearly.

==Crossing Rohan inconspicuously==
As they ride away from Isengard, Gandalf tells Merry that the Lidless Eye will be looking toward Rohan, so "He [Théoden] will ride from there [Helm's Deep] to Dunharrow by paths among the hills. From now on no more than two or three together are to go openly over the land, by day or night, when it can be avoided."<ref>{{TT|III11}}</ref> However, later that night, after Pippin looks into the ''palantír'' and Gandalf says they must move from the spot, Théoden says he will go in a group of twelve, and Gandalf agrees.<ref>{{TT|III11}}, "'I will keep Éomer and ten Riders,' said the king. 'They shall ride with me at early day. The rest may go with Aragorn and ride as soon as they have a mind.' 'As you will,' said Gandalf."</ref> Then when the trip to Helm's Deep starts, the number has increased to twenty-six, and Aragorn goes with Théoden.<ref>{{RK|V2}}, "Soon all were ready to depart: twenty-four horses, with Gimli behind Legolas, and Merry in front of Aragorn."</ref> The trip from Helm's Deep to Dunharrow has a group of five hundred.<ref>{{RK|V2}}, "A thousand spears had indeed already ridden away at night, but still there would be some five hundred more to go with the king."</ref> They do ride through the hills, as Gandalf had said. "Most of the time" they're in a group bigger than three.<ref>{{RK|V3}}, "Sometimes where the way was broader he [Merry] had ridden at the king's side, not noticing that many of the Riders smiled to see the two together: the hobbit on his little shaggy grey pony, and the Lord of Rohan on his great white horse. [...] But most of the time, especially on the last day, Merry had ridden by himself just behind the king, saying nothing, and trying to understand the slow sonorous speech of Rohan that he heard the men behind him using."</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe there was some reason, not narrated, that Gandalf changed his mind about the need for small groups (and Théoden changed his about his companions). Or maybe for most of the journey, riding in big groups couldn't be avoided, though that would make the order pointless.

==The peril of deep arts==
In connection with the ''palantír'' of Orthanc, Gandalf observes to Pippin, "Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves."<ref name="Palantir">{{TT|III11}}</ref> However, never in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'' does he warn [[Thorin|Thorin]] or the hobbits against using elvish swords, which glow in the presence of orcs, or [[Daggers of Westernesse|daggers from the barrow]], which are especially effective against Ringwraiths. He returns the [[Phial of Galadriel]] to Frodo and [[Gifts of Galadriel|Galadriel's box of earth]] to Sam without any warnings. Also, there is no apparent danger in characters' using other products of elven arts (cloaks, ''[[hithlain]]'' ropes, ''[[lembas]]'').

;Explanation: Maybe the ''palantíri'' are "devices" in a sense in which the other things named are not.
:Furthermore, it's possible that Gandalf was only attempting to discourage Pippin's curiosity, worrying that it could lead to another dangerous situation like that with the ''palantír''.
==The eyes in Orthanc==

When Aragorn tells Gimli and Legolas that he's confronted Sauron in the ''palantír'', he says, "To know that I lived and walked the earth was a blow to his heart, I deem; for he knew it not till now. The eyes in Orthanc did not see through the armour of Théoden".<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref> But Wormtongue knew that Aragorn claimed to be Isildur's heir, as Gandalf points out to Pippin.<ref name=Palantir/> Thus whether Wormtongue recognized Aragorn from Orthanc doesn't matter to Sauron's knowledge of Aragorn's existence. What Aragorn should have deduced was that either Wormtongue never told Saruman about him, or Saruman didn't reveal the knowledge, whether to Sauron through the ''palantír'' or to the Nazgûl who came to demand Saruman's supposed captive hobbit. (The latter is what Gandalf tells Pippin he fears.)

==[[Mouth of Sauron]] and "Sauron the Great"==
[[Aragorn]] mentions that the name "[[Sauron]]" (meaning "Abominable") is the name used by his enemies, and Sauron himself does not permit it to be pronounced.<ref>{{TT|III1}}</ref> Therefore it would be problematic, if not logically impossible, for the messenger to Dáin to refer to his master as "the Lord Sauron the Great", as Aragorn had heard at the [[Council of Elrond]],<ref>{{FR|II2}}</ref> and for a servant of Sauron to say, "I am the Mouth of Sauron".<ref>{{RK|V10}}</ref>

;Explanation: It could be that Aragorn was mistaken, perhaps thinking of the time before Sauron had declared himself. Another possibility is that the "Mouth" used a different name or title, perhaps in the Black Speech, and Frodo or the translator Tolkien "translated" it as Sauron to clarify it for readers. A similar possibility is that despite Aragorn's blanket statement, Sauron sometimes allowed his servants to use the name for such purposes as communicating with others who used it. As many of his enemies only knew his "true" name as Sauron, it would also allow him to keep his true names and aliases hidden from them, as well as allow them to immediately recognize whom his servants were referring to.

=Factual mistakes=
==[[Doors of Durin]]==
The name ''[[Moria]]'' means "Black Chasm" and was a derogatory description of the place which the [[Dwarves]] did not like much; it was given after [[Durin's Bane]] took over the city and it was overrun by [[Orcs]]. It is therefore a paradox why that name appears on the [[Doors of Durin]] (''Ennyn Durin Aran Moria''), made in the [[Second Age]], and with the consent of the Dwarves.

;Explanation: An "external" explanation is that since the translated [[Norse]] names [[Durin (disambiguation)|Durin]] and [[Narvi]] are seen in the inscription, ''Moria'' may also be a "translated" name.

==[[Eagles]]==
One of the best-known alleged plot holes is why the Eagles came to carry Frodo and Sam back from [[Mount Doom]] but did not help them to fly [[the One Ring]] there. While there are many counter explanations, it is a logical gap that this idea was not proposed in the [[Council of Elrond]].
;Explanation: Flying directly into Mordor whilst Sauron and his forces, particularly the Nazgûl and their [[fell beast|fell beasts]], were on alert and not distracted (as they were during the [[Battle of the Morannon]]) would have been an incredibly dangerous, if not impossible, task. Furthermore, Frodo's mission depended on the fact that Sauron never considered that his enemies might destroy the Ring. With his Eye roving across Mordor, it is almost certain that the Ringbearer would be noticed, revealing the plan of the Council and resulting in the swift annihilation of the Ringbearer and retrieval of the Ring by Sauron.
:See [[Eagles#Flying_the_Ring_to_Mount_Doom|here]] for a more detailed discussion.

==Distances==
The distances of the Dwarves' travel to [[Rivendell]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' seem to have different proportions than those in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tolkien tried to reconcile the ''Hobbit'' description with the scale of the ''LotR'' map but couldn't find an appropriate solution.<ref>{{HM|RS}} p. 204</ref>

While Frodo and his companions needed 28 days from [[Hobbiton]] to [[Rivendell]] (10.7 miles/day)<ref name="atlas">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref>, [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] calculated that Bilbo and [[Thorin and Company]] needed 38 days (17.5 miles/day)<ref name="atlas"/>. [[Andreas Möhn|Andreas Moehn]] goes further and supposes that Thorin and Co. wanted two weeks from the [[Trollshaws]] till Rivendell (a distance which [[Glorfindel]] covered in two days), resulting in c. 48 days total.<ref name="lalaith">http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref>.
;Explanation: The distances and days are not described in the narrative and can be measured only by references such as the moon phases and other fan calculations; therefore there can be a margin of miscalculation.
:In general, perhaps the Dwarves are by nature slower travelers than Men and/or Hobbits. In ''[[The Departure of Boromir]]'' it is seen that [[Gimli]] had a problem keeping pace with Aragorn and Legolas.

==Beater and Biter==
The swords [[Glamdring]] and its "mate" [[Orcrist]] are said to have belonged to King [[Turgon]] of the [[First Age]]. They never appeared much in battle (Turgon fought only in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]) and they were witnessed only by the Orcs of Beleriand. However, in the [[Third Age]] the swords are found in a [[Troll]] hoard in [[Eriador]], and the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] recognize them by their names.

The Orcs don't seem to react similarly in the sight of Glamdring in ''LotR'', nor do they seem to recognize [[Narsil]]/[[Andúril]], which is much more "recent".

;Explanation: There can be several theories and explanations of how the swords and even their reputations reach Eriador. However, the narrative of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' doesn't justify their significance to the extent of being remembered and recognized by the Goblins of the Third Age, even by tradition.

==The elf-king's favorite gems==
The narration of ''The Hobbit'' says the [[Thranduil|elf-king]]'s favorite gems are "white."<ref>{{H|8}}, "If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems...."</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]], the narration says, "To the Elven-king he <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Bard]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> sent the emeralds of [[Girion]], such gems as he most loved...."<ref>{{H|18}}</ref>

;Explanation: The sentence is somewhat ambiguous: "he" could refer to Bard or Girion instead of the elf-king. However, the elf-king's preference in gems, not the others', would be relevant to Bard's choice of what to give him.

==Thráin and Thorin's settling in the [[Blue Mountains]]==
[[File:Stephen Raw - Middle-earth map (1 of 4).png|250px|thumb|A map of north-west Middle-earth]]
After [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and his followers returned to [[Dunland]] following the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] in {{TA|2799}},
{{Blockquote|they removed and wandered in [[Eriador]], until at last they made a home in exile in the east of the [[Ered Luin]] beyond the [[Lune]].<ref name="AppADurin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>}}

From the point of view of Eriador and the Shire, "beyond the Lune" is north of it.

However, the "Tale of Years" ([[Appendix B]]) states,
{{Blockquote|Thráin and his son Thorin wander westwards. They settle in the South of [[Ered Luin]] beyond [[the Shire]] ({{TA|2802|n}})<ref name="AppThird"/>}}

It is difficult to reconcile the descriptions "beyond the Lune" and "in the south of the Ered Luin."

Other mentions of the Dwarves' homes in the Ered Luin are consistent with both possibilities. "Dwarves dwelt in the east side of the Blue Mountains, especially in those parts south of the [[Gulf of Lune]], where they have mines that are still in use."<ref name="AppEriador"/> "Especially in those parts south of the Gulf of Lune" implies that a smaller number of Dwarves lived north of the Gulf, as shown in two other quotations. In a parenthetical comment made in "Of Dwarves and Men" in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', Tolkien indicated that beyond the inflow of the [[Little Lune]] was 'Dwarf territory'.<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}, p. 313</ref> Likewise in Appendix A: [[Arvedui]], the last king of [[Arthedain]], "hid in the tunnels of the old dwarf-mines near the far end of the Mountains".<ref name="AppEriador">{{App|Eriador}}</ref>

==Westron and English==
In a few places, Tolkien might be thought to have forgotten that the English, including Old English, in ''The Lord of the Rings'' is supposed to be translated from [[Westron]] and related languages. Some of these are easily explained. The most difficult is the comment, "This was ''Orthanc'', the citadel of Saruman, the name of which had (by design or chance) a twofold meaning; for in the Elvish speech ''orthanc'' signifies Mount Fang, but in the language of the Mark of old ''the Cunning Mind''."<ref>{{TT|III8}}</ref> However, ''orthanc'' means "cunning" not in [[Rohirric]] but in Old English, which Tolkien used to translate Rohirric.
;Explanation: The unattested name for ''Orthanc'' in Rohirric could also mean "cunning mind".

==Chronology==

===When Bilbo departed===
In the chapter ''[[Roast Mutton]]'', [[Thorin and Company]] depart from the ''[[Green Dragon]]'' "one fine morning just before May." In the later written and published "[[The Quest of Erebor]]", part of "[[Unfinished Tales]]", the author established that the day of departure was [[27 April]].<ref>{{UT|Quest}}</ref> However, the chapter ''[[Flies and Spiders]]'' refers to what has happened "since they started their journey that May morning long ago."

;Explanation: The fifth month of the [[Shire Calendar]], Thrimidge, falls between 22 April to 21 May. By the human calendar, the journey would have started just before May; but by the hobbit calendar, the journey started during Thrimidge. The second reference to May could have been a "translation error", where "Thrimidge" was translated as "May" regardless of the actual date.

===[[White Council]] during the [[Watchful Peace]]===
According to [[Appendix A]], "The Stewards", during the [[Watchful Peace]] "''Sauron withdrew before the power of the White Council and the Ringwraiths remained hidden in Morgul Vale''". However the Watchful Peace ended in {{TA|2460}}, three years before the White Council was formed. Thus according to [[Robert Foster]], the reference to the Council is "incorrect".<ref>[[Robert Foster]] (2001) ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth|The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth: From The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings and Beyond]]''. Random House Digital, [http://books.google.com/books?id=GNGJvGi849UC&pg=PA538 p. 538].</ref>
;Explanation: Foster suggests that the reference to the "White Council" is rather to "the [[Wise]]" in general.

===Moon phases===
Tolkien was particularly careful about the phases of the [[Moon]] in the ''LotR''. Yet some mistakes did elude him. See for example [[13 January|January 13]], [[16 January|January 16]], [[22 February|February 22]], [[22 September|September 22]].

In general, it is possible that Tolkien consulted a modern almanac to model the moon phases, and also possible that he confused the meanings of "New Moon": the astronomical (the moment when the moon is darkest) and the colloquial (appearance of the new crescent moon).<ref>http://shire-reckoning.com/moon.html</ref>

Another mistake appears in ''The Hobbit'': [[Bard|Bard I]] killed [[Smaug]] "at the rising of the moon"<ref>{{H|15}}</ref> when "the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his [Smaug's] great wings... the waxing moon rose higher and higher". Also the [[thrush]] tells Bard, "Wait! Wait!... The Moon is rising." <ref>{{H|14}}</ref> However, according to astronomy a waxing moon rises only in the morning, after the sun. We can be certain the moon was waxing because this occurs the day after [[Durin's Day]], which is the first day in the last month of autumn that the new moon is visible together with the sun.<ref name="lalaith"/>

;Explanation: One might imagine that Bard needed to wait for the moon to fall below a cloudbank and that the tradition is corrupt.<ref name="lalaith"/>

===Gandalf's letter===
The letter Gandalf leaves for Frodo at the ''[[Prancing Pony]]'' is dated "[[Midyear's Day]], Shire Year, 1418."<ref name="Strider">{{FR|I10}}</ref> However, Appendix B says Gandalf met [[Radagast]] on June 29, and Gandalf says he left [[Bree]] at dawn of the following day,<ref name="CofE"/> which would be June 30, two days before Midyear's day (as 1 [[Lithe]] comes between).
;Explanation: Possibly someone made a mistake involving the different calendars, though Bree uses the [[Shire-reckoning]] (aside from the number of the year). Perhaps more likely is that Gandalf, who was in a hurry, and traveling for days, confused the passage of time.

===[[Shadow over Hollin]]===
While the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] traverses [[Hollin]], they see and feel a flying shadow over them.<ref name="Ring"/> Since no other such phenomena occur, when the [[Fell Beast]]s are introduced, the reader makes such a connection. However later we learn that Sauron did not permit the Nazgûl to traverse west of the [[Anduin]] after their accident at [[Bruinen]].

;Explanation: Possibly it was a "lost" or "disobeying" Nazgûl who despite orders found himself prematurely west of the Anduin, or simply something wholly unexplained and unrelated to the Fell Beasts. Perhaps it was some feeling of foreboding as they would eventually have to go to Moria. It could also be a sort of literal metaphor of Sauron observing them, as often throughout the books Sauron's gaze is compared to a "heavy shadow" bearing down on what it sees.

===Nights in Lórien===
The surviving members of the Company spend their first night in Lórien in a "flet" in a tree. On their second night, "they rested and slept without fear on the ground".<ref >{{FR|II6}}</ref> On their third night, they sleep on the ground again, in a pavilion in [[Caras Galadon]]. "For a little while the travellers talked of their night before in the tree-tops, and of their day's journey...." And Aragorn says, "But tonight I shall sleep without fear for the first time since I left Rivendell."<ref name="Mirror"/> The night in the tree-tops was not the night before, and Aragorn did sleep without fear on the previous night, so the second night appears to be forgotten.

;Explanation: In Lórien at least some members of the fellowship lose track of the flow of time. Shortly after Aragorn's remark, the narration says, "They remained some days in Lothlórien, so far as they could tell or remember." Also, after leaving Lórien, Sam feels sure they had not spent a whole month there, despite the evidence of the phase of the moon, and Frodo thinks while in Lórien they were in the past and mentions that he doesn't remember seeing the moon while there. However, Legolas assures him that only their perception of time was changed, and Aragorn points out that the time had indeed been a month.<ref>{{FR|II9}}</ref> Aragorn's forgetting his night without fear could be an effect of this changed sense of time. The phrase in the narration "the night before in the tree-tops" is harder to explain within the story, as the narration does include the intervening night, but the inconspicuous contradiction might be deliberate foreshadowing of what the Company will experience.

===Éomer and Éowyn after Aragorn's coronation===
In the chapter ''[[The Steward and the King]]'', it is stated: "So the glad days passed; and on the eighth day of May the Riders of Rohan made ready, and rode off by the North-way, and with them went the sons of Elrond. All the road was lined with people to do them honour and praise them, from the Gate of the City to the walls of the Pelennor."<ref name="SaK">{{RK|VI5}}</ref> However, in ''[[Appendix B]]'' of some editions of the novel<ref>http://www.sf-fandom.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-1958.html</ref> there is the entry: "May 8 (of {{TA|3019|n}}) Éomer and Éowyn depart from Rohan with the sons of Elrond".<ref name="AppB4">{{App|Chief}}</ref>

===The sapling's discovery===
In the text of ''[[The Return of the King]]'' it is stated: "And Aragorn planted the new tree in the court by the fountain, and swiftly and gladly it began to grow; and when the month of June entered in it was laden with blossom".<ref name="SaK"/> The wording of this sentence suggests that Aragorn planted the sapling ''before'' June began. However, in ''Appendix B'' there is the entry: "June 25 (of {{TA|3019|n}}) King Elessar finds the sapling of the White Tree",<ref name="AppB4"/> in which case it could not have blossomed until late in the month.

===Walda's death===
King [[Walda]]'s death date is recorded in [[Appendix A]] as [[Third Age 2851]] but in [[Appendix B]] as [[Third Age 2861]].

=Corrected mistakes=
Several mistakes were simply remnants of earlier concepts of Tolkien, which later escaped his attention when revising the book. Some of them were corrected in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th Anniversary Edition]].

===Bridle and headstall===
The first edition referred to the "bridle and bit" of [[Glorfindel]]'s horse, [[Asfaloth]].<ref name="Flight"/> [[Rhona Beare]] wrote to Tolkien asking how that was possible when elves don't use bridles. Tolkien replied in [[Letter 211]] that he'd written "bridle and bit" before thinking about how elves ride, and he changed it to "headstall" in the second edition. However, a later mention of Asfaloth's bridle remained in the chapter.<ref>"His hand left the bridle and gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a red flash he drew it."</ref>

===Durin's Day===
The original text of ''The Hobbit'' described [[Durin's Day]] as occurring on "the first day of the last moon of autumn",<ref>{{H|3}}</ref> the "first moon of autumn",<ref>{{H|4}}</ref> and "the last week of autumn".<ref>{{H|11}}</ref> In the 1995 edition the mention in Chapter 4 was revised to place the day at the end of autumn, in line with the other two mentions.<ref>Chester N. Scoville, "''The Hobbit''" in ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment]]'' (2007), Michael D.C. Drout, ed., Taylor and Francis, p. 279</ref>

===Bandobras' parentage===
The ''[[The Lord of the Rings Prologue|Prologue]]'' mentions that [[Bandobras Took]] was the son (not grandson) of [[Isengrim Took II]]. This has been corrected in the 50th Anniversary edition.

===Sam's birth===
In the second edition of ''LotR'', [[Samwise Gamgee]]'s year of birth was added to ''[[Appendix B|The Tale of Years]]'' as [[Third Age 2963]]. This contradicts both a later entry in ''The Tale of Years'' and the [[Appendix C]] given as [[Third Age 2980]].<ref>[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', page 716</ref>

===[[Gimli]]'s axe===
Upon arrival in [[Edoras]], Gimli mentions his axe has touched nothing but firewood since they left Moria. Yet he also claims he and [[Legolas]] killed several Orcs at [[Amon Hen]].
;Explanation: This discrepancy was noted by [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', where they explained why they left it unchanged in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th anniversary edition]]. Amon Hen was a week before the Battle of the Hornburg; even for a stout Dwarven warrior, lamenting not killing an Orc for that short period would make him look too bloodthirsty.

===Knowledge of the ''Palantíri''===
After Gandalf learns that the crystal ball he has recovered is the ''[[palantír]]'' of [[Orthanc]], he tells [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] the [[White Council]] didn't know any of the ''palantíri'' (presumably those of [[Gondor]]) survived disaster in Gondor (presumably the [[Kin-strife]]).<ref>{{TT|III11}}, "It was not known to us that any of the ''palantíri'' had escaped the ruin of Gondor."</ref> However, after [[Denethor]] reveals his ''palantír'', Gandalf says in earlier editions, "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, long have I known that here in the White Tower, as at Orthanc, one of the Seven Stones was preserved."<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Gandalf could have learned about the two ''palantíri'' by himself, after the last time the White Council met (66 years earlier), or he was concealing his knowledge so as to keep secret his source for this information.

:However, in the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, the sentence was revised to read, "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, '''long ago I guessed''' that here in the White Tower, one at least of the Seven Seeing Stones was preserved." (Emphasis added.)

===Addition of the Westmarch (and Buckland) to the Shire===
In early editions, the "Prologue" to ''The Lord of the Rings'' contained the sentence "Outside the [[Farthing]]s were the East and West Marches: the [[Buckland]] and the [[Westmarch]] added to the Shire in {{SR|1462}}."<ref name="OldPrologue">{{FR|Prologue}}</ref> That had two inconsistencies with other parts of the text. First, the "Tale of Years" dates the event to {{SR|1452}}.<ref name="AppLater">{{App|Later}}</ref> Second, various points indicate that Buckland was part of the Shire. The clearest may be Merry's comment to the other hobbits, when they have gone through the tunnel under the [[High Hay]] from Buckland into the [[Old Forest]], that they have left the Shire.<ref>{{FR|I6}}, "'There!' said Merry. 'You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest.'"</ref>

;Explanation: In the 50th Anniversary Edition, the sentence was changed to "Outside the Farthings were the East and West Marches: the Buckland; and the Westmarch added to the Shire in S.R. 1452." In addition to the correction of the date, the semicolon after "Buckland" indicates that Buckland was not added to the Shire after the War of the Ring, making the sentence consistent with the idea that it was already part of the Shire.<ref name="NewPrologue">{{FR|Prologue|50}}</ref>

===Mirror of Galadriel===
In editions prior to the 50th Anniversary Edition, the [[Appendix B|Tale of Years]] mentions that Frodo and Sam looked into the [[Mirror of Galadriel]] on [[14 February]]. However it is clear from the narrative that this occurred ''one day'' before departure on [[16 February]], not ''two''. [[Wayne G. Hammond|Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull|Scull]] decided to fix the Tale of Years so that the Mirror of Galadriel sequence happened on 15 February.
{{References}}
[[Category:Debates]]

Possible inconsistencies in the legendarium

2017-08-22T13:42:54Z

Viresse: /* Éomer and Éowyn after Aragorn's coronation */

[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] paid a great deal of attention to detail in his [[Secondary world]] to preserve a realistic consistency.

However his work has been admired, studied and analyzed by "[[Tolkienist]]s" over the years in various aspects and levels; unavoidably, some more or less obvious '''inconsistencies seem to have slipped the author's attention'''. Most are revealed after more than one reading of the book and possibly thorough study.

Fans of Tolkien usually accept that in any work there are usually plot holes. In a larger, far more detailed and realistic book we expect fewer (if any) plot holes, when in reality there is a far greater chance because of its complexity.

Any inconsistency can be blamed on the fictitious Tolkien who adapted ancient sources such as the Red Book or on the characters who wrote and compiled those sources. Tolkien himself mentioned in Appendix D that he might have made many errors on the calendar while "translating" the "ancient sources", a comment written as a fail-safe for any narrative mistakes the author might have made, and mentioned in Appendix F ("Of the Elves") that Frodo had erred in thinking the dialect of Sindarin spoken by the elves of Lórien was Silvan Elvish.<ref>{{FR|II6}}. A footnote directs the reader to the correction in the appendix.</ref>

Such explanations attributing the mistakes to the "translator Tolkien" or the "original sources" are easy and unenlightening. Therefore many fans prefer to explain those inconsistencies with some internal explanation. The explanations below of are this type. For example, at least some of the logical mistakes can be attributed to the characters themselves who said a contradicting phrase, since none of them is supposed to have the "omniscience" of the author. Contradictions of this type are grouped as "character mistakes". Others are grouped as "factual mistakes", of which mistakes in chronology are a subgroup.

=Character mistakes=
==The Eldest==
Possibly the most noticeable inconsistency in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' is that both [[Tom Bombadil]] and [[Treebeard]] are referred to as the [[eldest]] being in [[Middle-earth]]. Tom says that about himself,<ref>{{FR|I7}}, "Eldest, that's what I am.... Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn." </ref> and [[Elrond]] mentions that the Elves knew Tom as "oldest and fatherless".<ref name="CofE">{{FR|II2}}</ref> However, [[Gandalf]] tells [[Théoden]] that Treebeard is "the oldest of all living things",<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|III8}}</ref> and Celeborn addresses Treebeard as "Eldest".<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[Many Partings]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe Tom is not "alive" as Treebeard is<ref>Tom Shippey, ''The Road to Middle-earth: Revised and Expanded Edition'', p. 107</ref> (though he seems to be). On this subject, Gandalf, [[Saruman]], and [[Sauron]] have existed far longer than Treebeard, as they are [[Maiar]], but they haven't been alive (in a physical body) as long.

==Giving up a Ring of Power==
Gandalf says, "'A Ring of Power looks after itself, Frodo. ''It'' may slip off treacherously, but its keeper never abandons it. At most he plays with the idea of handing it on to some one else's care—and that only at an early stage, when it first begins to grip. But as far as I know Bilbo alone in history has gone beyond playing, and really done it.'"<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|I2}}</ref> However, [[Narya|Gandalf's own ring]] was given to him freely by [[Círdan]].<ref name="AppThird">{{App|TA}}</ref>

;Explanation: Perhaps Gandalf meant only the rings that [[Sauron]] had had a hand in making, which might be the only ones that "grip". Gandalf's ring is one of the [[Three Rings|Three]], which Sauron didn't touch.

==Sam's spying==
[[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] tells [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] that as a result of [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]'s eavesdropping, he and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] "know most of what Gandalf has told you about the [[The One Ring|Ring]]".<ref name=ACU>{{FR|I5}}</ref> Most of what Gandalf told Frodo was in one long conversation, at the end of which Gandalf caught Sam.<ref name="Shadow"/> This contradicts Merry's statement that after Sam was caught, he "seemed to regard himself as on parole, and dried up".<ref name=ACU/>

;Explanation: Maybe Sam's information was what he learned before he was caught, though that's not what Merry says.

==A choice of dangers==
[[Aragorn]] tells the hobbits, as they prepare to leave [[Bree]], "After [[Weathertop]] our journey will become more difficult, and we shall have to choose between various dangers."<ref name=Strider/> The ridges they have to climb after Weathertop may be more difficult than the [[Midgewater Marshes]], but they encounter no dangers on the route Aragorn chooses, and Aragorn doesn't warn the hobbits of any dangers, except the chance that the Nazgûl will find them as they cross the [[Last Bridge]].<ref name="Flight">{{FR|I12}}</ref>

;Explanation: Aragorn does cite two other possible courses. One is going north through the [[Ettenmoors|Ettendales]] instead of crossing the [[Ford of Bruinen]], but in addition to the danger of [[trolls]], that route would take too long and the Company would run out of food. The other is finding the Ford without following the Road, but that's impossible.<ref>{{FR|I12}}, "'We cannot hope to find a path through these hills. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford.'"</ref> Maybe although he describes these alternatives as impossible when he faces them, in Bree they only seemed to present the danger of taking too long or getting lost.

==Aragorn's knowledge==
Aragorn tells the hobbits in Bree, "I know all the lands between [[the Shire]] and the [[Misty Mountains]], for I have wandered over them for many years."<ref name="Strider"/> But later, speaking of the Ettendales, he says, "That is troll-country, and little known to me," and "I do not know the way" to Rivendell by detouring through them.<ref name="Flight"/> The Ettendales or Ettenmoors are on a line between the Shire and the northern part of the Misty Mountains.
;Explanation:If we take Aragorn's line "wandered over them" literally, we can accept that Aragorn has also wandered over the Ettendales. Of course that doesn't necessarily means that Aragorn should know ''everything'' about those lands, or even know ''all'' ways (e.g., to Rivendell) through them. He does say that he knows those lands a "little".

==Building Barad-dûr==
Elrond says at his council that the foundations of [[Barad-dûr]] were made with the One Ring,<ref>{{FR|II2}, "The Dark Tower was broken, but its foundations were not removed; for they were made with the power of the Ring, and while it remains they will endure.</ref> which is consistent with its destruction when the Ring is destroyed. However, according to the Tale of Years, Sauron began building Barad-dûr in about S.A. 1000 and forged the Ring in about S.A. 1600.<ref>https://www.quora.com/What-inconsistencies-if-any-appear-in-the-Hobbit-Lord-of-the-Rings-and-the-Silmarillion</ref>
;Explanation: Maybe he used the Ring for some critical aspect of the foundations, 600 years after he started work.

==Possession of the [[Nine Rings]]==
In ''[[The Council of Elrond]]'' [[Gandalf]] says that the [[Nazgûl]] kept their Rings by saying "The Nine the Nazgûl keep"<ref name="CofE"/>. However in most other references, it is mentioned that Sauron had taken them.<ref>{{FR|I2}}, "the Nine [Sauron] has gathered to himself; the Seven also, or else they are destroyed."</ref><ref>{{FR|II7}}, "You saw the Eye of him that holds the Seven and the Nine."</ref> Furthermore, Frodo doesn't see any Rings on them on [[Weathertop]], and it is believed that if they did wear the Rings, they would have been fully [[Unseen|invisible]] (including their cloaks).<ref>http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q0-InvRiders</ref>

The line in the Council of Elrond represents Tolkien's earlier intention that the Nazgûl should still be wearing their Rings, but he later changed his mind and simply missed revising that sentence.

;Explanation: The phrase can be also interpreted as "The Nine keep the Nazgûl [in Sauron’s thralldom]"; or as the Nazgûl are Sauron's slaves, his owning the Rings may be equivalent to the Nazgûl's keeping them.
:Or perhaps, Gandalf was mistaken. The Nazgûl were not well known by the Council nor were all of Sauron's personal actions, and it is possible that they assumed they kept the Rings when in reality they did not.

==Feeling the [[Mithril#The_Mithril_Coat|''mithril'' coat]]==
The ''mithril'' coat that Bilbo gives Frodo is "almost as supple as linen",<ref name="Ring">{{FR|II3}}</ref> and Aragorn carries Frodo in Moria (after the orc chieftain spears Frodo) without noticing the coat.<ref>{{FR|II5}}</ref> However, when Bilbo slaps Frodo on the back after giving him the coat, he says, "Ow!... You are too hard now to slap!"<ref name="Ring"/>
;Explanation: Perhaps Bilbo is joking.

==Galadriel's mind-reading==
Galadriel tells Frodo and Sam that she knows Sauron's thoughts that concern the Elves.<ref name="Mirror">{{FR|II7}}</ref> It seems strange that they don't ask her whether she has any information they might find useful and she doesn't offer them any. Also, she doesn't seem to have known about [[Saruman]]'s betrayal some nineteen years earlier, though the defection of a member of the [[White Council]] might be thought to concern the Elves. At least, she didn't warn Gandalf in the messages he got from Lórien after reading the [[Scroll of Isildur]], the year before he trustingly entered [[Orthanc]].<ref name="CofE"/> (Also, when Aragorn was serving in Gondor under the name [[Thorongil]], he "often warned [[Ecthelion II|Ecthelion]] not to put trust in Saruman".<ref>{{HM|AA}}</ref> It's strange that he knew not to trust Saruman but Gandalf didn't.)
;Explanation: Conceivably Galadriel gained the ability to read Sauron's mind sometime after the messages went to Gandalf.

==[[Galadriel]]'s role==
Galadriel tells the Fellowship, "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, or in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be."<ref>{{FR|I6}}</ref> Later she tells Frodo, "I do not counsel you one way or the other. I am not a counsellor."<ref name="Mirror"/> However, the rhyme she sends Aragorn advises a specific course: the [[Grey Company]] should come out of [[Rivendell]], and Aragorn should take the [[Paths of the Dead]].<ref>{{TT|III5}}</ref> Likewise [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] conclude that Galadriel sent the message to the Grey Company telling them to join Aragorn in [[Rohan]]; this seems to be "contriving" and "choosing between one course and another". Incidentally, it is odd that the Grey Company got this message without knowing who it was from.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Passing of the Grey Company]]"</ref>

;Explanation: One could imagine that someone else (Celeborn?) made the decisions and Galadriel only sent the messages; Legolas and Gimli may have erred in thinking she was the source. Alternatively, it is conceivable that Galadriel's words to the Fellowship were calculated to have a desired impact, even though at face value they seemed to be of no use.

==Tales of hobbits==
Pippin tells [[Théoden]], "I have wandered in many lands, since I left my home, and never till now have I found people that knew any story concerning hobbits."<ref name="Isengard"/> But hobbits live in [[Bree]], [[Tom Bombadil]] knows many stories about hobbits, one would think the [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]] (who guard [[the Shire]] and Bree) and the Elves of Rivendell (where Bilbo has been living) would know some, and the Elves of Lórien have at least heard of hobbits.<ref>{{FR|II6}}, "We had not heard of—hobbits, of halflings, for many a long year...."</ref>

;Explanation: Pippin has just woken up from a nap, after a lunch that included wine, and is talking to a king for the first time in his life; he may not be thinking clearly.

==Crossing Rohan inconspicuously==
As they ride away from Isengard, Gandalf tells Merry that the Lidless Eye will be looking toward Rohan, so "He [Théoden] will ride from there [Helm's Deep] to Dunharrow by paths among the hills. From now on no more than two or three together are to go openly over the land, by day or night, when it can be avoided."<ref>{{TT|III11}}</ref> However, later that night, after Pippin looks into the ''palantír'' and Gandalf says they must move from the spot, Théoden says he will go in a group of twelve, and Gandalf agrees.<ref>{{TT|III11}}, "'I will keep Éomer and ten Riders,' said the king. 'They shall ride with me at early day. The rest may go with Aragorn and ride as soon as they have a mind.' 'As you will,' said Gandalf."</ref> Then when the trip to Helm's Deep starts, the number has increased to twenty-six, and Aragorn goes with Théoden.<ref>{{RK|V2}}, "Soon all were ready to depart: twenty-four horses, with Gimli behind Legolas, and Merry in front of Aragorn."</ref> The trip from Helm's Deep to Dunharrow has a group of five hundred.<ref>{{RK|V2}}, "A thousand spears had indeed already ridden away at night, but still there would be some five hundred more to go with the king."</ref> They do ride through the hills, as Gandalf had said. "Most of the time" they're in a group bigger than three.<ref>{{RK|V3}}, "Sometimes where the way was broader he [Merry] had ridden at the king's side, not noticing that many of the Riders smiled to see the two together: the hobbit on his little shaggy grey pony, and the Lord of Rohan on his great white horse. [...] But most of the time, especially on the last day, Merry had ridden by himself just behind the king, saying nothing, and trying to understand the slow sonorous speech of Rohan that he heard the men behind him using."</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe there was some reason, not narrated, that Gandalf changed his mind about the need for small groups (and Théoden changed his about his companions). Or maybe for most of the journey, riding in big groups couldn't be avoided, though that would make the order pointless.

