List of Middle-earth rivers
Encyclopedia
Middle-earth
, the main setting of J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, contains many rivers, some of which are described below.
, arising in the White Mountains
. Together with the river Isen, it formed the western border of the Kingdom of Rohan. Adorn joined with the Isen about 150 miles (241.4 km) west of the Gap of Rohan.
Anduin:
Angren:
Adurant: The sixth and most southerly tributary of Gelion, the others being Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor and Duilwen. It was the last of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
Aros: The southern river of Doriath
and northern tributary of Sirion. It rose in the northern lands around Himring and met Sirion in the south-west at Aelin-uial. It formed the southern border of the Kingdom of Doriath
.
Ascar: A river in Ossiriand. The name means rushing, impetuous. It was the northern-most tributary of Gelion, and the second river of Ossiriand. After the Sack of Doriath
by Dwarves
, Beren Erchamion fought and killed the looters there. Doriath's treasure was lost in Ascar, and it was renamed Rathlóriel ('Goldenbed').
]
Brithon: A river of the Falas. Its name is Sindarin
, probably meaning "pebbly", from brith "broken stones".
Brilthor: A tributary of Gelion. It was the fifth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
, also called Redwater. Carnen flowed southward from the Iron Hills
east of the Lonely Mountain
until it met Celduin about 250 miles to the south. From there the rivers flowed as one to the Sea of Rhûn, past the land of Dorwinion.
Celduin: A river of Rhovanion, also named the River Running. Celduin was a 600–miles long river that ran from the Lonely Mountain south through the Long Lake, where it was joined by the Forest River, and thence through the eastern outskirts of Mirkwood
. Afterwards it flowed south east through the wide eastern plains of Rhovanion to its confluence with the Carnen, and finally in a long south-eastward loop to the great inland Sea of Rhûn, past the land of Dorwinion.
Celebrant: See Silverlode
Celebros: A tributary of Taeglin that flowed past Brethil forest. Glaurung
was slain by Túrin
near where this river met Taeglin, and Nienor
Níniel committed suicide by jumping in it.
Celon: Flowed by Nan Elmoth
in East Beleriand. It met up with the river Aros later in its course, eventually flowing into Sirion.
Celos: The Second of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor
. It began in the White Mountains and became a tributary of Sirith.
Ciril: A river of Gondor, springing at an isolated peak in Lamedon. It flowed past Calembel and became a tributary of Ringló.
Duilwen: A tributary of Gelion. It was the sixth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
. Its origin was in the Mountains of Mirkwood, and it met the Forest River near Thranduil
's Caverns. In The Hobbit
, this river forms an obstacle for the quest of Thorin Oakenshield
.
Entwash: A river of Rohan. Its name is a translation of Sindarin
Onodló. Its sources were the springs that arose beneath Methedras, the southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains
, near Treebeard
's home. Leaving the Fangorn forest
, Entwash flowed past the Wold of Rohan and headed south, dividing Rohan into the West and East Emnets. At the latitude of Edoras it was joined by the river Snowbourn, and then ran east towards Anduin
, joining it just south of the Falls of Rauros in the huge inland delta known as the Mouths of the Entwash. The Mering Stream met one of the Entwashes' arms there.
Erui: A river of Gondor
, arising in the White Mountains
. It was counted the first of the Five Rivers of Lebennin.
Esgalduin: The main river of Doriath
. Doriathrin for River under Veil, the Esgalduin flowed from the hills of Dorthonion
through Doriath past the caves of Menegroth, finally meeting up with the River Sirion.
. It began in the Ered Mithrin far to the north, and then flowed south-east, diverging at points, until it was met by the Enchanted River near Thranduil
's caverns. From there it continued eastwards to the Long Lake of Esgaroth
, which it met in the Long Marshes.
Gelion: The principal river of East Beleriand. Its two sources were the Hill of Himring, via the Little Gelion, and the Ered Luin, via the Greater Gelion. It then passed south, dividing Estolad to the west from Thargelion to the east, then was crossed by the old dwarf-road at Sarn Athrad ("Ford of Stones"). It then passed into Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, where it was fed by rivers Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant, all rising in the Ered Luin.
Gilrain: The last of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor
. It started as two unnamed tributaries in the White Mountains, and flowed south meeting the Serni at Linhir.
Ginglith: A tributary of Narog. It had its wells in the woods of Núath, near the Ered Wethrin in northern West Beleriand. After passing by the lands of Tumhalad it met the Narog about 50 Númenórean miles north of Nargothrond
.
Gladden: A river of Rhovanion
, called Ninglor in Sindarin
(also Sîr Ninglor, sîr = stream, ninglor = waterlily
or gladden). Gladden was a short but important river of the Vales of Anduin. Beginning as two unnamed arms in the Misty Mountains
, it flowed eastwards to the Great River Anduin
, which it met in a series of marshes called the Gladden Fields
.
Glanduin: A river of Eriador
and one of the sources of Gwathló. The name means 'border-river' in Sindarin
, as it had been the southern boundary of the Elven realm of Eregion
and later of the Kingdom of Men Arnor
.
Glanhír: See Mering Stream
Glithui: A northern tributary to Taeglin.
