User:Angon

Page created for writing essays and other speculations about Tolkien's legendarium.

Speculations

The Host of the West

Who could led the forces of the Host of the West in the battle of Fornost in T.A. 1975?

We know that the main leaders of the Host of the West were Eärnur, prince and Captain of Gondor at that time, and Cirdan. Glorfindel led the forces of Rivendell. But there probably were other leaders as well, which aren't mentioned directly in our sources, but can be deduced from the information we have.

1. Aranarth, son of Arvedui and prince of Arnor: We know that most of the remaining forces of Arnor, including Aranarth himself, retreated into Lindon and that Aranarth was in Lindon and spoke with Cirdan there. Later some forces of Arnor joined the Host of the West. Aranarth was young by the standards of Dunedain at that time, but he was not a child - he was 37 if the date of his birth is correct, or maybe a little younger. So it is reasonable to assume that Aranarth led the forces of Arnor summoned by Cirdan, unless he was wounded during previous battles.
2. Brother(s) of Aranarth: Aranarth also had one or several younger brothers, whose names aren't mentioned in our sources. If they were old enough to participate in war, it is reasonable to assume that they also were among the captains of the Host of the West.
3. Frumgar, lord of the Éothéod, and/or his son Fram: Frumgar led the migration of the Éothéod from the middle to the the upper Vales of Anduin in T.A. 1977, two years after the battle of Fornost. Cavalry from the Vales of Anduin, led by princes of Roovanion, was a part of the Gondorian host, and it is reasonable to assume that Frumgar and/or Fram were among those princes.
4. Vorondil, son of Pelendur, Steward of Gondor: Pelendur was the Steward of Gondor during those events. Vorondil, his son, was 56 years old, he was known as a great hunter and traveler, possibly travelling as far as the Sea of Rhûn. He might be interested to travel to Arnor as well. In this case the Great Horn might sound in the battle of Fornost!
5. Adrahil, prince of Belfalas, and/or his descendant Imrazôr: If Adrahil survived Disaster of the Morannon 31 years earlier, it is possible that he still was of fighting age. And Imrazôr was about 25 at that time - young for a Numenorean, but Aragorn went adventuring in 26, for example. Considering that Gondorian fleet sailing from Pelargir to Lindon would pass near Belfalas, there definitely was a possibility for the prince of Belfalas to join.
6. Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond, lord of Rivendell. Elrond himself presumably did not participate in the battle - otherwise he would be leading the forces of Rivendell, not Glorfindel. However, his sons might fought in the battle under Glorfindel's command.
7. Bucca of the Marish. We know that some Shire-hobbits did participate in the battle of Fornost. Bucca was elected the first Thain of the Shire in T.A. 1979, four years after the battle. Considering that the Thain was first and foremost a military leader, it is reasonable to suggest that Bucca might had some previous military experience, leading hobbit archers in the battle. Participation of Bucca in the battle of Fornost (in which Angmar was overthrown) is also symbolic, considering he was a direct ancestor of Meriadoc Brandybuck, who played a crucial role in the defeat of the Witch-king of Angmar.

Forgotten wars of Middle-earth

There were many wars in Middle-earth, some are well-known, some are described pretty briefly and some are almost completely forgotten and barely mentioned in our sources. This is an (obviously uncomplete) list of wars that maybe happened in Middle-earth, but were overlooked by chroniclers and historians and so we know almost nothing about them.

The wars of the Dwarves

It is said in the Silmarillion that Naugrim were a warlike race "and they would fight fiercely against whomsoever aggrieved them: servants of Melkor, or Eldar, or Avari, or wild beasts, or not seldom their own kin, Dwarves of other mansions and lordships". And while we know that Dwarves participated in the war of Elves against Morgoth, for example in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, and that there was a war between Dwarves and Elves that included the battle in the Thousand Caves and the battle of Sarn Athrad, we do not know anything about the wars of Dwarves and Avari or about the wars of Dwarves among themselves. Considering that this information most likely came from the Sindar, who didn't know a lot about the Dwarves of Khazad-dum, and probably didn't know anything at all about the Eastern Dwarves, it is possible, that there were wars between Dwarves of Nogrod and Dwarves of Belegost, but of course it is hard to tell for sure.