==The peril of deep arts==
In connection with the ''palantír'' of Orthanc, Gandalf observes to Pippin, "Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves."<ref name="Palantir">{{TT|III11}}</ref> However, never in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'' does he warn [[Thorin|Thorin]] or the hobbits against using elvish swords, which glow in the presence of orcs, or [[Daggers of Westernesse|daggers from the barrow]], which are especially effective against Ringwraiths. He returns the [[Phial of Galadriel]] to Frodo and [[Gifts of Galadriel|Galadriel's box of earth]] to Sam without any warnings. Also, there is no apparent danger in characters' using other products of elven arts (cloaks, ''[[hithlain]]'' ropes, ''[[lembas]]'').

;Explanation: Maybe the ''palantíri'' are "devices" in a sense in which the other things named are not.
:Furthermore, it's possible that Gandalf was only attempting to discourage Pippin's curiosity, worrying that it could lead to another dangerous situation like that with the ''palantír''.
==The eyes in Orthanc==

When Aragorn tells Gimli and Legolas that he's confronted Sauron in the ''palantír'', he says, "To know that I lived and walked the earth was a blow to his heart, I deem; for he knew it not till now. The eyes in Orthanc did not see through the armour of Théoden".<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref> But Wormtongue knew that Aragorn claimed to be Isildur's heir, as Gandalf points out to Pippin.<ref name=Palantir/> Thus whether Wormtongue recognized Aragorn from Orthanc doesn't matter to Sauron's knowledge of Aragorn's existence. What Aragorn should have deduced was that either Wormtongue never told Saruman about him, or Saruman didn't reveal the knowledge, whether to Sauron through the ''palantír'' or to the Nazgûl who came to demand Saruman's supposed captive hobbit. (The latter is what Gandalf tells Pippin he fears.)

==[[Mouth of Sauron]] and "Sauron the Great"==
[[Aragorn]] mentions that the name "[[Sauron]]" (meaning "Abominable") is the name used by his enemies, and Sauron himself does not permit it to be pronounced.<ref>{{TT|III1}}</ref> Therefore it would be problematic, if not logically impossible, for the messenger to Dáin to refer to his master as "the Lord Sauron the Great", as Aragorn had heard at the [[Council of Elrond]],<ref>{{FR|II2}}</ref> and for a servant of Sauron to say, "I am the Mouth of Sauron".<ref>{{RK|V10}}</ref>

;Explanation: It could be that Aragorn was mistaken, perhaps thinking of the time before Sauron had declared himself. Another possibility is that the "Mouth" used a different name or title, perhaps in the Black Speech, and Frodo or the translator Tolkien "translated" it as Sauron to clarify it for readers. A similar possibility is that despite Aragorn's blanket statement, Sauron sometimes allowed his servants to use the name for such purposes as communicating with others who used it. As many of his enemies only knew his "true" name as Sauron, it would also allow him to keep his true names and aliases hidden from them, as well as allow them to immediately recognize whom his servants were referring to.

=Factual mistakes=
==[[Doors of Durin]]==
The name ''[[Moria]]'' means "Black Chasm" and was a derogatory description of the place which the [[Dwarves]] did not like much; it was given after [[Durin's Bane]] took over the city and it was overrun by [[Orcs]]. It is therefore a paradox why that name appears on the [[Doors of Durin]] (''Ennyn Durin Aran Moria''), made in the [[Second Age]], and with the consent of the Dwarves.

;Explanation: An "external" explanation is that since the translated [[Norse]] names [[Durin (disambiguation)|Durin]] and [[Narvi]] are seen in the inscription, ''Moria'' may also be a "translated" name.

==[[Eagles]]==
One of the best-known alleged plot holes is why the Eagles came to carry Frodo and Sam back from [[Mount Doom]] but did not help them to fly [[the One Ring]] there. While there are many counter explanations, it is a logical gap that this idea was not proposed in the [[Council of Elrond]].
;Explanation: Flying directly into Mordor whilst Sauron and his forces, particularly the Nazgûl and their [[fell beast|fell beasts]], were on alert and not distracted (as they were during the [[Battle of the Morannon]]) would have been an incredibly dangerous, if not impossible, task. Furthermore, Frodo's mission depended on the fact that Sauron never considered that his enemies might destroy the Ring. With his Eye roving across Mordor, it is almost certain that the Ringbearer would be noticed, revealing the plan of the Council and resulting in the swift annihilation of the Ringbearer and retrieval of the Ring by Sauron.
:See [[Eagles#Flying_the_Ring_to_Mount_Doom|here]] for a more detailed discussion.

==Distances==
The distances of the Dwarves' travel to [[Rivendell]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' seem to have different proportions than those in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tolkien tried to reconcile the ''Hobbit'' description with the scale of the ''LotR'' map but couldn't find an appropriate solution.<ref>{{HM|RS}} p. 204</ref>

While Frodo and his companions needed 28 days from [[Hobbiton]] to [[Rivendell]] (10.7 miles/day)<ref name="atlas">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref>, [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] calculated that Bilbo and [[Thorin and Company]] needed 38 days (17.5 miles/day)<ref name="atlas"/>. [[Andreas Möhn|Andreas Moehn]] goes further and supposes that Thorin and Co. wanted two weeks from the [[Trollshaws]] till Rivendell (a distance which [[Glorfindel]] covered in two days), resulting in c. 48 days total.<ref name="lalaith">http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref>.
;Explanation: The distances and days are not described in the narrative and can be measured only by references such as the moon phases and other fan calculations; therefore there can be a margin of miscalculation.
:In general, perhaps the Dwarves are by nature slower travelers than Men and/or Hobbits. In ''[[The Departure of Boromir]]'' it is seen that [[Gimli]] had a problem keeping pace with Aragorn and Legolas.

==Beater and Biter==
The swords [[Glamdring]] and its "mate" [[Orcrist]] are said to have belonged to King [[Turgon]] of the [[First Age]]. They never appeared much in battle (Turgon fought only in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]) and they were witnessed only by the Orcs of Beleriand. However, in the [[Third Age]] the swords are found in a [[Troll]] hoard in [[Eriador]], and the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] recognize them by their names.

The Orcs don't seem to react similarly in the sight of Glamdring in ''LotR'', nor do they seem to recognize [[Narsil]]/[[Andúril]], which is much more "recent".

;Explanation: There can be several theories and explanations of how the swords and even their reputations reach Eriador. However, the narrative of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' doesn't justify their significance to the extent of being remembered and recognized by the Goblins of the Third Age, even by tradition.

==The elf-king's favorite gems==
The narration of ''The Hobbit'' says the [[Thranduil|elf-king]]'s favorite gems are "white."<ref>{{H|8}}, "If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems...."</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]], the narration says, "To the Elven-king he <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Bard]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> sent the emeralds of [[Girion]], such gems as he most loved...."<ref>{{H|18}}</ref>

;Explanation: The sentence is somewhat ambiguous: "he" could refer to Bard or Girion instead of the elf-king. However, the elf-king's preference in gems, not the others', would be relevant to Bard's choice of what to give him.

==Thráin and Thorin's settling in the [[Blue Mountains]]==
[[File:Stephen Raw - Middle-earth map (1 of 4).png|250px|thumb|A map of north-west Middle-earth]]
After [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and his followers returned to [[Dunland]] following the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] in {{TA|2799}},
{{Blockquote|they removed and wandered in [[Eriador]], until at last they made a home in exile in the east of the [[Ered Luin]] beyond the [[Lune]].<ref name="AppADurin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>}}

From the point of view of Eriador and the Shire, "beyond the Lune" is north of it.

However, the "Tale of Years" ([[Appendix B]]) states,
{{Blockquote|Thráin and his son Thorin wander westwards. They settle in the South of [[Ered Luin]] beyond [[the Shire]] ({{TA|2802|n}})<ref name="AppThird"/>}}

It is difficult to reconcile the descriptions "beyond the Lune" and "in the south of the Ered Luin."

Other mentions of the Dwarves' homes in the Ered Luin are consistent with both possibilities. "Dwarves dwelt in the east side of the Blue Mountains, especially in those parts south of the [[Gulf of Lune]], where they have mines that are still in use."<ref name="AppEriador"/> "Especially in those parts south of the Gulf of Lune" implies that a smaller number of Dwarves lived north of the Gulf, as shown in two other quotations. In a parenthetical comment made in "Of Dwarves and Men" in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', Tolkien indicated that beyond the inflow of the [[Little Lune]] was 'Dwarf territory'.<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}, p. 313</ref> Likewise in Appendix A: [[Arvedui]], the last king of [[Arthedain]], "hid in the tunnels of the old dwarf-mines near the far end of the Mountains".<ref name="AppEriador">{{App|Eriador}}</ref>

==Westron and English==
In a few places, Tolkien might be thought to have forgotten that the English, including Old English, in ''The Lord of the Rings'' is supposed to be translated from [[Westron]] and related languages. Some of these are easily explained. The most difficult is the comment, "This was ''Orthanc'', the citadel of Saruman, the name of which had (by design or chance) a twofold meaning; for in the Elvish speech ''orthanc'' signifies Mount Fang, but in the language of the Mark of old ''the Cunning Mind''."<ref>{{TT|III8}}</ref> However, ''orthanc'' means "cunning" not in [[Rohirric]] but in Old English, which Tolkien used to translate Rohirric.

==Chronology==

===When Bilbo departed===
In the chapter ''[[Roast Mutton]]'', [[Thorin and Company]] depart from the ''[[Green Dragon]]'' "one fine morning just before May." In the later written and published "[[The Quest of Erebor]]", part of "[[Unfinished Tales]]", the author established that the day of departure was [[27 April]].<ref>{{UT|Quest}}</ref> However, the chapter ''[[Flies and Spiders]]'' refers to what has happened "since they started their journey that May morning long ago."

;Explanation: The fifth month of the [[Shire Calendar]], Thrimidge, falls between 22 April to 21 May. By the human calendar, the journey would have started just before May; but by the hobbit calendar, the journey started during Thrimidge. The second reference to May could have been a "translation error", where "Thrimidge" was translated as "May" regardless of the actual date.

===[[White Council]] during the [[Watchful Peace]]===
According to [[Appendix A]], "The Stewards", during the [[Watchful Peace]] "''Sauron withdrew before the power of the White Council and the Ringwraiths remained hidden in Morgul Vale''". However the Watchful Peace ended in {{TA|2460}}, three years before the White Council was formed. Thus according to [[Robert Foster]], the reference to the Council is "incorrect".<ref>[[Robert Foster]] (2001) ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth|The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth: From The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings and Beyond]]''. Random House Digital, [http://books.google.com/books?id=GNGJvGi849UC&pg=PA538 p. 538].</ref>
;Explanation: Foster suggests that the reference to the "White Council" is rather to "the [[Wise]]" in general.

===Moon phases===
Tolkien was particularly careful about the phases of the [[Moon]] in the ''LotR''. Yet some mistakes did elude him. See for example [[13 January|January 13]], [[16 January|January 16]], [[22 February|February 22]], [[22 September|September 22]].

In general, it is possible that Tolkien consulted a modern almanac to model the moon phases, and also possible that he confused the meanings of "New Moon": the astronomical (the moment when the moon is darkest) and the colloquial (appearance of the new crescent moon).<ref>http://shire-reckoning.com/moon.html</ref>

Another mistake appears in ''The Hobbit'': [[Bard|Bard I]] killed [[Smaug]] "at the rising of the moon"<ref>{{H|15}}</ref> when "the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his [Smaug's] great wings... the waxing moon rose higher and higher". Also the [[thrush]] tells Bard, "Wait! Wait!... The Moon is rising." <ref>{{H|14}}</ref> However, according to astronomy a waxing moon rises only in the morning, after the sun. We can be certain the moon was waxing because this occurs the day after [[Durin's Day]], which is the first day in the last month of autumn that the new moon is visible together with the sun.<ref name="lalaith"/>

;Explanation: One might imagine that Bard needed to wait for the moon to fall below a cloudbank and that the tradition is corrupt.<ref name="lalaith"/>

===Gandalf's letter===
The letter Gandalf leaves for Frodo at the ''[[Prancing Pony]]'' is dated "[[Midyear's Day]], Shire Year, 1418."<ref name="Strider">{{FR|I10}}</ref> However, Appendix B says Gandalf met [[Radagast]] on June 29, and Gandalf says he left [[Bree]] at dawn of the following day,<ref name="CofE"/> which would be June 30, two days before Midyear's day (as 1 [[Lithe]] comes between).
;Explanation: Possibly someone made a mistake involving the different calendars, though Bree uses the [[Shire-reckoning]] (aside from the number of the year). Perhaps more likely is that Gandalf, who was in a hurry, and traveling for days, confused the passage of time.

===[[Shadow over Hollin]]===
While the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] traverses [[Hollin]], they see and feel a flying shadow over them.<ref name="Ring"/> Since no other such phenomena occur, when the [[Fell Beast]]s are introduced, the reader makes such a connection. However later we learn that Sauron did not permit the Nazgûl to traverse west of the [[Anduin]] after their accident at [[Bruinen]].

;Explanation: Possibly it was a "lost" or "disobeying" Nazgûl who despite orders found himself prematurely west of the Anduin, or simply something wholly unexplained and unrelated to the Fell Beasts. Perhaps it was some feeling of foreboding as they would eventually have to go to Moria. It could also be a sort of literal metaphor of Sauron observing them, as often throughout the books Sauron's gaze is compared to a "heavy shadow" bearing down on what it sees.

===Nights in Lórien===
The surviving members of the Company spend their first night in Lórien in a "flet" in a tree. On their second night, "they rested and slept without fear on the ground".<ref >{{FR|II6}}</ref> On their third night, they sleep on the ground again, in a pavilion in [[Caras Galadon]]. "For a little while the travellers talked of their night before in the tree-tops, and of their day's journey...." And Aragorn says, "But tonight I shall sleep without fear for the first time since I left Rivendell."<ref name="Mirror"/> The night in the tree-tops was not the night before, and Aragorn did sleep without fear on the previous night, so the second night appears to be forgotten.

;Explanation: In Lórien at least some members of the fellowship lose track of the flow of time. Shortly after Aragorn's remark, the narration says, "They remained some days in Lothlórien, so far as they could tell or remember." Also, after leaving Lórien, Sam feels sure they had not spent a whole month there, despite the evidence of the phase of the moon, and Frodo thinks while in Lórien they were in the past and mentions that he doesn't remember seeing the moon while there. However, Legolas assures him that only their perception of time was changed, and Aragorn points out that the time had indeed been a month.<ref>{{FR|II9}}</ref> Aragorn's forgetting his night without fear could be an effect of this changed sense of time. The phrase in the narration "the night before in the tree-tops" is harder to explain within the story, as the narration does include the intervening night, but the inconspicuous contradiction might be deliberate foreshadowing of what the Company will experience.

===Éomer and Éowyn after Aragorn's coronation===
In the chapter ''[[The Steward and the King]]'', it is stated: "So the glad days passed; and on the eighth day of May the Riders of Rohan made ready, and rode off by the North-way, and with them went the sons of Elrond. All the road was lined with people to do them honour and praise them, from the Gate of the City to the walls of the Pelennor."<ref name="SaK">{{RK|VI5}}</ref> However, in ''[[Appendix B]]'' of some editions of the novel<ref>http://www.sf-fandom.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-1958.html</ref> there is the entry: "May 8 (of {{TA|3019|n}}) Éomer and Éowyn depart from Rohan with the sons of Elrond".<ref name="AppB4">{{App|Chief}}</ref>

===The sapling's discovery===
In the text of ''[[The Return of the King]]'' it is stated: "And Aragorn planted the new tree in the court by the fountain, and swiftly and gladly it began to grow; and when the month of June entered in it was laden with blossom".<ref name="SaK"/> The wording of this sentence suggests that Aragorn planted the sapling ''before'' June began. However, in ''Appendix B'' there is the entry: "June 25 (of {{TA|3019|n}}) King Elessar finds the sapling of the White Tree",<ref name="AppB4"/> in which case it could not have blossomed until late in the month.

===Walda's death===
King [[Walda]]'s death date is recorded in [[Appendix A]] as [[Third Age 2851]] but in [[Appendix B]] as [[Third Age 2861]].

=Corrected mistakes=
Several mistakes were simply remnants of earlier concepts of Tolkien, which later escaped his attention when revising the book. Some of them were corrected in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th Anniversary Edition]].

===Bridle and headstall===
The first edition referred to the "bridle and bit" of [[Glorfindel]]'s horse, [[Asfaloth]].<ref name="Flight"/> [[Rhona Beare]] wrote to Tolkien asking how that was possible when elves don't use bridles. Tolkien replied in [[Letter 211]] that he'd written "bridle and bit" before thinking about how elves ride, and he changed it to "headstall" in the second edition. However, a later mention of Asfaloth's bridle remained in the chapter.<ref>"His hand left the bridle and gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a red flash he drew it."</ref>

===Durin's Day===
The original text of ''The Hobbit'' described [[Durin's Day]] as occurring on "the first day of the last moon of autumn",<ref>{{H|3}}</ref> the "first moon of autumn",<ref>{{H|4}}</ref> and "the last week of autumn".<ref>{{H|11}}</ref> In the 1995 edition the mention in Chapter 4 was revised to place the day at the end of autumn, in line with the other two mentions.<ref>Chester N. Scoville, "''The Hobbit''" in ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment]]'' (2007), Michael D.C. Drout, ed., Taylor and Francis, p. 279</ref>

===Bandobras' parentage===
The ''[[The Lord of the Rings Prologue|Prologue]]'' mentions that [[Bandobras Took]] was the son (not grandson) of [[Isengrim Took II]]. This has been corrected in the 50th Anniversary edition.

===Sam's birth===
In the second edition of ''LotR'', [[Samwise Gamgee]]'s year of birth was added to ''[[Appendix B|The Tale of Years]]'' as [[Third Age 2963]]. This contradicts both a later entry in ''The Tale of Years'' and the [[Appendix C]] given as [[Third Age 2980]].<ref>[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', page 716</ref>

===[[Gimli]]'s axe===
Upon arrival in [[Edoras]], Gimli mentions his axe has touched nothing but firewood since they left Moria. Yet he also claims he and [[Legolas]] killed several Orcs at [[Amon Hen]].
;Explanation: This discrepancy was noted by [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', where they explained why they left it unchanged in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th anniversary edition]]. Amon Hen was a week before the Battle of the Hornburg; even for a stout Dwarven warrior, lamenting not killing an Orc for that short period would make him look too bloodthirsty.

===Knowledge of the ''Palantíri''===
After Gandalf learns that the crystal ball he has recovered is the ''[[palantír]]'' of [[Orthanc]], he tells [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] the [[White Council]] didn't know any of the ''palantíri'' (presumably those of [[Gondor]]) survived disaster in Gondor (presumably the [[Kin-strife]]).<ref>{{TT|III11}}, "It was not known to us that any of the ''palantíri'' had escaped the ruin of Gondor."</ref> However, after [[Denethor]] reveals his ''palantír'', Gandalf says in earlier editions, "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, long have I known that here in the White Tower, as at Orthanc, one of the Seven Stones was preserved."<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Gandalf could have learned about the two ''palantíri'' by himself, after the last time the White Council met (66 years earlier), or he was concealing his knowledge so as to keep secret his source for this information.

:However, in the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, the sentence was revised to read, "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, '''long ago I guessed''' that here in the White Tower, one at least of the Seven Seeing Stones was preserved." (Emphasis added.)

===Addition of the Westmarch (and Buckland) to the Shire===
In early editions, the "Prologue" to ''The Lord of the Rings'' contained the sentence "Outside the [[Farthing]]s were the East and West Marches: the [[Buckland]] and the [[Westmarch]] added to the Shire in {{SR|1462}}."<ref name="OldPrologue">{{FR|Prologue}}</ref> That had two inconsistencies with other parts of the text. First, the "Tale of Years" dates the event to {{SR|1452}}.<ref name="AppLater">{{App|Later}}</ref> Second, various points indicate that Buckland was part of the Shire. The clearest may be Merry's comment to the other hobbits, when they have gone through the tunnel under the [[High Hay]] from Buckland into the [[Old Forest]], that they have left the Shire.<ref>{{FR|I6}}, "'There!' said Merry. 'You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest.'"</ref>

;Explanation: In the 50th Anniversary Edition, the sentence was changed to "Outside the Farthings were the East and West Marches: the Buckland; and the Westmarch added to the Shire in S.R. 1452." In addition to the correction of the date, the semicolon after "Buckland" indicates that Buckland was not added to the Shire after the War of the Ring, making the sentence consistent with the idea that it was already part of the Shire.<ref name="NewPrologue">{{FR|Prologue|50}}</ref>

===Mirror of Galadriel===
In editions prior to the 50th Anniversary Edition, the [[Appendix B|Tale of Years]] mentions that Frodo and Sam looked into the [[Mirror of Galadriel]] on [[14 February]]. However it is clear from the narrative that this occurred ''one day'' before departure on [[16 February]], not ''two''. [[Wayne G. Hammond|Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull|Scull]] decided to fix the Tale of Years so that the Mirror of Galadriel sequence happened on 15 February.
{{References}}
[[Category:Debates]]

Possible inconsistencies in the legendarium

2017-08-22T13:41:46Z

Viresse:

[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] paid a great deal of attention to detail in his [[Secondary world]] to preserve a realistic consistency.

However his work has been admired, studied and analyzed by "[[Tolkienist]]s" over the years in various aspects and levels; unavoidably, some more or less obvious '''inconsistencies seem to have slipped the author's attention'''. Most are revealed after more than one reading of the book and possibly thorough study.

Fans of Tolkien usually accept that in any work there are usually plot holes. In a larger, far more detailed and realistic book we expect fewer (if any) plot holes, when in reality there is a far greater chance because of its complexity.

Any inconsistency can be blamed on the fictitious Tolkien who adapted ancient sources such as the Red Book or on the characters who wrote and compiled those sources. Tolkien himself mentioned in Appendix D that he might have made many errors on the calendar while "translating" the "ancient sources", a comment written as a fail-safe for any narrative mistakes the author might have made, and mentioned in Appendix F ("Of the Elves") that Frodo had erred in thinking the dialect of Sindarin spoken by the elves of Lórien was Silvan Elvish.<ref>{{FR|II6}}. A footnote directs the reader to the correction in the appendix.</ref>

Such explanations attributing the mistakes to the "translator Tolkien" or the "original sources" are easy and unenlightening. Therefore many fans prefer to explain those inconsistencies with some internal explanation. The explanations below of are this type. For example, at least some of the logical mistakes can be attributed to the characters themselves who said a contradicting phrase, since none of them is supposed to have the "omniscience" of the author. Contradictions of this type are grouped as "character mistakes". Others are grouped as "factual mistakes", of which mistakes in chronology are a subgroup.

=Character mistakes=
==The Eldest==
Possibly the most noticeable inconsistency in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' is that both [[Tom Bombadil]] and [[Treebeard]] are referred to as the [[eldest]] being in [[Middle-earth]]. Tom says that about himself,<ref>{{FR|I7}}, "Eldest, that's what I am.... Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn." </ref> and [[Elrond]] mentions that the Elves knew Tom as "oldest and fatherless".<ref name="CofE">{{FR|II2}}</ref> However, [[Gandalf]] tells [[Théoden]] that Treebeard is "the oldest of all living things",<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|III8}}</ref> and Celeborn addresses Treebeard as "Eldest".<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[Many Partings]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe Tom is not "alive" as Treebeard is<ref>Tom Shippey, ''The Road to Middle-earth: Revised and Expanded Edition'', p. 107</ref> (though he seems to be). On this subject, Gandalf, [[Saruman]], and [[Sauron]] have existed far longer than Treebeard, as they are [[Maiar]], but they haven't been alive (in a physical body) as long.

==Giving up a Ring of Power==
Gandalf says, "'A Ring of Power looks after itself, Frodo. ''It'' may slip off treacherously, but its keeper never abandons it. At most he plays with the idea of handing it on to some one else's care—and that only at an early stage, when it first begins to grip. But as far as I know Bilbo alone in history has gone beyond playing, and really done it.'"<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|I2}}</ref> However, [[Narya|Gandalf's own ring]] was given to him freely by [[Círdan]].<ref name="AppThird">{{App|TA}}</ref>

;Explanation: Perhaps Gandalf meant only the rings that [[Sauron]] had had a hand in making, which might be the only ones that "grip". Gandalf's ring is one of the [[Three Rings|Three]], which Sauron didn't touch.

==Sam's spying==
[[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] tells [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] that as a result of [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]'s eavesdropping, he and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] "know most of what Gandalf has told you about the [[The One Ring|Ring]]".<ref name=ACU>{{FR|I5}}</ref> Most of what Gandalf told Frodo was in one long conversation, at the end of which Gandalf caught Sam.<ref name="Shadow"/> This contradicts Merry's statement that after Sam was caught, he "seemed to regard himself as on parole, and dried up".<ref name=ACU/>

;Explanation: Maybe Sam's information was what he learned before he was caught, though that's not what Merry says.

==A choice of dangers==
[[Aragorn]] tells the hobbits, as they prepare to leave [[Bree]], "After [[Weathertop]] our journey will become more difficult, and we shall have to choose between various dangers."<ref name=Strider/> The ridges they have to climb after Weathertop may be more difficult than the [[Midgewater Marshes]], but they encounter no dangers on the route Aragorn chooses, and Aragorn doesn't warn the hobbits of any dangers, except the chance that the Nazgûl will find them as they cross the [[Last Bridge]].<ref name="Flight">{{FR|I12}}</ref>

;Explanation: Aragorn does cite two other possible courses. One is going north through the [[Ettenmoors|Ettendales]] instead of crossing the [[Ford of Bruinen]], but in addition to the danger of [[trolls]], that route would take too long and the Company would run out of food. The other is finding the Ford without following the Road, but that's impossible.<ref>{{FR|I12}}, "'We cannot hope to find a path through these hills. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford.'"</ref> Maybe although he describes these alternatives as impossible when he faces them, in Bree they only seemed to present the danger of taking too long or getting lost.

==Aragorn's knowledge==
Aragorn tells the hobbits in Bree, "I know all the lands between [[the Shire]] and the [[Misty Mountains]], for I have wandered over them for many years."<ref name="Strider"/> But later, speaking of the Ettendales, he says, "That is troll-country, and little known to me," and "I do not know the way" to Rivendell by detouring through them.<ref name="Flight"/> The Ettendales or Ettenmoors are on a line between the Shire and the northern part of the Misty Mountains.
;Explanation:If we take Aragorn's line "wandered over them" literally, we can accept that Aragorn has also wandered over the Ettendales. Of course that doesn't necessarily means that Aragorn should know ''everything'' about those lands, or even know ''all'' ways (e.g., to Rivendell) through them. He does say that he knows those lands a "little".

==Building Barad-dûr==
Elrond says at his council that the foundations of [[Barad-dûr]] were made with the One Ring,<ref>{{FR|II2}, "The Dark Tower was broken, but its foundations were not removed; for they were made with the power of the Ring, and while it remains they will endure.</ref> which is consistent with its destruction when the Ring is destroyed. However, according to the Tale of Years, Sauron began building Barad-dûr in about S.A. 1000 and forged the Ring in about S.A. 1600.<ref>https://www.quora.com/What-inconsistencies-if-any-appear-in-the-Hobbit-Lord-of-the-Rings-and-the-Silmarillion</ref>
;Explanation: Maybe he used the Ring for some critical aspect of the foundations, 600 years after he started work.

==Possession of the [[Nine Rings]]==
In ''[[The Council of Elrond]]'' [[Gandalf]] says that the [[Nazgûl]] kept their Rings by saying "The Nine the Nazgûl keep"<ref name="CofE"/>. However in most other references, it is mentioned that Sauron had taken them.<ref>{{FR|I2}}, "the Nine [Sauron] has gathered to himself; the Seven also, or else they are destroyed."</ref><ref>{{FR|II7}}, "You saw the Eye of him that holds the Seven and the Nine."</ref> Furthermore, Frodo doesn't see any Rings on them on [[Weathertop]], and it is believed that if they did wear the Rings, they would have been fully [[Unseen|invisible]] (including their cloaks).<ref>http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q0-InvRiders</ref>

The line in the Council of Elrond represents Tolkien's earlier intention that the Nazgûl should still be wearing their Rings, but he later changed his mind and simply missed revising that sentence.

;Explanation: The phrase can be also interpreted as "The Nine keep the Nazgûl [in Sauron’s thralldom]"; or as the Nazgûl are Sauron's slaves, his owning the Rings may be equivalent to the Nazgûl's keeping them.
:Or perhaps, Gandalf was mistaken. The Nazgûl were not well known by the Council nor were all of Sauron's personal actions, and it is possible that they assumed they kept the Rings when in reality they did not.

==Feeling the [[Mithril#The_Mithril_Coat|''mithril'' coat]]==
The ''mithril'' coat that Bilbo gives Frodo is "almost as supple as linen",<ref name="Ring">{{FR|II3}}</ref> and Aragorn carries Frodo in Moria (after the orc chieftain spears Frodo) without noticing the coat.<ref>{{FR|II5}}</ref> However, when Bilbo slaps Frodo on the back after giving him the coat, he says, "Ow!... You are too hard now to slap!"<ref name="Ring"/>
;Explanation: Perhaps Bilbo is joking.

==Galadriel's mind-reading==
Galadriel tells Frodo and Sam that she knows Sauron's thoughts that concern the Elves.<ref name="Mirror">{{FR|II7}}</ref> It seems strange that they don't ask her whether she has any information they might find useful and she doesn't offer them any. Also, she doesn't seem to have known about [[Saruman]]'s betrayal some nineteen years earlier, though the defection of a member of the [[White Council]] might be thought to concern the Elves. At least, she didn't warn Gandalf in the messages he got from Lórien after reading the [[Scroll of Isildur]], the year before he trustingly entered [[Orthanc]].<ref name="CofE"/> (Also, when Aragorn was serving in Gondor under the name [[Thorongil]], he "often warned [[Ecthelion II|Ecthelion]] not to put trust in Saruman".<ref>{{HM|AA}}</ref> It's strange that he knew not to trust Saruman but Gandalf didn't.)
;Explanation: Conceivably Galadriel gained the ability to read Sauron's mind sometime after the messages went to Gandalf.

==[[Galadriel]]'s role==
Galadriel tells the Fellowship, "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, or in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be."<ref>{{FR|I6}}</ref> Later she tells Frodo, "I do not counsel you one way or the other. I am not a counsellor."<ref name="Mirror"/> However, the rhyme she sends Aragorn advises a specific course: the [[Grey Company]] should come out of [[Rivendell]], and Aragorn should take the [[Paths of the Dead]].<ref>{{TT|III5}}</ref> Likewise [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] conclude that Galadriel sent the message to the Grey Company telling them to join Aragorn in [[Rohan]]; this seems to be "contriving" and "choosing between one course and another". Incidentally, it is odd that the Grey Company got this message without knowing who it was from.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Passing of the Grey Company]]"</ref>

;Explanation: One could imagine that someone else (Celeborn?) made the decisions and Galadriel only sent the messages; Legolas and Gimli may have erred in thinking she was the source. Alternatively, it is conceivable that Galadriel's words to the Fellowship were calculated to have a desired impact, even though at face value they seemed to be of no use.

==Tales of hobbits==
Pippin tells [[Théoden]], "I have wandered in many lands, since I left my home, and never till now have I found people that knew any story concerning hobbits."<ref name="Isengard"/> But hobbits live in [[Bree]], [[Tom Bombadil]] knows many stories about hobbits, one would think the [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]] (who guard [[the Shire]] and Bree) and the Elves of Rivendell (where Bilbo has been living) would know some, and the Elves of Lórien have at least heard of hobbits.<ref>{{FR|II6}}, "We had not heard of—hobbits, of halflings, for many a long year...."</ref>

;Explanation: Pippin has just woken up from a nap, after a lunch that included wine, and is talking to a king for the first time in his life; he may not be thinking clearly.

==Crossing Rohan inconspicuously==
As they ride away from Isengard, Gandalf tells Merry that the Lidless Eye will be looking toward Rohan, so "He [Théoden] will ride from there [Helm's Deep] to Dunharrow by paths among the hills. From now on no more than two or three together are to go openly over the land, by day or night, when it can be avoided."<ref>{{TT|III11}}</ref> However, later that night, after Pippin looks into the ''palantír'' and Gandalf says they must move from the spot, Théoden says he will go in a group of twelve, and Gandalf agrees.<ref>{{TT|III11}}, "'I will keep Éomer and ten Riders,' said the king. 'They shall ride with me at early day. The rest may go with Aragorn and ride as soon as they have a mind.' 'As you will,' said Gandalf."</ref> Then when the trip to Helm's Deep starts, the number has increased to twenty-six, and Aragorn goes with Théoden.<ref>{{RK|V2}}, "Soon all were ready to depart: twenty-four horses, with Gimli behind Legolas, and Merry in front of Aragorn."</ref> The trip from Helm's Deep to Dunharrow has a group of five hundred.<ref>{{RK|V2}}, "A thousand spears had indeed already ridden away at night, but still there would be some five hundred more to go with the king."</ref> They do ride through the hills, as Gandalf had said. "Most of the time" they're in a group bigger than three.<ref>{{RK|V3}}, "Sometimes where the way was broader he [Merry] had ridden at the king's side, not noticing that many of the Riders smiled to see the two together: the hobbit on his little shaggy grey pony, and the Lord of Rohan on his great white horse. [...] But most of the time, especially on the last day, Merry had ridden by himself just behind the king, saying nothing, and trying to understand the slow sonorous speech of Rohan that he heard the men behind him using."</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe there was some reason, not narrated, that Gandalf changed his mind about the need for small groups (and Théoden changed his about his companions). Or maybe for most of the journey, riding in big groups couldn't be avoided, though that would make the order pointless.

==The peril of deep arts==
In connection with the ''palantír'' of Orthanc, Gandalf observes to Pippin, "Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves."<ref name="Palantir">{{TT|III11}}</ref> However, never in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'' does he warn [[Thorin|Thorin]] or the hobbits against using elvish swords, which glow in the presence of orcs, or [[Daggers of Westernesse|daggers from the barrow]], which are especially effective against Ringwraiths. He returns the [[Phial of Galadriel]] to Frodo and [[Gifts of Galadriel|Galadriel's box of earth]] to Sam without any warnings. Also, there is no apparent danger in characters' using other products of elven arts (cloaks, ''[[hithlain]]'' ropes, ''[[lembas]]'').