Greyflood:
Greylin: One of the two sources of Anduin
(together with Langwell), itself having two tributary branches that flowed from the Ered Mithrin.
Gwathló:
. The territory to the north of it, South Gondor, later became a debatable land. South of Harnen lay the land of Near Harad. It was some 600 miles (965.6 km) long, beginning in the mountains surrounding Mordor
from the south and then flowing south-west for about 350 miles (563.3 km). There it bent west and speeds to Belegaer
, which it enters in a wide delta. The Harad Road crossed Harnen shortly after it bent westwards.
Hoarwell: See Mitheithel
, flowing from the Misty Mountains
and forming together with Greylin the beginnings of the Anduin
river. On its northern bank was built the city of Framsburg, capital of the Éothéod
.
Lefnui: A river of Gondor
, beginning in the south-western valleys of the Starkhorn peak of the White Mountains and flowing south-west parallel to a mountain range. It entered the Bay of Belfalas
near the long cape of Andrast. The name means fifth in Sindarin
, with a reference to the position of the river if counting the mouths: Erui, Sirith, Serni, Morthond, Lefnui.
Legolin: A tributary of Gelion. It was the fourth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
Limlight: A stream rising in the eastern Misty Mountains
, with origins near Treebeard
's dwellings. It then ran through northern Fangorn
and emptied into Anduin
. Limlight formed the southern boundary of the Field of Celebrant, and was claimed by people of Lothlórien as the southern boundary of their realm. It was also the historic northern border of Gondor
, and later of Rohan
.
Lithir: A tributary of Sirion that joined it just to the south of the Pass of Sirion. The sources of Lithir were in Ered Wethrin.
Mering Stream: The border river of Rohan
and Gondor
. The Mering Stream or in (Sindarin
) Glanhír formed the border between the Gondorian province of Anórien and the Rohan province of Eastfold. It flowed through the Firien Wood, which grows about the hill of Halifirien.
Mindeb: A northern tributary of Sirion. It began in the Ered Gorgoroth near the Pass of Anach, and was met by an unnamed tributary coming from the Crissaegrim. It formed the boundary between Dimbar and Nan Dungortheb.
Mitheithel: A great river of Eriador
, translated as Greyflood. The source lay in northern Misty Mountains
, from where the river sped through the Ettenmoors to bend south after them. The East Road crossed it at the Last Bridge, after which it was met by the Bruinen, forming the Angle. From there Mitheithel formed the northern border of Eregion
, until came to the Swanfleet, where Glanduin flowed, and became the Gwathló
river.
Morgulduin: (S. 'river of sorcery') A river of Gondor that began at Cirith Ungol. It flowed past Minas Morgul
towards Anduin
, and was followed by the old Númenórean road from Osgiliath to Minas Morgul. It was crossed by the Harad Road with a bridge at the Crossroads.
Morthond: A river of Gondor beginning at the southern edges of the Dwimorberg at the end of the Paths of the Dead
in the White Mountains
. It then flowed past the ancient fortress of Erech and the Pinnath Gelin. After meeting its tributary Ringló it entered the Sea at Edhellond. Also translated as Blackroot.
. The Narog rose from the Pools of Ivrin in the Ered Wethrin, flowed south and then southeast, flowing through a gorge in a series of rapids where it crossed the hills of the Andram or Long Wall, finally meeting Sirion in the Land of Willows Nan-tathren, not far above the Mouths of Sirion. Narog's tributaries were the Ginglith in the north and the Ringwil in the Taur-en-Faroth.
Nen Lalaith: A stream of Dor-lómin that rose near Amon Darthir in Ered Wethrin and ran past Húrin
's house.
Nenning: A river of the Falas. Its wells were in the hills lying north-west in West Beleriand south of the Ered Wethrin, near the Woods of Núath. It ran to the bay of Eglarest where it met the sea Belegaer
.
Nimrodel: A river of Lothlórien. It began in the foothills of the Misty Mountains
under the Celebdil peak, and then flowed through Lothlórien until it met the Silverlode. The river was named after the Elven lady Nimrodel who dwelt beside the stream.
Ninglor: See Gladden
Norbourn: A river in the Northfarthing of the Shire
. Between it and Brandywine River stretched the Greenfields, where the Battle of Greenfields was fought. Norbourn is only mentioned in the detailed index Tolkien was preparing for The Lord of the Rings
, but which was eventually left unfinished. In the partial map of the Shire published within The Lord of the Rings an unnamed river flows from the north to the Bywater Pool, which might possibly be Norbourn.
. It forms the northern border of the contested land of the South Gondor, and the southern border of Ithilien
. During the later Third Age it was the effective southern border of Gondor.
Redwater: See Carnen
Ringwil: A tributary of Narog. It began in the hills about Nargothrond
, and flowed north of the hidden city.
Rivil: A tributary of Sirion. It began in Dorthonion
, and then flowed north-west until it met with Sirion in the Fens of Serech.
Rushdown: An early tributary to the Anduin
river flowing from the Misty Mountains
. Early writings of Tolkien also gave its Sindarin
name Rhimdath.
Running: See Celduin
. It began in the plains of Lebennin and met the Bay of Belfalas
north of the Mouths of Anduin at the city of Linhir.
