 | |
| Region | |
| Nurn | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Location | Southern Mordor |
| Type | Region |
| Description | Quite fertile with Lake Nurnen in it |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Men |
| Gallery | Images of Nurn |
Nurn was a region in the south of Mordor. The great Lake Núrnen, which was fed by four rivers, was located in that region.[1] Núrn was much more fertile than Gorgoroth, a literal desert, because it was able to sustain fields to grow food.[2]
It is probable that Nurn was not inhabited during the reign of king Hyarmendacil I of Gondor, because Mordor was desolate during his time.[3]
At the time of the War of the Ring, slaves worked fields by the dark, sad waters of Lake Núrnen to feed the armies of Sauron.[2]
The region of Nurn most likely escaped the desolation caused by the eruption of Mount Doom at the end of the War of the Ring because it was much further away from Mount Doom than Barad-dûr[4] or Udûn.[1][5]
After the War of the Ring, King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor liberated the slaves of Mordor and gave them all the land around Lake Núrnen to be their own.[6]
Etymology
Nurn, appearing in the compound Núrnen ("sad-water"), apparently means "sad" in Sindarin.[7][8]
Portrayal in adaptations
1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:
- The Gap of Nurn, a gap between the Eregwath ("Thorn of Shadows" in Sindarin), the mountain spur that branched off eastwards from the Ephel Dúath and the Ered Angûrath ("Mountains of Slow Death" in Sindarin), the mountain spur that branched off southwestwards from the Ered Lithui, connect the plateau of Gorgoroth to Nurn. Small grasses and scrubs extend from Nurn almost to the plains. The land descends from the Gap of Nurn to the lower plains of Nurn. The tower of Barad-wath at the eastern end of the Eregwath and the town of Ostigurth monitor the Gap of Nurn.[9] The Ruinen stream flows from three intermittent sources near the southeastern end of the Eregwath, in the Gap of Nurn and near the southwestern end of the Ered Angûrath that meet at the town of Rul southeastwards in the direction of the Sea of Nurnen. The Dúaduin river flows from the Ered Litui northeastwards by the town of Nûrumurl to the town of Urlurtsu Nurn where it makes a bend and then flowes southeastwards in the direction of the Sea of Nurn.[10]
2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor:
- Nurn is a location in the game that the player can visit. Nurn was originally the domain of the Tribesmen of Nurn whom were descended from Corsairs, who have settled around the Sea of Nurn following Gondor’s retreat hundreds of years before the events of the story.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Land of Shadow", p. 923
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for Ciryaher, p. 1045
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Mount Doom", p. 947
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Field of Cormallen", pp. 949-50
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Steward and the King", p. 968
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, citing from the entry for Núrnen in J.R.R. Tolkien's unfinished index for The Lord of the Rings, p. 457
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index, Núrnen
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Coleman Charlton, Jessica Ney, John Croudis, Keith Robley, Anders Blixt, Gorgoroth (Iron Crown Enterprises #3112, 1990) , p. 10
- ↑ Peter C. Fenlon, Coleman Charlton, Jessica Ney, John Croudis, Keith Robley, Anders Blixt, Gorgoroth (Iron Crown Enterprises #3112, 1990) , map of Gorgoroth and the northwestern part of Nurn by Pete Fenlon