;Explanation: Maybe the ''palantíri'' are "devices" in a sense in which the other things named are not.
:Furthermore, it's possible that Gandalf was only attempting to discourage Pippin's curiosity, worrying that it could lead to another dangerous situation like that with the ''palantír''.
==The eyes in Orthanc==

When Aragorn tells Gimli and Legolas that he's confronted Sauron in the ''palantír'', he says, "To know that I lived and walked the earth was a blow to his heart, I deem; for he knew it not till now. The eyes in Orthanc did not see through the armour of Théoden".<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref> But Wormtongue knew that Aragorn claimed to be Isildur's heir, as Gandalf points out to Pippin.<ref name=Palantir/> Thus whether Wormtongue recognized Aragorn from Orthanc doesn't matter to Sauron's knowledge of Aragorn's existence. What Aragorn should have deduced was that either Wormtongue never told Saruman about him, or Saruman didn't reveal the knowledge, whether to Sauron through the ''palantír'' or to the Nazgûl who came to demand Saruman's supposed captive hobbit. (The latter is what Gandalf tells Pippin he fears.)

==[[Mouth of Sauron]] and "Sauron the Great"==
[[Aragorn]] mentions that the name "[[Sauron]]" (meaning "Abominable") is the name used by his enemies, and Sauron himself does not permit it to be pronounced.<ref>{{TT|III1}}</ref> Therefore it would be problematic, if not logically impossible, for the messenger to Dáin to refer to his master as "the Lord Sauron the Great", as Aragorn had heard at the [[Council of Elrond]],<ref>{{FR|II2}}</ref> and for a servant of Sauron to say, "I am the Mouth of Sauron".<ref>{{RK|V10}}</ref>

;Explanation: It could be that Aragorn was mistaken, perhaps thinking of the time before Sauron had declared himself. Another possibility is that the "Mouth" used a different name or title, perhaps in the Black Speech, and Frodo or the translator Tolkien "translated" it as Sauron to clarify it for readers. A similar possibility is that despite Aragorn's blanket statement, Sauron sometimes allowed his servants to use the name for such purposes as communicating with others who used it. As many of his enemies only knew his "true" name as Sauron, it would also allow him to keep his true names and aliases hidden from them, as well as allow them to immediately recognize whom his servants were referring to.

=Factual mistakes=
==[[Doors of Durin]]==
The name ''[[Moria]]'' means "Black Chasm" and was a derogatory description of the place which the [[Dwarves]] did not like much; it was given after [[Durin's Bane]] took over the city and it was overrun by [[Orcs]]. It is therefore a paradox why that name appears on the [[Doors of Durin]] (''Ennyn Durin Aran Moria''), made in the [[Second Age]], and with the consent of the Dwarves.

;Explanation: An "external" explanation is that since the translated [[Norse]] names [[Durin (disambiguation)|Durin]] and [[Narvi]] are seen in the inscription, ''Moria'' may also be a "translated" name.

==[[Eagles]]==
One of the best-known alleged plot holes is why the Eagles came to carry Frodo and Sam back from [[Mount Doom]] but did not help them to fly [[the One Ring]] there. While there are many counter explanations, it is a logical gap that this idea was not proposed in the [[Council of Elrond]].
;Explanation: Flying directly into Mordor whilst Sauron and his forces, particularly the Nazgûl and their [[fell beast|fell beasts]], were on alert and not distracted (as they were during the [[Battle of the Morannon]]) would have been an incredibly dangerous, if not impossible, task. Furthermore, Frodo's mission depended on the fact that Sauron never considered that his enemies might destroy the Ring. With his Eye roving across Mordor, it is almost certain that the Ringbearer would be noticed, revealing the plan of the Council and resulting in the swift annihilation of the Ringbearer and retrieval of the Ring by Sauron.
:See [[Eagles#Flying_the_Ring_to_Mount_Doom|here]] for a more detailed discussion.

==Distances==
The distances of the Dwarves' travel to [[Rivendell]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' seem to have different proportions than those in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tolkien tried to reconcile the ''Hobbit'' description with the scale of the ''LotR'' map but couldn't find an appropriate solution.<ref>{{HM|RS}} p. 204</ref>

While Frodo and his companions needed 28 days from [[Hobbiton]] to [[Rivendell]] (10.7 miles/day)<ref name="atlas">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref>, [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] calculated that Bilbo and [[Thorin and Company]] needed 38 days (17.5 miles/day)<ref name="atlas"/>. [[Andreas Möhn|Andreas Moehn]] goes further and supposes that Thorin and Co. wanted two weeks from the [[Trollshaws]] till Rivendell (a distance which [[Glorfindel]] covered in two days), resulting in c. 48 days total.<ref name="lalaith">http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref>.
;Explanation: The distances and days are not described in the narrative and can be measured only by references such as the moon phases and other fan calculations; therefore there can be a margin of miscalculation.
:In general, perhaps the Dwarves are by nature slower travelers than Men and/or Hobbits. In ''[[The Departure of Boromir]]'' it is seen that [[Gimli]] had a problem keeping pace with Aragorn and Legolas.

==Beater and Biter==
The swords [[Glamdring]] and its "mate" [[Orcrist]] are said to have belonged to King [[Turgon]] of the [[First Age]]. They never appeared much in battle (Turgon fought only in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]) and they were witnessed only by the Orcs of Beleriand. However, in the [[Third Age]] the swords are found in a [[Troll]] hoard in [[Eriador]], and the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] recognize them by their names.

The Orcs don't seem to react similarly in the sight of Glamdring in ''LotR'', nor do they seem to recognize [[Narsil]]/[[Andúril]], which is much more "recent".

;Explanation: There can be several theories and explanations of how the swords and even their reputations reach Eriador. However, the narrative of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' doesn't justify their significance to the extent of being remembered and recognized by the Goblins of the Third Age, even by tradition.

==The elf-king's favorite gems==
The narration of ''The Hobbit'' says the [[Thranduil|elf-king]]'s favorite gems are "white."<ref>{{H|8}}, "If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems...."</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]], the narration says, "To the Elven-king he <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Bard]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> sent the emeralds of [[Girion]], such gems as he most loved...."<ref>{{H|18}}</ref>

;Explanation: The sentence is somewhat ambiguous: "he" could refer to Bard or Girion instead of the elf-king. However, the elf-king's preference in gems, not the others', would be relevant to Bard's choice of what to give him.

==Thráin and Thorin's settling in the [[Blue Mountains]]==
[[File:Stephen Raw - Middle-earth map (1 of 4).png|250px|thumb|A map of north-west Middle-earth]]
After [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and his followers returned to [[Dunland]] following the [[Battle of Azanulbizar]] in {{TA|2799}},
{{Blockquote|they removed and wandered in [[Eriador]], until at last they made a home in exile in the east of the [[Ered Luin]] beyond the [[Lune]].<ref name="AppADurin">{{App|Durin}}</ref>}}

From the point of view of Eriador and the Shire, "beyond the Lune" is north of it.

However, the "Tale of Years" ([[Appendix B]]) states,
{{Blockquote|Thráin and his son Thorin wander westwards. They settle in the South of [[Ered Luin]] beyond [[the Shire]] ({{TA|2802|n}})<ref name="AppThird"/>}}

It is difficult to reconcile the descriptions "beyond the Lune" and "in the south of the Ered Luin."

Other mentions of the Dwarves' homes in the Ered Luin are consistent with both possibilities. "Dwarves dwelt in the east side of the Blue Mountains, especially in those parts south of the [[Gulf of Lune]], where they have mines that are still in use."<ref name="AppEriador"/> "Especially in those parts south of the Gulf of Lune" implies that a smaller number of Dwarves lived north of the Gulf, as shown in two other quotations. In a parenthetical comment made in "Of Dwarves and Men" in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', Tolkien indicated that beyond the inflow of the [[Little Lune]] was 'Dwarf territory'.<ref>{{PM|Dwarves}}, p. 313</ref> Likewise in Appendix A: [[Arvedui]], the last king of [[Arthedain]], "hid in the tunnels of the old dwarf-mines near the far end of the Mountains".<ref name="AppEriador">{{App|Eriador}}</ref>

==Westron and English==
In a few places, Tolkien might be thought to have forgotten that the English, including Old English, in ''The Lord of the Rings'' is supposed to be translated from [[Westron]] and related languages. Some of these are easily explained. The most difficult is the comment, "This was ''Orthanc'', the citadel of Saruman, the name of which had (by design or chance) a twofold meaning; for in the Elvish speech ''orthanc'' signifies Mount Fang, but in the language of the Mark of old ''the Cunning Mind''."<ref>{{TT|III8}}</ref> However, ''orthanc'' means "cunning" not in [[Rohirric]] but in Old English, which Tolkien used to translate Rohirric.

==Chronology==

===When Bilbo departed===
In the chapter ''[[Roast Mutton]]'', [[Thorin and Company]] depart from the ''[[Green Dragon]]'' "one fine morning just before May." In the later written and published "[[The Quest of Erebor]]", part of "[[Unfinished Tales]]", the author established that the day of departure was [[27 April]].<ref>{{UT|Quest}}</ref> However, the chapter ''[[Flies and Spiders]]'' refers to what has happened "since they started their journey that May morning long ago."

;Explanation: The fifth month of the [[Shire Calendar]], Thrimidge, falls between 22 April to 21 May. By the human calendar, the journey would have started just before May; but by the hobbit calendar, the journey started during Thrimidge. The second reference to May could have been a "translation error", where "Thrimidge" was translated as "May" regardless of the actual date.

===[[White Council]] during the [[Watchful Peace]]===
According to [[Appendix A]], "The Stewards", during the [[Watchful Peace]] "''Sauron withdrew before the power of the White Council and the Ringwraiths remained hidden in Morgul Vale''". However the Watchful Peace ended in {{TA|2460}}, three years before the White Council was formed. Thus according to [[Robert Foster]], the reference to the Council is "incorrect".<ref>[[Robert Foster]] (2001) ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth|The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth: From The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings and Beyond]]''. Random House Digital, [http://books.google.com/books?id=GNGJvGi849UC&pg=PA538 p. 538].</ref>
;Explanation: Foster suggests that the reference to the "White Council" is rather to "the [[Wise]]" in general.

===Moon phases===
Tolkien was particularly careful about the phases of the [[Moon]] in the ''LotR''. Yet some mistakes did elude him. See for example [[13 January|January 13]], [[16 January|January 16]], [[22 February|February 22]], [[22 September|September 22]].

In general, it is possible that Tolkien consulted a modern almanac to model the moon phases, and also possible that he confused the meanings of "New Moon": the astronomical (the moment when the moon is darkest) and the colloquial (appearance of the new crescent moon).<ref>http://shire-reckoning.com/moon.html</ref>

Another mistake appears in ''The Hobbit'': [[Bard|Bard I]] killed [[Smaug]] "at the rising of the moon"<ref>{{H|15}}</ref> when "the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his [Smaug's] great wings... the waxing moon rose higher and higher". Also the [[thrush]] tells Bard, "Wait! Wait!... The Moon is rising." <ref>{{H|14}}</ref> However, according to astronomy a waxing moon rises only in the morning, after the sun. We can be certain the moon was waxing because this occurs the day after [[Durin's Day]], which is the first day in the last month of autumn that the new moon is visible together with the sun.<ref name="lalaith"/>

;Explanation: One might imagine that Bard needed to wait for the moon to fall below a cloudbank and that the tradition is corrupt.<ref name="lalaith"/>

===Gandalf's letter===
The letter Gandalf leaves for Frodo at the ''[[Prancing Pony]]'' is dated "[[Midyear's Day]], Shire Year, 1418."<ref name="Strider">{{FR|I10}}</ref> However, Appendix B says Gandalf met [[Radagast]] on June 29, and Gandalf says he left [[Bree]] at dawn of the following day,<ref name="CofE"/> which would be June 30, two days before Midyear's day (as 1 [[Lithe]] comes between).
;Explanation: Possibly someone made a mistake involving the different calendars, though Bree uses the [[Shire-reckoning]] (aside from the number of the year). Perhaps more likely is that Gandalf, who was in a hurry, and traveling for days, confused the passage of time.

===[[Shadow over Hollin]]===
While the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] traverses [[Hollin]], they see and feel a flying shadow over them.<ref name="Ring"/> Since no other such phenomena occur, when the [[Fell Beast]]s are introduced, the reader makes such a connection. However later we learn that Sauron did not permit the Nazgûl to traverse west of the [[Anduin]] after their accident at [[Bruinen]].

;Explanation: Possibly it was a "lost" or "disobeying" Nazgûl who despite orders found himself prematurely west of the Anduin, or simply something wholly unexplained and unrelated to the Fell Beasts. Perhaps it was some feeling of foreboding as they would eventually have to go to Moria. It could also be a sort of literal metaphor of Sauron observing them, as often throughout the books Sauron's gaze is compared to a "heavy shadow" bearing down on what it sees.

===Nights in Lórien===
The surviving members of the Company spend their first night in Lórien in a "flet" in a tree. On their second night, "they rested and slept without fear on the ground".<ref >{{FR|II6}}</ref> On their third night, they sleep on the ground again, in a pavilion in [[Caras Galadon]]. "For a little while the travellers talked of their night before in the tree-tops, and of their day's journey...." And Aragorn says, "But tonight I shall sleep without fear for the first time since I left Rivendell."<ref name="Mirror"/> The night in the tree-tops was not the night before, and Aragorn did sleep without fear on the previous night, so the second night appears to be forgotten.

;Explanation: In Lórien at least some members of the fellowship lose track of the flow of time. Shortly after Aragorn's remark, the narration says, "They remained some days in Lothlórien, so far as they could tell or remember." Also, after leaving Lórien, Sam feels sure they had not spent a whole month there, despite the evidence of the phase of the moon, and Frodo thinks while in Lórien they were in the past and mentions that he doesn't remember seeing the moon while there. However, Legolas assures him that only their perception of time was changed, and Aragorn points out that the time had indeed been a month.<ref>{{FR|II9}}</ref> Aragorn's forgetting his night without fear could be an effect of this changed sense of time. The phrase in the narration "the night before in the tree-tops" is harder to explain within the story, as the narration does include the intervening night, but the inconspicuous contradiction might be deliberate foreshadowing of what the Company will experience.

===Éomer and Éowyn after Aragorn's coronation===
In the chapter ''[[The Steward and the King]]'', it is stated: "So the glad days passed; and on the eighth day of May the Riders of Rohan made ready, and rode off by the North-way, and with them went the sons of Elrond. All the road was lined with people to do them honour and praise them, from the Gate of the City to the walls of the Pelennor."<ref name="SaK">{{RK|VI5}}</ref> However, in ''[[Appendix B]]'' of some editions of the novel <ref>http://www.sf-fandom.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-1958.html</ref> there is the entry: "May 8 (of {{TA|3019|n}}) Éomer and Éowyn depart from Rohan with the sons of Elrond".<ref name="AppB4">{{App|Chief}}</ref>

===The sapling's discovery===
In the text of ''[[The Return of the King]]'' it is stated: "And Aragorn planted the new tree in the court by the fountain, and swiftly and gladly it began to grow; and when the month of June entered in it was laden with blossom".<ref name="SaK"/> The wording of this sentence suggests that Aragorn planted the sapling ''before'' June began. However, in ''Appendix B'' there is the entry: "June 25 (of {{TA|3019|n}}) King Elessar finds the sapling of the White Tree",<ref name="AppB4"/> in which case it could not have blossomed until late in the month.

===Walda's death===
King [[Walda]]'s death date is recorded in [[Appendix A]] as [[Third Age 2851]] but in [[Appendix B]] as [[Third Age 2861]].

=Corrected mistakes=
Several mistakes were simply remnants of earlier concepts of Tolkien, which later escaped his attention when revising the book. Some of them were corrected in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th Anniversary Edition]].

===Bridle and headstall===
The first edition referred to the "bridle and bit" of [[Glorfindel]]'s horse, [[Asfaloth]].<ref name="Flight"/> [[Rhona Beare]] wrote to Tolkien asking how that was possible when elves don't use bridles. Tolkien replied in [[Letter 211]] that he'd written "bridle and bit" before thinking about how elves ride, and he changed it to "headstall" in the second edition. However, a later mention of Asfaloth's bridle remained in the chapter.<ref>"His hand left the bridle and gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a red flash he drew it."</ref>

===Durin's Day===
The original text of ''The Hobbit'' described [[Durin's Day]] as occurring on "the first day of the last moon of autumn",<ref>{{H|3}}</ref> the "first moon of autumn",<ref>{{H|4}}</ref> and "the last week of autumn".<ref>{{H|11}}</ref> In the 1995 edition the mention in Chapter 4 was revised to place the day at the end of autumn, in line with the other two mentions.<ref>Chester N. Scoville, "''The Hobbit''" in ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment]]'' (2007), Michael D.C. Drout, ed., Taylor and Francis, p. 279</ref>

===Bandobras' parentage===
The ''[[The Lord of the Rings Prologue|Prologue]]'' mentions that [[Bandobras Took]] was the son (not grandson) of [[Isengrim Took II]]. This has been corrected in the 50th Anniversary edition.

===Sam's birth===
In the second edition of ''LotR'', [[Samwise Gamgee]]'s year of birth was added to ''[[Appendix B|The Tale of Years]]'' as [[Third Age 2963]]. This contradicts both a later entry in ''The Tale of Years'' and the [[Appendix C]] given as [[Third Age 2980]].<ref>[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', page 716</ref>

===[[Gimli]]'s axe===
Upon arrival in [[Edoras]], Gimli mentions his axe has touched nothing but firewood since they left Moria. Yet he also claims he and [[Legolas]] killed several Orcs at [[Amon Hen]].
;Explanation: This discrepancy was noted by [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', where they explained why they left it unchanged in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th anniversary edition]]. Amon Hen was a week before the Battle of the Hornburg; even for a stout Dwarven warrior, lamenting not killing an Orc for that short period would make him look too bloodthirsty.

===Knowledge of the ''Palantíri''===
After Gandalf learns that the crystal ball he has recovered is the ''[[palantír]]'' of [[Orthanc]], he tells [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] the [[White Council]] didn't know any of the ''palantíri'' (presumably those of [[Gondor]]) survived disaster in Gondor (presumably the [[Kin-strife]]).<ref>{{TT|III11}}, "It was not known to us that any of the ''palantíri'' had escaped the ruin of Gondor."</ref> However, after [[Denethor]] reveals his ''palantír'', Gandalf says in earlier editions, "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, long have I known that here in the White Tower, as at Orthanc, one of the Seven Stones was preserved."<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Gandalf could have learned about the two ''palantíri'' by himself, after the last time the White Council met (66 years earlier), or he was concealing his knowledge so as to keep secret his source for this information.

:However, in the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, the sentence was revised to read, "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, '''long ago I guessed''' that here in the White Tower, one at least of the Seven Seeing Stones was preserved." (Emphasis added.)

===Addition of the Westmarch (and Buckland) to the Shire===
In early editions, the "Prologue" to ''The Lord of the Rings'' contained the sentence "Outside the [[Farthing]]s were the East and West Marches: the [[Buckland]] and the [[Westmarch]] added to the Shire in {{SR|1462}}."<ref name="OldPrologue">{{FR|Prologue}}</ref> That had two inconsistencies with other parts of the text. First, the "Tale of Years" dates the event to {{SR|1452}}.<ref name="AppLater">{{App|Later}}</ref> Second, various points indicate that Buckland was part of the Shire. The clearest may be Merry's comment to the other hobbits, when they have gone through the tunnel under the [[High Hay]] from Buckland into the [[Old Forest]], that they have left the Shire.<ref>{{FR|I6}}, "'There!' said Merry. 'You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest.'"</ref>

;Explanation: In the 50th Anniversary Edition, the sentence was changed to "Outside the Farthings were the East and West Marches: the Buckland; and the Westmarch added to the Shire in S.R. 1452." In addition to the correction of the date, the semicolon after "Buckland" indicates that Buckland was not added to the Shire after the War of the Ring, making the sentence consistent with the idea that it was already part of the Shire.<ref name="NewPrologue">{{FR|Prologue|50}}</ref>

===Mirror of Galadriel===
In editions prior to the 50th Anniversary Edition, the [[Appendix B|Tale of Years]] mentions that Frodo and Sam looked into the [[Mirror of Galadriel]] on [[14 February]]. However it is clear from the narrative that this occurred ''one day'' before departure on [[16 February]], not ''two''. [[Wayne G. Hammond|Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull|Scull]] decided to fix the Tale of Years so that the Mirror of Galadriel sequence happened on 15 February.
{{References}}
[[Category:Debates]]

Third Age 3019

2017-08-17T12:56:10Z

Viresse: remark on typographical error and questionable date, not reconciling with the story narrative.

{{ardayearheader|3016|3017|3018|3019|3020|3021|Fourth Age 1}}
__NOTOC__
==January==
* '''8''' - The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company]] reach [[Hollin]].<ref name="AppB3">{{App|B3}}</ref>
* '''11''' - Snow on [[Caradhras]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''12''' - More snow.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''13''' - Attack by [[Wolves]] in the early hours. The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company]] reaches the [[West-gate]] of [[Moria]] at nightfall. [[Gollum]] begins to trail the [[Ring-bearer]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''14''' - Night in [[Twenty-first Hall|Hall Twenty-one]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''15''' - The [[Bridge of Khazad-dûm]], and fall of [[Gandalf]]. The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company]] reaches [[Nimrodel the river|Nimrodel]] late at night.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''17''' - The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company]] comes to [[Caras Galadhon]] at evening.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''23''' - [[Gandalf]] pursues the [[Balrogs|Balrog]] to the peak of [[Celebdil|Zirakzigil]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''25''' - He casts down the [[Balrogs|Balrog]], and passes away. His body lies on the peak.<ref name="AppB3"/>

==February==
* '''15''' - The [[Mirror of Galadriel]]. [[Gandalf]] returns to life, and lies in a trance.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''16''' - Farewell to [[Lothlórien]]. [[Gollum]] in hiding on the west bank observes the departure.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''17''' - [[Gwaihir]] bears [[Gandalf]] to [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''23''' - The boats are attacked at night near [[Sarn Gebir]].<ref name="AppB3"/> [[Shadowfax]] returns to [[Edoras]].<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>
* '''25''' - The [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company]] pass the [[Argonath]] and camp at [[Parth Galen]]. [[First Battle of the Fords of Isen]]; [[Théodred]] son of [[Théoden]] slain.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''26''' - [[Breaking of the Fellowship]]. Death of [[Boromir]]; his horn is heard in [[Minas Tirith]]. [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Meriadoc]] and [[Peregrin Took|Peregrin]] captured. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] enter the eastern Emyn Muil. [[Aragorn]] sets out in pursuit of the [[Orcs]] at evening. [[Éomer]] hears of the descent of the Orc-band from the [[Emyn Muil]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''27''' - [[Aragorn]] reaches the west-cliff at sunrise. [[Éomer]] against [[Théoden]]'s orders sets out from [[Eastfold]] about midnight to pursue the Orcs.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''28''' - [[Éomer]] overtakes the [[Orcs]] just outside [[Fangorn Forest]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''29''' - [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] escape and meet [[Treebeard]]. The [[Rohirrim]] attack at sunrise and destroy the [[Orcs]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] descends from the [[Emyn Muil]] and meets [[Gollum]]. [[Faramir]] sees the funeral boat of [[Boromir]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''30''' - [[Entmoot]] begins. [[Éomer]] returning to [[Edoras]] meets [[Aragorn]].<ref name="AppB3"/>

==March==
* '''1''' - [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] begins the passage of the [[Dead Marshes]] at dawn. [[Entmoot]] continues. [[Aragorn]] meets [[Gandalf]], and forgets to celebrate his 88th birthday. They set out for [[Edoras]]. [[Faramir]] leaves [[Minas Tirith]] on an errand to [[Ithilien]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''2''' - [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] comes to the end of the [[Dead Marshes]]. [[Gandalf]] comes to [[Edoras]] and heals [[Théoden]]. The [[Rohirrim]] ride west against [[Saruman]]. [[Second Battle of the Fords of Isen]]. [[Erkenbrand]] defeated. [[Entmoot]] ends in afternoon. The [[Ents]] march on [[Isengard]] and reach it at night.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''3''' - [[Théoden]] retreats to [[Helm's Deep]]. [[Battle of the Hornburg]] begins. [[Ents]] complete the destruction of [[Isengard]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''4''' - [[Théoden]] and [[Gandalf]] set out from the [[Hornburg]] for [[Isengard]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] reaches the slag-mounds on the edge of the Desolation of the Morannon.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''5''' - [[Théoden]] reaches [[Isengard]] at noon. Parley with [[Saruman]] in [[Orthanc]]. [[Nazgûl|Winged Nazgûl]] passes over the camp at [[Dol Baran]]. [[Gandalf]] sets out with [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] for [[Minas Tirith]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] hides in sight of the [[Morannon]], and leaves at dusk.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''6''' - At dawn [[Gandalf]] and [[Pippin]] reach [[Edoras]].<ref name="Minas">{{RK|V1}}</ref> [[Aragorn]] overtaken by the [[Grey Company]] in the early hours.<ref name="AppB3"/> [[Aragorn]] uses the [[Orthanc-stone]] to reveal himself and [[Andúril]] to [[Sauron]].<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref> [[Théoden]] sets out from the [[Hornburg]] for [[Harrowdale]]. [[Aragorn]] sets out later.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''7''' - [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] taken by [[Faramir]] to [[Henneth Annûn]]. [[Aragorn]] comes to [[Dunharrow]] at nightfall.<ref name="AppB3"/> [[Gandalf]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], riding through [[Anórien]], see the [[Warning beacons of Gondor]] lit.<ref name="Minas"/>
* '''8''' - [[Aragorn]] takes the [[Paths of the Dead]] at daybreak; he reaches the [[Stone of Erech]] at midnight. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] leaves [[Henneth Annûn]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''9''' - [[Gandalf]] reaches [[Minas Tirith]]. [[Faramir]] leaves Henneth Annûn. [[Aragorn]] sets out from [[Erech]] and comes to [[Calembel]]. At dusk [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] reaches the [[Morgul-road]]. [[Théoden]] comes to [[Dunharrow]].<ref name="AppB3"/> The [[Red Arrow]] is presented by [[Hirgon]] to [[Théoden]].<ref>{{RK|V3}}</ref> [[Darkness]] begins to flow out of [[Mordor]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''10''' - [[The Dawnless Day]]. The [[Muster of Rohan]]: the [[Rohirrim]] ride from [[Harrowdale]]. [[Faramir]] rescued by [[Gandalf]] and [[Imrahil]] outside the gates of the City. [[Aragorn]] crosses [[Ringló]]. An army from the [[Morannon]] takes [[Cair Andros]] and passes into [[Anórien]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] passes the [[Cross-roads]], and sees the [[Minas Morgul|Morgul-host]] set forth.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''11''' - [[Gollum]] visits [[Shelob]], but seeing [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] asleep nearly repents. [[Denethor]] sends [[Faramir]] to [[Osgiliath]]. [[Aragorn]] reaches [[Linhir]] and crosses into [[Lebennin]]. Eastern [[Rohan]] is invaded from the north. First assault on [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''12''' - [[Gollum]] leads [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] into [[Shelob's Lair]]. [[Faramir]] retreats to the [[Causeway Forts]].<ref name="AppB3"/> [[Cair Andros]] falls.<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref> [[Théoden]] camps under [[Min-Rimmon]]. [[Aragorn]] drives the [[Southrons]] towards [[Pelargir]]. The [[Ents]] defeat the invaders of [[Rohan]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''13''' - [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] captured by the [[Orcs]] of [[Tower of Cirith Ungol|Cirith Ungol]]. The [[Pelennor]] is over-run. [[Faramir]] is wounded. [[Aragorn]] reaches [[Pelargir]] and captures the fleet. [[Théoden]] in [[Drúadan Forest]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''14''' - [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] finds [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] in [[Tower of Cirith Ungol|the Tower]]. [[Minas Tirith]] is besieged. The [[Rohirrim]] led by the [[Woses]] come to the [[Grey Wood]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''15''' - In the early hours the [[Witch-king]] breaks the Gates of the City. [[Denethor]] burns himself on a pyre. The horns of the [[Rohirrim]] are heard at cockcrow. [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]. [[Théoden]] is slain. [[Aragorn]] raises the standard of [[Arwen]]. Frodo and Sam escape and begin their journey north along the [[Morgai]]. Battle under the trees in [[Mirkwood]]; [[Thranduil]] repels the forces of [[Dol Guldur]]. Second assault on [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''16''' - Debate of the commanders. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] from the [[Morgai]] looks out over the camp to [[Mount Doom]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''17''' - [[Battle of Dale]]. King [[Brand]] and King [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin Ironfoot]] fall. Many [[Dwarves]] and [[Men]] take refuge in [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] and are besieged. [[Shagrat]] brings [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]'s cloak, mail-shirt, and sword to [[Barad-dûr]], and is murdered.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''18''' - The Host of the West marches from [[Minas Tirith]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] comes in sight of the [[Isenmouthe]]; he is over-taken by [[Orcs]] on the road from [[Durthang]] to [[Udûn (valley)|Udûn]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''19''' - The Host comes to [[Morgul Vale]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] escape and begin their journey along the road to the [[Barad-dûr]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''21''' - A force of Orcs and Easterlings attempt to ambush lead companies of the Host.<ref>{{RK|V10}}</ref>
* '''22''' - The dreadful nightfall. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] leave the road and turn south to [[Mount Doom]]. Third assault on [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''23''' - The Host passes out of [[Ithilien]]. [[Aragorn]] dismisses the faint-hearted. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] cast away their arms and gear.<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''24''' - [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] make their last journey to the feet of [[Mount Doom]]. The Host of the West camps in the Desolation of the [[Morannon]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''25''' - The Host is surrounded on the Slag-hills of [[Dagorlad]]. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Samwise Gamgee|Samwise]] reach the [[Sammath Naur]]. [[Gollum]] seizes [[The One Ring|the Ring]] and falls in the [[Cracks of Doom]]. Downfall of [[Barad-dûr]] and passing of [[Sauron]].<ref name="AppB3"/>
* '''27''' - [[Bard II]] and [[Thorin Stonehelm|Thorin III Stonehelm]] drive the enemy from [[Dale]].<ref name="AppB4">{{App|B4}}</ref>
* '''28''' - [[Celeborn]] crosses [[Anduin]], destruction of [[Dol Guldur]] begun.<ref name="AppB4" />

==April==
* '''6''' - Meeting of [[Celeborn]] and [[Thranduil]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''8''' - The [[Ring-bearers]] are honoured on the [[Field of Cormallen]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==May==
* '''1''' - Coronation of [[Aragorn|King Elessar]], [[Elrond]] and [[Arwen]] set out from [[Rivendell]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''8''' - [[Éomer]] and [[Éowyn]] depart for Rohan with [[Elrohir]] and [[Elladan]].<ref>{{RK|VI5}}. The text in Appendix B in The Lord of the Rings for this entry reads ''May 8. Éomer and Éowyn depart from Rohan''. This must be a typographical error, as according to the narrative Éomer and Éowyn left Minas Tirith on that date: ''[O]n the eighth day of May the Riders of Rohan made ready, and rode off by the North-way, and with them went the sons of Elrond. All the road was lined with people to do them honour and praise them, from the Gate of the City to the walls of the Pelennor.'' </ref>
* '''20''' - [[Elrond]] and [[Arwen]] come to [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''27''' - The escort of Arwen leaves [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==June==
* '''14''' - The sons of [[Elrond]] meet the escort and bring [[Arwen]] to [[Edoras]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''16''' - The escort of [[Arwen]] sets out for [[Gondor]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''25''' - King [[Aragorn|Elessar]] finds the sapling of the [[White Tree of Gondor|White Tree]].<ref>{{App|B4}}. ''The Tale of Years'' cannot be reconciled with the narrative here, in which ''when the month of June entered in [the sapling] was laden with blossom'', something that Aragorn took as a sign that Arwen's arrival would not be ''far off''. The narrative by itself makes perfect sense: Aragorn finds the Tree in May, it is in full flower around the beginning of June, and Arwen enters the City ''on the day before Midsummer''.</ref>

==1 [[Lithe]]==
* [[Arwen]] comes to the [[Minas Tirith|city]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==[[Midyear's Day]]==
* Wedding of [[Aragorn|Elessar]] and [[Arwen]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==July==
* '''15''' - [[Arwen]] gives [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] her place to sail into the West.<ref name="Partings">{{RK|VI6}}</ref>
* '''18''' - [[Éomer]] returns to [[Minas Tirith]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''22''' - The funeral escort of King [[Théoden]] sets out from [[Minas Tirith]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==August==
* '''7''' - The escort comes to [[Edoras]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''10''' - Funeral of [[Théoden]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''14''' - The guests take leave of King [[Éomer]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''15''' - [[Treebeard]] releases [[Saruman]] from [[Orthanc]].<ref name="Partings"/>
* '''18''' - They come to [[Helm's Deep]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''22''' - They come to [[Isengard]], they take leave of the [[King of the West]] at sunset.<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''28''' - They overtake [[Saruman]]; Saruman turns towards [[the Shire]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==September==
* '''6''' - They halt in the sight of the [[Mountains of Moria]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''13''' - [[Celeborn]] and [[Galadriel]] depart, the others set out for [[Rivendell]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''22''' - The hundred and twenty-ninth birthday of [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]]. [[Saruman]] comes to [[the Shire]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==October==
* '''5''' - [[Gandalf]], [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] leave [[Rivendell]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''6''' - They cross the [[Ford of Bruinen]]; [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] feels the first return of pain.<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''28''' - They reach [[Bree]] at nightfall.<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''30''' - They leave [[Bree]]. The "Travellers" come to the [[Brandywine Bridge]] at dark. [[Gandalf]] leaves to visit [[Tom Bombadil]].<ref name="AppB4" />

==November==
* '''1''' - The four Hobbits are arrested at [[Frogmorton]].<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''2''' - They come to [[Bywater]] and rouse the Shire-folk.<ref name="AppB4" />
* '''3''' - [[Battle of Bywater]], and Passing of [[Saruman]]. End of the [[War of the Ring]].<ref name="AppB4" />

{{references}}
[[Category:Third Age years|3, Third Age 3019]]
[[fi:3019]]

Elenna

2016-10-02T06:21:22Z

Viresse: /* Location */

{{location
| image=[[File:Narfil Palùrfalas - Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name=Elenna
| type=Island
| location=Between [[Aman]] and [[Middle-earth]]
| inhabitants=[[Númenóreans]] (including the [[Drúedain]])<ref name="TD">{{UT|12}}</ref>
| realms=[[Númenor]]
| description=
| othernames=Elenna-nórë, Andor
| etymology=
| events=[[Downfall of Númenor]], [[Changing of the World]]
| references=
}}
'''Elenna''' ({{IPA|[eˈlenːa]}}) or '''Elenna-nórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[eˌlenːa-ˈnoːre]}}) also '''Andor''', the "Land of Gift", was the island on which the realm of [[Númenor]] was founded.<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref>

The name meant 'Starwards',<ref name=downfall>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref> from the fact that the first [[Men]] to inhabit that island came to it by following the light of the [[Star of Eärendil]].