Shirebourn: A river of the Shire
with the source in the uplands of the Green Hill Country of the Eastfarthing. Thence it ran south and then southeast, meeting the Thistle Brook at Willowbottom and then flowing eastwards to Baranduin. There it formed the boggy region known as the Overbourn Marshes.
Silverlode: A river of Lothlórien rising in the eastern Misty Mountains
near the East Gate of Moria
. It then ran through Lothlórien where it met Nimrodel and emptied into Anduin
. The Company of the Ring followed this river when they travelled from Moria to Lothlórien.
Sirannon: The Gate Stream of Khazad-dûm. Beginning at the Silvertine, it flowed past the gates of Moria towards the river Glanduin. Sirannon encountered the Stair Falls under the gates of Moria, and its sound could have been heard from miles around.
Sirion: A river of Middle-earth
in the First Age, the principal river of Beleriand. During most of its course it was the border between East and West Beleriand. Karen Wynn Fonstad estimates its length as 390 miles in her Atlas of Middle-earth. Sirion flowed southwards along the border of the Ered Wethrin, passing through the Fens of Serech before entering the valley between the Ered Wethrin and the Pass of Sirion. It then continued south into Beleriand, with the Forest of Brethil to the west, and Dimbar and then Doriath to the east. After leaving Doriath it ran though Fens of Sirion before falling below ground in the Falls of Sirion at Andram (the Long Wall), where the ground fell steeply. Three leagues southwards the Sirion exited the underground caves at the Gates of Sirion. It then flowed southwards through Nan-Tathren until it reached the Bay of Balar, part of Belegaer, at the Ethir Sirion, Mouths of Sirion. Barad Eithel, at the source of the Sirion in the Ered Wethrin, was a chief fortress of Fingolfin
and his son Fingon
. Further south, in the Pass of Sirion, lay Tol Sirion in the centre of the river.
Sirith: The third of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor
. Celon was its tributary, while Sirith met Anduin
at Pelargir.
Snowbourn: A river of Rohan
arising in the White Mountains
under the mountain Starkhorn. It flowed through Harrowdale where Edoras was built, and then flowed east until it met the river Entwash. It separated Rohan's Eastfold from the West Emnet.
.
Thalos: A tributary of Gelion. It was the third from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand. Thalos sprang from the Ered Luin and at its springs Finrod met the first Men to enter Beleriand
.
Thistle Brook: A stream of the Eastfarthing of the Shire
. It flowed southeast round the Woody End and through the village of Willowbottom before its waters emptied into Shirebourn.
Withywindle: A river in the Old Forest
and tributary of Baranduin. It has its origin in the Barrow-downs, flows past the house of Tom Bombadil
and Goldberry
in the Old Forest, and joins the Brandywine. The name is derived from Withy
(willow), and Windle (basket).
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, the main setting of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's legendarium
Tolkien's legendarium
The phrase Tolkien's legendarium is used in the literary discipline of Tolkien studiesto refer to the part of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy fiction being concerned with his Elven legends; that is, historic events that have become legendary from the perspective of the characters of The Lord of the...
, contains many rivers, some of which are described below.
A
Adorn: A river of RohanRohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
, arising in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Middle-earth)
The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...
. Together with the river Isen, it formed the western border of the Kingdom of Rohan. Adorn joined with the Isen about 150 miles (241.4 km) west of the Gap of Rohan.
- The triangle of land between the Isen, Adorn, and the White Mountains was nominally part of the Kingdom of Rohan, but in the late Third Age it was a contested area between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings.
Anduin:
Angren:
Adurant: The sixth and most southerly tributary of Gelion, the others being Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor and Duilwen. It was the last of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
- The name means double stream in IlkorinIlkorinIlkorin is a Quenya word, literally meaning "not of Kôr". The Ilkorindi were a group of Elves from J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe. They first appear in The Book of Lost Tales. It was then a name with a broad meaning for all the Elves who "never saw the light of Kôr" and also for their many...
, referring to a parting of the river about the isle of Tol Galen, and many more along its path due to its slow current.
Aros: The southern river of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
and northern tributary of Sirion. It rose in the northern lands around Himring and met Sirion in the south-west at Aelin-uial. It formed the southern border of the Kingdom of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
.
Ascar: A river in Ossiriand. The name means rushing, impetuous. It was the northern-most tributary of Gelion, and the second river of Ossiriand. After the Sack of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
by Dwarves
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
, Beren Erchamion fought and killed the looters there. Doriath's treasure was lost in Ascar, and it was renamed Rathlóriel ('Goldenbed').
B
Brithon: A river of the Falas. Its name is Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
, probably meaning "pebbly", from brith "broken stones".
Brilthor: A tributary of Gelion. It was the fifth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
C
Carnen: A river of RhovanionRhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
, also called Redwater. Carnen flowed southward from the Iron Hills
Iron Hills
The Iron Hills are a fictional range of mountains in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. They are remnants of the Iron Mountains of the First Age and are located east of the Lonely Mountain in the northeastern part of Rhovanion and the northwest of Rhûn. In the Third Age, they are home to a...
east of the Lonely Mountain
Lonely Mountain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the Lonely Mountain is a mountain in the northeast of Rhovanion. It is also the source of the Celduin river.- Origins of the Kingdom Under the Mountain :...
until it met Celduin about 250 miles to the south. From there the rivers flowed as one to the Sea of Rhûn, past the land of Dorwinion.