The Petty-dwarves claimed to be fugitives, driven into the wilderness by their eastern relatives. If this is true, then possibly they fought a war against other Dwarves, were defeated and fled to Beleriand. On the other hand, the great Dwarves stated that the Petty-dwarves were descendants of the dwarves who left dwarven communities or were driven out of them for being deformed, undersized, slothful or rebellious. I think that the story of defeated people fleeing west is more believable than a story of different exiles from different communities, each of them found their own way into Beleriand, where a new people was formed, though, again, it is hard to be sure.

The Dwarves also "claimed to have met and fought the Orcs long before the Eldar in Beleriand were aware of them". If this claim is true (and there is no indication that this is a lie), than there were wars between Dwarves and Orcs early in the First Age.

The wars in the North during the Second Age

Two major wars happened in the North of Middle-earth during the Second Age, but the exact dates of these wars are unknown, nor any famous battles or commanders.

During the early Second Age hosts of the Orcs fled from the destroyed Angband to the east seeking homes. They attacked both the Dwarves and the Men living in the North. It seems that both Dwarves, who were outnumbered, and the Men, who were lightly armed and lived in scattered villages and poorly-defended townships, initially suffered greatly from the orcish invasion. Dwarves might even lost Gundabad for some time (it is later said that Gundabad was re-taken by the Orcs, so presumably Orcs had previously conquered it). To oppose this threat the Alliance of Dwarves and Men was created, and well-armed horsed archers of the Northmen were able to defeat the Orcs.

The second major war happened in the middle of the Second Age, about the same time as (or shortly after) the war of the Elves and Sauron. The Orcs, reinforced and commanded by the servants of Sauron, invade the mountains, conquering Gundabad (again?) and the Grey Mountains. At the same time tribes of savage Easterling under Sauron's dominion attacked the Northmen, scattering them. Some Northmen migrate away, while remaining were impoverished, hiding in caves or in the Forest.

The wars of the people of Agar

The story of Tal-Elmar happened in the Second Age, but the exact date and location of it is unknown, and it is quite hard to place it in the broader context of the Middle-earth history. Several wars or military conflicts are mentioned there, though. The people of Agar, who presumably were pre-Numenoreans, related to Gwathuirim, Dunlendings and the Men of the Mountains, considered three peoples to be their enemies.

First of them were the wild men, living in the mountains and the woods (presumably Druedain). It is said that these wild men were original inhabitants of this land, but then the ancestors of the people of Agar came and hunted the wild men like wolves, driving them into the mountains and the woods, and the hostilities between these two peoples never ceased, although the wild men dared to attack only those of the people of Agar who wandered alone.

The second people who were enemies of the people of Agar were the Fell Folk of the East (probably relatives of the Northmen), who were slowly migrating towards the shores of the Sea. They were well-armed with bright weapons, made by demons in the fiery hills (possibly the Dwarves?), but were nevertheless defeated in the valley of Ishmalog. Buldar, grandfather of Tal-Elmar, participated in that battle.

The third people hostile to the people of Agar were the High Men of the Sea, also called the Go-hilleg (the Numenoreans). It is said that many years ago Numenoreans had sailed to this land, initially as traders, selling or gifting different goods, while spying out the land. After some time they had returned as raiders and slavers, capturing women, children and young men and bearing them away in their ships. Presumably these Numenoreans were the King's Men, although Numenoreans that appeared later in the story (and probably were the Faithful) were also hostile to the people of Agar, wanting to either banish or slay them and to occupy their lands.

Additionally, there were some skirmishes between the people of Agar and the people of Udul, who were closely related to them, despite their languages became quite distinct. The village of Udul was dying of pestilence and the marauders who attacked the town of Agar were seeking food.