Generations later, owing to the Númenóreans' arrogance and blasphemy against the [[Valar]], Elenna was deluged during the [[Changing of the World]].
==Geography==
The island of Númenor was about 167,961 square miles,<ref>Estimation by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in the ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> It was located in the [[Belegaer]] closer to [[Valinor]] (about 39 days by ship) than [[Middle-earth]].

Its shape was of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features, therefore considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:

*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] (''Eastlands'')
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The area between Orrostar and Hyarrostar was the bay of [[Rómenna]], with [[Tol Uinen]] standing off its coast.

The central region of Mittalmar contained the region of [[Emerië]], a grass land with many sheep, and the sacred mountain [[Meneltarma]], standing in the very center of the island. It was the highest location on the entire island and was a holy place devoted to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

The lower slopes of the mountain, the [[Tarmasundar]], were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiral road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north.

The only other known mountain on the island was [[Sorontil]], in Forostar.

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which formed the lake [[Nísinen]] before reaching the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the northern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.
==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,
==Etymology==
The word is actually the allative form of the [[Quenya]] word ''[[elen]]'' meaning "to (a) star". The "longer" name ''Elenna-nórë'' is glossed as "Land of the Star",<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref> literally "Starwards-land". The island was named so as the [[Edain]] colonists sailed "starwards", following the [[Star of Eärendil]].

[[Robert Foster]] mistakenly identifies the word as being the "[[Wikipedia:essive case|essive]]" form of ''elen''.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Elenna"</ref> Essive is a grammatical case that exists in [[Finnish]] (but not in Quenya), and is marked by the ending ''-na'', like the Quenya allative.

The [[Adûnaic]] name was ''[[Gimlad]]'' (cf. ''[[gimil]]'').
==Location==
[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|right|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]

Tolkien never drew a map of Arda showing where exactly in Belegaer, or relative to Middle-earth the island of Númenor stood but there are some narrative hints.

While sailing for Lindon, [[Vëantur]] had to fight the north and east winds,<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> possibly suggesting the island was south of the latitude of Lindon (or perhaps simply stating the presence of opposing winds). It is also mentioned that Vëantur was accompanied by (apparently migratory) birds in autumn and spring.<ref name="Didier">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Mystères géographiques n°2 : La position de Númenor, Du kirinki au puffin cendré] (2000-2001). In this article, Willis suggested that the presence of those birds could indicate that the island was found south of the Tropic of Arda, but he later changed his mind.</ref>

The Downfall of Númenor, while causing important loss in Lindon, also filled much of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] so that the city of [[Pelargir]] was left far inland<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 183.</ref>. This could suggest the island was more or less around the latitude of the Bay of Belfalas. However, the cataclysmic forces of the Downfall were stated to have impacted "all the coasts and seaward regions of the western world". This could be construed as evidence for Númenor being located in a relatively central position on the north-south axis. However, in the "World Made Round" conception of the Downfall presented in the ''Akallabêth'', the cataclysm is by no means localized to Númenor, as the entire earth is warped and "new lands" are created.<ref name="SIV">{{S|IV}}</ref>

As vineyards are attested in the eastern part of the [[Hyarnustar]], [[Didier Willis]] notes that adequate climatological conditions for viticulture are quite strict<ref>See e.g. Jones, Gregory V., "Climate Change: Observations, Projections, and General Implications for Viticulture and Wine Production" in ''Practical Winery and Vineyard'', July/August 2007, pp. 44–64.</ref> and estimates the island to be located around 40° N, indeed facing the Bay of Belfalas.<ref name="Didier2">[[Didier Willis]], ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, p. 213 (map of adequate climatological zones for vines on Earth), pp. 215-220 (application to Númenor and discussion).</ref>

It is mentioned, however, that after his first voyages to Middle-earth, [[Aldarion]] was no longer content to sail to [[Mithlond]] and began exploring the coasts southwards, past the mouths of [[Baranduin]].<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> This suggests that the first land to be encountered on the journey of the [[Númenóreans]] east is north of the the Branywine delta - Lindon, which could place the island around that latitude.

As for the distances, we are told simply that the island was closer to Valinor than Endor<ref name="Ak">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>. It was said that from Meneltarma, the keen-eyed Númenóreans could sometimes get a glimpse of [[Avallónë]];<ref name="Ak"/> the Fall of Númenor came 39 days after [[Ar-Pharazôn]] left,<ref name="Ak"/> but his actual voyage could be shorter.

[[Didier Willis]] estimates that as Vëantur could sail directly from Númenor to Lindon - not needing to find a closer coast and follow it up to his destination - the island was close enough to Lindon, with a realistic distance between 2000 to 3000 km.<ref name="Didier"/>

[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] placed the island in her Second Age maps south of the latitude of the [[Umbar]]. It approximates the Númenórean ports of [[Vinyalondë]], [[Pelargir]] and Umbar on Middle-earth. Her map shows the distance between the Island and Eressëa to be approximately 800 miles.<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> Because Eressëa was within eyesight of [[Túna]]<ref name="S5">{{S|5}}</ref>, Túna was located "nigh to the Girdle of Arda" (ie, near the equator)<ref name="S9">{{S|9}}</ref>, and the far-sighted could on a clear day see Eressëa from the summit of Meneltarma,<ref name=downfall/> Númenor could not be too much further north than the equator itself.

{{references}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]

Elenna

2016-10-02T06:08:19Z

Viresse: /* Location */

{{location
| image=[[File:Narfil Palùrfalas - Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name=Elenna
| type=Island
| location=Between [[Aman]] and [[Middle-earth]]
| inhabitants=[[Númenóreans]] (including the [[Drúedain]])<ref name="TD">{{UT|12}}</ref>
| realms=[[Númenor]]
| description=
| othernames=Elenna-nórë, Andor
| etymology=
| events=[[Downfall of Númenor]], [[Changing of the World]]
| references=
}}
'''Elenna''' ({{IPA|[eˈlenːa]}}) or '''Elenna-nórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[eˌlenːa-ˈnoːre]}}) also '''Andor''', the "Land of Gift", was the island on which the realm of [[Númenor]] was founded.<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref>

The name meant 'Starwards',<ref name=downfall>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref> from the fact that the first [[Men]] to inhabit that island came to it by following the light of the [[Star of Eärendil]].

Generations later, owing to the Númenóreans' arrogance and blasphemy against the [[Valar]], Elenna was deluged during the [[Changing of the World]].
==Geography==
The island of Númenor was about 167,961 square miles,<ref>Estimation by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in the ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> It was located in the [[Belegaer]] closer to [[Valinor]] (about 39 days by ship) than [[Middle-earth]].

Its shape was of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features, therefore considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:

*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] (''Eastlands'')
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The area between Orrostar and Hyarrostar was the bay of [[Rómenna]], with [[Tol Uinen]] standing off its coast.

The central region of Mittalmar contained the region of [[Emerië]], a grass land with many sheep, and the sacred mountain [[Meneltarma]], standing in the very center of the island. It was the highest location on the entire island and was a holy place devoted to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

The lower slopes of the mountain, the [[Tarmasundar]], were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiral road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north.

The only other known mountain on the island was [[Sorontil]], in Forostar.

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which formed the lake [[Nísinen]] before reaching the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the northern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.
==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,
==Etymology==
The word is actually the allative form of the [[Quenya]] word ''[[elen]]'' meaning "to (a) star". The "longer" name ''Elenna-nórë'' is glossed as "Land of the Star",<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref> literally "Starwards-land". The island was named so as the [[Edain]] colonists sailed "starwards", following the [[Star of Eärendil]].

[[Robert Foster]] mistakenly identifies the word as being the "[[Wikipedia:essive case|essive]]" form of ''elen''.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Elenna"</ref> Essive is a grammatical case that exists in [[Finnish]] (but not in Quenya), and is marked by the ending ''-na'', like the Quenya allative.

The [[Adûnaic]] name was ''[[Gimlad]]'' (cf. ''[[gimil]]'').
==Location==
[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|right|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]

Tolkien never drew a map of Arda showing where exactly in Belegaer, or relative to Middle-earth the island of Númenor stood but there are some narrative hints.

While sailing for Lindon, [[Vëantur]] had to fight the north and east winds,<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> possibly suggesting the island was south of the latitude of Lindon (or perhaps simply stating the presence of opposing winds). It is also mentioned that Vëantur was accompanied by (apparently migratory) birds in autumn and spring.<ref name="Didier">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Mystères géographiques n°2 : La position de Númenor, Du kirinki au puffin cendré] (2000-2001). In this article, Willis suggested that the presence of those birds could indicate that the island was found south of the Tropic of Arda, but he later changed his mind.</ref>

The Downfall of Númenor, while causing important loss in Lindon, also filled much of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] so that the city of [[Pelargir]] was left far inland<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 183.</ref>. This could suggest the island was more or less around the latitude of the Bay of Belfalas. However, the cataclysmic forces of the Downfall were stated to have impacted "all the coasts and seaward regions of the western world". This could be construed as evidence for Númenor being located in a relatively central position on the north-south axis. However, in the "World Made Round" conception of the Downfall presented in the ''Akallabêth'', the cataclysm is by no means localized to Númenor, as the entire earth is warped and "new lands" are created.<ref name="SIV">{{S|IV}}</ref>

As vineyards are attested in the eastern part of the [[Hyarnustar]], [[Didier Willis]] notes that adequate climatological conditions for viticulture are quite strict<ref>See e.g. Jones, Gregory V., "Climate Change: Observations, Projections, and General Implications for Viticulture and Wine Production" in ''Practical Winery and Vineyard'', July/August 2007, pp. 44–64.</ref> and estimates the island to be located around 40° N, indeed facing the Bay of Belfalas.<ref name="Didier2">[[Didier Willis]], ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, p. 213 (map of adequate climatological zones for vines on Earth), pp. 215-220 (application to Númenor and discussion).</ref>

It is mentioned, however, that after his first voyages to Middle-earth, [[Aldarion]] was no longer content to sail to [[Mithlond]] and began to explore the coasts southwards, past the mouths of [[Baranduin]].<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> This might suggest that the first land to be encountered on the journey of the [[Númenóreans]] east is Lindon, which would place the island around that latitude.

As for the distances, we are told simply that the island was closer to Valinor than Endor<ref name="Ak">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>. It was said that from Meneltarma, the keen-eyed Númenóreans could sometimes get a glimpse of [[Avallónë]];<ref name="Ak"/> the Fall of Númenor came 39 days after [[Ar-Pharazôn]] left,<ref name="Ak"/> but his actual voyage could be shorter.

[[Didier Willis]] estimates that as Vëantur could sail directly from Númenor to Lindon - not needing to find a closer coast and follow it up to his destination - the island was close enough to Lindon, with a realistic distance between 2000 to 3000 km.<ref name="Didier"/>

[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] placed the island in her Second Age maps south of the latitude of the [[Umbar]]. It approximates the Númenórean ports of [[Vinyalondë]], [[Pelargir]] and Umbar on Middle-earth. Her map shows the distance between the Island and Eressëa to be approximately 800 miles.<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> Because Eressëa was within eyesight of [[Túna]]<ref name="S5">{{S|5}}</ref>, Túna was located "nigh to the Girdle of Arda" (ie, near the equator)<ref name="S9">{{S|9}}</ref>, and the far-sighted could on a clear day see Eressëa from the summit of Meneltarma,<ref name=downfall/> Númenor could not be too much further north than the equator itself.

{{references}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]

Elenna

2016-10-02T05:37:53Z

Viresse: /* Location */

{{location
| image=[[File:Narfil Palùrfalas - Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name=Elenna
| type=Island
| location=Between [[Aman]] and [[Middle-earth]]
| inhabitants=[[Númenóreans]] (including the [[Drúedain]])<ref name="TD">{{UT|12}}</ref>
| realms=[[Númenor]]
| description=
| othernames=Elenna-nórë, Andor
| etymology=
| events=[[Downfall of Númenor]], [[Changing of the World]]
| references=
}}
'''Elenna''' ({{IPA|[eˈlenːa]}}) or '''Elenna-nórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[eˌlenːa-ˈnoːre]}}) also '''Andor''', the "Land of Gift", was the island on which the realm of [[Númenor]] was founded.<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref>

The name meant 'Starwards',<ref name=downfall>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref> from the fact that the first [[Men]] to inhabit that island came to it by following the light of the [[Star of Eärendil]].

Generations later, owing to the Númenóreans' arrogance and blasphemy against the [[Valar]], Elenna was deluged during the [[Changing of the World]].
==Geography==
The island of Númenor was about 167,961 square miles,<ref>Estimation by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in the ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> It was located in the [[Belegaer]] closer to [[Valinor]] (about 39 days by ship) than [[Middle-earth]].

Its shape was of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features, therefore considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:

*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] (''Eastlands'')
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The area between Orrostar and Hyarrostar was the bay of [[Rómenna]], with [[Tol Uinen]] standing off its coast.

The central region of Mittalmar contained the region of [[Emerië]], a grass land with many sheep, and the sacred mountain [[Meneltarma]], standing in the very center of the island. It was the highest location on the entire island and was a holy place devoted to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

The lower slopes of the mountain, the [[Tarmasundar]], were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiral road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north.

The only other known mountain on the island was [[Sorontil]], in Forostar.

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which formed the lake [[Nísinen]] before reaching the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the northern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.
==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,
==Etymology==
The word is actually the allative form of the [[Quenya]] word ''[[elen]]'' meaning "to (a) star". The "longer" name ''Elenna-nórë'' is glossed as "Land of the Star",<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref> literally "Starwards-land". The island was named so as the [[Edain]] colonists sailed "starwards", following the [[Star of Eärendil]].

[[Robert Foster]] mistakenly identifies the word as being the "[[Wikipedia:essive case|essive]]" form of ''elen''.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Elenna"</ref> Essive is a grammatical case that exists in [[Finnish]] (but not in Quenya), and is marked by the ending ''-na'', like the Quenya allative.

The [[Adûnaic]] name was ''[[Gimlad]]'' (cf. ''[[gimil]]'').
==Location==
[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|right|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]

Tolkien never drew a map of Arda showing where exactly in Belegaer, or relative to Middle-earth the island of Númenor stood but there are some narrative hints.

While sailing for Lindon, [[Vëantur]] had to fight the north and east winds,<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> possibly suggesting the island was south of the latitude of Lindon (or perhaps simply stating the presence of opposing winds). It is also mentioned that Vëantur was accompanied by (apparently migratory) birds in autumn and spring.<ref name="Didier">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Mystères géographiques n°2 : La position de Númenor, Du kirinki au puffin cendré] (2000-2001). In this article, Willis suggested that the presence of those birds could indicate that the island was found south of the Tropic of Arda, but he later changed his mind.</ref>

The Downfall of Númenor, while causing important loss in Lindon, also filled much of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] so that the city of [[Pelargir]] was left far inland<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 183.</ref>. This could suggest the island was more or less around the latitude of the Bay of Belfalas. However, the cataclysmic forces of the Downfall were stated to have impacted "all the coasts and seaward regions of the western world". This could be construed as evidence for Númenor being located in a relatively central position on the north-south axis. However, in the "World Made Round" conception of the Downfall presented in the ''Akallabêth'', the cataclysm is by no means localized to Númenor, as the entire earth is warped and "new lands" are created.<ref name="SIV">{{S|IV}}</ref>

As vineyards are attested in the eastern part of the [[Hyarnustar]], [[Didier Willis]] notes that adequate climatological conditions for viticulture are quite strict<ref>See e.g. Jones, Gregory V., "Climate Change: Observations, Projections, and General Implications for Viticulture and Wine Production" in ''Practical Winery and Vineyard'', July/August 2007, pp. 44–64.</ref> and estimates the island to be located around 40° N, indeed facing the Bay of Belfalas.<ref name="Didier2">[[Didier Willis]], ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, p. 213 (map of adequate climatological zones for vines on Earth), pp. 215-220 (application to Númenor and discussion).</ref>

It is mentioned, however, that after his first voyages to Middle-earth, [[Aldarion]] was no longer content to sail to [[Mithlond]] and began to explore the coasts southwards, past the mouths of [[Baranduin]].<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> This suggests that the first land to be encountered on the journey of the [[Númenóreans]] west is Lindon, which would place the island around that latitude.

As for the distances, we are told simply that the island was closer to Valinor than Endor<ref name="Ak">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>. It was said that from Meneltarma, the keen-eyed Númenóreans could sometimes get a glimpse of [[Avallónë]];<ref name="Ak"/> the Fall of Númenor came 39 days after [[Ar-Pharazôn]] left,<ref name="Ak"/> but his actual voyage could be shorter.

[[Didier Willis]] estimates that as Vëantur could sail directly from Númenor to Lindon - not needing to find a closer coast and follow it up to his destination - the island was close enough to Lindon, with a realistic distance between 2000 to 3000 km.<ref name="Didier"/>

[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] placed the island in her Second Age maps south of the latitude of the [[Umbar]]. It approximates the Númenórean ports of [[Vinyalondë]], [[Pelargir]] and Umbar on Middle-earth. Her map shows the distance between the Island and Eressëa to be approximately 800 miles.<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> Because Eressëa was within eyesight of [[Túna]]<ref name="S5">{{S|5}}</ref>, Túna was located "nigh to the Girdle of Arda" (ie, near the equator)<ref name="S9">{{S|9}}</ref>, and the far-sighted could on a clear day see Eressëa from the summit of Meneltarma,<ref name=downfall/> Númenor could not be too much further north than the equator itself.

{{references}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]

Elenna

2016-10-02T05:35:23Z

Viresse: /* Location */

{{location
| image=[[File:Narfil Palùrfalas - Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name=Elenna
| type=Island
| location=Between [[Aman]] and [[Middle-earth]]
| inhabitants=[[Númenóreans]] (including the [[Drúedain]])<ref name="TD">{{UT|12}}</ref>
| realms=[[Númenor]]
| description=
| othernames=Elenna-nórë, Andor
| etymology=
| events=[[Downfall of Númenor]], [[Changing of the World]]
| references=
}}
'''Elenna''' ({{IPA|[eˈlenːa]}}) or '''Elenna-nórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[eˌlenːa-ˈnoːre]}}) also '''Andor''', the "Land of Gift", was the island on which the realm of [[Númenor]] was founded.<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref>

The name meant 'Starwards',<ref name=downfall>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref> from the fact that the first [[Men]] to inhabit that island came to it by following the light of the [[Star of Eärendil]].

Generations later, owing to the Númenóreans' arrogance and blasphemy against the [[Valar]], Elenna was deluged during the [[Changing of the World]].
==Geography==
The island of Númenor was about 167,961 square miles,<ref>Estimation by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in the ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> It was located in the [[Belegaer]] closer to [[Valinor]] (about 39 days by ship) than [[Middle-earth]].

Its shape was of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features, therefore considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:

*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] (''Eastlands'')
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The area between Orrostar and Hyarrostar was the bay of [[Rómenna]], with [[Tol Uinen]] standing off its coast.

The central region of Mittalmar contained the region of [[Emerië]], a grass land with many sheep, and the sacred mountain [[Meneltarma]], standing in the very center of the island. It was the highest location on the entire island and was a holy place devoted to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

The lower slopes of the mountain, the [[Tarmasundar]], were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiral road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north.

The only other known mountain on the island was [[Sorontil]], in Forostar.

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which formed the lake [[Nísinen]] before reaching the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the northern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.
==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,
==Etymology==
The word is actually the allative form of the [[Quenya]] word ''[[elen]]'' meaning "to (a) star". The "longer" name ''Elenna-nórë'' is glossed as "Land of the Star",<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref> literally "Starwards-land". The island was named so as the [[Edain]] colonists sailed "starwards", following the [[Star of Eärendil]].

[[Robert Foster]] mistakenly identifies the word as being the "[[Wikipedia:essive case|essive]]" form of ''elen''.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Elenna"</ref> Essive is a grammatical case that exists in [[Finnish]] (but not in Quenya), and is marked by the ending ''-na'', like the Quenya allative.

The [[Adûnaic]] name was ''[[Gimlad]]'' (cf. ''[[gimil]]'').
==Location==
[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|right|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]

Tolkien never drew a map of Arda showing where exactly in Belegaer, or relative to Middle-earth the island of Númenor stood but there are some narrative hints.

While sailing for Lindon, [[Vëantur]] had to fight the north and east winds,<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> possibly suggesting the island was south of the latitude of Lindon; or perhaps simply stating the presence of opposing winds. It is also mentioned that Vëantur was accompanied by (apparently migratory) birds in autumn and spring.<ref name="Didier">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Mystères géographiques n°2 : La position de Númenor, Du kirinki au puffin cendré] (2000-2001). In this article, Willis suggested that the presence of those birds could indicate that the island was found south of the Tropic of Arda, but he later changed his mind.</ref>

The Downfall of Númenor, while also causing important loss in Lindon, also filled much of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] so that the city of [[Pelargir]] was left far inland<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 183.</ref>. This could suggest the island was more or less around the latitude of the Bay of Belfalas. However, the cataclysmic forces of the Downfall were stated to have impacted "all the coasts and seaward regions of the western world". This could be construed as evidence for Númenor being located in a relatively central position on the north-south axis. However, in the "World Made Round" conception of the Downfall presented in the ''Akallabêth'', the cataclysm is by no means localized to Númenor, as the entire earth is warped and "new lands" are created.<ref name="SIV">{{S|IV}}</ref>

As vineyards are attested in the eastern part of the [[Hyarnustar]], [[Didier Willis]] notes that adequate climatological conditions for viticulture are quite strict<ref>See e.g. Jones, Gregory V., "Climate Change: Observations, Projections, and General Implications for Viticulture and Wine Production" in ''Practical Winery and Vineyard'', July/August 2007, pp. 44–64.</ref> and estimates the island to be located around 40° N, indeed facing the Bay of Belfalas.<ref name="Didier2">[[Didier Willis]], ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, p. 213 (map of adequate climatological zones for vines on Earth), pp. 215-220 (application to Númenor and discussion).</ref>

It is mentioned, however, that after his first voyages to Middle-earth, [[Aldarion]] was no longer content to sail to [[Mithlond]] and began to explore the coasts southwards, past the mouths of [[Baranduin]].<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> This suggests that the first land to be encountered on the journey of the [[Númenóreans]] west is Lindon, which would place the island around that latitude.

As for the distances, we are told simply that the island was closer to Valinor than Endor<ref name="Ak">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>. It was said that from Meneltarma, the keen-eyed Númenóreans could sometimes get a glimpse of [[Avallónë]];<ref name="Ak"/> the Fall of Númenor came 39 days after [[Ar-Pharazôn]] left,<ref name="Ak"/> but his actual voyage could be shorter.

[[Didier Willis]] estimates that as Vëantur could sail directly from Númenor to Lindon - not needing to find a closer coast and follow it up to his destination - the island was close enough to Lindon, with a realistic distance between 2000 to 3000 km.<ref name="Didier"/>

[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] placed the island in her Second Age maps south of the latitude of the [[Umbar]]. It approximates the Númenórean ports of [[Vinyalondë]], [[Pelargir]] and Umbar on Middle-earth. Her map shows the distance between the Island and Eressëa to be approximately 800 miles.<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> Because Eressëa was within eyesight of [[Túna]]<ref name="S5">{{S|5}}</ref>, Túna was located "nigh to the Girdle of Arda" (ie, near the equator)<ref name="S9">{{S|9}}</ref>, and the far-sighted could on a clear day see Eressëa from the summit of Meneltarma,<ref name=downfall/> Númenor could not be too much further north than the equator itself.

{{references}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]

Elenna

2016-10-02T05:33:05Z

Viresse: added some information concerning the possible latitude of the island which was not included until now

{{location
| image=[[File:Narfil Palùrfalas - Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name=Elenna
| type=Island
| location=Between [[Aman]] and [[Middle-earth]]
| inhabitants=[[Númenóreans]] (including the [[Drúedain]])<ref name="TD">{{UT|12}}</ref>
| realms=[[Númenor]]
| description=
| othernames=Elenna-nórë, Andor
| etymology=
| events=[[Downfall of Númenor]], [[Changing of the World]]
| references=
}}
'''Elenna''' ({{IPA|[eˈlenːa]}}) or '''Elenna-nórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[eˌlenːa-ˈnoːre]}}) also '''Andor''', the "Land of Gift", was the island on which the realm of [[Númenor]] was founded.<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref>

The name meant 'Starwards',<ref name=downfall>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref> from the fact that the first [[Men]] to inhabit that island came to it by following the light of the [[Star of Eärendil]].

Generations later, owing to the Númenóreans' arrogance and blasphemy against the [[Valar]], Elenna was deluged during the [[Changing of the World]].
==Geography==
The island of Númenor was about 167,961 square miles,<ref>Estimation by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in the ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> It was located in the [[Belegaer]] closer to [[Valinor]] (about 39 days by ship) than [[Middle-earth]].

Its shape was of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features, therefore considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:

*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] (''Eastlands'')
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The area between Orrostar and Hyarrostar was the bay of [[Rómenna]], with [[Tol Uinen]] standing off its coast.

The central region of Mittalmar contained the region of [[Emerië]], a grass land with many sheep, and the sacred mountain [[Meneltarma]], standing in the very center of the island. It was the highest location on the entire island and was a holy place devoted to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

The lower slopes of the mountain, the [[Tarmasundar]], were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiral road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north.

The only other known mountain on the island was [[Sorontil]], in Forostar.

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which formed the lake [[Nísinen]] before reaching the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the northern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.
==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,
==Etymology==
The word is actually the allative form of the [[Quenya]] word ''[[elen]]'' meaning "to (a) star". The "longer" name ''Elenna-nórë'' is glossed as "Land of the Star",<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref> literally "Starwards-land". The island was named so as the [[Edain]] colonists sailed "starwards", following the [[Star of Eärendil]].

[[Robert Foster]] mistakenly identifies the word as being the "[[Wikipedia:essive case|essive]]" form of ''elen''.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Elenna"</ref> Essive is a grammatical case that exists in [[Finnish]] (but not in Quenya), and is marked by the ending ''-na'', like the Quenya allative.

The [[Adûnaic]] name was ''[[Gimlad]]'' (cf. ''[[gimil]]'').
==Location==
[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|right|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]

Tolkien never drew a map of Arda showing where exactly in Belegaer, or relative to Middle-earth the island of Númenor stood but there are some narrative hints.

While sailing for Lindon, [[Vëantur]] had to fight the north and east winds,<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> possibly suggesting the island was south of the latitude of Lindon; or perhaps simply stating the presence of opposing winds. It is also mentioned that Vëantur was accompanied by (apparently migratory) birds in autumn and spring.<ref name="Didier">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Mystères géographiques n°2 : La position de Númenor, Du kirinki au puffin cendré] (2000-2001). In this article, Willis suggested that the presence of those birds could indicate that the island was found south of the Tropic of Arda, but he later changed his mind.</ref>

The Downfall of Númenor, while also causing important loss in Lindon, also filled much of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] so that the city of [[Pelargir]] was left far inland<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 183.</ref>. This could suggest the island was more or less around the latitude of the Bay of Belfalas. However, the cataclysmic forces of the Downfall were stated to have impacted "all the coasts and seaward regions of the western world". This could be construed as evidence for Númenor being located in a relatively central position on the north-south axis. However, in the "World Made Round" conception of the Downfall presented in the ''Akallabêth'', the cataclysm is by no means localized to Númenor, as the entire earth is warped and "new lands" are created.<ref name="SIV">{{S|IV}}</ref>

As vineyards are attested in the eastern part of the [[Hyarnustar]], [[Didier Willis]] notes that adequate climatological conditions for viticulture are quite strict<ref>See e.g. Jones, Gregory V., "Climate Change: Observations, Projections, and General Implications for Viticulture and Wine Production" in ''Practical Winery and Vineyard'', July/August 2007, pp. 44–64.</ref> and estimates the island to be located around 40° N, indeed facing the Bay of Belfalas.<ref name="Didier2">[[Didier Willis]], ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, p. 213 (map of adequate climatological zones for vines on Earth), pp. 215-220 (application to Númenor and discussion).</ref>

It is mentioned, however, in [[Unfinished Tales]] that after his first voyages to Middle-earth, [[Aldarion]] was no longer content to sail to [[Mithlond]] and began to explore the coasts southwards, past the mouths of [[Baranduin]].<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> This suggests that the first land to be encountered on the journey of the [[Númenóreans]] west is Lindon, which would place the island around that latitude.p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%
As for the distances, we are told simply that the island was closer to Valinor than Endor<ref name="Ak">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>. It was said that from Meneltarma, the keen-eyed Númenóreans could sometimes get a glimpse of [[Avallónë]];<ref name="Ak"/> the Fall of Númenor came 39 days after [[Ar-Pharazôn]] left,<ref name="Ak"/> but his actual voyage could be shorter.

[[Didier Willis]] estimates that as Vëantur could sail directly from Númenor to Lindon - not needing to find a closer coast and follow it up to his destination - the island was close enough to Lindon, with a realistic distance between 2000 to 3000 km.<ref name="Didier"/>

[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] placed the island in her Second Age maps south of the latitude of the [[Umbar]]. It approximates the Númenórean ports of [[Vinyalondë]], [[Pelargir]] and Umbar on Middle-earth. Her map shows the distance between the Island and Eressëa to be approximately 800 miles.<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> Because Eressëa was within eyesight of [[Túna]]<ref name="S5">{{S|5}}</ref>, Túna was located "nigh to the Girdle of Arda" (ie, near the equator)<ref name="S9">{{S|9}}</ref>, and the far-sighted could on a clear day see Eressëa from the summit of Meneltarma,<ref name=downfall/> Númenor could not be too much further north than the equator itself.

{{references}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]

Tar-Aldarion

2016-10-02T04:05:02Z

Viresse: /* Aldarion and Erendis */

{{numenorean infobox
| name=Tar-Aldarion
| image=[[File:Steamey - Aldarion and Erendis.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Aldarion and Erendis" by [[:Category:Images by Steamey|Steamey]]
| pronun=
| othernames=''Anardil'' ([[Quenya|Q]]), ''Anardilya''
| titles=[[King of Númenor]] "Great Captain" Lord of the Ships and Havens of Númenor Master of the Forests
| position=Mariner
| location=[[Númenor]]
| affiliation=[[Guild of Venturers]]
| language=[[Adûnaic]], [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]]
| birth={{SA|700}}
| birthlocation=[[Forostar]]
| rule={{SA|883}} - {{SA|1075|n}} (192 years)
| death={{SA|1098}}
| deathlocation=
| age=398
| notablefor=
| house=[[House of Elros]]
| parentage=[[Tar-Meneldur]] and [[Almarian]]
| siblings=[[Ailinel]] and [[Almiel]]
| spouse=[[Erendis]]
| children=[[Tar-Ancalimë|Ancalimë]]
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=Golden
| eyes=Blue
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=[[Eämbar]] (ship) [[Palarran]] (ship) [[Hirilondë]] (ship)
}}{{Pronounce|Aldarion.mp3|Ardamir}}
<center>{{quote|Aldarion, for so he is called in all tales, grew swiftly to a man of great stature, strong and vigorous in mind and body, golden-haired as his mother, ready to mirth and generous, but prouder than his father and ever more bent on his own will.|''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife]]}}</center>
'''Tar-Aldarion''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[ˌtaralˈdari.on]}}, stem ''Aldariond-'') was the sixth King of [[Númenor]],<ref>{{UT|Kings}}, Tar-Aldarion</ref> whose major accomplishments were his expansion of Númenor's maritime traditions and his [[Middle-earth]] explorations. He was married to [[Erendis]], a [[Númenóreans|Númenórean]] woman of lesser status than Aldarion himself, and therefore she had a shorter life-span. Aldarion's love for the sea ultimately caused a rift between the couple. The tale of their marriage and estrangement survived the [[Downfall of Númenor]] as "Aldarion and Erendis" or "The Mariner's Wife".<ref name="Wife">{{UT|Wife}}</ref>

==The Great Mariner==
His first love was the sea, and he was already a great explorer before he became king, leading his crew in long voyages to Middle-earth, mostly against the wishes of his family. Aldarion created the [[Guild of Venturers]], whose quarters were on the ship [[Eämbar]]. He made several journeys to Middle-earth and established a friendship with [[Gil-galad]] in [[Lindon]].<ref name="Wife"/> A visionary man, he saw the threat coming from [[Sauron]] upon the races of [[Elves]] and [[Men]] alike, so he built a vital Númenórean port in Middle-earth, at the mouth of the river [[Gwathló]]. It was named [[Vinyalondë]] and parts of it survived into the [[Third Age]] as the port of [[Lond Daer]].<ref name="Lond Daer">{{UT|6d}}</ref>

At his command, numerous ships were built, among which 3 were mentioned more often:

* [[Eämbar]], the "Sea-Home", headquarters for the Guild of Venturers
* [[Palarran]], the "Far Wanderer", which served him in many voyages
* [[Hirilondë]], the "Haven-finder", largest in Númenor

However, the first ship he had sailed on belonged to [[Vëantur]] and was called [[Númerrámar]], the "West-wings".<ref name="Wife"/>

Around that time, the [[Drúedain]] who were living in Númenor became uneasy when Tar-Aldarion started his great travels and urged him not to go, foreseeing the mischief to come. They did not succeed and one after another they took ships towards Middle-earth.<ref>{{UT|Druedain}}</ref> Indeed under his reign the deforesting of [[Enedwaith]] and [[Minhiriath]] began.<ref name="Lond Daer"/>

==Aldarion and Erendis==
Even before they were wed, Aldarion's love for the sea would prove to be Erendis' rival. In their conversations it is often stated that, for Erendis' part, Lady [[Uinen]] was her foe, while Aldarion's was the Vala [[Oromë]], referring to his wife's love for the forests and all growing things on the Island of Númenor. Such opposing characters led to the breaking of their marriage, one important factor in their separation being Aldarion's voyages, which kept him away from home for long years. Though in the end, as it is revealed in the [[Gil-galad's letter|letter sent by Gil-galad]] and read by King Meneldur, Aldarion was right to pursue his explorations, Erendis could not be convinced to renounce her pride and reconcile with him.<ref name="Wife"/>

==Succession==
His only child was a daughter, [[Tar-Ancalimë]], so he changed the [[Law of Succession in Númenor|Law of Succession]], replacing the principle of agnatic primogeniture with that of absolute cognatic primogeniture and she became the first ruling [[Queen of Númenor]].<ref name="Wife"/>

==Etymology==
Tar-Aldarion's royal name signifies "Son of the trees" (''[[alda]]'' + ''[[-ion]]'') because he was a noted tree steward and forester — trees were essential to the construction of his fleets, but he took great care to replenish what was being felled.
== Genealogy ==
<div style="overflow-x: scroll; overflow-y: hidden; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: 3px; background: #EEEEEE;">
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | ELE | | | | | | VEA | | | | | | |ELE=[[Tar-Elendil]] ''{{SA|350|n}} - {{SA|751|n}}''|VEA=[[Vëantur]] ''b. {{SA|451|n}}''}}
{{familytree | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree | ELA |y| SIL | | ISI | | MEN |y| ALM | | | | | | |ELA=[[Elatan]] ''unknown''|SIL=[[Silmariën]] ''b. {{SA|521|n}}''|ISI=[[Isilmë]] ''b. {{SA|532|n}}''|MEN=[[Tar-Meneldur]] ''{{SA|543|n}} - {{SA|942|n}}''|ALM=[[Almarian]] ''unknown''}}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| |}}
{{familytree | | | VAL | | ERE |y| ALD | | AIL |y| ORC | | ALM |VAL=[[Valandil (Lord of Andúnië)|Valandil]] ''b. {{SA|630|n}}''|ERE=[[Erendis]] ''{{SA|771|n}} - {{SA|985|n}}''|ALD='''TAR-ALDARION''' ''{{SA|700|n}} - {{SA|1098|n}}''|AIL=[[Ailinel]] ''b. {{SA|712|n}}''|ORC=[[Orchaldor]] ''unknown''|ALM=[[Almiel]] ''b. {{SA|729|n}}''}}
{{familytree | | | |:| | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree | | | AND | | | | ANC |y| HAL | | SOR | | | | | | |AND=[[Lords of Andúnië|''Lords of Andúnië'']]|ANC=[[Tar-Ancalimë]] ''{{SA|873|n}} - {{SA|1285|n}}''|HAL=[[Hallacar]] ''{{SA|852|n}} - {{SA|1211|n}}''|SOR=[[Soronto]] ''b. {{SA|799|n}}''}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | ANA | | | | | | | | | | | | |ANA=[[Tar-Anárion]] ''{{SA|1003|n}} - {{SA|1404|n}}''}}
{{familytree/end}}
</div>
{{References}}

==See Also==
*[[King of Númenor]]

{{seq-start}}
{{seq-head
| race=numenorean
| house=[[House of Elros]]
| born={{SA|700}}
| died={{SA|1098}}
}}
{{seq
| prev=[[Tar-Meneldur]]
| list=6th [[King of Númenor]]
| dates={{SA|883}} - {{SA|1075|n}}
| next=[[Tar-Ancalimë]]
}}
{{seq-end}}
{{numenorkings}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:TarAldarion}}
[[Category:House of Elros]]
[[Category:Rulers of Númenor]]
[[Category:Second Age characters]]

[[de:Tar-Aldarion]]
[[fa:تار-آلداریون]]
[[fi:Tar-Aldarion]]
[[fr:/encyclo/personnages/hommes/2a/numenoreens/tar-aldarion]]

Meriadoc Brandybuck

2016-02-20T23:54:39Z

Viresse:

{{hobbit infobox
| name=Meriadoc Brandybuck
| image=[[Image:John Howe - Merry.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Merry" by [[John Howe]]
| pronun=
| othernames=Merry, "the Magnificent", [[Kalimac Brandagamba]]
| titles=[[Master of Buckland]]
| position=
| location=[[Brandy Hall]], [[Buckland]]
| affiliation=[[Fellowship of the Ring]]
| language=
| birth=Early {{SR|1382}}
| birthlocation=[[Buckland]]
| rule=
| death=After {{SR|1484}}
| deathlocation=[[Gondor]]
| age=103+
| notablefor=
| family=[[Brandybuck Family|Brandybuck]]
| parentage=[[Saradoc Brandybuck]] and [[Esmeralda Took]]
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Estella Bolger]]
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=Taller than average Hobbit
| hair=Brown, curly<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|Road}}</ref>
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=[[Daggers of Westernesse|Dagger of Westernesse]]
| steed=[[Stybba]]
}}
'''Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck''', called '''The Magnificent''', was a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]], the son of [[Saradoc Brandybuck]].<ref name=tree>{{App|Brandybuck}}</ref> Merry (as he was often called), was the heir of the [[Brandybuck Family|Brandybucks]] to [[Brandy Hall]], and, after his participation to the [[War of the Ring]], eventually became the Master there.