- The kingdom of Dale after its refounding extended into the angle between the Celduin and the Carnen. It is quite possible that the Men of Dale and EsgarothEsgarothEsgaroth, or Lake-town is a fictitious community of Men upon the Long Lake, in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. The town is constructed entirely of wood and stands upon wooden pillars sunk into the bed of the Long Lake, south of the Lonely Mountain and east of Mirkwood...
and the Wood-elvesSilvan ElvesSilvan Elves are an ethnic group of Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, mainly the Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlórien.In the First Age the Elves of Ossiriand, or Laiquendi, were also referred to as wood-elves....
traded along the rivers.
Celduin: A river of Rhovanion, also named the River Running. Celduin was a 600–miles long river that ran from the Lonely Mountain south through the Long Lake, where it was joined by the Forest River, and thence through the eastern outskirts of Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
. Afterwards it flowed south east through the wide eastern plains of Rhovanion to its confluence with the Carnen, and finally in a long south-eastward loop to the great inland Sea of Rhûn, past the land of Dorwinion.
Celebrant: See Silverlode
Celebros: A tributary of Taeglin that flowed past Brethil forest. Glaurung
Glaurung
Glaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the first of the Dragons. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of...
was slain by Túrin
Turín
Turín is a municipality in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador....
near where this river met Taeglin, and Nienor
Nienor
Niënor, also known as Níniel , is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in the Narn i Chîn Húrin told in full in The Children of Húrin and briefly in The Silmarillion...
Níniel committed suicide by jumping in it.
Celon: Flowed by Nan Elmoth
Nan Elmoth
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Nan Elmoth was the forest in Beleriand east of Doriath and southeast of the River Celon. In Tolkien's legendarium it is the archetype for all the other enchanted forests such as the Old Forest, Mirkwood, Lothlórien and Fangorn.- History in the Tales :Melian and...
in East Beleriand. It met up with the river Aros later in its course, eventually flowing into Sirion.
Celos: The Second of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. It began in the White Mountains and became a tributary of Sirith.
Ciril: A river of Gondor, springing at an isolated peak in Lamedon. It flowed past Calembel and became a tributary of Ringló.
D
Dry River: The former river whose bed served as the hidden entrance to Gondolin.Duilwen: A tributary of Gelion. It was the sixth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
E
Enchanted River: A dark running river under a sleeping spell in MirkwoodMirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
. Its origin was in the Mountains of Mirkwood, and it met the Forest River near Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
's Caverns. In The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, this river forms an obstacle for the quest of Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, King Under the Mountain is a major character in The Hobbit and is mentioned in passing in The Lord of the Rings...
.
- In the First AgeFirst AgeIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
, Esgalduin was also called the Enchanted River.
Entwash: A river of Rohan. Its name is a translation of Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
Onodló. Its sources were the springs that arose beneath Methedras, the southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
, near Treebeard
Treebeard
Treebeard is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The eldest of the species of Ents, he is said to live in the ancient Forest of Fangorn and stands fourteen feet in height and is tree-like in appearance, with leafy hair and a rigid structure. Fangorn Forest...
's home. Leaving the Fangorn forest
Fangorn forest
Fangorn in J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium, was a forest located in the fictional world of Middle-earth and was the home of the tree shepherds, the Ents. It was named after the oldest Ent, Treebeard or Treebeard after it. Tolkien did, however, state that there was confusion about the two...
, Entwash flowed past the Wold of Rohan and headed south, dividing Rohan into the West and East Emnets. At the latitude of Edoras it was joined by the river Snowbourn, and then ran east towards Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, joining it just south of the Falls of Rauros in the huge inland delta known as the Mouths of the Entwash. The Mering Stream met one of the Entwashes' arms there.
- The Entwash river was named for the EntEntEnts are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant....
s (Onodrim) of FangornFangorn forestFangorn in J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium, was a forest located in the fictional world of Middle-earth and was the home of the tree shepherds, the Ents. It was named after the oldest Ent, Treebeard or Treebeard after it. Tolkien did, however, state that there was confusion about the two...
, but the origin of the name was largely forgotten by the Rohirrim at the end of the Third Age.
Erui: A river of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, arising in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Middle-earth)
The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...
. It was counted the first of the Five Rivers of Lebennin.
- The river began near Mount Mindolluin and flowing south through the province of Lossarnach, where it met the AnduinAnduinIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
about 100 miles (160.9 km) south of Minas TirithMinas TirithMinas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
. During the Kin-strife of Gondor, the Battle of the Crossings of Erui was fought at the Crossings of Erui on the road to Pelargir.
Esgalduin: The main river of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
. Doriathrin for River under Veil, the Esgalduin flowed from the hills of Dorthonion
Dorthonion
In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dorthonion , later Taur-nu-Fuin, was a highland region of the First Age, lying immediately to the north of Beleriand, and south of the plains of Ard-galen that extended north to Morgoth's stronghold of Thangorodrim...
through Doriath past the caves of Menegroth, finally meeting up with the River Sirion.
