Emyn Arnen

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Emyn Arnen was a series of hills in Ithilien. The hills, being an outlier of the Ephel Dúath,[1] were situated south of Osgiliath, on the east bank of the Anduin.[2]

History

Old records preserved in Gondor indicate that Arnen was once used for the larger part of the region later known as Ithilien.[1]

Emyn Arnen was home to a family of Númenórean nobles, and from them came a Húrin of Emyn Arnen, who became steward to King Minardil of Gondor and later founded the line of the House of Húrin.[source?]

After the events of the War of the Ring, Faramir son of Steward Denethor II became Prince of Ithilien, and made Emyn Arnen his home. He and his descendants therefore also became known as Lords of Emyn Arnen.[source?]

Etymology

The name Emyn Arnen translates as "the hills of Arnen" (cf. emyn). One historian of Gondor claimed that Arnen was likely a word invented by the Númenórean settlers of Gondor, intended to resemble an Elvish tongue (but wrongly mixing Quenya ar- "beside" with Sindarin nen "water"). Other historians derived Arnen from an unattested pre-Númenórean word arn- ("rock"), although this was based on pure guessing.[1]

References