==History==
Meriadoc was the son of [[Saradoc Brandybuck|Saradoc]] and [[Esmeralda Took|Esmeralda]]. Claiming descent from [[Gorhendad Oldbuck]], he also had [[Took Family|Tookish]] blood through his mother, and also his father's grandmother, [[Mirabella Took]]. He was also first cousins with Peregrin Took.<ref name=tree/>

Around {{TA|3000}} Merry witnessed a strange scene: he saw [[Bilbo Baggins]] becoming invisible in order to avoid a meeting with the [[Sackville-Bagginses]]. Startled, he got through the hedge and walked along the field inside, and watched as Bilbo reappeared, and put a [[The One Ring|glint of gold]] in his pocket. This made teenage Meriadoc very curious and he even looked into Bilbo's [[There and Back Again|private diary]].<ref name="Conspiracy"/>

Merry kept this knowledge private but was always suspicious. He was present with his family at [[Bilbo's Farewell Party]]<ref name=tree/> and since Bilbo's disappearance, he believed that Frodo would soon follow. He shared his secrets with a group of Frodo's friends (namely [[Samwise Gamgee]], [[Peregrin Took]], [[Fredegar Bolger]]) the "[[Conspirators]]". Especially after [[April]] {{TA|3018}} he noticed how Frodo was saying "farewell" to his favorite places, selling [[Bag End]] to the [[Sackville-Bagginses]], and secretive talks with [[Gandalf]]. All along, Sam Gamgee had been their "chief investigator". He heard Gandalf's instructions to Frodo for his departure<ref>{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>, and warned his friends about it.<ref name="Conspiracy"/>
[[File:Abe_Papakhian_-_A_Conspiracy_Unmasked.jpg|thumb|left|Abe Papakhian - ''A Conspiracy Unmasked'']]
The Conspirators, sought to protect Frodo (and [[The One Ring|the Ring]]) without his knowledge. When Frodo sold [[Bag End]] to move to [[Crickhollow]], Merry and Fredegar were told to wait for him and make preparations for his arrival. However, knowing that Frodo would begin a secret journey, also arranged for provisions and [[ponies]], planning to accompany him. On the [[September 25|appointed day]], Merry went to [[Bucklebury Ferry]] and waited for Frodo, Sam and Pippin, who arrived a couple days later on [[Farmer Maggot]]'s wagon.<ref>{{FR|Mushrooms}}</ref>

After dinner in Crickhollow, Frodo prepared to reveal to his friends that he was going to have to leave Crickhollow and go to [[Rivendell]]. It was then that the conspirators revealed themselves to Frodo and demanded to be taken along when he left. Because of their preparations, they were able to start right away.<ref name="Conspiracy">{{FR|I5}}</ref>
===Journey with Frodo===
{{quote|You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin - to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours - closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.|Merry, ''[[A Conspiracy Unmasked]]''}}
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Under the Spell of the Barrow-wight.jpg|thumb|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Under the Spell of the Barrow-wight'']]
During the following trip to [[Rivendell]], Merry seemed to have a greater knowledge of the [[Old Forest]] than any of the other Hobbits. However, when they encountered [[Old Man Willow]] Merry (and Pippin) were both captured and had to be rescued by [[Tom Bombadil]].<ref>{{FR|I6}}</ref> Merry and Pippin were captured again (along with Sam and Frodo) by a [[Barrow-wights|Barrow-wight]] upon the [[Barrow-downs]], but Tom again came to their rescue. Before leaving, he told them to keep the [[Daggers of Westernesse]] found in the Barrow Downs, and he advised them to spend the night at the [[The Prancing Pony|Prancing Pony Inn]], inside [[Bree]].<ref>{{FR|I8}}</ref>
[[File:John Howe - Weathertop on the Horizon.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Howe]] - ''Weathertop on the Horizon'']]
Upon reaching the inn, Merry was out for a walk and saw a [[Nazgûl|Black Rider]]. He tried to follow it, but it disappeared. Merry was then overtaken by the [[Black Breath]] and fainted. But before any harm could come to him, [[Nob]] came to his aid; he returned to the Prancing Pony and warned his companions who were talking with [[Strider (Aragorn)|Strider]].<ref name="Strider">{{FR|I10}}</ref> During the trip through the wild with Strider, he often saw the most deeply into the others. After Frodo was wounded on [[Weathertop]], he became the one who consulted most with Strider, and in a way became the spokesman for the Hobbits.

After reaching [[Rivendell]], he, with Pippin, insisted on not being left behind on the [[Quest of the Ring]]. Therefore they were chosen as the eighth and ninth members of the [[Fellowship of the Ring]].<ref>{{FR|II3}}</ref>

At the gate of [[Moria]], [[Gandalf]] commended Merry for being "''of all people''" on the right track with the riddle (though this was accidental). His impetuosity in Moria was such that he nearly fell into an ancient well while running ahead with Pippin.<ref>{{FR|II4}}</ref> When they reached [[Lothlórien]], he was allowed to sleep in a [[telain]] with Frodo, Sam, Pippin and a few elven guards. He, as with the rest of the Company, walked blindfolded into the Woods of Lórien in a show of support for [[Gimli]], who had to be blindfolded due to being a [[Dwarves|dwarf]].<ref>{{FR|II6}}</ref>
[[File:Alan Lee - The Plains of Rohan 2.jpg|thumb|"The Plains of Rohan" by [[Alan Lee]]]]
At the [[Breaking of the Fellowship]], Merry and Pippin ran straight into a company of [[Orcs]] while they were looking for Frodo. [[Boromir]] attempted to rescue them, but many [[Uruk-hai]] arrived, and they shot him with arrows. Captured with Pippin by Uruk-hai, the two were separated from the rest of the Fellowship. Merry aided Pippin in an attempt to deceive [[Grishnákh]] into thinking that they had the One Ring, and he could have it.<ref>{{TT|III3}}</ref> Because of this, they escaped into [[Fangorn Forest]] during the attack by [[Éomer]] and his [[Rohirrim|Outriders]]. There they met [[Treebeard]].
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Wellinghall.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Wellinghall'']]
[[File:Zina Saunders - Flotsam and Jetsam.jpg|thumb|Zina Saunders - ''Flotsam and Jetsam'']]
Thus they became the first mortals for many centuries to encounter the [[Ents]] of Fangorn. They drank of the [[Ent-draughts|Ent-draught]] which caused Merry and Pippin to become the tallest hobbits in history. Also, they were present at the [[Entmoot]],<ref>{{TT|III4}}</ref> and the resulting destruction of [[Isengard]], after which Treebeard appointed them door-wardens of [[Orthanc]]. It was while they were enjoying [[Saruman]]'s [[pipe-weed]], that they were reunited with some of their former companions, who arrived after the [[Battle of the Hornburg]].<ref>{{TT|III8}}</ref>

===Esquire of Théoden===
While Pippin and Gandalf headed away to [[Minas Tirith]], Merry stayed with Aragorn and the Rohirrim, developing a close friendship with King [[Théoden]]. Out of love for him, Merry offered the King his service, which Théoden warmly accepted. "''As a father you shall be to me''", Merry said at that time, and Théoden responded "''For a little while''".<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref>

As Théoden's esquire, Merry returned with him to [[Edoras]] and was forbidden - firmly but gently - by the King to ride with them to the aid of Minas Tirith because he could not ride the mighty horses of the Rohirrim so fast and so far. Merry was disappointed until a young rider named [[Dernhelm]] offered to bear him on his horse.<ref>{{RK|V3}}</ref> In this manner he rode to the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], having a secret understanding with [[Elfhelm]] and several others of the Rohirrim.<ref>{{RK|V5}}</ref>
[[File:Angus McBride - Eowyn against Witch-king.gif|thumb|left|[[Angus McBride]] - ''Éowyn against Witch-king'']]
During the charge and the commencement of the battle he was almost useless, hiding behind Dernhelm and shaking with fright and nausea. However, Dernhelm's steed, [[Windfola]], threw them both upon the coming of the [[Witch-king]]. Affected by the Black Breath, Merry lay almost senseless on the ground, hearing the voice of Dernhelm standing over the body of Théoden -- who had been mortally wounded by the Witch-king -- defying the Nazgûl. He was startled as he opened his eyes to find that Dernhelm was really [[Éowyn]], the King's niece. After Éowyn was thrown down, perhaps mortally wounded, Merry rose to attack the Witch-king in order to protect her. He stabbed the Witch-king through the calf with the [[Daggers of Westernesse|Barrow-blade]] he still bore, thus breaking the spell of invulnerability surrounding the Wraith. He fainted as Éowyn finished off the Witch-king with a thrust into the head.<ref>{{RK|V6}}</ref>

Almost killed by the Black Breath, he and Éowyn were revived by Aragorn in the [[Houses of Healing]].<ref>{{RK|V8}}</ref> Because of his condition he was unable to take part in the [[Battle of the Morannon]],<ref>{{RK|V10}}</ref> but afterwards attended the burial of [[Théoden]], at which he wept greatly. Upon his departure for the Shire, he was given a special horn by Éomer and Éowyn as a parting gift.<ref>{{RK|VI6}}</ref>

Upon the return to the Shire, he was, with Pippin, the primary leader of the uprising against [[Sharkey]] and his [[Ruffians]].<ref>{{RK|VI8}}</ref>

===After the War===
At some time he stayed with Pippin at Crickhollow<ref>{{RK|Havens}}</ref> and he married the sister of his friend Fredegar, [[Estella Brandybuck|Estella]].

He was afterwards known as '''Meriadoc the Magnificent''', and became [[Master of Buckland]] after his father. He wrote several scholarly works which were part of the [[Red Book]]: ''[[Herblore of the Shire]]'', ''[[The Reckoning of Years]]'' and ''[[Old Words and Names in the Shire]]''. In {{FoA|13}} he was made with Pippin and Sam [[Counsellor of the North-kingdom]].

At {{FoA|63}}<ref>{{FR|Records}}</ref> with his friend they resigned from their offices and came down to Rohan (presumably after the death of his wife) at the request of King Éomer, where he was known as Master Holbytla and Holdwine of the Shire.

After the King died, he travelled to Gondor with Pippin, where he was known as Master [[Perian]]. They both died several years later, and were laid in [[Rath Dínen]]. It was said that they upon [[Aragorn|King Elessar]]'s death, their bodies were placed beside his.<ref>{{App|Later}}</ref>

==Character==
He was a good friend of [[Frodo Baggins]], who eventually became the [[Ring-bearers|Ring-bearer]], and [[Peregrin Took]], a young relative. He was one of the few (if any) who saw [[Bilbo Baggins]], Frodo's uncle, actually use [[the One Ring]]. He also managed to read, at least in part, Bilbo's book: ''[[There and Back Again]]'', where he learned about the Ring.<ref name="Conspiracy"/>

He can easily be recognized as a very sharp Hobbit, and his tone throughout ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' depicts him as practical, loyal, resourceful, and the best able to cope with the sudden happenings that drew him out of his peaceful home. He was also praised by [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]] as having a 'stout heart'.<ref name="Strider"/> He was apparently much trusted by Frodo, who sent him along with [[Fredegar Bolger|Fatty Bolger]] to [[Crickhollow]] to prepare his newly-bought home.<ref>{{FR|I3}}</ref>

==Other Versions of the Legendarium==
In the pre-publication manuscript of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Merry's name was originally "Marmaduke Brandybuck".<ref>{{RS|1Iiii}}, p. 33</ref>

==Inspiration==
''Meriadoc'' (also spelled ''Meriadek'') was the legendary leader of a group of Welsh mercenaries who settled Armorica (modern Brittany) in the fourth century and founded the house of [[Rohan]].<ref> [[Mark T. Hooker]], ''[[The Hobbitonian Anthology]]'', p. 57</ref> Tolkien himself comments on the ''Celtic cast'' of this and other [[Buckland]] and [[Bree]] names that end in –ac, -ic, -oc. <ref>{{HM|PM}}, "[[The Appendix on Languages]]"</ref>

==Etymology==
The name '''''Meriadoc''''' means "Great Lord" in [[Welsh]] (from ''mawr''="great" and ''udd''="lord").

==Portrayal in adaptations==
<gallery>File:The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) - Merry.jpg|Merry in [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]
File:The Return of the King (1980 film) - Merry.jpg|Merry in [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers - Meriadoc Brandybuck.jpg|Merry in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]</gallery>

'''1955: [[The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1955 radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry is provided by [[Michael Collins]].<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[25 November|November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>

'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Simon Chandler]].

'''1979: [[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1979 radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Pat Franklyn]].

'''1980: [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Casey Kasem]].

'''1981: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:The part of Merry is portrayed by [[Richard O'Callaghan]].

'''1992: ''[[Tales from the Perilous Realm (1992 radio series)|BBC Radio's Tales from the Perilous Realm]]'':'''
:[[Matthew Morgan]] provided the voice of Merry in the two episodes of this series that make up ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil''.

'''2001-03: [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]:'''
:Merry was played by [[Dominic Monaghan]]. Some book-readers argue that, like Pippin, he was made far less competent in the movie than he was in the books: instead of a clever "conspirator" who helped orchestrate Frodo's escape from the Shire, he was portrayed as someone who did not know what he was getting himself into.

'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:The voice of Merry was provided by [[Quinton Flynn]]. Merry and Pippin are shown as the Conspirators, although the "[[Three is Company|three]]" does not include Sam. Merry meets Frodo in the [[Green Dragon Inn]], and he and Pippin and Sam are not seen again until [[Bamfurlong]].

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images of Meriadoc Brandybuck|Images of Meriadoc Brandybuck]]

==External Links==
* [http://www.namenerds.com/welsh/meaning.html Welsh Names] at NameNerds
* [http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/fun/welsh/LexiconWE.html Welsh to English Lexicon] at Cardiff University Online
{{References}}
{{fellowship}}{{FellowshipRoute}}{{masters}}
[[Category:Brandybuck]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Fourth Age characters]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Meriadoc Brandybock]]
[[fa:مریادوک برندی‌باک]]
[[fi:Meriadoc Rankkibuk]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hobbits/brandebouc/meriadoc_brandebouc]]

Erkenbrand

2015-09-26T19:26:39Z

Viresse:

{{rohirrim infobox
| name=Erkenbrand
| image=[[File:Decipher - Erkenbrand.jpg|250px]]
| caption=Erkenbrand from [[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=Lord of Westfold
| position=[[Marshal of the West-mark]]
| location=[[Rohan]]
| affiliation=
| language=[[Rohirric]]
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=Unnamed sibling (parent of [[Dúnhere]])<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, note 13</ref>
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
<center>{{quote|Amid them strode a man tall and strong. His shield was red. As he came to the valley's brink, he set to his lips a great black horn and blew a ringing blast. 'Erkenbrand!' the Riders shouted. 'Erkenbrand!'|''[[The Two Towers]]'', [[Helm's Deep (chapter)|Helm's Deep]]}}</center>
'''Erkenbrand''' was one of the [[Rohirrim]]. He was the Lord of the [[Westfold]] during the [[War of the Ring]]. He was the uncle of [[Dúnhere]].
==Life==
Erkenbrand was presumably born in the [[Hornburg]], and followed his father as the Lord of the Westfold. He became a valiant knight in the service of the [[Kings of Rohan|King of Rohan]], but nothing is told of the deeds of those times. He retired, and settled in the Hornburg.

When the shadow from [[Isengard]] began to grow, Erkenbrand strengthened the defenses of the Hornburg and the [[Deeping Wall]]. After the death of [[Théodred]] on [[25 February]], {{TA|3019}} in the [[First Battle of the Fords of Isen]], Erkenbrand took command of the western defenses of Rohan. He sent a messenger to [[Théoden]] in [[Edoras]] to inform him of the ill news and ask for reinforcements, but [[Gríma|Gríma Wormtongue]] delayed the message.

[[Elfhelm]] eventually rode to the [[Fords of Isen]] with the men of Edoras, where they joined [[Grimbold|Grimbold of Grimslade]], who was left in charge of the Fords when Erkenbrand tried to send stragglers from the first battle to [[Helm's Deep]]. Erkenbrand had left around 1000 troopers under [[Gamling|Gamling the Old]] to guard his home.

On [[2 March|March 2]], the [[Second Battle of the Fords of Isen]] was fought, and the defenses on the [[Isen]] were driven back by [[Saruman]]'s forces. Erkenbrand had managed to gather around a thousand soldiers when they came across [[Gandalf]]. Gandalf told them Théoden sought the refuge of the Hornburg, and that they would join the battle. They arrived at dawn of [[4 March|March 4]], and turned the tide of the [[Battle of the Hornburg]].

Erkenbrand did not come to [[Minas Tirith]] to fight in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]; instead, he stayed behind to guard Rohan. He was granted this command because of his age, experience and authority.<ref>{{UT|Isen}} , Appendix (ii)</ref>

After the [[War of the Ring]], King [[Éomer]] named Erkenbrand [[Marshal of the West-mark]].

==Appearance==
Erkenbrand was said to have been tall and strong, and reminiscent of [[Helm|Helm Hammerhand]]. He bore a red shield and a black horn.

==Etymology==
Erkenbrand is a name that possibly was derived from two [[Old English]] words: ''eorcan'' (meaning "precious") and ''brand'' (meaning "fire-brand, torch; sword").<ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 413</ref>

==Genealogy==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree| |,|-|-|-|.| | |}}
{{familytree| ERK | | UNK | |ERK='''ERKENBRAND'''''fl. {{TA|3019}}''|UNK=''unknown sibling''}}
{{familytree| | | | | |!| | |}}
{{familytree| | | | | DUN | |DUN=[[Dúnhere]]''d. {{TA|3019}}''}}
{{familytree/end}}

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:Erkenbrand doesn't feature in the film and his role is taken by [[Éomer]].

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:As in the 1978 film, Erkenbrand's role is fulfilled by [[Éomer]].

'''2001-2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]'':'''
:Erkenbrand did appear on a [[Decipher Card]]. [[Weta Workshop|Weta]]'s Mike Grealish served as the character, wearing the armour of Théodred, which did not get much attention in the film.

{{references}}
*{{TT|Deep}}
*{{TT|Road}}
*{{UT|Isen}}

[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Erkenbrand]]
[[fi:Erkenbrand]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_du_nord/rohirrim/erkenbrand]]

Epessë

2015-09-09T19:02:13Z

Viresse:

'''Epessë''', [[Quenya]] for '''after-name''', is a nickname or honorific given to an elf at some point in his or her life. It is one of the '''[[essë|anessi]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[father-name]]''' and '''[[amilessë]]''' ("mother-name").<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref> The epessë was a public name, and the person it was given to sometimes adopted it as one of his or her actual names.

An example is ''Gil-galad'' ("Star of Radiance"), which was the mother-name of the last [[High King of the Noldor]]. His father-name was ''Rodnor''.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Parentage of Gil-galad'', p. 350</ref> Upon becoming king he was given the epessë ''Ereinion'' ("Scion of Kings") and called [[Gil-galad|Ereinion Gil-galad]].<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 347</ref>

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Epesse}}
[[Category:Epessi| ]]
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[de:Epesse]]
[[fi:Epessë]]

Éothain

2015-08-18T08:28:09Z

Viresse: /* Versions of the legendarium */

__NOTOC__
{{disambig-two|the Rider of Rohan|the boy|[[Éothain (film character)]]}}
{{rohirrim infobox
| image=[[File:Decipher - Éothain.jpg|250px]]
| name=Éothain
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=
| position=Rider in [[Éomer]]'s [[Éoreds|éored]]
| location=
| affiliation=
| language=[[Rohirric]]
| birth=Late [[Third Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Éothain''' was a rider of [[Rohan]].

==History==
Éothain was a member of [[Éomer]]'s [[éored]] that overran the orcs who had captured [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] at the fringe of [[Fangorn Forest]], and encountered [[Aragorn]], [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] on [[30 February]], {{TA|3019}}. Éothain scoffed at the idea that [[Hobbits]] even existed, believing them to be nothing but a child's tale, and argued against the gift of horses to [[Three Hunters|the three companions]].<ref>{{TT|III2}}</ref>

==Versions of the legendarium==
In one of the last drafts of [[The Riders of Rohan]], Éothain was Éomer's squire,<ref>{{TI|XX}}, p. 401</ref> whereas in a later draft of [[The Ride of the Rohirrim]], he was the captain of Éomer's household éored.<ref>{{WR|3|VII}}, p. 352</ref>

No reference to Éothain's rank in Éomer's éored is made in the published [[Lord of the Rings]].

==Etymology==
''Éothain'' contains the [[Old English]] elements ''Éoh'' ("warhorse") and ''[[Thain|thegn]]'' ("warrior, chieftain"). It was a rendition of a [[Rohirric]] name that was never recorded, though the first element is likely translated from ''lô''/''loh'', "war-horse".

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''[[1981]]: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:[[John Livesey]] plays the part of Éothain. Almost the whole of Eothain's dialogue from the book is retained in this production.

'''[[2002]]: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:The name [[Éothain (film character)|Éothain]] was given to [[Éothain (film character)|another character]], but a [[Decipher Card]] identifies one of Éomer's riders as Éothain.

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eothain}}
[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Éothain]]
[[fi:Éothain]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_du_nord/rohirrim/eothain]]

Éothain

2015-08-18T08:26:19Z

Viresse:

__NOTOC__
{{disambig-two|the Rider of Rohan|the boy|[[Éothain (film character)]]}}
{{rohirrim infobox
| image=[[File:Decipher - Éothain.jpg|250px]]
| name=Éothain
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=
| position=Rider in [[Éomer]]'s [[Éoreds|éored]]
| location=
| affiliation=
| language=[[Rohirric]]
| birth=Late [[Third Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Éothain''' was a rider of [[Rohan]].

==History==
Éothain was a member of [[Éomer]]'s [[éored]] that overran the orcs who had captured [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] at the fringe of [[Fangorn Forest]], and encountered [[Aragorn]], [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] on [[30 February]], {{TA|3019}}. Éothain scoffed at the idea that [[Hobbits]] even existed, believing them to be nothing but a child's tale, and argued against the gift of horses to [[Three Hunters|the three companions]].<ref>{{TT|III2}}</ref>

==Versions of the legendarium==
In one of the last drafts of [[The Riders of Rohan]], Éothain was Éomer's squire,<ref>{{TI|XX}}, p. 401</ref> whereas in a later draft of [[The Ride of the Rohirrim]], he was the captain of Éomer's household éored.<ref>{{WR|3|VII}}, p. 352</ref>

No reference to Éothain's rank in Éomer's éored is made in the published text.

==Etymology==
''Éothain'' contains the [[Old English]] elements ''Éoh'' ("warhorse") and ''[[Thain|thegn]]'' ("warrior, chieftain"). It was a rendition of a [[Rohirric]] name that was never recorded, though the first element is likely translated from ''lô''/''loh'', "war-horse".

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''[[1981]]: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:[[John Livesey]] plays the part of Éothain. Almost the whole of Eothain's dialogue from the book is retained in this production.

'''[[2002]]: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:The name [[Éothain (film character)|Éothain]] was given to [[Éothain (film character)|another character]], but a [[Decipher Card]] identifies one of Éomer's riders as Éothain.

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eothain}}
[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Éothain]]
[[fi:Éothain]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_du_nord/rohirrim/eothain]]

Éothain

2015-08-18T08:18:17Z

Viresse: /* Versions of the legendarium */

__NOTOC__
{{disambig-two|the Rider of Rohan|the boy|[[Éothain (film character)]]}}
{{rohirrim infobox
| image=[[File:Decipher - Éothain.jpg|250px]]
| name=Éothain
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=
| position=Rider in [[Éomer]]'s [[Éoreds|éored]]
| location=
| affiliation=
| language=[[Rohirric]]
| birth=Late [[Third Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Éothain''' was a rider of [[Rohan]].

==History==
Éothain was a member of [[Éomer]]'s [[éored]] that overran the orcs who had captured [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] at the fringe of [[Fangorn Forest]], and encountered [[Aragorn]], [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] on [[30 February]], {{TA|3019}}. Éothain scoffed at the idea that [[Hobbits]] even existed, believing them to be nothing but a child's tale, and argued against the gift of horses to [[Three Hunters|the three companions]].<ref>{{TT|III2}}</ref>

==Versions of the legendarium==
In one of the last drafts of [[The Riders of Rohan]], Éothain was Éomer's squire.<ref>{{TI|XX}}, p. 401</ref>

In a later draft of [[The Ride of the Rohirrim]], he was the captain of Éomer's household éored who stumbled over Merry as the host of the [[Rohirrim]] rode to [[Gondor]], although in the published [[Lord of the Rings]] it was [[Elfhelm]] with whom Merry interacted.<ref>{{WR|3|VII}}, p. 352</ref>

No reference to Éothain's rank in Éomer's éored is made in the published text.

==Etymology==
''Éothain'' contains the [[Old English]] elements ''Éoh'' ("warhorse") and ''[[Thain|thegn]]'' ("warrior, chieftain"). It was a rendition of a [[Rohirric]] name that was never recorded, though the first element is likely translated from ''lô''/''loh'', "war-horse".

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''[[1981]]: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:[[John Livesey]] plays the part of Éothain. Almost the whole of Eothain's dialogue from the book is retained in this production.

'''[[2002]]: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:The name [[Éothain (film character)|Éothain]] was given to [[Éothain (film character)|another character]], but a [[Decipher Card]] identifies one of Éomer's riders as Éothain.

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eothain}}
[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Éothain]]
[[fi:Éothain]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_du_nord/rohirrim/eothain]]

Éothain

2015-08-18T08:00:44Z

Viresse:

__NOTOC__
{{disambig-two|the Rider of Rohan|the boy|[[Éothain (film character)]]}}
{{rohirrim infobox
| image=[[File:Decipher - Éothain.jpg|250px]]
| name=Éothain
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=
| position=Rider in [[Éomer]]'s [[Éoreds|éored]]
| location=
| affiliation=
| language=[[Rohirric]]
| birth=Late [[Third Age]]
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Éothain''' was a rider of [[Rohan]].

==History==
Éothain was a member of [[Éomer]]'s [[éored]] that overran the orcs who had captured [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] at the fringe of [[Fangorn Forest]], and encountered [[Aragorn]], [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] on [[30 February]], {{TA|3019}}. Éothain scoffed at the idea that [[Hobbits]] even existed, believing them to be nothing but a child's tale, and argued against the gift of horses to [[Three Hunters|the three companions]].<ref>{{TT|III2}}</ref>

==Versions of the legendarium==
In one of the last drafts of [[The Riders of Rohan]], Éothain was Éomer's squire.<ref>{{TI|XX}}, p. 401</ref>

In a later draft of [[The Ride of the Rohirrim]], he was the captain of Éomer's éored who stumbled over Merry as the host of the [[Rohirrim]] rode to [[Gondor]], although in the published [[Lord of the Rings]] it was [[Elfhelm]] with whom Merry interacted.<ref>{{WR|3|VII}}, p. 352</ref>

No reference to Éothain's rank in Éomer's éored is made in the published text.

==Etymology==
''Éothain'' contains the [[Old English]] elements ''Éoh'' ("warhorse") and ''[[Thain|thegn]]'' ("warrior, chieftain"). It was a rendition of a [[Rohirric]] name that was never recorded, though the first element is likely translated from ''lô''/''loh'', "war-horse".

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''[[1981]]: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:[[John Livesey]] plays the part of Éothain. Almost the whole of Eothain's dialogue from the book is retained in this production.

'''[[2002]]: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:The name [[Éothain (film character)|Éothain]] was given to [[Éothain (film character)|another character]], but a [[Decipher Card]] identifies one of Éomer's riders as Éothain.

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eothain}}
[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]

[[de:Éothain]]
[[fi:Éothain]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_du_nord/rohirrim/eothain]]

Kilmessë

2015-07-26T19:49:11Z

Viresse:

'''Kilmessë''', [[Quenya]] for "self-name", was a name that some of the exiled [[Elves]] gave to themselves as a disguise, or to refer to deeds or to their personal history.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

===Other versions of the legendarium===
In an account in "Laws and Customs Among the Eldar" in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'', the kilmessë is a name chosen by an Elf-child once she or he is capable of ''lámatyáve'', that is once they gain fluency in their mother-tongue and find pleasure in the sounds and forms of words. It is a private name, used only by family members and close friends, and reflects the child's personality or talents. It is announced in a ceremony called ''Essecilmë'' (name-choosing).<ref>{{MR|P3II3a}}, p. 216</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Elven names]]

Father-name

2015-07-26T19:48:26Z

Viresse:

The '''father-name''' was the name given to an [[Elves|Elf]] at or near birth by his or her father, and was considered one of his or her 'true names'. It is one of the '''[[essë#anessi|anessi]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[amilessë]]''' ("mother-name") and '''[[epessë]]''' ("after-name" or honorific). The father-name was a public name, announced in a ceremony called ''Essecarmë'' ("name-making").<ref>{{MR|P3II3a}}, p. 216</ref> It was often the the primary name of an Elf until he or she chose to adopt an epessë given to them.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

An example is [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]], whose father-name was Findaráto ("[Golden-]Haired Champion")<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> and epessë was Felagund ("Hewer of Caves").<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> The name Finrod is the [[Sindarin]] version of his father-name.
{{references}}
[[Category:Essi]]
[[de:Namensgebung#Namensgebung]]
[[fi:Isännimi]]

Galadriel

2015-07-26T18:14:27Z

Viresse:

{{sources}}
{{disambig-more|Galadriel|[[Galadriel (disambiguation)]]}}
{{noldor infobox
| image=[[File:Matt Stewart - Galadriel.jpg|250px]]
| name=Galadriel
| pronun=
| othernames=''[[#Names|Artanis]]'' ([[Quenya|Q]], [[Father-name|fn]]), ''[[Nerwen]]'' ([[Quenya|Q]], [[Amilessë|mn]]) ''[[Galadriel#Names|Alatáriel]]'' ([[Telerin|T]], [[epessë]])
| titles= Lady of [[Lothlórien]], Lady of Light, Lady of the Wood, Lady of the [[Galadhrim]] Mistress of Magic<ref>Called thus by [[Faramir (son of Denethor II)|Faramir]] ({{TT|Window}}).</ref>
| position=
| location=[[Tirion]]; [[Doriath]]; [[Lindon]]; [[Eregion]]; [[Lothlórien]]
| affiliation=[[White Council]]
| language=[[Quenya]], [[Sindarin]] and [[Silvan Elvish]]
| birth={{YT|1362}}<ref>{{MR|P2l}}, p. 106</ref>
| birthlocation=[[Tirion]]
| rule=
| sailedwest=[[29 September]], {{TA|3021}}
| sailedfrom=[[Grey Havens]]
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=[[House of Finarfin]]
| parentage=[[Finarfin]] and [[Eärwen]]
| siblings=[[Finrod]], [[Angrod]] and [[Aegnor]]
| spouse=[[Celeborn]]
| children=[[Celebrían]], [[Amroth]]<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref> (earlier versions of the legendarium)
| gender=Female
| height=6 feet, 4 inches (193cm)<ref>{{UT|Measures}}</ref><ref group=note>Quote by J.R.R. Tolkien from the Unfinished Tales, the same section referenced:'' "Thus two rangar was often called 'man-high', which at thirty-eight inches gives an average height of six feet four inches; (1.93 meters) '''but this was at a later date, when the stature of the Dúnedain appears to have decreased'''..."'' (emphasis mine)</ref>
| hair=Radiant gold-silver
| eyes=
| clothing=White robes
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
{{quote|Very tall [Galadriel and Celeborn] were, and the Lady no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful. They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold… but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.|''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', "[[The Mirror of Galadriel]]"}}
'''Galadriel''' ([[Sindarin|S]], pron. {{IPA|[ɡaˈladri.el]}}) was a [[Noldo]], one of the [[Calaquendi]], and arguably the most famous and powerful elf of the [[Third Age]]. She was one of the bearers of the [[Three Rings]], of [[Nenya]], and with it kept her realm of [[Lothlórien]] free of stain.