The war of the Ents against the Numenoreans

It is well-known that Numenoreans cut down great forests of Enedwaith and Minhiriath and that the local peoples, so-called Gwathuirim (ancestors of Dunlendings), fought against them to protect their forests. It is said in "The Port of Lond Daer" that Numenoreans "became ruthless in their fellings, giving no thought to husbandry or replanting". Since the Ents were shepherds of the trees and protectors of the forests, it is quite possible that Ents helped Gwathuirim against Numenoreans. Treebeard said that the Ents were roused last time during "the wars of Sauron and the Men of the Sea" - this may indicate the War of the Last Alliance (when the gardens of the Entwives were destroyed), or the War of the Elves and Sauron (when the last forests of Minhiriath were burned), but it may also indicate that there was a war between the Ents and the Men of the Sea. At least Treebeard listed Sauron and the Men of the Sea alongside each other.

Another indication that the Ents might be allies of the ancestors of Dunlendings in that war is that relationships between the Ents and the Dunlendings are rather friendly. In the Appendix to "The Battles of the Fords of Isen" it is said Dunlendings settled "in the southern eaves of Fangorn", and later when Ents captured Isengard they "let the Men go, after they had questioned them".

The wars among the Easterlings in the early Third Age and their early invasions

It is said that in the early the Third Age after the fall of Sauron cruel wars raged among the Easterlings, who were freed from the tyranny of Sauron but not from evil and darkness he had set in their hearts. Some tribes of Easterlings retreated from these wars westward. We know that the first invasion of Easterlings into Gondor happened in T.A. 490, and the invaders were defeated by Romendacil I in T.A. 500. The second invasion of the fresh hordes of Easterlings happened in T.A. 541 and Romendacil I was slain in battle, but the Easterlings were defeated by his son Turambar, who also conquered much of their lands. Presumably these wars among the Easterlings lasted at least until this time.

Other later invasions of the Easterlings might also be caused by these wars. In the north they harassed the Northmen, occupied parts of the Forest and even raided the Vales of Anduin somewhere around T.A. 1000, causing the migration of Hobbits into Eriador. It seems that the Northmen (with some help from Gondor?) were able to repel these attacks. Easterlings renewed their attacks on Gondor in the reign of Narmacil I (T.A. 1226-1294), but were defeated in T.A. 1248.

It seems that the Wainriders, a strong and well-armed confederacy of Easterlings, that emerged before T.A. 1851, definitely ended the wars among the Easterlings, uniting most of their tribes (if not all of them) under singular rule. The wars of Wainriders with Gondor are pretty well-documented.

The civil war(s) in Arnor

We know that "there was often strife between the kingdoms" of Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur, but we do not know any exact dates of wars or major battles (except one). The division of Arnor happened in T.A. 861, and since both Rhudaur and Cardolan desired to possess Amon Sûl, where kings of Arthedain maintained a special warden. It seems reasonable, therefore, that Cardolan and Rhudaur fought in Alliance against Arthedain. Although as far as I know nothing indicates that their attacks were successful and that they were able to conquer Amon Sûl even for a short period of time.

Another indication of Cardolan's initial hostility towards Arthedain are fortresses, which were built on the heights of the Barrow-downs, as described by Tom Bombadil. These fortresses, built in Cardolan near the border with Arthedain were definitely intended against this kingdom, since no other enemy could attack from that direction. Later Frodo and company riding from the Barrow-downs to the Road encountered a deep dike with a steep wall on the other (northern) side, which, according to Tom Bombadil, "had once been the boundary of a kingdom", so the border of Arthedain was also fortified against the attacks from Cardolan. Tom Bombadil "seemed to remember something sad about it" - presumably a lot of bloodshed between two Dunedain kingdoms happened on that border.

By T.A. 1350 the situation completely changed. The realm of Angmar, that was established around T.A. 1300, was a new power in that struggle. The new ruler of Rhudaur was a lord of Hillmen (who was in secret alliance with Angmar, but whose hostility towards Dunedain might be not so secret), while Cardolan was ruled by princes not from the House of Isildur (and thus with less legitimacy). Presumably, all these factors made Cardolan to seek an alliance with Arthedain, and when Argeleb I claimed the lordship of all Arnor, his claim was accepted in Cardolan, but not in Rhudaur. Since that time there clearly were two alliances, Arthedain and Cardolan fighting against Angmar and Rhudaur. Argeleb was slain in battle against Rhudaur and Angmar in T.A. 1356 (this is the only battle of these wars for which we know the date), but his son Arveleg with the help of Cardolan (and Lindon) defeated the enemies. After that Arthedain and Cardolan guarded the frontier for some time.