- The Esgalduin had two unnamed upper branches of its own in Ered Gorgoroth. One ran along the border between Dor Dínen and Nan Dungortheb, and the other ran west for about 20 miles from the mountains into Nan Dungortheb and further south-east until merging with the first.
F
Forest River: A river that flowed through northern MirkwoodMirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
. It began in the Ered Mithrin far to the north, and then flowed south-east, diverging at points, until it was met by the Enchanted River near Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
's caverns. From there it continued eastwards to the Long Lake of Esgaroth
Esgaroth
Esgaroth, or Lake-town is a fictitious community of Men upon the Long Lake, in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. The town is constructed entirely of wood and stands upon wooden pillars sunk into the bed of the Long Lake, south of the Lonely Mountain and east of Mirkwood...
, which it met in the Long Marshes.
G
Gate Stream: See SirannonGelion: The principal river of East Beleriand. Its two sources were the Hill of Himring, via the Little Gelion, and the Ered Luin, via the Greater Gelion. It then passed south, dividing Estolad to the west from Thargelion to the east, then was crossed by the old dwarf-road at Sarn Athrad ("Ford of Stones"). It then passed into Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, where it was fed by rivers Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant, all rising in the Ered Luin.
- Gelion then passed by Taur-im-Duinath (the Forest between the Rivers) and emptied into the Great Sea BelegaerBelegaerIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
.
- Late in his life, Tolkien apparently decided to change the name "Gelion", as it did not fit the pattern of SindarinSindarinSindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
. The possible replacements he recorded were "Gelduin", "Gevilon", "Gevelon", "Duin Daer", and "Duin Dhaer".
Gilrain: The last of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. It started as two unnamed tributaries in the White Mountains, and flowed south meeting the Serni at Linhir.
Ginglith: A tributary of Narog. It had its wells in the woods of Núath, near the Ered Wethrin in northern West Beleriand. After passing by the lands of Tumhalad it met the Narog about 50 Númenórean miles north of Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
.
Gladden: A river of Rhovanion
Rhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
, called Ninglor in Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
(also Sîr Ninglor, sîr = stream, ninglor = waterlily
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
or gladden). Gladden was a short but important river of the Vales of Anduin. Beginning as two unnamed arms in the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
, it flowed eastwards to the Great River Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, which it met in a series of marshes called the Gladden Fields
Gladden Fields
The Gladden Fields is a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. In his works, the Gladden Fields are located where the Gladden river joins the Anduin....
.
- After the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, IsildurIsildurIsildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
, King of ArnorArnorArnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and bearer of the One RingOne RingThe One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
, was assailed by OrcOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
s near the Gladden Fields, and the Ring was lost here in the river. Much later during the Third AgeThird AgeThe Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
some Stoors lived near the streams of Gladden, and from them came SméagolGollumGollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
, who long held the Ring and eventually followed the stream up to its source, ending up in forgotten caves near Goblin Town. SarumanSarumanSaruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
searched for the Ring extensively in the Gladden; he never found it since it was already in the possession of Gollum at that time, but he discovered Isildur's other garments.
Glanduin: A river of Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
and one of the sources of Gwathló. The name means 'border-river' in Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
, as it had been the southern boundary of the Elven realm of Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
and later of the Kingdom of Men Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
.
- Beginning in the Misty Mountains south of MoriaMoria (Middle-earth)In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
, it ran west-north-west until it was met by the Sirannon near the old location of Ost-in-Edhil. Further downstream the Glanduin flowed into the Swanfleet, the vast marshland north-east of Tharbad, which issued into GwathlóGwathlóIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the river Gwathló or Greyflood is a river in middle Eriador.The Sindarin name Gwathló was adapted from the name Gwathir, given to the river by the Númenóreans in the Second Age...
. - On some maps of Middle-earth, the name Swanfleet river is erroneously placed against Glanduin or even against Isen, but properly Swanfleet was the name of the marshlands alone.
Glanhír: See Mering Stream
Glithui: A northern tributary to Taeglin.
Greyflood:
Greylin: One of the two sources of Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
(together with Langwell), itself having two tributary branches that flowed from the Ered Mithrin.
Gwathló:
H
Harnen: A river that originally was the southern border of GondorGondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. The territory to the north of it, South Gondor, later became a debatable land. South of Harnen lay the land of Near Harad. It was some 600 miles (965.6 km) long, beginning in the mountains surrounding Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
from the south and then flowing south-west for about 350 miles (563.3 km). There it bent west and speeds to Belegaer
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
, which it enters in a wide delta. The Harad Road crossed Harnen shortly after it bent westwards.
Hoarwell: See Mitheithel
L
Langwell: A river of RhovanionRhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
, flowing from the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
and forming together with Greylin the beginnings of the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
river. On its northern bank was built the city of Framsburg, capital of the Éothéod
Éothéod
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Éothéod were a group of Northmen who became the ancestors of the Rohirrim. The word, meaning "horse people", is a compound of the Old English words éoh and théod ; it is cognate with Old Norse jóþjóð...
.