==History==
===Life in Aman===

When a fourth child was born to [[Finarfin]], prince of the Noldor, and [[Eärwen]], princess of the [[Falmari|Teleri]], her father named her '''[[Artanis]]''', which is "noble woman". She was unusually tall and strong as she grew, and so Eärwen’s name for her was '''[[Nerwen]]''', "man-maiden". It is said among the Eldar that her hair had captured the light of the [[Two Trees]] in Valinor, which resulted a very unique and dazzling colour of gold and silver. According to a legend, this is how [[Fëanor]] conceived the idea of capturing the light of the trees inside the [[Silmarils]].
Despite her mixed blood, she was identified as a princess of the Noldor, as her father was the third son of [[Finwë]], [[High King of the Noldor]].

During the [[Darkening of Valinor]], she was very independent and visionary. She swore no [[Oath of Fëanor|oaths]] but the words of Fëanor concerning Middle-earth kindled a desire in her heart, as she was eager to see those wide unguarded lands and rule a realm of her own.
During the troubles that followed, it is unclear if she took any part in the [[Kinslaying of Alqualondë]]. However, accounts suggest she travelled among the second group led by Fingolfin, which joined the battle at [[Alqualondë]] late and without knowing how it had started. Some of that group had not participated in the killing, although it is not clear who and how many. Dismayed by the prophecy of [[Mandos]], her father Finarfin abandoned the march of the Noldor and returned to Valinor. But Galadriel and her brothers crossed the [[Helcaraxë]] in far north and arrived to the northern shores of [[Hither Lands]]<ref name="Sil9">{{S|Flight}}</ref>.

:See also: ''[[#Other Versions of the Legendarium|Other Versions of the Legendarium]]''.

===Arrival to Middle-earth===
[[File:Līga Kļaviņa - Love at First Sight.jpg|left|thumb|Līga Kļaviņa - ''Love at First Sight'']]
In [[Beleriand]], Galadriel and her eldest brother [[Finrod Felagund]] came to [[Doriath]] as guests of [[Elu Thingol]], the King of Doriath. It was there she met [[Celeborn]], a kinsman of Thingol, who would become her husband and companion in Middle-earth<ref>{{S|13}}</ref>. When her brother Finrod departed to the [[Caverns of Narog]] to establish the stronghold of [[Nargothrond]], Galadriel did not go with him and remained in Doriath with her husband, though she occasionally visited her brother in Nargothrond.
[[Image:Donato Giancola - Galadriel and the mirror.jpg|right|thumb|[[Donato Giancola]] - ''Galadriel and the mirror'']]
During her days in Doriath, Galadriel became friends with Queen [[Melian]] the [[Maia]], and they spoke often to one another about Valinor.<ref name="Sil15">{{S|15}}</ref> Melian was eager to learn the causes of the [[Exile of the Noldor|Exile of the Noldor]], but Galadriel would tell her nothing of what occurred after the death of the Trees. Eventually, however, as Melian’s guesses became more shrewd and accurate, Galadriel revealed the tale to her, though still leaving out the death of Finwë, the Kinslaying, and the burning of the Ships at [[Losgar]].<ref name="Sil15"/> Melian was able to discern some of what was left unsaid, and still more came as rumors to Thingol’s ears. At last, egged on by the accusing words of Thingol, [[Angrod]] told all. Galadriel was not expelled from Doriath because of Thingol’s sympathy to the houses of Finarfin and Fingolfin for the wrongs they had suffered. All the same, she went to Nargothrond to live with Finrod for a time.<ref name="Sil15"/> Presumably, she returned to Doriath to live with her husband.

Galadriel did not have any significant role in the general course of events in the [[War of the Jewels]]. She and Celeborn survived, or even were not present in the [[Sack of Nargothrond|destruction of Nargothrond]] in {{FA|495}} and [[Sack of Doriath|Doriath]] in {{FA|503}}/{{FA|506}}. It is not unlikely that after the destruction of Doriath they went to the [[Havens of Sirion]] along with many survivors of Beleriand (or even with their Telerin kin to the [[Isle of Balar]] with [[Círdan]]). Thus they even survived the [[Third Kinslaying]], and after that, the [[War of Wrath]].

Given the choice whether to stay in Middle-earth or not, Galadriel and Celeborn surprisingly decided to remain. Galadriel was still very proud, even arrogant, and refused to accept the pardon of the [[Valar]] and therefore exiled herself in Middle-earth.

===Second Age===

After the War of Wrath, Galadriel and Celeborn came to [[Lindon]] with the other survivors of Beleriand. They ruled over the fiefdom of [[Harlindon]], which was composed mostly of [[Sindar]], under the [[Gil-galad|High King Gil-galad]]<ref>{{PM|X}}</ref>. Eventually the couple moved to a new land called [[Eregion]] in far eastwards of Lindon. It was ruled by [[Celebrimbor]], a grandson of Fëanor and distant cousin of Galadriel. They dwelt there for a time and Galadriel was probably present during the crafting of the [[Rings of Power]]. Eventually Galadriel and Celeborn made contact with the [[Nandor]] of [[Amdír]], who dwelt in a forest realm called [[Lórinand]] across the [[Misty Mountains]]. They crossed the [[Hithaeglir]] through [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]] and relocated to there, becoming great among the [[Silvan Elves|Wood-elves]].

Celebrimbor and the jewelsmiths of [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] collaborated with [[Annatar]] on the great process of making Rings of Power.<ref name="SilV">{{S|V}}</ref> By Annatar’s help, the Elves of Eregion created many rings, but both Celebrimbor and Annatar created greater rings of their own in secret. Celebrimbor wrought the [[Three Rings]] of the Elves, which were far more powerful than the lesser rings. Annatar, however, wrought [[the One Ring]]. When he placed it on his finger, the Elves were aware of his treachery, and took off their rings. Celebrimbor, afraid for his life but even more for the safety of the Three Rings, sent them to two of the [[Wise]]: [[Narya]] and [[Vilya]] for Gil-galad (who eventually gave Narya to [[Círdan]]), and [[Nenya]] for Galadriel. Very few even of the Eldar knew who hid each of these Rings. Celebrimbor was slain by [[Sauron]] not long after, and Eregion was laid waste.<ref name="SilV"/> But the Three Rings were safe. [[Image:Angus McBride - Galadriel.gif|thumb|left|250px|[[Angus McBride]] - ''Galadriel'']]

===Third Age===

When King [[Amroth]] son of Amdír perished, Celeborn and Galadriel ruled Lórinand (now known as [[Lothlórien]] or Lórien) jointly, and were called the [[Lord and Lady of Galadhrim]]. Lothlórien blossomed, and Galadriel planted the [[mallorn]] seeds brought with her from Lindon, the only mallorns east of the Sea. They established [[Caras Galadhon]], and the realm of Lothlórien was one of light and life. It was during their days of power and glory in Lothlórien (either before or after the deaths of Amdír and Amroth) that Galadriel bore her first and only child: a daughter exceedingly fair named [[Celebrían]]. She married [[Elrond]], a close friend of Galadriel’s and bearer of [[Vilya]] after the death of Gil-galad during the Alliance. Celeborn and Galadriel had three grandchildren by her, one of whom, [[Arwen]], they were especially close to. But Celebrían was waylaid and tortured by [[Orcs]] in {{TA|2509}}, and passed West over the sea.

In {{TA|2463}} the [[White Council]] was formed. Galadriel, being one of the [[Wise]] and the greatest threat to Sauron alive, was one of the members.<ref name="SilV"/> Celeborn may have been as well, but this is not known for sure. She was a good friend of [[Gandalf]], and recommended that he be made head of the Council. But this distinction fell instead to [[Saruman]], whom she distrusted.

[[Image:Billy Mosig - The Mirror of Galadriel.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Billy Mosig]] - ''The Mirror of Galadriel'']]During the [[War of the Ring]], Galadriel met the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] in {{TA|3019}}. She especially was attentive to the [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Frodo Baggins]], who was the bearer of [[the One Ring]]. She showed him Nenya, and let him gaze into her [[Mirror of Galadriel|mirror]] of seeing. He offered her the One Ring, and despite the extreme temptation, she resisted it successfully. She sent the Fellowship off on their quest furnished with [[Gifts_of_Galadriel|gifts]]. The two most important gifts she gave were to [[Aragorn]], whom she knew well and liked, and a [[Dwarves|dwarf]] named [[Gimli]]. To Aragorn she gave the [[Elfstone]], which she and her daughter Celebrían had worn. She was unsure as to what to give Gimli, and asked what he wanted. After complimenting her beauty, he requested a single strand of her hair. Galadriel remembered the posing of a similar question by Fëanor, but had searched Gimli’s heart and knew that his intentions were pure. She rewarded him with three strands, which he was later to put into an imperishable crystal in memory of her.

Not long after the departure of the Fellowship she received the resurrected Gandalf. She reclothed and refurnished him, giving him a new staff. After Gandalf left, Lothlórien was subjected to three successive attacks by armies coming out of [[Dol Guldur]]. By the power of her Ring they were thrice repulsed. Celeborn then led [[Fall of Dol Guldur|an attack on Dol Guldur]] itself. Once the dark fortress was in the hands of the Galadhrim, Galadriel came, threw down its walls, and purified it of its evil. It was her last act of power, for the One Ring was destroyed, and the strength of Nenya waned and eventually vanished almost completely.

===Return to Valinor===

Galadriel attended the wedding of Aragorn with Arwen, then returned to Lothlórien. But in {{TA|3021}}, two years later, she bade farewell to Celeborn her husband and went West to Valinor. With her went the other two bearers of the Rings, Gandalf and Elrond, and Frodo and Bilbo Baggins who had borne the One Ring. They passed West, and came never again to Middle-earth. There in Valinor Galadriel must have tried to heal Frodo of his spiritual wounds. Whether she was successful or not is unknown. But sometime later during the [[Fourth Age]] she received Celeborn, her husband. And in {{FoA|120}}, it is said, she received Gimli her admirer, who was the first and only dwarf to enter Valinor.

==Characteristics==

Galadriel was very beautiful, her hair being the most notable feature about her. It reminded the Eldar of the light of the [[Two Trees]]. Galadriel, at least in her earlier years, was of a somewhat proud and rebellious nature. She was free-spirited, and during her time in Aman had many dreams of wide unexplored lands. Her favorite brother was Finrod, for he, too, shared this vision. She could explore the minds and hearts of others, and her gaze was seeing. It may be because of her unusual beauty and power that she became proud.

But by the Third Age she is also seen to act with wisdom and gentleness. In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', she appears very gentle, firm, and wise. She was revered even more than Celeborn by the Galadhrim and all who met her.

==Etymology==
{{Pronounce|Galadriel.mp3|Ardamir}}
''[[Galadriel]]'' is a [[Sindarin]] name translated by [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] as "glittering garland",<ref>{{L|345}}, p. 423</ref> "Maiden crowned with gleaming hair",<ref>{{L|348}}, p. 428</ref> and "maiden crowned with a radiant garland".<ref name=SApp>{{S|Appendix}}</ref><ref>{{HM|RC}}, pp. 44-45</ref> It has been suggested that ''Galadriel'' consists of ''[[galad]]'' ("light, radiance") + ''[[rî]]'' ("crown") + ''[[iell]]'' ("daughter").<ref>{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.tolkiendil.com/langues/english/i-lam_arth/compound_sindarin_names#g|articlename=Compound Sindarin Names|website= [http://www.tolkiendil.com/ Tolkiendil.com]}}</ref> Tolkien notes that the element ''galad'' had no relation to Sindarin ''[[galadh]]'' ("tree", or Silvan ''galad'' "tree"), but that such a connexion often was made and her name then was pronounced ''Galadhriel''.<ref name=SApp/><ref>{{MR|P3I5}}, p. 182 (commentary to §42)</ref>

==Names==

'''''Alatáriel''''' was the [[Telerin]] [[Quenya]] name given to Galadriel by [[Celeborn]], meaning "Maiden Crowned with Radiant Garland", which referred to her hair.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 347</ref>

'''''Artanis''''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[ˈartanis]}}, stem ''Artaniss-'') was Galadriel's [[father-name]]: it means "Noble Woman" in [[Quenya]] from ''[[arta]]'' and ''[[nís]]''.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of the Sons of Fëanor with the legend of the fate of Amrod'', p. 354</ref><ref>{{MR|P3II}}, p. 213</ref>

'''''Galadhriel''''' was a name occasionally, and incorrectly, used of [[Galadriel]] after she became [[Lady of Lórien]], and meaning 'tree-garland'. As the [[Lady of the Galadhrim]], whose capital was at [[Caras Galadhon]], it is perhaps understandable that her name should have become confused with the [[Elvish]] word galadh, meaning 'tree'. Nonetheless, this usage was mistaken — her true name ''Galadriel'' actually derived from the word ''galad'' ("radiant"), and the false variant ''Galadhriel'' was never used in her own country of [[Lórien in Middle-earth|Lórien]].<ref>{{S|Appendix}}, ''kal-''</ref>

==Other Versions of the Legendarium==
There is a bit of befuddlement and confusion in the story of Galadriel, which [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] revised multiple times. Originally, and in the published ''[[The Silmarillion|Silmarillion]]'', Galadriel followed Fëanor into Exile.<ref name="Sil9"/> Then she met Celeborn in [[Doriath]], for Celeborn was one of the Sindar.<ref>{{S|Return}}</ref> This earlier account explains the difficulty of Celeborn and Galadriel being so closely related (the Eldar did not marry that close). Though it's possible that Galadriel and Celeborn rebelliously defied the customs and laws, it is primarily because of this difficulty that the earlier account has some veracity.

According to the version of ''History of Galadriel and Celeborn'' in [[Unfinished Tales]], she lived with her [[Teleri|Telerin]] relatives in Alqualondë. It was in there that she met ''Teleporno'', a young Telerin prince probably the son or grandson of [[Olwë]] (which would make him Artanis’s uncle or cousin)*. They eventually fell in love, and he called her in his own Telerin tongue [[Alatáriel]] (later [[Sindarization|Sindarinized]] as Galadriel and semi-[[Quenya|Quenyarized]] as [[Altáriel]]). She had another admirer as well: her half-uncle, Fëanor. Fëanor, being a lover of beauty and brilliance, noted her shining hair. He may have been inspired by her tresses to make the Silmarils, both being said to capture the light of the Two Trees. He begged her to spare him some of her hair, but she refused him a single hair three times and he gave up. She had unusually strong powers of mental perception, and when she looked into his mind, she saw only darkness, hinting at Fëanor's evil nature.
During the troubles that followed the Darkening of Valinor, she took no part in the atrocities against the Teleri during the Kinslaying of Alqualondë, but urged Teleporno her beloved to sail across the Sea to Middle-earth by her side. He agreed for her sake, and so they both came under the [[Doom of Mandos]]. Their crossing to Middle-earth by ship was the exception—Fëanor and [[Sons of Fëanor|his sons]] had sailed stolen Telerin ships, while the vast majority of the other Noldor under Fingolfin crossed the [[Helcaraxë]] on foot.

Once in Beleriand they were welcomed by King [[Thingol]] of Doriath, as both were Telerin in origin. Thingol knew nothing of what had happened to his brother Olwë and the [[Calaquendi]], and they brought news. But they said nothing about the Kinslaying. [[Teleporno]] was Sindarinized as ''Celeborn'', and Artanis adopted Teleporno’s pet name for her, Alatáriel, in its Sindarin form: ''Galadriel''.
After the rest of the Noldor arrived in Beleriand and the great [[Dagor-nuin-Giliath]] was fought, Galadriel re-established contact with her brothers, though her hate for the orphaned sons of Fëanor was still strong. She learned much from Melian during her days in Doriath, and occasionally spent time in Nargothrond with her eldest brother Finrod Felagund.

The couple survived the [[War of Wrath|Fall of Beleriand]] and came to [[Lindon]]. Galadriel and her husband stayed there for a while, in the kingdom of Galadriel’s relative [[Gil-galad]]. There for a time they ruled over a fiefdom of [[Sindar]]. Eventually in early [[Second Age]] they went eastwards and established (primarily but by no means solely) the Noldorin realm of [[Eregion]]. [[Celebrimbor]] lived there, and was high in importance among the [[Gwaith-i-Mirdain|smiths]].
Though Galadriel urged Celebrimbor against it, the Noldo collaborated with [[Annatar]] (who was actually Sauron in a fair disguise) on the great process of making Rings of Power. When Sauron's plot revealed, Galadriel counselled Celebrimbor to send the Three Rings far from Eregion. So two of the rings (Narya and Vilya) were sent to Gil-Galad (who eventually gave Narya to Círdan) and Nenya was given to Galadriel. She took the ring across the Misty Mountains through [[Moria|Khazad-dûm]] to safety in a land called [[Lórinand]] in the east.
In time [[Amdír]], King of Lórinand, was slain in the [[Battle of Dagorlad]] during the [[War of the Last Alliance]]. Celeborn may have participated in the war, but the greatest effect it had on the twain (and Lórinand) was the destruction of [[Sauron]] and the loss of [[the One Ring]]. Galadriel was now free to use her ring. With [[Nenya]], the Ring of Water, Galadriel made the realm of Lórinand even greater. With the power of her ring, she protected it from the intrusion of evils throughout the Third Age.

In the [[Unfinished Tales]] version, Galadriel and Celeborn had two children, of which one was [[Amroth]].<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

It should be noted that Tolkien did not reject any of these versions, therefore it is not possible to say which of these variations would become the 'true' history of Galadriel, if he had time to finish the Silmarillion.

== Genealogy ==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | FNF |y| EAR | | | | | | | | | | |FNF=[[Finarfin]]|EAR=[[Eärwen]]}}
{{familytree | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | | |}}
{{familytree | FIN | | ANG |y| ELD | | AEG | | GAL |y| CEL |FIN=[[Finrod]]|ANG=[[Angrod]]|ELD=[[Eldalótë]]|AEG=[[Aegnor]]|GAL='''GALADRIEL'''|CEL=[[Celeborn]]}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | ORO | | | | | | ELR |y| CLB |ORO=[[Orodreth]]|ELR=[[Elrond]]|CLB=[[Celebrían]]}}
{{familytree | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | | |!| | | | | |}}
{{familytree | | | | | GIL | | FDL | | ARA |~| ARW | | | | |GIL=[[Gil-galad]]|FDL=[[Finduilas]]|ARA=[[Aragorn|Aragorn Elessar]]|ARW=[[Arwen]]}}
{{familytree/end}}
==Portrayal in adaptations==
<gallery>
File:The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) - Galadriel.jpg|Galadriel as portrayed in [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]
File:The Lord of the Rings (film series) - Galadriel.jpg|[[Cate Blanchett]] as Galadriel in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]
File:Galadriel lotr fotr.JPG|Galadriel as portrayed in [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|Vivendi's ''The Fellowship of the Ring'']]
File:Galadriel.jpg|Galadriel in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
File:The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey - Galadriel.jpg|[[Cate Blanchett]] as Galadriel in [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]]
</gallery>

'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:Galadriel is voiced by [[Annette Crosbie]].

'''1981: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:The voice of Galadriel is provided by [[Marian Diamond]]. In addition to the Lorien episodes, the voice of Galadriel is heard in Shelob's Lair as a reminder to use the phial, and she appears with Elrond in the final episode in the Shire, as they journey towards the Grey Havens.

'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:Galadriel is played by [[Cate Blanchett]]. Galadriel narrates the Prologue, explaining the creation of the Rings of Power and the War of the Last Alliance. Earlier plans considered were to have either Frodo or Gandalf narrate the Prologue, but this was dropped: Frodo was not alive until thousands of years after these events happened, and although Gandalf was alive, he was not present in Middle-earth at the time; the Wizards came some one thousand years after the Prologue ends. Thus Galadriel narrates the Prologue, because she had first-hand accounts of this history and actively participated in its events.

'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:Galadriel, voiced by [[Jennifer Hale]], is the narrator of the Prologue and the Epilogue, and appears in Lothlórien.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'':'''
:Galadriel frequently consults telepathically with Elrond; there is an indication from the books{{fact}} that the two were able to communicate in some way, without specific reference. In the film, unlike the book, [[Galadriel]] and [[Elrond]] send an army of [[Elves]] - led by [[Haldir]] - to [[Battle of the Hornburg|Helm's Deep]] to aid the [[Rohirrim]]. In the DVD commentary, [[Peter Jackson]] and his fellow writers explain that they worried audiences would wonder why the Elves don't seem to be helping in the war, while at the same time, they felt that actually inserting an entire separate battle scene at Lothlórien would take up too much screentime and resources.

'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:A spiritual apparition of Lady Galadriel appears to provide Frodo strength following his passage through Shelob's Lair, soon after he uses the Phial that she gave him. She is later seen leaving Middle-Earth along with other Ring-Bearers, but in film version her husband Celeborn departs with her at the same time.

'''2006: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]'':'''
:Galadriel is the strongest of "Hero" units available to the Free Peoples. If a player's army manages to spot [[Gollum]] on the battlefield, take The One Ring from him and deliver it to their forces, the option to "summon" Galadriel unlocks for a large amount of resources. Thus, Lady Galadriel is represented as succumbing to corruption of The Ring, similar to the respective scene in the ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' movie.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Galadriel is a non-playable character, who narrates cutscenes and instances throughout the second Volume of the Epic story. Introduced in [[The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria]] Book VI: [[The Shadowy Abyss]], she usually resides on a [[talan]] at [[Caras Galadhon]].

'''2012-14: [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]]:'''
:Galadriel was portrayed by Cate Blanchett.<ref name="PJCasting">{{webcite|author=[[Peter Jackson]]|articleurl=http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150168211921558|articlename=Production begins in New Zealand on The Hobbit|dated=20-March-2011|website=[http://www.facebook.com/ Facebook]|accessed=23-Dec-2011}}</ref> She appears as part of the [[White Council]] alongside [[Saruman]], [[Gandalf]] and [[Elrond]]. Later, she telepathically urges Gandalf to further seek the true identity of the [[Sauron#Sauron's Return|Necromancer]]. Finally, during the [[attack on Dol Guldur]], Galadriel plays a larger role. She first rescues Gandalf from captivity, and is ultimately the one to drive Sauron from the fortress using her [[Phial of Galadriel|phial]].

== See Also ==
* [[:Category:Images of Galadriel|Images of Galadriel]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:House of Finarfin]]
[[Category:Second Age characters]]
[[Category:Sindarin names]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Galadriel]]
[[fa:گالادریل]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/elfes/noldor/galadriel]]
[[fi:Galadriel]]

Essë

2015-07-26T17:31:59Z

Viresse:

__NOTOC__
'''''essë''''' (pl. ''essi'') is a noun meaning "name" in [[Quenya]].<ref name="Names">{{App|Letters}}, Note, ''The names of the letters''</ref> Compare with ''[[eneth]]'' in [[Sindarin]].

==Elvish Naming==
According to the naming traditions of [[High Elves]], an Elf can have four types of names, acquired at various times of their lives. The three first names are called the '''''anessi''''' ("given-names"): the ''[[father-name]]''<ref>There is no attested Quenya term for this name, but we can conjecture it is ''ataressë''</ref>, the ''[[amilessë]]'' ("mother-name"), and the ''[[epessë]]'' ("after-name" or honorary title). The last type of name is called the '''''[[kilmessë]]''''': the ''chosen-name'' ("self-name").

====Anessi====
* [[Father-name]]: chosen by the father and often based on the father's own name or derived from old legends. Given at or near birth.
* [[Amilessë]]: chosen by the mother and often prophetic in nature. Given sometimes at or near birth but often bestowed years later.
* [[Epessë]]: often acquired by an Elf as an honorific later in life.

====Kilmessë====
* [[Kilmessë]]: a name chosen by an Elf for him- or herself as a disguise or to refer to deeds, talents and personal history.

The ''father-name'' and the ''amilessë'' were the Elf's 'true names' and were public names. The ''father-name'' is the name an Elf used in public until an ''epessë'' was chosen.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref> In ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', when an Elf does not yet have an ''epessë'', the Sindarin version of his mother- or father-name is used instead.

===Examples===
* '''[[Maglor]]''': The son of [[Fëanor]] of the [[House of Finwë]], was given the ''essi'' ''Kanafinwë'' ("Strong-voiced [of] Finwë"). His amilessë was ''[[Makalaurë]]'' ("Forging Gold" in a poetic sense).<ref name="Sons">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of the Sons of Fëanor with the legend of the fate of Amrod'', p. 353</ref> The name Maglor is the [[Sindarin]] version of his mother-name.

* '''[[Gil-galad|Ereinion Gil-galad]]''': The son of [[Orodreth]] was given the ''essi'' ''[[Gil-galad|Rodnor]]''.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The parentage of Gil-galad'', p. 350</ref> His ''amilessë'' was ''[[Gil]]-[[galad]]'' ("Star of Radiance"). As [[High King of the Noldor]], his ''epessë'' was ''[[Gil-galad|Ereinion]]'' ("Scion of Kings").<ref name="Descendant">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 347</ref>

* '''[[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]]''': The son of [[Finarfin]] was given the ''essi'' of ''[[Finrod|Findaráto]]'' ("Golden-haired Champion"). His amilessë was ''[[Ingoldo]]'' ("The Noldo", singular for [[Noldor]]).<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> He is usually referred to as ''[[Felagund]]'' ("Hewer of Caves"),<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> originally a derogatory nickname given to him because of his dwelling at [[Nargothrond]]. Finrod adopted the name as his ''epessë'' and made it a title of honour. The name Finrod is the Sindarin version of his father-name.

* '''[[Galadriel]]''': The only daughter of Finarfin was given the ''essi'' of ''[[Artanis]]'' ("Noble Woman") and the ''amilessë'' of ''[[Nerwen]]'' ("Man-maiden") because of her height and strength.<ref name="Descend"/> Her ''epessë'', ''[[Alatáriel]]'' ("Maiden Crowned with Radiant Garland"), was given to her by her husband, [[Celeborn]]. The name Galadriel is the Sindarin version of her ''epessë''.<ref name="Descendant"/>

* '''[[Amras]]''': The last son of the House of Finwë was given the ''essi'' ''[[Telufinwë]]'', ("Last [of] Finwë"). His first ''amilessë'' was ''[[Ambarussa]]'' ("Top-russet" referring to his hair), his twin-brother [[Amrod]] hat the same ''amilessë''. To distinguish the two Amrod was given a second ''amilessë'': ''[[Umbarto]]'' ("The Fated").<ref name="Sons"/> His mother's choice was prophetic, because Amrod was the first of the [[sons of Fëanor]] to die, accidentally killed in the swan ships of the Teleri when his father ordered them to be burnt at [[Losgar]]. The name Amras is the Sindarin version of ''Ambarussa''.

==Tengwa==
[[Image:Essë.gif|left]]''Essë'' is also the name in later Quenya of the thirty-first letter of the [[Tengwar]] alphabet, representing '''SS'''. The original name of this letter was ''Áze'', but over time the phonemes for "z" and "r" merged and the letter was renamed ''Áre''. Since ''[[Óre]]'' (letter 21) represents untrilled "r" and ''[[Rómen]]'' (letter 25) represents trilled "r", ''Áre'' became superfluous. This letter was then renamed ''Essë'' and represents "ss", but only in written Quenya.<ref name="Names"/>


==See also==
* [http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/qlist.htm Quenya Corpus Wordlist] edited by [[Helge Fauskanger]]

{{references}}
{{title|lowercase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esse}}
[[Category:Essi| ]]
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[Category:Tengwar letters]]
[[de:Namensgebung]]
[[fr:langues/textes/noms-elfes]]
[[fi:Eldarin nimenantotavat]]

Epessë

2015-07-26T17:29:51Z

Viresse:

'''Epessë''', [[Quenya]] for '''after-name''', is a nickname or honorific given to an elf at some point in his or her life. It is one of the '''[[anessi|essë]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[father-name]]''' and '''[[amilessë]]''' ("mother-name").<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

The epessë was a public name, and the person it was given to sometimes adopted it as one of his or her actual names.

An example is ''Gil-galad'' ("Star of Radiance"), which was the mother-name of the last [[High King of the Noldor]]. His father-name was ''Rodnor''.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Parentage of Gil-galad'', p. 350</ref> Upon becoming king he was given the epessë ''Ereinion'' ("Scion of Kings") and called [[Gil-galad|Ereinion Gil-galad]].<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 347</ref>

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Epesse}}
[[Category:Epessi| ]]
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[de:Epesse]]
[[fi:Epessë]]

Essë

2015-07-26T17:29:26Z

Viresse:

__NOTOC__
'''''essë''''' (pl. ''essi'') is a noun meaning "name" in [[Quenya]].<ref name="Names">{{App|Letters}}, Note, ''The names of the letters''</ref> Compare with ''[[eneth]]'' in [[Sindarin]].

==Elvish Naming==
According to the naming traditions of [[High Elves]], an Elf can have four types of names, acquired at various times of their lives. The three first names are called the '''''anessi''''' ("given-names"): the ''[[father-name]]''<ref>There is no attested Quenya term for this name, but we can conjecture it is ''ataressë''</ref>, the ''[[amilessë]]'' ("mother-name"), the ''[[epessë]]'' ("after-name" or honorary title); and the last name is the '''''[[kilmessë]]''''': the ''chosen-name'' ("self-name").

====Anessi====
* [[Father-name]]: chosen by the father and often based on the father's own name or derived from old legends. Given at or near birth.
* [[Amilessë]]: chosen by the mother and often prophetic in nature. Given sometimes at or near birth but often bestowed years later.
* [[Epessë]]: often acquired by an Elf as an honorific later in life.

====Kilmessë====
* [[Kilmessë]]: a name chosen by an Elf for him- or herself as a disguise or to refer to deeds, talents and personal history.

The ''father-name'' and the ''amilessë'' were the Elf's 'true names' and were public names. The ''father-name'' is the name an Elf used in public until an ''epessë'' was chosen.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref> In ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', when an Elf does not yet have an ''epessë'', the Sindarin version of his mother- or father-name is used instead.

===Examples===
* '''[[Maglor]]''': The son of [[Fëanor]] of the [[House of Finwë]], was given the ''essi'' ''Kanafinwë'' ("Strong-voiced [of] Finwë"). His amilessë was ''[[Makalaurë]]'' ("Forging Gold" in a poetic sense).<ref name="Sons">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of the Sons of Fëanor with the legend of the fate of Amrod'', p. 353</ref> The name Maglor is the [[Sindarin]] version of his mother-name.

* '''[[Gil-galad|Ereinion Gil-galad]]''': The son of [[Orodreth]] was given the ''essi'' ''[[Gil-galad|Rodnor]]''.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The parentage of Gil-galad'', p. 350</ref> His ''amilessë'' was ''[[Gil]]-[[galad]]'' ("Star of Radiance"). As [[High King of the Noldor]], his ''epessë'' was ''[[Gil-galad|Ereinion]]'' ("Scion of Kings").<ref name="Descendant">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 347</ref>

* '''[[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]]''': The son of [[Finarfin]] was given the ''essi'' of ''[[Finrod|Findaráto]]'' ("Golden-haired Champion"). His amilessë was ''[[Ingoldo]]'' ("The Noldo", singular for [[Noldor]]).<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> He is usually referred to as ''[[Felagund]]'' ("Hewer of Caves"),<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> originally a derogatory nickname given to him because of his dwelling at [[Nargothrond]]. Finrod adopted the name as his ''epessë'' and made it a title of honour. The name Finrod is the Sindarin version of his father-name.

* '''[[Galadriel]]''': The only daughter of Finarfin was given the ''essi'' of ''[[Artanis]]'' ("Noble Woman") and the ''amilessë'' of ''[[Nerwen]]'' ("Man-maiden") because of her height and strength.<ref name="Descend"/> Her ''epessë'', ''[[Alatáriel]]'' ("Maiden Crowned with Radiant Garland"), was given to her by her husband, [[Celeborn]]. The name Galadriel is the Sindarin version of her ''epessë''.<ref name="Descendant"/>

* '''[[Amras]]''': The last son of the House of Finwë was given the ''essi'' ''[[Telufinwë]]'', ("Last [of] Finwë"). His first ''amilessë'' was ''[[Ambarussa]]'' ("Top-russet" referring to his hair), his twin-brother [[Amrod]] hat the same ''amilessë''. To distinguish the two Amrod was given a second ''amilessë'': ''[[Umbarto]]'' ("The Fated").<ref name="Sons"/> His mother's choice was prophetic, because Amrod was the first of the [[sons of Fëanor]] to die, accidentally killed in the swan ships of the Teleri when his father ordered them to be burnt at [[Losgar]]. The name Amras is the Sindarin version of ''Ambarussa''.

==Tengwa==
[[Image:Essë.gif|left]]''Essë'' is also the name in later Quenya of the thirty-first letter of the [[Tengwar]] alphabet, representing '''SS'''. The original name of this letter was ''Áze'', but over time the phonemes for "z" and "r" merged and the letter was renamed ''Áre''. Since ''[[Óre]]'' (letter 21) represents untrilled "r" and ''[[Rómen]]'' (letter 25) represents trilled "r", ''Áre'' became superfluous. This letter was then renamed ''Essë'' and represents "ss", but only in written Quenya.<ref name="Names"/>


==See also==
* [http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/qlist.htm Quenya Corpus Wordlist] edited by [[Helge Fauskanger]]

{{references}}
{{title|lowercase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esse}}
[[Category:Essi| ]]
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[Category:Tengwar letters]]
[[de:Namensgebung]]
[[fr:langues/textes/noms-elfes]]
[[fi:Eldarin nimenantotavat]]

Father-name

2015-07-26T17:24:06Z

Viresse:

The '''father-name''' was the name given to an [[Elves|Elf]] at or near birth by his or her father, and was considered one of his or her 'true names'. It is one of the '''[[essë#anessi|anessi]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[amilessë]]''' ("mother-name") and '''[[epessë]]''' ("after-name" or honorific). The father-name was a public name, announced in a ceremony called ''Essecarmë''. It was often the the primary name of an Elf until he or she chose to adopt an epessë given to them.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

An example is [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]], whose father-name was Findaráto ("[Golden-]Haired Champion")<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> and epessë was Felagund ("Hewer of Caves").<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> The name Finrod is the [[Sindarin]] version of his father-name.
{{references}}
[[Category:Essi]]
[[de:Namensgebung#Namensgebung]]
[[fi:Isännimi]]

Amilessë

2015-07-26T17:21:07Z

Viresse:

'''Amilessë''', [[Quenya]] for "'''mother-name'''", was the name given to an elf at, or some years after, birth by his or her mother, and it was one of the Elf's true names.<ref name="names">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref> It is one of the ''[[essë#anessi|anessi]]'', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the ''[[father-name]]''<ref>There is no attested Quenya term for this name, but we can conjecture it is ''ataressë''</ref> and ''[[epessë]]'' ("after-name" or honorific).