The invasion of T.A. 1409 changed the situation again. Rhudaur was occupied by the evil Men subject to Angmar and the last prince of Cardolan was slain. While the exact political situation in both kingdoms aren't clear, this date indicates the end of civil wars in Arnor and the beginning of the Angmar conflict, which definitely is not forgotten.

The (other?) wars among Numenorean colonies

Faramir told Frodo that some Numenoreans who settled on the shores and seaward regions of Middle-earth "fought among themselves, until they were conquered in their weakness by the wild men". It is possible that he was talking about the realm of Arnor, where (as noted above) petty kingdoms of Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur fought among themselves and were eventually conquered by Angmar. However, it is also possible that he was talking about the realms of Black Numenoreans further south.

The wars between the Wood-elves and the Dwarves

In "The Hobbit" it is said that the Wood-elves had wars with some of the Dwarves in ancient days. The exact date of these wars is unknown, but it is possible that they had happen sometimes after the T.A. 1050.

Gimli said that long ago Dwarves helped in making of the Elvenking's Halls. This contradicts the later statement that Thranduil hadn't have the aid of the Dwarves in building these halls, but I think Gimli most likely was correct here, since he was well-learned in dwarven history and was arguing with Legolas, who likely would corrected his mistake. Also, since the Wood-elves didn't mine nor worked metal, and Oropher came with only a handful of Sindar, Dwarves were the only ones who were able to build such underground halls. Since it is unlikely that Thranduil would use help of his enemies in building his fortress, it seems reasonable to assume that the wars with the Dwarves happened after the Halls were built, which happened sometime after T.A. 1050, when Thranduil retreated north from the evil power of Dol Guldur.

There are clear indications in "The Hobbit" that Thranduil indeed had some dealings with the Dwarves before these wars. It is said that he bargained with the Dwarves to shape his raw gold and silver (possibly mined by Dwarves during the construction of the Halls?), but later refused to give them their pay and accused them of stealing his treasure. This quarrel was the cause of the wars.

It is also said that Thorin's family had nothing to do with this quarrel. This term is rather vague and it is hard to tell, does it apply to all Longbeards, or only to the dynasty of the kings (who at the time were likely ruling in Khazad-dum). It seems most likely that Thranduil had dealings with and later fought against the Dwarves of the Grey Mountains, but our knowledge of dwarven history is pretty scarce, so it is hard to tell which clan(s) of the Dwarves inhabited the Grey Mountains during this time.

The wars in the Harad

It is said in the "Cirion and Eorl" that during the reign of Calimehtar (T.A. 1856-1936) "the peoples of Harad were ... engaged in wars and feuds of their own", and this allowed Calimehtar to concentrate his forces against the Wainriders and defeat them in T.A. 1899. It is unknown what caused these wars and feuds, but it is possible to assume that the conquest of Umbar by Gondorians in T.A. 1810 and the destruction of the realm of Corsairs created "power vacuum" in Harad, which led to wars among local chieftains who previously were vassals of the rulers of Umbar. Gondor itself abandoned all its territories east of Anduin except Ithilien due to the defeat in T.A. 1856, increasing that "power vacuum" even more. Gondorian diplomacy might also play some role in turning the peoples of Harad against each other.

Later, between T.A. 1899 and T.A. 1944, eastern Wainriders who were spreading to the south beyond Mordor "were in conflict with the peoples of Khand and their neighbours further south". Eventually they made a peace and alliance and in T.A. 1944 peoples of Khand and Harad and the Wainriders attacked Gondor both from the south and from the east.

