Glanduin
| Glanduin | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Other names | Swanfleet |
| Location | South-eastern Eriador, separating Eregion from Enedwaith |
The Glanduin was a river of Eriador and a northern arm of the Gwathló.
Course[edit]
Beginning in the Hithaeglir south of Khazad-dûm, it flowed west-north-west until it was met by the Sirannon near the old location of Ost-in-Edhil, the capital of the Noldor of Eregion. From there the Glanduin flowed westward towards the Mitheithel, which it met in the Swanfleet marshes (Nîn-in-Eilph) north-east of Tharbad. There was an old ford across the Glanduin east of the falls that dropped down into the marshy lowlands.[1]
Beyond their joining both rivers became the Gwathló.[2]
History[edit]
In the Second Age the Glanduin formed the southern boundary of Eregion. In the Third Age it was part of the southern boundary of Arnor.[3]
The old ford was used by Frodo and the other travellers journeying north after the War of the Ring.[1]
Etymology[edit]
Glanduin is Sindarin, and means "Border-river".[4]
Note[edit]
The name "Glanduin" applied to the whole river during the time of Eregion and Arnor. However, by the time of the War of the Ring, it only applied to the swift upper course of the river, and usually it was referred to as the Swanfleet river (not River), simply meaning the river that flowed into the Nîn-in-Eilph.[3]
In an annotation to Pauline Baynes, J.R.R. Tolkien had R. Glanduin placed near the Mountains, and the lower part labelled "Swanfleet".[5] It was misunderstood in first printings of A Map of Middle-earth that "R. Swanfleet" was the name of the lower part of the river, but it was pointed out as wrong by Christopher Tolkien (Swanfleet being the fens the river flows into) and it was corrected in later printings.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Many Partings"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix D: The Port of Lond Daer"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index
- ↑ Daniel Helen, "Tolkien’s annotated map of Middle-earth transcribed" dated 10 November 2015, The Tolkien Society (accessed 24 March 2018)
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. xlvi