The mother-name is a public name to an Elf and is quite significant because Elven mothers had insight into the characters and abilities of their children, and many also had the gift of prophetic [[foresight]].<ref name="names"/>

The most common type of mother-name is the ''amilessë tercenyë'' ("mother-name of insight"), given to the child as his or her personality began to develop, some years after birth. The ''amilessë apacenyë'' ("mother-name of foresight") was a more rare occurrence, given to the child from a vision of his or her special fate that the mother received in the hour of birth.<ref>{{MR|P3II3a}}, p. 216</ref>

For example ''Fëanáro'' ("Spirit of Fire") was the amilessë of [[Fëanor]].<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The case of the Quenya change of þ to s'', p. 333</ref> Other names were [[Aracáno]] ("high chieftain"), [[Curufin|Atarince]] ("little father"), [[Tyelcormo]] ("hasty-riser").<ref name="names"/>

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amilesse}}
[[Category:Elven names]]

Kilmessi

2015-07-26T14:45:38Z

Viresse:

{{delete}}

'''Kilmessi''', [[Quenya]] for "'''self-name'''", was a name that some of the exiled [[Elves]] gave to themselves as a disguise, or to refer to deeds or to their personal history.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>
{{references}}
[[Category:Elven names]]

Father-name

2015-07-26T14:39:46Z

Viresse:

The '''Father-name''' was the name given to an [[Elves|Elf]] at or near birth by his or her father, and was considered one of his or her 'true names'. It is one of the '''[[essë#anessi|anessi]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[amilessë]]''' ("mother-name") and '''[[epessë]]''' ("after-name" or honorific). The father-name was a public name, announced in a ceremony called ''Essecarmë''. It was often the the primary name of an Elf until he or she chose an epessë.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

An example is [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]], whose father-name was Findaráto ("[Golden-]Haired Champion")<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> and epessë was Felagund ("Hewer of Caves").<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> The name Finrod is the [[Sindarin]] version of his father-name.
{{references}}
[[Category:Essi]]
[[de:Namensgebung#Namensgebung]]
[[fi:Isännimi]]

Amilessë

2015-07-26T14:38:41Z

Viresse:

'''Amilessë''', [[Quenya]] for "'''mother-name'''", was the name given to an elf at or some years after birth by his or her mother, and it was one of the Elf's true names.<ref name="names">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref> It is one of the '''[[essë#anessi|anessi]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[father-name]]''' <ref>There is no attested Quenya term for this name, but we can conjecture it is ''ataressë''</ref> and '''[[epessë]]''' ("after-name" or honorific).

The mother-name is a public name to an Elf and is quite significant because Elven mothers had insight into the characters and abilities of their children, and many also had the gift of prophetic [[foresight]].<ref name="names"/>

The most common type of mother-name is the '''''amilessë tercenyë''''' ("mother-name of insight"), given to the child as his or her personality began to develop, some years after birth.

The '''''amilessë apacenyë''''' ("mother-name of foresight") was a more rare occurrence, given to the child from a vision of his or her special fate that the mother received in the hour of birth.<ref>{{MR|P3II3a}}, p. 216</ref>

For example ''Fëanáro'' ("Spirit of Fire") was the amilessë of [[Fëanor]].<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The case of the Quenya change of þ to s'', p. 333</ref> Other names were [[Aracáno]] "high chieftain", [[Atarince]] "Little father", [[Tyelcormo]] "hasty-riser".<ref name="names"/>

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amilesse}}
[[Category:Elven names]]

Father-name

2015-07-26T14:37:54Z

Viresse:

The '''Father-name''' was the name given to an [[Elves|Elf]] at or near birth by his or her father. It is one of the '''[[essë#anessi|anessi]]''', or given names, of [[High Elves]], along with the '''[[amilessë]]''' ("mother-name") and '''[[epessë]]''' ("after-name" or honorific). The father-name was a public name, announced in a ceremony called ''Essecarmë''. It was often the the primary name of an Elf until he or she chose an epessë.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

An example is [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]], whose father-name was Findaráto ("[Golden-]Haired Champion")<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> and epessë was Felagund ("Hewer of Caves").<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> The name Finrod is the [[Sindarin]] version of his father-name.
{{references}}
[[Category:Essi]]
[[de:Namensgebung#Namensgebung]]
[[fi:Isännimi]]

Kilmessë

2015-07-26T14:30:03Z

Viresse: Created page with "'''Kilmessë''', Quenya for "'''self-name'''", or '''chosen name''', was a name that some of the exiled Elves gave to themselves as a disguise, or to refer to deeds or to..."

'''Kilmessë''', [[Quenya]] for "'''self-name'''", or '''chosen name''', was a name that some of the exiled [[Elves]] gave to themselves as a disguise, or to refer to deeds or to their personal history.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref>

===Other versions of the legendarium===
In an account in ''Laws and Customs Among the Eldar'' in '''[[Morgoth's Ring]]''', the kilmessë is a name chosen by an Elf-child once she or he is capable of ''lámatyáve'', that is once they gain fluency in their mother-tongue and find pleasure in the sounds and forms of words. It is a private name, used only by family members and close friends, and reflects the child's personality or talents. It is announced in a ceremony called ''Essecilmë''.<ref>{{MR|P3II3a}}, p. 216</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Elven names]]

Essë

2015-07-26T14:04:24Z

Viresse:

__NOTOC__
'''''essë''''' is a noun meaning "name" in [[Quenya]].<ref name="Names">{{App|Letters}}, Note, ''The names of the letters''</ref> Compare with ''[[eneth]]'' in [[Sindarin]].

==Elvish Naming==
According to the naming traditions of [[High Elves]], an Elf can have four types of names, acquired at various times of the lives. They are the '''''anessi''''' ("given-names"): the ''[[father-name]]''<ref>There is no attested Quenya term for this name, but we can conjecture it is ''ataressë''</ref>, the ''[[amilessë]]'' ("mother-name"), the ''[[epessë]]'' ("after-name" or honorary title); and the '''''[[kilmessë]]''''': the ''chosen-name'' ("self-name").

====Anessi====
* [[Father-name]]: chosen by the father and often based on the father's own name or derived from old legends. Given at or near birth.
* [[Amilessë]]: chosen by the mother and often prophetic in nature. Given sometimes at or near birth but often bestowed years later.
* [[Epessë]]: often acquired by an Elf as an honorific later in life.

====Kilmessë====
* [[Kilmessë]]: a name chosen by an Elf for him- or herself as a disguise or to refer to deeds, talents and personal history.

The ''father-name'' and the ''amilessë'' were the Elf's 'true names' and were public names. The ''father-name'' is the name an Elf used in public until an ''epessë'' was chosen.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''Note on Mother-names'', p. 339</ref> In ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', when an Elf does not yet have an ''epessë'', the Sindarin version of his mother- or father-name is used instead.

===Examples===
* '''[[Maglor]]''': The son of [[Fëanor]] of the [[House of Finwë]], was given the ''essi'' ''Kanafinwë'' ("Strong-voiced [of] Finwë"). His amilessë was ''[[Makalaurë]]'' ("Forging Gold" in a poetic sense).<ref name="Sons">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of the Sons of Fëanor with the legend of the fate of Amrod'', p. 353</ref> The name Maglor is the [[Sindarin]] version of his mother-name.

* '''[[Gil-galad|Ereinion Gil-galad]]''': The son of [[Orodreth]] was given the ''essi'' ''[[Gil-galad|Rodnor]]''.<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The parentage of Gil-galad'', p. 350</ref> His ''amilessë'' was ''[[Gil]]-[[galad]]'' ("Star of Radiance"). As [[High King of the Noldor]], his ''epessë'' was ''[[Gil-galad|Ereinion]]'' ("Scion of Kings").<ref name="Descendant">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 347</ref>

* '''[[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]]''': The son of [[Finarfin]] was given the ''essi'' of ''[[Finrod|Findaráto]]'' ("Golden-haired Champion"). His amilessë was ''[[Ingoldo]]'' ("The Noldo", singular for [[Noldor]]).<ref name="Descend">{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The names of Finwë's descendants'', p. 346</ref> He is usually referred to as ''[[Felagund]]'' ("Hewer of Caves"),<ref>{{PM|Shibboleth}}, ''The Dwarvish origin of the name Felagund'', p. 351</ref> originally a derogatory nickname given to him because of his dwelling at [[Nargothrond]]. Finrod adopted the name as his ''epessë'' and made it a title of honour. The name Finrod is the Sindarin version of his father-name.

* '''[[Galadriel]]''': The only daughter of Finarfin was given the ''essi'' of ''[[Artanis]]'' ("Noble Woman") and the ''amilessë'' of ''[[Nerwen]]'' ("Man-maiden") because of her height and strength.<ref name="Descend"/> Her ''epessë'', ''[[Alatáriel]]'' ("Maiden Crowned with Radiant Garland"), was given to her by her husband, [[Celeborn]]. The name Galadriel is the Sindarin version of her ''epessë''.<ref name="Descendant"/>

* '''[[Amras]]''': The last son of the House of Finwë was given the ''essi'' ''[[Telufinwë]]'', ("Last [of] Finwë"). His first ''amilessë'' was ''[[Ambarussa]]'' ("Top-russet" referring to his hair), his twin-brother [[Amrod]] hat the same ''amilessë''. To distinguish the two Amrod was given a second ''amilessë'': ''[[Umbarto]]'' ("The Fated").<ref name="Sons"/> His mother's choice was prophetic, because Amrod was the first of the [[sons of Fëanor]] to die, accidentally killed in the swan ships of the Teleri when his father ordered them to be burnt at [[Losgar]]. The name Amras is the Sindarin version of ''Ambarussa''.

==Tengwa==
[[Image:Essë.gif|left]]''Essë'' is also the name in later Quenya of the thirty-first letter of the [[Tengwar]] alphabet, representing '''SS'''. The original name of this letter was ''Áze'', but over time the phonemes for "z" and "r" merged and the letter was renamed ''Áre''. Since ''[[Óre]]'' (letter 21) represents untrilled "r" and ''[[Rómen]]'' (letter 25) represents trilled "r", ''Áre'' became superfluous. This letter was then renamed ''Essë'' and represents "ss", but only in written Quenya.<ref name="Names"/>


==See also==
* [http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/qlist.htm Quenya Corpus Wordlist] edited by [[Helge Fauskanger]]

{{references}}
{{title|lowercase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esse}}
[[Category:Essi| ]]
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[Category:Tengwar letters]]
[[de:Namensgebung]]
[[fr:langues/textes/noms-elfes]]
[[fi:Eldarin nimenantotavat]]

Hallows

2015-05-14T18:08:32Z

Viresse:

The '''Hallows''' or '''the Tombs''' were a place in [[Minas Tirith]] where [[Kings of Gondor]], [[Stewards of Gondor|Stewards]] and other important men of the realm were buried. It was built on the shoulder of the hill, belonged to the fourth level of the city and accessed through the sixth, by passing the [[Fen Hollen]] to [[Rath Dínen]]. The Hallows contained the [[House of the Kings]] and the [[House of the Stewards]].<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref>

On [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}}<ref>{{App|TA}}</ref> the Steward [[Denethor|Denethor II]] brought his son [[Faramir]] to the Hallows where he intended to burn both of them alive. The guard [[Beregond (soldier of Gondor)|Beregond]] tried to save Faramir but was held up by Denethor's servants. Beregond had killed two of the servants in the Hallows before [[Gandalf]], alerted by [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], came and rescued Faramir. Denethor though succeeded in taking his own life.<ref>{{RK|V7}}</ref>

After [[Aragorn]] had become King he passed judgement upon Beregond for the spilled blood in the Hallows. Aragorn banished Beregond from Minas Tirith but mercifully let him live and honored him by appointing him to the [[White Company]], the Guard of Faramir, newly become the [[Prince of Ithilien]].<ref>{{RK|VI5}}</ref>

[[Borondir]], a soldier of Gondor whose deeds in the [[Battle of the Field of Celebrant]] earned him great renown, was laid in tomb in the Hallows after his death in that battle.<ref name="Cirion">{{UT|Cirion}}</ref>

King [[Théoden]] was temporarily placed in the Hallows after his death until his body was brought back to [[Rohan]].<ref>{{RK|VI6}}</ref>

The [[Hobbits]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and Peregrin Took, of the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company of the Ring]], were also given a place there after their deaths, beside the tomb of King [[Aragorn|Aragorn Elessar]].<ref>{{App|Later}}, S.R. 1484</ref>

==Etymology==
''Hallows'' means "sacred place" and is a translation of an unknown [[Gondor Sindarin]] name.<ref>{{HM|N}}, p. 771</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Minas Tirith]]
[[de:Weihestätten]]

Hallows

2015-05-14T18:08:01Z

Viresse:

The '''Hallows''' or '''the Tombs''' were a place in [[Minas Tirith]] where [[Kings of Gondor]], [[Stewards of Gondor|Stewards]] and other important men of the realm were buried. It was built on the shoulder of the hill, belonged to the fourth level of the city and accessed through the sixth, by passing the [[Fen Hollen]] to [[Rath Dínen]]. The Hallows contained the [[House of the Kings]] and the [[House of the Stewards]].<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref>

On [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}}<ref>{{App|TA}}</ref> the Steward [[Denethor|Denethor II]] brought his son [[Faramir]] to the Hallows where he intended to burn both of them alive. The guard [[Beregond (soldier of Gondor)|Beregond]] tried to save Faramir but was held up by Denethor's servants. Beregond had killed two of the servants in the Hallows before [[Gandalf]], alerted by [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]], came and rescued Faramir. Denethor though succeeded in taking his own life.<ref>{{RK|V7}}</ref>

After [[Aragorn]] had become King he passed judgement upon Beregond for the spilled blood in the Hallows. Aragorn banished Beregond from Minas Tirith but mercifully let him live and honored him by appointing him to the [[White Company]], the Guard of Faramir, newly become the [[Prince of Ithilien]].<ref>{{RK|VI5}}</ref>

[[Borondir]], a soldier of Gondor whose deeds in the [[Battle of the Field of Celebrant]] earned him great renown, was laid in tomb in the Hallows after his death in that battle.<ref name="Cirion">{{UT|Cirion}}</ref>

[[King [[Théoden]] was temporarily placed in the Hallows after his death until his body was brought back to [[Rohan]].<ref>{{RK|VI6}}</ref>

The [[Hobbits]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and Peregrin Took, of the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Company of the Ring]], were also given a place there after their deaths, beside the tomb of King [[Aragorn|Aragorn Elessar]].<ref>{{App|Later}}, S.R. 1484</ref>

==Etymology==
''Hallows'' means "sacred place" and is a translation of an unknown [[Gondor Sindarin]] name.<ref>{{HM|N}}, p. 771</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Minas Tirith]]
[[de:Weihestätten]]

Reunited Kingdom

2015-03-29T00:04:52Z

Viresse:

{{Sources}}
{{kingdom
| image = [[Image:Reunited.png|250px]]
| name = Reunited Kingdom, Two Kingdoms
| meaning =
| type = Monarchy
| hidep=yes
| headofstate = [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]]
| executive = [[High King of the Dúnedain|The High King]] and/or the [[Council of Gondor]]<ref>[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien|The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]], Letter#244</ref>
| legislative =
| judicial =
| capital = [[Annúminas]]/[[Minas Tirith]]
| language = [[Westron]]
| location = Almost all of former lands of both Gondor and Arnor
| populace= Mostly [[Men]]
| currency = [[tharni]], [[castar]]<ref>{{PM|Languages}}</ref>
| religious =
| holiday = Perhaps [[Cormarë]]
| anthem =
| formed = [[Gondor]], the remnants of [[Arnor]] and the released enemy lands of the [[War of the Ring]]
| established = {{TA|3019}}
| reorganized =
| fragmented =
| dissolved =
| restored =
}}
The '''Reunited Kingdom''' (also called the '''Two Kingdoms'''<ref>{{VT|42a}}, p. 6</ref>) was the restored kingdom of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]], the twin kingdoms founded at the end of the [[Second Age]] by [[Elendil]] and his sons [[Isildur]] and [[Anárion]]. In the beginning, Elendil was [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]] of both realms, but the two were divided after the deaths of his sons. Over 3,000 years later [[Aragorn|Aragorn Elessar]] reunited the kingdoms and ruled as [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]] of the [[Reunited Kingdom]].

The fate of the kingdoms, especially that of Gondor, would come to dominate the history of the [[Third Age]].
==Background==
At the end of the [[Second Age]], [[Elendil]] and his sons established two great kingdoms in [[Middle-earth]]: [[Arnor]] in the north and [[Gondor]] in the south. These Kingdoms of the [[Dúnedain]] were united under a single [[High King of the Dúnedain|High King]], Elendil himself, who ruled the [[Arnor|North-kingdom]] while his sons reigned jointly over the South-kingdom of [[Gondor]].

In the first years of the [[Third Age]], this union failed. After the loss of [[Isildur]] at the [[Battle of the Gladden Fields]], his nephew [[Meneldil]] took up the kingship of Gondor, and that country remained independent from the North-kingdom through most of the Third Age.
===Dissolutions===
In the north, the realm of Arnor fell into troubled times. It broke into three separate kingdoms, and in time these too were lost, so that the Dúnedain of the North-kingdom of Elendil were reduced to a wandering people led by a [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain|Chieftain]]. Nonetheless, they were able to maintain Isildur's line in unbroken descent.

However this failed in Gondor, and [[Eärnur]] was lost without heirs. Its rule was taken up by the [[Stewards]].

There were two attempts to reunite the kingdoms. The first of these occurred in III 1944, when [[Arvedui]] of [[Arthedain]] claimed the High Kingship of the Two Kingdoms. His claim was rejected by Steward [[Pelendur]] and the [[Council of Gondor]], who elected to maintain their independence.

==Reunification==
More than a thousand years later, after the [[War of the Ring]], Arvedui's direct descendant [[Aragorn]] came forward to make the same claim. This time, the people of Gondor accepted a High King, and the Two Kingdoms were reunited at last.

Like his ancestor Elendil before him, Aragorn took up his rule from the North-kingdom, but he travelled throughout his wide lands. [[The Shire]] was an exception to this, and though it lay within the [[Reunited Kingdom]], Aragorn made a law that Men should not enter it, a law that he observed himself. Though his seat was in the north, [[Minas Tirith]] and the South-kingdom remained important, to the extent that he travelled there at the end of his life, and his tomb was among the [[houses of the dead]] beneath Mount [[Mindolluin]]. After Aragorn's death, his son [[Eldarion]] took up the High Kingship, and the Reunited Kingdom endured for many years under the new King and his descendants.
{{references}}
[[category:Gondor]]
[[category:Arnor]]
[[Category:Mannish realms]]

[[de:Wiedervereinigtes Königreich]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/royaumes/royaume_reunifie]]
[[fi:Jällen yhdistetty Valtakunta]]

Tengwar

2015-03-14T20:17:51Z

Viresse: /* The Classical Quenya mode */

{{cleanup}}
{{font|[http://at.mansbjorkman.net/parmaite.htm Tengwar Parmaite] by [[Måns Björkman]]}}
{{disambig-more|Fëanorian|[[Fëanorian (disambiguation)]]}}
[[Image:Ryszard Derdzinski - Feanor.jpg|thumb|[[Fëanor]] designs the first Tengwar]]
The '''''Tengwar''''' ([[Quenya]] "letters", pron. {{IPA|[ˈteŋʷɡʷar]}}; [[Sindarin]] '''''Tîw'''''<ref>{{App|E2}}</ref>) had been a writing system invented by [[Fëanor]] (and was therefore also called the '''Fëanorian alphabet'''<ref>{{L|25}}</ref> or '''script'''<ref>{{L|168}}</ref>). It has been used for a variety of languages among the [[Free peoples]] and became perhaps the most prominent writing system of [[Arda]], used by a variety of [[Races]] through the [[Ages]].

==History==
===The Classical Quenya mode===
{{main|Quenya mode}}
[[Fëanor]] invented the tengwar on the [[Valian Year 1250]] strongly influenced by the [[Sarati]] of [[Rúmil (elf of Tirion)|Rúmil the Loremaster]].<ref>{{WJ|P4}}</ref><ref name="ApD">{{VT|39a}}</ref> Fëanor both constructed the Tengwar as a general phonetic alphabet, and devised special arrangements to fit the characteristics of all languages of [[Valinor]].<ref>{{HM|Runes}}</ref>

Unlike Rúmil, Fëanor considered vowels as indepedent sounds and not just “colours” of the consonants, so he devised the “full writing” ([[Quanta Sarmë]]).<ref name="ApD"/>

However Fëanor also used a more 'conservative' system which seem to have been proved far more popular; he held Rúmil's idea of syllabic analysis of the words by the Sarati, and made also use of [[tehtar]] (instead of the full letters).<ref name="ApD"/>.

The classical Quenya mode of the Tengwar may have originated from Fëanor's own arrangement. There is no direct evidence for this hypothesis, but the use of the Quenya names for the individual letters hints to a primate of the Quenya mode. Another hint to a very old age of the classical Quenya mode is that it uses the [[Calmatéma]] as a k-series, like the mode of Beleriand which we can assume to have originated in the First Age.

===The Mode of Beleriand===
{{main|Mode of Beleriand}}
[[Image:J.R.R. Tolkien - Doors of Durin.jpg|thumb|The [[Doors of Durin]] created during the [[Second Age]]]]
When the [[Noldor]] rebelled and came to [[Middle-earth]], they adapted their writing for the new languages they learned. Quanta Sarmë was used for languages where the tehtar were not useful<ref name="ApD" /> which could have been the origin for the Mode of Beleriand.

In Beleriand, it is also possible that the Tengwar influenced the evolution of the [[Cirth]] of [[Daeron]], mainly in their shape and arrangement.

We know from the inscription on the Western [[Moria Gate]] that in [[Eregion]], a tengwar mode called the [[Mode of Beleriand]] was used. This name allows for the assumption that the same mode was used already in the [[First Age]].

At the end of the [[Third Age]], the Elves of [[Rivendell]] probably still used that mode, since a transcription of the Rivendell [[aerlinn]] ''[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]'' features it.<ref>{{RGEO|7}}</ref> Frodo, however, even though literate in Sindarin, was appearently unable to read this mode.

===The General Use===
By the end of the Third Age, there was a ''general use'' that could be used for a variety of languages including Quenya, Sindarin and the Common Speech.<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], "[[Letter to Anthony D. Howlett]] (letter); see also [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS58 DTS58]</ref> This use could have evolved during the [[Second Age]], in [[Eregion]] or even in [[Númenor]].
[[Image:One ring.png|thumb|left|The [[Ring Verse|inscription]] on [[The One Ring]].]]
The same mode appears on the [[Ring-inscription]]<ref>{{FR|Shadow}}</ref> which the [[Númenorean]] [[Isildur]] observed it to be "fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion".<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

It is not certain whether the whole ''mode'' itself was from Eregion or simply just the ''script'' was of an Elvish fashion. Some [[Adûnaic]] words use this mode.<ref>{{HM|SD}}, Lowdham's Inscription</ref>.

In the Northern part of the [[Westron]]-speaking regions, another mode was used that was based on the "general use" but used full letters for the representation of vowels, perhaps by influence of the Elves of [[Rivendell]]. This might explain why Frodo was unable to read either the Mode of Beleriand or the Ring Inscription.

== Spelling and Pronunciation ==
=== Structure ===
The most notable characteristic of the tengwar script is that the shapes of the letters correspond to the features of the sounds they represent.

The shape of the Tengwar were uniformly consisted of two elements, the ''[[telco]]'' (stem) to which is attached a ''[[lúva]]'' (bow).
It is noticeable that some of the letters of the Sarati resembled the telco/lúva shape seen on the Tengwar, therefore it is possible that those particular letters influenced stylistically the Tengwar.

The telco could be normal, raised, shortened or heightened. The lúva would be single or doubled, and these could be open or closed.

All the above combinations can create 32 to 40 different shapes of letters. These shapes mirrored phonological significances: The basic form of a tengwa was used for the [[patakar]], the voiceless fricatives; telcor determined how the sound was articulated, and the lúvar where in the mouth it was made:
* Doubling the bow turns the voiceless consonant into a voiced one.
* Raising the stem above the line turns it into the corresponding fricative or a corresponding soft version of it.
* Shortening it (so it is only the height of the bow) indicates the corresponding nasal or, mostly, the approximants.

According to their shape, the 32 different glyphs could be arranged and presented consistently on a table. The principal letters are divided into series (''témar'') that correspond to the main places of articulation and into six rows (''tyeller'') that correspond to the main manners of articulation. Both vary among modes.

The table below gives the '''theoretical'''<ref>Observations made by [[Jim Allan]]'s ''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', The Evolution of the Tengwar</ref> values of the Tengwar based consistently on the abovementioned rules. Note that no language possessed all these sounds and the following does not represent an actual table of values of a particular language. In actuality, the languages used modifications or variations of them.

{| border="1"
! |
! colspan="2" | Labial
! colspan="2" | Dental
! colspan="2" | Velar
! colspan="2" | Labiovelar
|-
|Voiceless plosives
| {{tg|q}}
| p
| {{tg|1}}
| t
| {{tg|a}}
| k
| {{tg|z}}
| kw
|-
|Voiced plosives
| {{tg|w}}
| b
| {{tg|2}}
| d
| {{tg|s}}
| g
| {{tg|x}}
| gw
|-
|Aspirated voiceless plosives
| {{tg|Q}}
| ph
| {{tg|!}}
| th
| {{tg|A}}
| kh
| {{tg|Z}}
| khw
|-
|Aspirated voiced plosives
| {{tg|W}}
| bh
| {{tg|@}}
| dh
| {{tg|S}}
| gh
| {{tg|X}}
| ghw
|-
|Voiceless fricatives
| {{tg|e}}
| f
| {{tg|3}}
| th
| {{tg|d}}
| ch
| {{tg|c}}
| chw
|-
|Voiced fricatives
| {{tg|r}}
| v
| {{tg|4}}
| dh
| {{tg|f}}
| gh
| {{tg|v}}
| ghw
|-
|Voiceless nasals
| {{tg|y}}
| hm
| {{tg|6}}
| hn
| {{tg|h}}
| hñ
| {{tg|n}}
| hñw
|-
|Nasals
| {{tg|t}}
| m
| {{tg|5}}
| n
| {{tg|g}}
| ñ
| {{tg|b}}
| ñw
|-
|}

===Arrangement===
By the end of the [[Third Age]], the Tengwar were somehow standardized. Their Quenya names became standard for all modes, and less used ones were not included (although still used), such as those of the extended stems and the [[Tyelpetéma]]. The table displayed 36 letters: the 24 standard Tengwar, plus 12 of the additional Tengwar.

Also, the Tengwar were assigned numeric values

{| border="1"
!
! colspan="2" | Tincotéma
! colspan="2" | Parmatéma
! colspan="2" | Calmatéma
! colspan="2" | Quessetéma
|-
|Grade I
| {{tg|1}}
| [[Tinco]]
| {{tg|q}}
| [[Parma]]
| {{tg|a}}
| [[Calma]]
| {{tg|z}}
| [[Quesse]]
|-
|Grade II
| {{tg|2}}
| [[Ando]]
| {{tg|w}}
| [[Umbar (word)|Umbar]]
| {{tg|s}}
| [[Anga]]
| {{tg|x}}
| [[Ungwe]]
|-
|Grade III
| {{tg|3}}
| [[Súlë]]
| {{tg|e}}
| [[Formen]]
| {{tg|d}}
| [[Aha]]
| {{tg|c}}
| [[Hwesta]]
|-
|Grade IV
| {{tg|4}}
| [[Anto]]
| {{tg|r}}
| [[Ampa]]
| {{tg|f}}
| [[Anca]]
| {{tg|v}}
| [[Unque]]
|-
|Grade V
| {{tg|5}}
| [[Númen]]
| {{tg|t}}
| [[Malta]]
| {{tg|g}}
| [[Noldo]]
| {{tg|b}}
| [[Nwalme]]
|-
|Grade VI
| {{tg|6}}
| [[Óre]]
| {{tg|y}}
| [[Valar|Vala]]
| {{tg|h}}
| [[Anna]]
| {{tg|n}}
| [[Vilya]]
|-
!
! colspan="8" | '''Additional Tengwar:'''
|-
|
| {{tg|7}}
| [[Rómen]]
| {{tg|u}}
| [[Arda]]
| {{tg|j}}
| [[Lambe]]
| {{tg|m}}
| [[Alda]]
|-
|
| {{tg|8}}
| [[Silme]]
| {{tg|i}}
| [[Silme nuquerna]]
| {{tg|k}}
| [[Essë]]
| {{tg|,}}
| [[Esse nuquerna]]
|-
|
| {{tg|9}}
| [[Hyarmen]]
| {{tg|l}}
| [[Yanta]]
| {{tg|o}}
| [[Hwesta Sindarinwa]]
| {{tg|.}}
| [[Úrë]]
|-
|
| {{tg|½}}
| [[Halla]]
| {{tg|`}}
| [[Telco]]
| {{tg|~}}
| [[Ára]]
|-
|}
== Values==
As mentioned, the tengwar had a generic mode that covered a wide range of phonemes. This mode perhaps originated in [[Eregion]] and exemplified in the verse of [[the One Ring]] and other Westron tengwar texts. It could be used for both Quenya and Sindarin.

The following table gives both the formal Quenya and Numenian<ref>[[Jim Allan]]'s ''[[Report from Marquette]]''</ref> names of the tengwar. When two values are given (separated with a '''/''' slash), the first refers to the Elvish variation and the second to the [[Mannish]] or Westron variation.

Note that the dashes indicate when the letter is used initially or finally and/or as a diphthong element.

{| border="1"
! colspan="2" | Tincotéma
! colspan="2" | Parmatéma
! colspan="2" | Calmatéma
! colspan="2" | Quessetéma
|-
| {{tg|1}}
| t Tinco/Tó
| {{tg|q}}
| p Parma/Pí
| {{tg|a}}
| ch (as in '''''ch'''ur'''ch''''') Calma/Ché
| {{tg|z}}
| k Quesse/Ká
|-
| {{tg|2}}
| d Ando/Dó
| {{tg|w}}
| b Umbar/Bí
| {{tg|s}}
|j Anga/Jé
| {{tg|x}}
| g Ungwe/Gá
|-
| {{tg|3}}
| th Súle/Thó
| {{tg|e}}
| f Formen/Fí
| {{tg|d}}
|sh Aha/Shé
| {{tg|c}}
| ch/h (as in ''lo'''ch''''') Hwesta/Aha (or Oha)
|-
| {{tg|4}}
| dh Anto/Adhó
| {{tg|r}}
| v Ampa/Ví
| {{tg|f}}
| zh Anca/Izhe
| {{tg|v}}
|gh Unque/Agha
|-
| {{tg|5}}
| n Númen/Nó
| {{tg|t}}
| m Malta/Mí
| {{tg|g}}
| ny Noldo/Nyé
| {{tg|b}}
| ng Nwalme/Ngá
|-
| {{tg|6}}
| -r/r Óre/Ar
| {{tg|y}}
| w, -u/w Vala/Wí
| {{tg|h}}
| -i/y Anna/Yé
| {{tg|n}}
|’? ’á
|-
! colspan="8" | Additional Tengwar:
|-
| {{tg|7}}
| r Rómen/Aro
| {{tg|u}}
| rh Arda/Rho
| {{tg|j}}
| l Lambe/Alo
| {{tg|m}}
| lh Alda/Lho
|-
| {{tg|8}}
| s Silme/Só
| {{tg|i}}
|s Silme Nuquerna/Ós
| {{tg|k}}
| ss/z Esse/Azo
| {{tg|,}}
| z Oza
|-
| {{tg|9}}
| h Hyarmen/Há
| {{tg|l}}
| i-, -e Yanta/Ai
| {{tg|o}}
| wh Hwesta Sindarinwa/Whí
| {{tg|.}}
| -u? Úre/Au
|}

The following is a full mode variety, related mainly to the north, and uses tengwar (and carriers) as vowels. It was probably created in [[Arnor]], influenced from the Mode of Beleriand used in [[Rivendell]]. Even the [[Dwarves|dwarf]] [[Ori]] wrote in this hand in the [[Book of Mazarbul]]<ref>The second page of the Book of Mazarbul ([http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS13 DTS13]) said to be written by Ori, is categorized to belong to the Northern Variety [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/teng_modes.htm here]</ref>

{| border="1"
! colspan="2" | Tincotéma
! colspan="2" | Parmatéma
! colspan="2" | Calmatéma
! colspan="2" | Quessetéma
|-
| {{tg|1}}
| t Tinco/Tó
| {{tg|q}}
| p Parma/Pí
| {{tg|a}}
|ch (as in '''''ch'''ur'''ch''''') Calma/Ché
| {{tg|z}}
| k Quesse/Ká
|-
| {{tg|2}}
| d Ando/Dó
| {{tg|w}}
| b Umbar/Bí
| {{tg|s}}
|j AngaJé
| {{tg|x}}
| g Ungwe/Gá
|-
| {{tg|3}}
| th Súle/Thó
| {{tg|e}}
| f Formen/Fí
| {{tg|d}}
|sh Aha/Shé
| {{tg|c}}
| ch/h (as in ''lo'''ch''''' Hwesta/Aha
|-
| {{tg|4}}
| dh Anto/Adhó
| {{tg|r}}
| v Ampa/Ví
| {{tg|f}}
|zh Anca/Izhe
| {{tg|v}}
|gh Unque/Agha
|-
| {{tg|5}}
| n Númen/Nó
| {{tg|t}}
| m Malta/Mí
| {{tg|g}}
|ny Noldo/Nyé
| {{tg|b}}
| ng Nwalme/Ngá
|-
| {{tg|6}}
| -r/r Óre/Ar
| {{tg|y}}
| w, -u/u Vala/Wí
| {{tg|h}}
| o Anna/Yé
| {{tg|n}}
|a 'a
|-
! colspan="8" | Additional Tengwar:
|-
| {{tg|7}}
| r Rómen/Aro
| {{tg|u}}
| rh Arda/Rho
| {{tg|j}}
| l Lambe/Alo
| {{tg|m}}
| lh Alda/Lho
|-
| {{tg|8}}
| s Silme/Só
| {{tg|i}}
|s Silme Nuquerna/Ós
| {{tg|k}}
| ss/z Esse/Azo
| {{tg|,}}
| z Esse Nuquerna/Oza
|-
| {{tg|9}}
| h Hyarmen/Há
| {{tg|l}}
| i-, -e/e Yanta/Ai
| {{tg|o}}
| wh Hwesta Sindarinwa/Whí
| {{tg|.}}
| w Úre/Au
|-
|{{tg|`B}}
|i
|{{tg|~B}}
|i-/y-
|{{tg|]}}
|a
| {{tg|š}}
| mh
|}

==Other modes==
Just as with any alphabetic writing system, every specific language written in tengwar requires a specific orthography, depending on the phonology of that language. These tengwar orthographies are usually called ''modes''. All of them, use as a basis the "[[Tengwar#Structure|theoretical values]]" table above, corresponding the letters to the phonemes of each language's phonology, and even drop out the characters that would be useless

All the modes can be divided into two large categories:
*Some represent vowels with diacritics called '''[[tehtar]]''' or ''[[ómatehtar]]'' ("vowel tehtar"), like the [[Quenya mode]]
*The "full writing" modes, represent vowels by normal letters, such as the [[Quanta Sarmë]] or the [[Mode of Beleriand]].