Lefnui: A river of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, beginning in the south-western valleys of the Starkhorn peak of the White Mountains and flowing south-west parallel to a mountain range. It entered the Bay of Belfalas
Bay of Belfalas
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Bay of Belfalas was a large southern bay in the Great Sea.The Bay of Belfalas was the remainder of the eastern edge of the Great Gulf that had divided Beleriand from the Lands to the South in the First Age...
near the long cape of Andrast. The name means fifth in Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
, with a reference to the position of the river if counting the mouths: Erui, Sirith, Serni, Morthond, Lefnui.
Legolin: A tributary of Gelion. It was the fourth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
Limlight: A stream rising in the eastern Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
, with origins near Treebeard
Treebeard
Treebeard is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The eldest of the species of Ents, he is said to live in the ancient Forest of Fangorn and stands fourteen feet in height and is tree-like in appearance, with leafy hair and a rigid structure. Fangorn Forest...
's dwellings. It then ran through northern Fangorn
Fangorn forest
Fangorn in J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium, was a forest located in the fictional world of Middle-earth and was the home of the tree shepherds, the Ents. It was named after the oldest Ent, Treebeard or Treebeard after it. Tolkien did, however, state that there was confusion about the two...
and emptied into Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
. Limlight formed the southern boundary of the Field of Celebrant, and was claimed by people of Lothlórien as the southern boundary of their realm. It was also the historic northern border of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, and later of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
.
- The name is from an Elvish form, but Tolkien provided different explanations of the exact meaning and even languages used in the name, including Limlich, Limliht, Limlaith and Limhîr.
Lithir: A tributary of Sirion that joined it just to the south of the Pass of Sirion. The sources of Lithir were in Ered Wethrin.
M
Malduin: A northern tributary to Taeglin.Mering Stream: The border river of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. The Mering Stream or in (Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
) Glanhír formed the border between the Gondorian province of Anórien and the Rohan province of Eastfold. It flowed through the Firien Wood, which grows about the hill of Halifirien.
Mindeb: A northern tributary of Sirion. It began in the Ered Gorgoroth near the Pass of Anach, and was met by an unnamed tributary coming from the Crissaegrim. It formed the boundary between Dimbar and Nan Dungortheb.
- It formed the western border of the forest of Neldoreth in DoriathDoriathIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
and was part of the Girdle of Melian. It is mentioned in Quenta SilmarillionQuenta SilmarillionQuenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by the high fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published after the author's death in The Silmarillion together with four shorter stories...
chapter 14.
Mitheithel: A great river of Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
, translated as Greyflood. The source lay in northern Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
, from where the river sped through the Ettenmoors to bend south after them. The East Road crossed it at the Last Bridge, after which it was met by the Bruinen, forming the Angle. From there Mitheithel formed the northern border of Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
, until came to the Swanfleet, where Glanduin flowed, and became the Gwathló
Gwathló
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the river Gwathló or Greyflood is a river in middle Eriador.The Sindarin name Gwathló was adapted from the name Gwathir, given to the river by the Númenóreans in the Second Age...
river.
Morgulduin: (S. 'river of sorcery') A river of Gondor that began at Cirith Ungol. It flowed past Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul
Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...
towards Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, and was followed by the old Númenórean road from Osgiliath to Minas Morgul. It was crossed by the Harad Road with a bridge at the Crossroads.
Morthond: A river of Gondor beginning at the southern edges of the Dwimorberg at the end of the Paths of the Dead
Paths of the Dead
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Paths of the Dead were a haunted passage under the White Mountains.The Paths of the Dead started at the Dark Door at the end of the long valley of Harrowdale, beyond the Firienfeld and the forest of Dimholt, wedged in between the mountains Irensaga ,...
in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Middle-earth)
The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...
. It then flowed past the ancient fortress of Erech and the Pinnath Gelin. After meeting its tributary Ringló it entered the Sea at Edhellond. Also translated as Blackroot.
N
Narog: The chief river of West BeleriandBeleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
. The Narog rose from the Pools of Ivrin in the Ered Wethrin, flowed south and then southeast, flowing through a gorge in a series of rapids where it crossed the hills of the Andram or Long Wall, finally meeting Sirion in the Land of Willows Nan-tathren, not far above the Mouths of Sirion. Narog's tributaries were the Ginglith in the north and the Ringwil in the Taur-en-Faroth.
- Into its western bank, just south of where Ringwil rushed into Narog, was carved the city of NargothrondNargothrondIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
, stronghold of Finrod FelagundFinrod FelagundFinrod Felagund is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian and the Grey Annals, as well as other material....
.
- During his time in NargothrondNargothrondIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
, Túrin TurambarTúrin TurambarTúrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...
persuaded OrodrethOrodrethIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Orodreth was an Elf of the First Age, the son of Angrod and nephew of Finrod Felagund, and a ruler of Nargothrond....
to build a bridge over Narog. He did, but it resulted in the downfall of Nargothrond as it provided a way for the dragon GlaurungGlaurungGlaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the first of the Dragons. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of...
to reach the city.
Nen Lalaith: A stream of Dor-lómin that rose near Amon Darthir in Ered Wethrin and ran past Húrin
Húrin
Húrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in Middle-earth...
's house.
Nenning: A river of the Falas. Its wells were in the hills lying north-west in West Beleriand south of the Ered Wethrin, near the Woods of Núath. It ran to the bay of Eglarest where it met the sea Belegaer
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
.
