 | |
| People | |
| Hillmen | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Locations | Rhudaur |
| Affiliation | Angmar |
| Rivalries | Dúnedain of Arnor |
| Languages | Mannish language |
| Physical Description | |
| Lifespan | shorter than Númenórean |
The Hillmen were a group of Men from whom came an evil lord who seized power in Rhudaur in the Third Age.
Origins
Almost nothing can be said about the origin of the Hillmen, except that they were Men and that they probably lived in or near Rhudaur.
It is possible that they were Pre-Númenóreans related to the Dunlendings and Men of Bree whose ancestors had lived in the valleys of the White Mountains and moved to the southern valleys of the Misty Mountains and then as far north as the Barrow-downs during the Dark Years.[1]
It is also possible that they were Men of evil kinds who were not related to the Atani who were hostile to the Kings of the Dúnedain of Arnor.[2] They mave have been descendants of Easterlings who fled over the Blue Mountains back to the east after the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age from Beleriand or descendants of Easterlings who had not crossed over the Blue Mountains into Beleriand.[3]
Third Age
It is possible that the Hillmen lived in the Ettenmoors or in the western Misty Mountains near the Angle[4] at the time of King Argeleb I of Arthedain.
In the days of King Argeleb I an evil lord of the Hillmen who was secretly allied with the realm of Angmar seized power in Rhudaur where there were few Dúnedain.[5]
In T.A. 1409[6] a great army came from Angmar, invaded and ravaged Cardolan, surrounded Weathertop, burned and destroyed the Tower of Amon Sûl, defeated the Dúnedain and killed King Arveleg I of Arthedain. Evil Men who were subject to Angmar occupied Rhudaur and the Dúnedain of Rhudaur were killed or fled to the west.[7]
The fate of the Hillmen is not known. In T.A. 1975[8] troops from the elven realm of Lindon, from Arnor, an expeditionary force from Gondor led by their prince Eärnur and a force from Rivendell led by Glorfindel defeated the forces from Angmar so that no man and no Orc of the realm of Angmar remained west of the Misty Mountains.[9]
During the War of the Ring, Rhudaur was uninhabited.[10]
Other versions of the legendarium
In a late manuscript version of what would later become Appendix A it is mentioned that power had been seized by "men in secret league with Angmar" during the time of King Malvegil of Arthedain[11] and that "an evil folk, workers of sorcery, subjects of Angmar" kill the Dúnedain in Rhudaur and construct dark forts in the hills during the time of King Arveleg I of Arthedain.[12] In the latest manuscript version of what would become Appendix B it is mentioned that the Witch-king came from the North, overwhelmed the realms of Cardolan and Rhudaur, destroyed the Númenoreans that lived there, that Cardolan was abandoned and filled with deadly spirits and that "an evil people out of the North, much given to sorecry" lived in Rhudaur "for long".[13]
Portrayal in adaptations
2007-: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- In the game's version of Middle-earth, many tribes of Hillmen still roam the land in the late Third Age. These include the Corcur of the Trollshaws and the Misty Mountains (descendants of the Men of Rhudaur), the Créoth of the Lone-lands, and the Trév Duvardain of Angmar. A second tribe of Angmar, the Trév Gállorg, are shown to be friendly towards the Free Peoples. These tribal names are original to the game and do not exist in the works of Tolkien.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Men", p. 1130
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "X. Of Dwarves and Men", "Notes", note 59
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry Hill-men, p. 196
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", entry for King Argeleb I, p. 1040
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1409, p. 1086
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", entry for King Arveleg I, p. 1040
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1975, p. 1086
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for King Eärnil II, p. 1051
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniv. Ed.), The Fellowship of the Ring, "Flight to the Ford", p. 201
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", manuscript C, The Northern Line of Arnor: the Isildurioni, 16. Malvegil
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", manuscript C, The Northern Line of Arnor: the Isildurioni, 18. Arveleg I
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VIII. The Tale of Years of the Third Age", manuscript T4, entry for the year 1409