Furthermore, some modes map the basic consonants to {{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/k/}}, and {{IPA|/kʷ/}}, while others (generally [[Mannish]]) use them to represent {{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/tʃ/}}, and {{IPA|/k/}}.

== External History ==
The [[sarati]], described in ''[[Parma Eldalamberon]] 13'', a script developed by Tolkien in the late 1910s, anticipates many features of the tengwar, especially the vowel representation by diacritics (which is found in many tengwar varieties), different tengwar shapes and a few correspondances between sound features and letter shape features (though inconsistent).

Even closer to the tengwar is the [[Valmaric script]], described in ''Parma Eldalamberon 14'', which Tolkien used from about 1922 to 1925. It features many tengwar shapes, the inherent vowel {{IPA|[a]}}found in some tengwar varieties, and the tables in the samples V12 and V13 show an arrangement that is very similar to the one of the primary tengwar in the classical Quenya "mode".

The tengwar were probably developed in the late 1920s or in the early 1930s. ''The Lonely Mountain Jar Inscription'', the first published tengwar sample, dates to 1937 (''[[The Hobbit]]'', most editions). The full explanation of the tengwar was published in Appendix E of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' in 1955.
==Inspiration==
[[Jim Allan]] (''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', ISBN 0-905220-10-2) compared the tengwar with the ''Universal Alphabet'' of Francis Lodwick of 1686, both on grounds of the correspondence between shape features and sound features, and of the actual letter shapes. A correspondence between shape features and sound features is also found in the Korean Hangul alphabet.

It is not known whether Tolkien was aware of these previous scripts. However, considering the sarati and the valmaric script which he already invented in his youth, it is conceivable that Tolkien developed the idea of a general correspondence between shape features and sound features by himself.

It is likewise not known whether, but conceivable that the shapes of several tengwar were inspired by the insular minuscule script, used to write Anglo-saxon, and the gothic textura and cursive scripts, used to write Middle English, with which Tolkien was familiar through reading medieval manuscripts in these languages in his professional capacity as a linguist.
==Tengwar study==
===Indexing===
[[Mellonath Daeron]], the linguistic guild of the [[Forodrim]], devised a system to keep track of all the known genuine samples of the Tengwar made by Tolkien and create a reference list.

As of [[2010]] the ''[http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html Mellonath Daeron Index of Tengwar Specimina]'' (DTS) lists 80 known sources of tengwar samples and is updated whenever a new sample is published, revealed or discovered.

The DTS is used as a widely accepted standard in Tolkien studies, whenever an essay or article needs to refer to an example or an attested source.

This is a list of few known samples predating publication of ''The Lord of the Rings'' (many of them published posthumously):
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS1 DTS1] ''The Lonely Mountain Jar Inscription'', published 1937
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS22 DTS 22] - ''Ilbereth's Greeting'' from [[The Father Christmas Letters]], dating to 1937
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS50 DTS 50]/[http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS51 51] - ''Edwin Lowdham's Manuscript'' from [[The Notion Club Papers]] has [[Old English]] language text written in tengwar (with a few [[Adûnaic]] and Quenya words), dating to 1945/6.
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS10 DTS 10] - The Brogan Tengwa-greetings, appearing in ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', No. 118, tentatively dated to 1948.
* The following samples presumably predate the Lord of the Rings, but they were not explicitly dated: [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS16 DTS 16], [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS17 DTS 17], [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS18 DTS 18] - ''Elvish Script Sample I, II, III'', with parts of the English poems ''[[Errantry]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (poem)|Bombadil]]'', first published in the ''Silmarillion Calendar 1978'', later in ''[[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', as well as [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS23 DTS 23] - ''So Lúthien'', a page of the English ''Lay of Leithan'' text facsimiled in [[The History of Middle-earth#Volume 3|HoME 3]]:299.

A few other samples, e.g. a tengwar mode for [[Gothic]] are known to exist, but remain unpublished to date<ref>http://www.reocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9902/unpub.html</ref>.
===Modes===
As the peoples of Middle-earth used various modes of Tengwar, and as Tolkien wrote English, [[Old English]] and [[Norse]] in Tengwar, [[fandom|fans]] have created Tengwar modes for real languages. There are modes to write French, Swedish, Latin or Spanish.
=== Encoding Schemes ===
==== Non-Unicode ====
The contemporary de facto standard in the tengwar user community maps the tengwar characters onto the regular English character encoding following the example of the [http://www.gis.net/~dansmith/fonts/font_tengwar/ tengwar typefaces] by [[Dan Smith]]. A drawback of the font solution is that if no corresponding tengwar font is installed, an awful string of [[wikipedia:Mojibake|nonsense characters]] appears.

Since there is not enough place for all the signs, certain signs are included in a "tengwar A" font which also maps its characters on ISO 8859-1, overlapping with the first font.

For each tengwar diacritic, there are four different codepoints that are used depending on the width of the character which bears it.

Other tengwar typefaces with Dan Smith's encoding include [http://home.student.uu.se/j/jowi4905/fonts/annatar.html Johan Winge's Tengwar Annatar], [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/parmaite.htm Måns Björkman's Tengwar Parmaite], [http://www.geocities.com/enrombell/Archivos.htm Enrique Mombello's Tengwar Élfica] or [http://www.limes.com.pl/~miszka/ Michal Nowakowski's Tengwar Formal] (note that most of these differ in details).

The following sample shows the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights written in English, according to the traditional English orthography. If no tengwar font is installed, it will look nonsense since the corresponding ISO 8859-1 characters (Roman letters, numbers and signs) will appear instead.

{{tg|j#¸ 9t&5# w`Vb%_ 6EO w6Y5 e7~V 2{( zèVj# 5% 2x%51T`Û 2{( 7v%1+º 4hR 7EO 2{$yYO2 y4% 7]F85^ 2{( z5^8i`B5$i( 2{( dyYj2 zE1 1`N ]Fa 4^(6 5% `C 8q7T1T W w74^(69~N2º}}

===Uses outside the legendarium===
Random (meaningless) Tengwar appear stylistically in a prop of an ancient tome in the [[Wikipedia:Within Temptation|Within Temptation]] music video for "Stand My Ground". Tengwar also appear in the computer game ''[[Wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Tales|Atlantis: The Lost Tales]]'' and the ''[[Wikipedia:Alone in the Dar|Alone in the Dark]]'' comic book.

Several linguists such as [[Wikipedia:Eric S. Raymond|Eric S. Raymond]], promote the usage of Tengwar for the constructed language [[Wikipedia:Lojban|Lojban]] as they are culturally neutral and contains some main Lojban morphology rules, making Lojban easier to learn when it is written with Tengwar.<ref>Kena. [http://vodka-pomme.net/projects/tengwar-for-lojban/lojteng#learn ''Lojban using tengwar - why?''] (accessed August 2007)</ref> (another suggested mode can be seen [http://www.catb.org/~esr/tengwar/lojban-tengwar.html there]).

== See also ==
* [[Sarati]]
* [[Cirth]]

== External Links ==
*[http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/md_teng_primers.html Tengwar tutorials]
* [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/History_of_Elven_writing_systems History of Elven writing systems] Wikibook on the secondary-world history of the Elven writing systems
* [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/tengwar.htm Amanye Tenceli - The Tengwar] A comprehensive study of the tengwar script
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html The Mellonath Daeron Index of Tengwar Specimina] — a continuously expanding list of all published tengwar samples
* [http://www.tengwar.art.pl/tengwar/fonty.php A comprehensive list of tengwar fonts] (in Polish, but still useful even if you can't read the language)
* [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tengwar.htm Omniglot reference]
* [http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4948/tengwar Tengwar] by Dan Smith
* [http://www.geocities.com/tengwar2001/ Tolkien Script Publishing]
* [http://tengwar.art.pl/tengwar/ott/start.php?l=en Online Tengwar transcriber]

=== Modes ===
* [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/teng_general_english.htm Tengwar Mode for English (general use)]
* [http://www.duvendor.com.br/amanye/Downloads/FTMME_Text.pdf Full Tengwar Modes for Modern English]
* [http://catb.org/~esr/tengwar/ ESR's Tengwar modes for Esperanto and Lojban languages]
* [http://lambenor.free.fr/tengwar/espanol.html Tengwar mode for Spanish]
* [http://my.opera.com/tengwarblog/blog/deutscher-tengwar-modus Tengwar mode for German (full writing)]

=== Software ===
* [http://tengwar.art.pl/tengwar/ott/start.php?l=en Online Tengwar transcriber]
* [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/tengscribe.htm Tengwar Scribe] (Win32)
* [http://jadro.ludviku.cz/yatt/ YATT (Win32) and YATT lite (Linux, Mac)]
* [http://tengwar.art.pl/ktt/ KTT] (Linux+KDE)
* [http://www.acondia.com/font_tengwar/TengwarMacros_v19F.zip Tengwar Macros for Microsoft Word/97 and Word/2000]

More of Tengwar software on [http://tengwar.art.pl/tengwar/programy.php Tengwar Feanora] web-site (in Polish).

=== Technical ===
* [http://wikisophia.org/wiki/Wikitex#Teng WikiTeX] supports editing Tengwar directly in Wiki articles.
* [http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n1641/n1641.htm Official proposal to encode Tengwar in Unicode]
* [http://www.evertype.com/standards/csur/tengwar.html Tengwar proposal for ConScript Unicode Registry]
* [http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/elfscript/message/30 Critique on the official proposal to encode Tengwar in Unicode]

{{references}}

* Christopher Tolkien, ''The Tengwar Numerals'', in ''[[Quettar]]'' 13, Feb. 1982, pp. 8-9; a further, untitled, explanation of the Tengwar numerals by Christopher Tolkien appeared in ''Quettar'' 14, May 1982, pp. 6-7.

[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[Category:Tengwar]]
[[Category:Writing systems]]
[[de:Tengwar]]
[[fr:encyclo/langues/tengwar]]
[[fi:Tengwar]]

Aldburg

2015-03-14T20:11:08Z

Viresse:

'''Aldburg''' was one of the oldest towns in [[Rohan]] and the first capital of the realm.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

==History==
Aldburg was built by [[Eorl]] in the region known as the [[Folde]], east of [[Edoras]]. After [[Brego]], son of [[Eorl]], completed the [[Meduseld|Golden Hall]] and the Kings removed to Edoras, the lordship of Aldburg passed to his third son, [[Eofor]], from whom [[Éomund]], father of [[Éomer]], claimed descent.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

Even though Aldburg was in the King's Lands as part of the [[Folde]], it was the location of the muster of the [[East-mark]] as it was the most convenient location. At the time of the [[War of the Ring]], it was the home of King [[Théoden]]'s nephew [[Éomer]], who was [[Third Marshal of the Riddermark]].<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

==Etymology==
''Aldburg'' is an [[Old English]] name meaning "Old Fortress".{{fact}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages]]
[[Category:Old English names]]
[[Category:Rohan]]
[[de:Aldburg]]
[[fi:Vanhalinna]]

Aldburg

2015-03-14T20:02:53Z

Viresse:

'''Aldburg''' was one of the oldest towns in [[Rohan]] and the first capital of the realm.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

==History==
Aldburg was built by [[Eorl]] in the region known as the [[Folde]], east of [[Edoras]]. After [[Brego]], son of [[Eorl]], completed the [[Meduseld|Golden Hall]] and the Kings removed to Edoras, the lordship of Aldburg passed to his third son, [[Eofor]], from whom [[Éomund]] claimed descent.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

Even though Aldburg was in the King's Lands as part of the [[Folde]], it was the location of the muster of the [[East-mark]] as it was the most convenient location. At the time of the [[War of the Ring]], it was the home of King [[Théoden]]'s nephew [[Éomer]], who was [[Third Marshal of the Riddermark]].<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

==Etymology==
''Aldburg'' is an [[Old English]] name meaning "Old Fortress".{{fact}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages]]
[[Category:Old English names]]
[[Category:Rohan]]
[[de:Aldburg]]
[[fi:Vanhalinna]]

Aldburg

2015-03-14T20:01:31Z

Viresse:

'''Aldburg''' was one of the oldest towns in [[Rohan]] and the first capital of the realm.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2}}</ref>

==History==
Aldburg was built by [[Eorl]] in the region known as the [[Folde]], east of [[Edoras]]. After [[Brego]], son of [[Eorl]], completed the [[Meduseld|Golden Hall]] and the Kings removed to Edoras, the lordship of Aldburg passed to his third son, [[Eofor]], from whom [[Éomund]] claimed descent.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2}}</ref>

Even though Aldburg was in the King's Lands as part of the [[Folde]], it was the location of the muster of the [[East-mark]] as it was the most convenient location. At the time of the [[War of the Ring]], it was the home of King [[Théoden]]'s nephew [[Éomer]], who was [[Third Marshal of the Riddermark]].<ref>{{UT|Isen}}, "Appendix", footnote 2</ref>

==Etymology==
''Aldburg'' is an [[Old English]] name meaning "Old Fortress".{{fact}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Cities, towns and villages]]
[[Category:Old English names]]
[[Category:Rohan]]
[[de:Aldburg]]
[[fi:Vanhalinna]]

Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2015-03-14T19:48:39Z

Viresse: /* Battle */

{{disambig-more|Battle of the Pelennor Fields|[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields (disambiguation)]]}}
{{cleanup}}{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[File:Per Sjögren - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of the Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[War of the Ring]]|
date=15 March {{TA|3019}}|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and fields of [[Pelennor]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]]|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]]|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]] †
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Forlong]] †
*[[Imrahil]]
*[[Hirluin]] †
*[[Théoden]] †
*[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Éomer]]
| commanders2=*The [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]] †
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]]
| forces1=Unknown total strength, approx. 17-18,000+ total from Gondor, its fiefs, and Rohan.
| forces2=Unknown total strength, but vast numerical superiority to Gondor's forces in Minas Tirith, possibly over 75,000.
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Near-total
}}{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==History==
===Prelude===
{{seealso|Siege of Gondor}}
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} as the [[The Darkness|Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun. Almost all of Minas Tirith's civilian population was evacuated prior to the siege, sent southward to Gondor's southern fiefdoms.<ref>{{RK|V1}}</ref>

===Opposing Forces===
Mordor's troops consisted of some 18,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]],<ref name="Rohirrim"/> several Haradrim war [[oliphaunt|oliphaunts]], and tens of thousands of [[Orcs]]; the defenders' numbers were considerably less. the city's garrison likely was no more than 4,000, the survivors from Osgiliath probably numbered around 1,000 (One third of that garrison were killed), there were about 2,800 men from southern [[Gondor]] who arrived just before the siege commenced.

===Battle===
The attackers used catapults not only to attack the city, through bombardment and flames, but also to fire the heads of slain men from Osgiliath and other places Mordor's armies had passed through into it.<ref>{{RK|V4}}</ref> Later on, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

Before dawn Grond was used to break the city's main gate, and the [[Witch-king]] rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anorien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer.
[[File:Laurent Alquier - Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields.jpg|thumb|left|[[Laurent Alquier]] - ''Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields'']]
When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by a black dart. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, which proved fatal. All about the King were his slain knights, and any survivors fled from the Witch-king's terrifying visage. The fell beast raked its claws upon Snowmane's neck and readied to devour Théoden, but the warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, stood tearful yet defiant, forbidding the Witch-king to defile the king's corpse. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might hinder him. Éowyn threw off her disguise as Dernhelm and revealed herself as "no man at all". The Black Captain remained silent, as if he hesitated slightly due to [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy, but heeded it no longer, ignoring the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] nearby and attacking Éowyn with great malice. She slew his fell beast, but the Witch-king rose from it, towering over her. With a violent cry that stung her ears like venom he threw his black mace upon her shield, destroying her shield and shattering her arm. She fell to her knees in bitter pain and he loomed over her, raising his mace to kill her, though the Witch-king too fell; Merry had wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. Éowyn, with her last strength, drove her sword into the Witch-king's crown, her sword shattering and the Black Captain of Mordor slain, his spirit fading into a shrill voice on the wind. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and Éowyn's ruined arm kept her from fighting any further that day. They were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city, and command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer.

At the same time, [[Faramir]], son of [[Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defense that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. His fury betrayed him, however; the horses panicked at the sight of the towering Mûmakil, and the Haradrim retreated amongst them. Gothmog retaliated against Éomer's advance, sending fierce Variags, elite Haradrim warriors, and monstrous Troll-men against the Rohirrim, and they were set into despair. The cavalry of Rohan were cut off from the rest of their allies. Éomer and his forces retreated to the docks near the Harlond south of the city and they desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death, when he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]]. He song a solemn and sorrowful dirge, though laughed as he did, preparing to die defiantly as Rohan's final leader.
[[File:Anke Eißmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Anke Eißmann]] - ''The Black Serpent founders'']]
One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Without the Wtich-king's leadership, and with vast numbers encroaching them on all sides, many of Mordor's troops panicked and began to flee. Aragorn's army then linked with Éomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned, and a brief respite was won until the [[Battle of the Morannon|final battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

=== Aftermath ===

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the army of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 5 to 6 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. Éomer stated that very few of Rohan's horses remained, and either killed or wounded, he could not "hope to lead even two thousands" in the Last Debate. With a number around 18,000 at the least participating and only 7,000 remaining to march out to war, even a conservative estimate would place total Western losses at 9,000 and perhaps more. Forlong, Grimbold, Théoden, and Hirluin were slain in combat, and the near-defeat of Gondor led Steward Denethor to commit suicide during the siege. The city itself suffered heavily in the siege, and its strongest gate was broken. A grey rain fell over Minas Tirith and the plains following the battle's end, putting out the city's fires much to the relief of its inhabitants. Despite their losses, the arrival of reinforcements from the southern fiefs allowed the city to have a larger garrison after the Siege than it had at the outset.

As for Mordor's losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. The full host was estimated at perhaps 75,000. The Orcs and Trolls of Sauron made up most of the force, though it is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) Almost all of the attackers were slain or routed; though not specifically mentioned, all of the War [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]] were likely killed, along with numerous Trolls, Orcs, and Evil Men. Those whom escaped fled across the River Anduin to East Osgiliath, many drowning in the process; not one living thing was left in the vicinity of the Rammas. Many Easterlings and Haradrim held their ground proudly fought to the death when the tide turned, even as the Orcs were fleeing in cowardice, allowing the others to rout. Few escaped, and those that did spread word of Gondor's wrathful victory in their homelands. Most grievous of all to Sauron was the permanent loss of the Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl and his most powerful servant. The fate of Gothmog, Mordor's second commander in the battle, is not mentioned.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counseled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them as much as 5 to 1, but lost nearly half of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counseled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply result in a war of attrition; either defensively or offensively, Sauron would tactically prevail. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==Portrayal in Adaptations==
'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The battle is the major centrepiece of the last film, although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. The Gondorian forces from the kingdom's fiefs are absent, replaced only by the Rohirrim. These are joined by Aragorn leading the "[[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]]" (instead of the Gondorian reinforcements) at the very end of the battle. Importance is given to the charge of the Mûmakil, the death of Théoden and the Witch-king's demise at the hands of Éowyn.

:The battle begins with [[Sauron]]'s forces marching on the city and firing a volley of severed [[Gondorians|Gondorian]] heads over the walls (as in the book). Seeing [[Mordor]]'s overwhelming army, [[Denethor]] despairs and Gandalf assumes command of the defenders. Both Sauron's army and the defenders of Minas Tirith exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets: many orcs, and a few dozen Gondorian soldiers, were killed whilst some catapults and siege towers were destroyed. Then the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], mounted on top of their fell-beasts, descended from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Meanwhile trolls bring forth the siege towers and engage the Gondorian troops and [[Gandalf]] in combat throughout the night. As the battle wages continues in the dark the [[orcs]] bring forth a giant battering ram named [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] and with it the [[Great Gate of Minas Tirith]] are shattered allowing the orcs, [[trolls]] and [[wargs]] to invade the city. In the book the populace was almost entirely evacuated before the battle. In the movie, the women and children remained, and many were slaughtered in the lower levels.

:By morning the Gondorian soldiers had taken heavy casualties and retreated to the higher levels of Minas Tirith, there Gandalf helps them to hold out until [[Théoden]] and six thousand [[Rohirrim]] arrive, decimating the invading orcs and routing the Witch-king's right flank; however, Sauron's reserves soon arrive with several [[Oliphaunts]], commanded by the [[Haradrim]], who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, [[Aragorn]] arrives with the [[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]] (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), who crush Sauron's forces.

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_champs_du_pelennor]]
[[fi:Pelennorin kenttien taistelu]]

Battle of the Pelennor Fields

2015-03-14T19:46:28Z

Viresse: /* Prelude */

{{disambig-more|Battle of the Pelennor Fields|[[Battle of the Pelennor Fields (disambiguation)]]}}
{{cleanup}}{{sources}}
{{battle|
image=[[File:Per Sjögren - The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.jpg|300px]]|
name=Battle of the Pelennor Fields|
conflict=[[War of the Ring]]|
date=15 March {{TA|3019}}|
place=[[Minas Tirith]] and fields of [[Pelennor]], [[Gondor]]|
result= Victory of Gondor and Rohan|
side1=[[Gondor]], [[Rohan]]|
side2= [[Mordor]], [[Harad]], [[Rhûn]], [[Khand]]|
commanders1=*[[Denethor]] †
*[[Gandalf]]
*[[Forlong]] †
*[[Imrahil]]
*[[Hirluin]] †
*[[Théoden]] †
*[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Aragorn]]
*[[Éomer]]
| commanders2=*The [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]] †
*[[Gothmog (Lieutenant of Morgul)|Gothmog]]
| forces1=Unknown total strength, approx. 17-18,000+ total from Gondor, its fiefs, and Rohan.
| forces2=Unknown total strength, but vast numerical superiority to Gondor's forces in Minas Tirith, possibly over 75,000.
| casual1=Severe
| casual2=Near-total
}}{{wotr}}
The '''Battle of the Pelennor Fields''' was the greatest battle of the [[War of the Ring]], and indeed the largest of the entire [[Third Age]].

==History==
===Prelude===
{{seealso|Siege of Gondor}}
After the fall of [[Osgiliath]] there was no longer a barrier against the forces of [[Mordor]], which moved on the [[Pelennor Fields]] before the city on [[15 March]] {{TA|3019}} as the [[The Darkness|Great Darkness]] blotted out the sun. Almost all of Minas Tirith's civilian population was evacuated prior to the siege, sent southward to Gondor's southern fiefdoms.<ref>{{RK|V1}}</ref>

===Opposing Forces===
Mordor's troops consisted of some 18,000 [[Easterlings]] and [[Haradrim]],<ref name="Rohirrim"/> several Haradrim war [[oliphaunt|oliphaunts]], and tens of thousands of [[Orcs]]; the defenders' numbers were considerably less. the city's garrison likely was no more than 4,000, the survivors from Osgiliath probably numbered around 1,000 (One third of that garrison were killed), there were about 2,800 men from southern [[Gondor]] who arrived just before the siege commenced.

===Battle===
The attackers used catapults not only to attack the city, through bombardment and flames, but also to fire the heads of slain men from Osgiliath and other places Mordor's armies had passed through into it.{{fact}} Later on, the great battering ram [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] (named after [[Morgoth]]'s weapon from the First Age) was put into action.

Before dawn Grond was used to break the city's main gate, and the [[Witch-king]] rode into the city unchallenged, save by [[Gandalf]]. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. Mordor's strategy for keeping Rohan out of the battle had failed twice, both through the defeat at Helm's Deep and the blockade in Anorien. So the Witch-king was forced to ride out and attack them instead of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city.

King Théoden's charge drove the Mordor forces from the northern half of the field, and charging the Haradrim cavalry he slew the Southron chieftain, the [[Black Serpent]], and cut down his standardbearer.
[[File:Laurent Alquier - Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields.jpg|thumb|left|[[Laurent Alquier]] - ''Éowyn's Stand in the Pelennor Fields'']]
When the Witch-king's fell beast attacked King [[Théoden]] of Rohan, the king's horse [[Snowmane]] lost control, and was hit by a black dart. Snowmane fell with the king atop him, and the horse landed on him, which proved fatal. All about the King were his slain knights, and any survivors fled from the Witch-king's terrifying visage. The fell beast raked its claws upon Snowmane's neck and readied to devour Théoden, but the warrior [[Dernhelm]], defending the king's body, stood tearful yet defiant, forbidding the Witch-king to defile the king's corpse. The Witch-king mocked him, telling him that no living man might hinder him. Éowyn threw off her disguise as Dernhelm and revealed herself as "no man at all". The Black Captain remained silent, as if he hesitated slightly due to [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy, but heeded it no longer, ignoring the [[hobbits|Hobbit]] [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] nearby and attacking Éowyn with great malice. She slew his fell beast, but the Witch-king rose from it, towering over her. With a violent cry that stung her ears like venom he threw his black mace upon her shield, destroying her shield and shattering her arm. She fell to her knees in bitter pain and he loomed over her, raising his mace to kill her, though the Witch-king too fell; Merry had wounded him with a sword that had been forged centuries before during the war between [[Arnor]] and [[Angmar]] and which contained spells against the Witch-king. The spells finally found their target, for the Witch-king was distracted and possibly seriously weakened. Éowyn, with her last strength, drove her sword into the Witch-king's crown, her sword shattering and the Black Captain of Mordor slain, his spirit fading into a shrill voice on the wind. The [[Black Breath]] caused both Merry and Éowyn to become gravely ill, and Éowyn's ruined arm kept her from fighting any further that day. They were sent to the [[Houses of Healing]] in the city, and command of the Rohirrim then passed to Théoden's nephew and heir, Third Marshall Éomer.

At the same time, [[Faramir]], son of [[Denethor]], Steward of Gondor, was also gravely wounded. Despairing at the visions of defeat that [[Sauron]] had sent him via his ''[[palantíri|palantír]]'', and believing Faramir to be beyond aid, Denethor prepared to burn himself and his son upon a funeral pyre. Only the intervention of [[Peregrin Took]] and Gandalf saved Faramir, but Denethor immolated himself before they could prevent him.

Meanwhile, the battle turned against the Rohirrim. The Southrons charged with their Mûmakil and wherever they went horses went wild with fear or were trampled underfoot, and the forces of Mordor rallied around them like islands of defense that the Rohirrim cavalry could not overtake. Éomer, grim after the death of Théoden but shocked by the unexpected (seeming) death of his sister Éowyn, the last living member of his family, flew into a [[berserker]] rage and charged his cavalry headlong into the larger enemy forces. So great was the wrath of the outnumbered Rohirrim at the death of their King that they broke through the superior Mordor forces, hammering deep wedges into the Mordor legions' front lines. His fury betrayed him, however; the horses panicked at the sight of the towering Mûmakil, and the Haradrim retreated amongst them. Gothmog retaliated against Éomer's advance, sending fierce Variags, elite Haradrim warriors, and monstrous Troll-men against the Rohirrim, and they were set into despair. The cavalry of Rohan were cut off from the rest of their allies. Éomer and his forces retreated to the docks near the Harlond south of the city and they desperately circled up his men on a hill and prepared to fight to the death, when he saw enemy reinforcements sailing up the River [[Anduin]]. He song a solemn and sorrowful dirge, though laughed as he did, preparing to die defiantly as Rohan's final leader.
[[File:Anke Eißmann - The Black Serpent founders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Anke Eißmann]] - ''The Black Serpent founders'']]
One of the visions that Denethor had seen was of a fleet of enemy ships with black sails arriving at the landings to the south of the Pelennor in the Rammas, but what he had not seen was that they were actually manned by [[Aragorn]] and other [[Rangers of the North]], [[Gimli]], [[Legolas]], [[Elladan]], [[Elrohir]] and many reinforcements from southern fiefdoms of Gondor. As Aragorn's army drove north a great part of Mordor's forces were pinned between Aragorn and Éomer's cavalry, and were "caught between the hammer and the anvil". Without the Wtich-king's leadership, and with vast numbers encroaching them on all sides, many of Mordor's troops panicked and began to flee. Aragorn's army then linked with Éomer's, and with their aid the tide of battle was finally turned, and a brief respite was won until the [[Battle of the Morannon|final battle]] before the [[Morannon|Black Gate]].

=== Aftermath ===

There is no clearly stated final death toll for the Battle of Pelennor Fields. There is a definite figure for the army of the Rohirrim that came to Gondor's defence; it consisted of 6,000 riders, and a full 2,000 were killed in the battle, including Théoden. Of the 5 to 6 thousand Gondorian defenders of Minas Tirith, and the large relief force of Gondor's southern provinces led by Aragorn, no definite figure remains. Two days after the battle, Aragorn led an army out to attack the Black Gate that consisted of 7,000 men (When he reached the Black Gate he had less than 6,000); 2,000 Rohirrim and 5,000 Gondorians. The size of Aragorn's relief force may have been over 5,000 or as little as 1,000, it is never stated. Éomer stated that very few of Rohan's horses remained, and either killed or wounded, he could not "hope to lead even two thousands" in the Last Debate. With a number around 18,000 at the least participating and only 7,000 remaining to march out to war, even a conservative estimate would place total Western losses at 9,000 and perhaps more. Forlong, Grimbold, Théoden, and Hirluin were slain in combat, and the near-defeat of Gondor led Steward Denethor to commit suicide during the siege. The city itself suffered heavily in the siege, and its strongest gate was broken. A grey rain fell over Minas Tirith and the plains following the battle's end, putting out the city's fires much to the relief of its inhabitants. Despite their losses, the arrival of reinforcements from the southern fiefs allowed the city to have a larger garrison after the Siege than it had at the outset.

As for Mordor's losses, again, the size of Sauron's great army is not definitely known. The full host was estimated at perhaps 75,000. The Orcs and Trolls of Sauron made up most of the force, though it is known that there were some 18,000 [[Haradrim]]. (The Rohirrim, consisting of 6,000 riders, were "thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone".) Almost all of the attackers were slain or routed; though not specifically mentioned, all of the War [[Oliphaunts|Mûmakil]] were likely killed, along with numerous Trolls, Orcs, and Evil Men. Those whom escaped fled across the River Anduin to East Osgiliath, many drowning in the process; not one living thing was left in the vicinity of the Rammas. Many Easterlings and Haradrim held their ground proudly fought to the death when the tide turned, even as the Orcs were fleeing in cowardice, allowing the others to rout. Few escaped, and those that did spread word of Gondor's wrathful victory in their homelands. Most grievous of all to Sauron was the permanent loss of the Witch-king, the Lord of the Nazgûl and his most powerful servant. The fate of Gothmog, Mordor's second commander in the battle, is not mentioned.

Although a great and almost miraculous victory, at the subsequent Last Debate, Gandalf counseled that militarily, Sauron would still defeat them. The Free Peoples had managed to destroy an army outnumbering them as much as 5 to 1, but lost nearly half of their own forces. Sauron had suffered a defeat, but he still had other legions and the force that attacked Minas Tirith, while substantial, was but a fraction of his total strength. Rohan and Gondor had been able to secure their flanks, eliminating the threat of Isengard and the Corsairs on the southern coasts, but Gandalf counseled that even with all of their forces concentrated in the main front near Minas Tirith, it would simply result in a war of attrition; either defensively or offensively, Sauron would tactically prevail. Thus, it was agreed that it was impossible to achieve a conventional military victory through strength of arms, and instead to risk all on a last throw of the dice by Aragorn leading a diversionary attack on the Black Gate, to aid Frodo's passage in Mordor.

==Portrayal in Adaptations==
'''2003: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The battle is the major centrepiece of the last film, although some of the events described above are simplified or altered for cinematic purposes. The Gondorian forces from the kingdom's fiefs are absent, replaced only by the Rohirrim. These are joined by Aragorn leading the "[[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]]" (instead of the Gondorian reinforcements) at the very end of the battle. Importance is given to the charge of the Mûmakil, the death of Théoden and the Witch-king's demise at the hands of Éowyn.

:The battle begins with [[Sauron]]'s forces marching on the city and firing a volley of severed [[Gondorians|Gondorian]] heads over the walls (as in the book). Seeing [[Mordor]]'s overwhelming army, [[Denethor]] despairs and Gandalf assumes command of the defenders. Both Sauron's army and the defenders of Minas Tirith exchange fire by way of catapults and trebuchets: many orcs, and a few dozen Gondorian soldiers, were killed whilst some catapults and siege towers were destroyed. Then the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], mounted on top of their fell-beasts, descended from the skies, spreading fear throughout the city and destroying many catapults. Meanwhile trolls bring forth the siege towers and engage the Gondorian troops and [[Gandalf]] in combat throughout the night. As the battle wages continues in the dark the [[orcs]] bring forth a giant battering ram named [[Grond (battering ram)|Grond]] and with it the [[Great Gate of Minas Tirith]] are shattered allowing the orcs, [[trolls]] and [[wargs]] to invade the city. In the book the populace was almost entirely evacuated before the battle. In the movie, the women and children remained, and many were slaughtered in the lower levels.

:By morning the Gondorian soldiers had taken heavy casualties and retreated to the higher levels of Minas Tirith, there Gandalf helps them to hold out until [[Théoden]] and six thousand [[Rohirrim]] arrive, decimating the invading orcs and routing the Witch-king's right flank; however, Sauron's reserves soon arrive with several [[Oliphaunts]], commanded by the [[Haradrim]], who turn the tide against the Rohirrim. Fortunately, [[Aragorn]] arrives with the [[Oathbreakers|Army of the Dead]] (see [[Paths of the Dead]]), who crush Sauron's forces.

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the War of the Ring]]
[[de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor]]
[[fr:encyclo:evenements:3a:guerres:bataille_des_champs_du_pelennor]]
[[fi:Pelennorin kenttien taistelu]]