The war of the Northmen against Gondor

This war is mentioned by Faramir, who said that the Stewards "made a truce with the proud peoples of the North who often assailed us". This indicates that there was a war (or several wars) during the reign of the Stewards, when a coalition of several Northmen tribes or principalities attacked Gondorian borders. Faramir includes the (ancestors of) Rohirrim into these "peoples of the North", so it is quite likely that Men of Eotheod were a part of that coalition, despite living pretty far away from the borders of Gondor during that time. This war ended in a truce before the days of Cirion, so we can roughly date this war between T.A. 2050 and T.A. 2489. Interestingly, most of this period is considered the time of the Watchful Peace (T.A. 2063-2460), so either the watchful Peace wasn't that peaceful or the war happened either before it started or, more likely, after it ended, between T.A. 2460 and 2489,

The wars at the Long Lake

It is said in the Hobbit that when the city of Dale was prosperous, Esgaroth on the Long Lake also was rich and powerful, and "there had been fleets of boats on the waters, and some were filled with gold and some with warriors in armour, and there had been wars and deeds which were now only a legend". It is hard to tell when exactly these wars were taking place - the city of Dale was founded after T.A. 2590 and destroyed by Smaug in T.A. 2770, so there was a period of about 200 years when these wars could take place. It is even harder to tell who was fighting against whom in these wars. It is possible that Men of Dale fought against Men of Esgaroth, but this seems unlikely, considering that they were relatives and trading partners. Wars against Dorwinion is another possibility, but since we know almost nothing against Dorwinion, it is hard to tell for sure.

Lastly, it is quite possible that these wars were against the Easterlings, likely the Balchoth. We know that the Balchoth didn't attack Rohan after they were defeated by king Brego (in T.A. 2545 or a bit later), but it seems that they weren't completely destroyed, since some enemies from the East did attack Rohan in T.A. 2758. Hostile Easterlings living around Celduin would definitely be a problem for trade between the cities of Dale and Esgaroth and the southern realms such as Dorwinion, so it is pretty possible that lords of Dale led expeditions to protect the trade routes. There is a more clear evidence for that hypothesis - it is said that "the Northmen who lived between Celduin (River Running) and Carnen (Redwater) became strong and drove back all enemies from the East".

Elven names and genealogy

Here are some speculation about meaning of different Elven names and/or genealogical relationships of their bearers.

Penlod and Pengolodh

Names of Penlod

Penlod was a lord of Gondolin and the leader of both the House of the Pillar and the House of the Tower of Snow. He was a Gnome (=Noldo) and his name Penlod is clearly Gnomish, while in Qenya his name is Pendelot. As far as I know, no attempts have been made previously to provide etymology for these names or to "modernize" them according to later Tolkien's languages. Here is my attempt to do this.

Since Penlod was a Noldorin lord, presumably born in Aman, it is reasonable to suggest that he had a Quenyan name before the Exile, and his name was Sindarized later. Thus it is reasonable to start with his Q(u)enyan name Pendelot.

The second element of this name, -lot, is, without any doubt, Quenyan lótë - “flower, single blossom”. This is the only suitable Quenyan root, and it was used in personal names, both masculine (Númellótë - the secret Quenya birth-name of Tar-Palantir) and feminine (Eldalótë), as well as in names of trees (Ninquelótë) and ships (Vingilótë). The attested form -lot instead of -lótë can be explained as the ordinary variation in the short and long forms of the name (compare: Vingilot and Vingilótë).

The first element of the name Pendelot, pende-, is harder to explain. There is a Quenyan word pendë - “steep incline, hill side”, but the name "flower of the hill-side" seems rather strange. Perhaps a better explanation would be to suggest that the initial component of the name was Quendë -"Elf". In this case the name Quendelot would mean "Elven-flower", similarly to the name Eldalótë (perhaps indicating that they were akin?). The change from Quendelot to Pendelot could be explained either as Telerin influence (where this word changed to Pendë) or as a result of a "partial Sindarization" of the attested Quenyan form (similarly to the name Gondolin, which was properly “neither Sindarin or Noldorin [Quenya]”).

After determining initial Quenyan roots, it is quite easy to explain the Sindarin form Penlod. The word Quende ("Elf") was changed into its closest Sindarin cognate pen (“one, somebody, anybody”), while lótë (“flower, single blossom”) - into corresponding Sindarin loth with more or less the same meaning. Thus, the resulting name should be Penloth. The attested form Penlod can be, perhaps, explained as a spelling variation (compare the name Pengolodh, which was spelled both as Pengolod and as Pengoloth).