Nimrodel: A river of Lothlórien. It began in the foothills of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
under the Celebdil peak, and then flowed through Lothlórien until it met the Silverlode. The river was named after the Elven lady Nimrodel who dwelt beside the stream.
Ninglor: See Gladden
Norbourn: A river in the Northfarthing of the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
. Between it and Brandywine River stretched the Greenfields, where the Battle of Greenfields was fought. Norbourn is only mentioned in the detailed index Tolkien was preparing for The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, but which was eventually left unfinished. In the partial map of the Shire published within The Lord of the Rings an unnamed river flows from the north to the Bywater Pool, which might possibly be Norbourn.
P
Poros: A river in the south of GondorGondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. It forms the northern border of the contested land of the South Gondor, and the southern border of Ithilien
Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Ithilien is a region and fiefdom of Gondor.Ithilien, or "Moon-land," is the easternmost province of Gondor, the only part of Gondor across the Great River Anduin lying between the river and the Mountains of Shadow , subdivided by the stream of...
. During the later Third Age it was the effective southern border of Gondor.
- About 400 miles (643.7 km) long, it began in the Ephel Dúath of MordorMordorIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
and then flowed south-west for about 300 miles (482.8 km), when it bent north and met AnduinAnduinIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
just before its delta. Poros was crossed by the Harad Road at the Crossings of Poros.
R
Rathlóriel: See Ascar.Redwater: See Carnen
Ringwil: A tributary of Narog. It began in the hills about Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
, and flowed north of the hidden city.
- Where it met the Narog a secret doorSecret passageSecret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel. Such passageways are sometimes inside buildings leading to secret rooms. Others allow occupants to enter or exit buildings without being seen...
was built, which was used by LúthienLúthienLúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Lord of the Rings and the Grey Annals, as well as in other material.-Character overview:Lúthien is a Telerin ...
to escape from Nargothrond when CelegormCelegormCelegorm is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.He was the third son of Fëanor and Nerdanel, most closely associated with another brother, Curufin. Celegorm is described as "the fair," which could mean either that Celegorm had fairer...
and CurufinCurufinIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Curufin is a fictional character, a prince of the Noldor of the race of Elves, the fifth of the seven sons of Fëanor and Nerdanel...
held her prisoner.
Rivil: A tributary of Sirion. It began in Dorthonion
Dorthonion
In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dorthonion , later Taur-nu-Fuin, was a highland region of the First Age, lying immediately to the north of Beleriand, and south of the plains of Ard-galen that extended north to Morgoth's stronghold of Thangorodrim...
, and then flowed north-west until it met with Sirion in the Fens of Serech.
- The river is mentioned twice in The SilmarillionThe SilmarillionThe Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
. The first mention is in the chapter concerning BerenBerenBeren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...
and LúthienLúthienLúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Lord of the Rings and the Grey Annals, as well as in other material.-Character overview:Lúthien is a Telerin ...
. Rivil's Well was where a camp was made by the OrcOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
s that had killed BarahirBarahirBarahir is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian and the Grey Annals.-Character overview:...
, father of BerenBerenBeren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...
. Beren attacked them there, taking back the Ring of Barahir before escaping again.
- The second mention is in the chapter concerning the Nírnaeth ArnoediadNirnaeth ArnoediadIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand.-The Fifth Battle as told in The Silmarillion:...
, where the valiant retreat of HúrinHúrinHúrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in Middle-earth...
and HuorHuorHuor is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age. Huor was a grandson of Hador of the Third House of Edain, and lived in the Hadorian fief of Dor-lómin in Hithlum. His father was Galdor the Tall and his mother Hareth...
is described thus: "...foot by foot they withdrew, until they came behind the Fen of Serech, and had the stream of Rivil before them. There they stood and gave way no more."
Rushdown: An early tributary to the Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
river flowing from the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. Early writings of Tolkien also gave its Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
name Rhimdath.
Running: See Celduin
S
Serni: The fourth of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in GondorGondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. It began in the plains of Lebennin and met the Bay of Belfalas
Bay of Belfalas
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Bay of Belfalas was a large southern bay in the Great Sea.The Bay of Belfalas was the remainder of the eastern edge of the Great Gulf that had divided Beleriand from the Lands to the South in the First Age...
north of the Mouths of Anduin at the city of Linhir.
- The name is usually written Serni, although in the Preface to The Adventures of Tom BombadilThe Adventures of Tom BombadilThe Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry written by J. R. R. Tolkien and published in 1962. The book contains 16 poems, only two of which deal with Tom Bombadil, a character who is most famous for his encounter with Frodo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring...
Tolkien spelt it Sernui.
Shirebourn: A river of the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
with the source in the uplands of the Green Hill Country of the Eastfarthing. Thence it ran south and then southeast, meeting the Thistle Brook at Willowbottom and then flowing eastwards to Baranduin. There it formed the boggy region known as the Overbourn Marshes.
Silverlode: A river of Lothlórien rising in the eastern Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
near the East Gate of Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
. It then ran through Lothlórien where it met Nimrodel and emptied into Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
. The Company of the Ring followed this river when they travelled from Moria to Lothlórien.
- Silverlode was called Celebrant in SindarinSindarinSindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
and Kibil-nâla in DwarvishKhuzdulKhuzdul is a constructed language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is one of the many fictional language set in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth...
. It also formed the northern boundary of the Field of Celebrant.
Sirannon: The Gate Stream of Khazad-dûm. Beginning at the Silvertine, it flowed past the gates of Moria towards the river Glanduin. Sirannon encountered the Stair Falls under the gates of Moria, and its sound could have been heard from miles around.
- During the War of the RingWar of the RingIn the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, the Company of the Ring found that the Gate Stream had been dammed by someone or something, and before the gates of Moria there was a foul lake where the Watcher in the WaterWatcher in the WaterThe Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium; it appears in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings...
dwelt.
Sirion: A river of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
in the First Age, the principal river of Beleriand. During most of its course it was the border between East and West Beleriand. Karen Wynn Fonstad estimates its length as 390 miles in her Atlas of Middle-earth. Sirion flowed southwards along the border of the Ered Wethrin, passing through the Fens of Serech before entering the valley between the Ered Wethrin and the Pass of Sirion. It then continued south into Beleriand, with the Forest of Brethil to the west, and Dimbar and then Doriath to the east. After leaving Doriath it ran though Fens of Sirion before falling below ground in the Falls of Sirion at Andram (the Long Wall), where the ground fell steeply. Three leagues southwards the Sirion exited the underground caves at the Gates of Sirion. It then flowed southwards through Nan-Tathren until it reached the Bay of Balar, part of Belegaer, at the Ethir Sirion, Mouths of Sirion. Barad Eithel, at the source of the Sirion in the Ered Wethrin, was a chief fortress of Fingolfin
Fingolfin
Fingolfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.-Internal history:He was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand, second eldest son of Finwë, full brother of Finarfin, and half-brother of Fëanor, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was...
and his son Fingon
Fingon
Fingon is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
. Further south, in the Pass of Sirion, lay Tol Sirion in the centre of the river.
Sirith: The third of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. Celon was its tributary, while Sirith met Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
at Pelargir.
Snowbourn: A river of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
arising in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Middle-earth)
The White Mountains, a loose translation of the Sindarin Ered Nimrais "Whitehorn Mountains", is a fictional mountain range in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The mountains are named after the glaciers of their highest peaks...
under the mountain Starkhorn. It flowed through Harrowdale where Edoras was built, and then flowed east until it met the river Entwash. It separated Rohan's Eastfold from the West Emnet.
T
Taeglin: A tributary of Sirion. It rose in the southern reaches of the Ered Wethrin, ran generally southeast, receiving the waters of Glithui and Malduin, then passed along the southern margin of the Forest of Brethil, where it ran through a gorge named Cabed-en-Aras and then received the Celebros. The Taeglin then ran eastward into Sirion at the borders of DoriathDoriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
.
- An important ford on the river was the Crossings of Teiglin, near the western border of Brethil. A road ran through it from NargothrondNargothrondIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
to Minas Tirith. Minor tributaries were Celebros and Malduin. The river's banks near Celebros was the scene of the encounter between Túrin TurambarTúrin TurambarTúrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...
and the dragon GlaurungGlaurungGlaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the first of the Dragons. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of...
.
- In the published Silmarillion and early writings, the river was called Teiglin. As revealed in The History of Middle-earthThe History of Middle-earthThe History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...
, the river name should actually have been spelt Taeglin. This was a relatively late change which was not adopted by Christopher TolkienChristopher TolkienChristopher Reuel Tolkien is the third and youngest son of the author J. R. R. Tolkien , and is best known as the editor of much of his father's posthumously published work. He drew the original maps for his father's The Lord of the Rings, which he signed C. J. R. T. The J...
in his published Silmarillion.
Thalos: A tributary of Gelion. It was the third from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand. Thalos sprang from the Ered Luin and at its springs Finrod met the first Men to enter Beleriand
Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
.
Thistle Brook: A stream of the Eastfarthing of the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
. It flowed southeast round the Woody End and through the village of Willowbottom before its waters emptied into Shirebourn.
W
The Water: A river in the Shire. It was a tributary of the river Brandywine that arose in the Westfarthing of the Shire, and flowed eastward to meet Brandywine just north of the Brandywine Bridge. Hobbiton and Bywater both stood on this river.Withywindle: A river in the Old Forest
Old Forest
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Old Forest is a small forested area which lies east of the Shire in Buckland....
and tributary of Baranduin. It has its origin in the Barrow-downs, flows past the house of Tom Bombadil
Tom Bombadil
Tom Bombadil is a supporting character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in Tolkien's high fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, published in 1954 and 1955. In the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo Baggins and company meet Bombadil in the Old Forest...
and Goldberry
Goldberry
Goldberry is a supporting character from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Also known as the "River-woman's daughter," she is the wife of Tom Bombadil...
in the Old Forest, and joins the Brandywine. The name is derived from Withy
Withy
Withy or withe is a strong flexible willow stem that is typically used in thatching and for gardening. An advantage of using this type of material is said to be a greater resistance to woodworm....
(willow), and Windle (basket).
External links
- Musings on Limlight by H. Martínez and J. Merino at Tengwestië
- Rivers and Lakes at the Encyclopedia of Arda