Misty Mountains
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's fantasy world
of Middle-earth
, the Misty Mountains (also known by its Sindarin
name of Hithaeglir—misspelled as Hithaiglin on the original Lord of the Rings
map—and as the Mountains of Mist) is a mountain range
, running for 795 miles (1280 kilometres) from north to south, between Eriador
and the valley of the Great River, Anduin
, and from Mount Gundabad in the far north to Methedras in the south.
awoke, though it was later an abode of Orcs
.
The greatest Dwarven
realm in Middle-earth, Khazad-dûm, was located at the midpoint of the Misty Mountains. The three peaks that were part of Khazad-dûm were Caradhras
(Redhorn), Celebdil (Silvertine) and Fanuidhol (Cloudyhead). Inside Celebdil, the Dwarves built the Endless Stair, from the foundations of the mountain to the top of it. The southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains was Methedras (Last Peak).
The most important passes are the High Pass and the Redhorn Pass. There was also a pass at the source of the Gladden.
The Gap of Rohan was the valley (probably of the River Isen) between the southernmost peaks of the Misty Mountains and the northernmost of the White Mountains
. There may have been a gap between Mount Gundabad in the Misty Mountains and the westernmost extremity of the Grey Mountains, though published maps differ on this point.
Rivers originating in the Misty Mountains:
who wanted to make it difficult for Oromë, who often rode across Middle-earth hunting, to pass. They were far taller in those days and had a more dreaded appearance.
The High Pass (also called the Pass of Imladris and Cirith Forn en Andrath was first created before the First Age
by Oromë in order to allow for a crossing of the mountains by the Eldar
. Later in the First Age the High Pass was used by the Dwarves
, who connected their roads (the Great East Road and the Men-i-Naugrim through Mirkwood
) with it. There are actually two passes at this location. The lower pass is more prone to being blocked by Orcs, hence most travellers using the higher pass outside of those rare occasions when the Orcs were suppressed.
The great Dwarf realm of Khazad-dûm was once established beneath the Misty Mountains, but the unearthing of the Balrog
(Durin's Bane) in T.A.
1981 led to the desertion of this realm by Dwarves, though Orcs and other creatures came to dwell under the Misty Mountains.
In the Second Age
the High Pass was used by the army of Gil-galad
and Elendil
when they marched to Mordor
in the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. After this war Isildur
was slain by Orc
s watching the way towards the pass.
During the later Third Age
the Pass became dangerous again because of the Orcs. Only with the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, which nearly wiped out all Orcs of the mountains, did it become safe again. Nevertheless by the time of the Quest of Erebor
the goblins of Goblin Town had burrowed their way back to it, and eventually captured Bilbo Baggins
and Thorin Oakenshield
's Dwarf company.
The Fellowship of the Ring tried to cross the Redhorn Pass (after rejecting the High Pass leading to Rhovanion
as being watched by the Enemy, and the Gap of Rohan as taking the Fellowship too close to Isengard
), but a blizzard forced it to go under the mountain instead of over it. The Nine Walkers faced the Balrog
, Durin's Bane, that dwelt in the deserted realm of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf
fell with the Balrog into the uttermost depths of Moria
and fought the Balrog all the way up the Endless Stair, finally slaying it by throwing it from the peak of Celebdil, but sacrificing his own life in doing so.
and the Orc mines in which Bilbo Baggins stumbles across the One Ring
. Rivendell
was hidden in the foothills of the Misty Mountains at the western end of the High Pass. Carn Dûm, where the Witch-king of Angmar
resided for several centuries in the Third Age, lay between a western spur of the northern extreme of the mountains, known as the Mountains of Angmar. Isengard lay centred around the tower of Orthanc in Nan Curunír between the arms of Methedras. Eagles
had eyries in the Mountains. The Mountains were also home to the only known Balrog in the Second and Third Ages, until it was destroyed by Gandalf the Grey in T.A. 3019. Gollum
, a principal character in the legendarium
, occupied the Mountains for over five centuries, living on an island in a little underground pool. Stone giants (also called mountain giants) were another race that inhabited the outside of the mountain. Sometimes because of their size, they could be mistaken for the side of the mountain itself. At times these creatures could reach heights of forty feet high, they were only witnessed by Bilbo and the thirteen dwarves who were passing that way, and this information can only be found in the Red Book of Westmarch
. Fangorn forest reached right up into the eastern foothills of the southern end of the Misty Mountains, and deep dales there were filled with an ancient darkness.
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 fantasy world
Fantasy world
A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...
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....
, the Misty Mountains (also known by 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 of Hithaeglir—misspelled as Hithaiglin on the original 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...
map—and as the Mountains of Mist) is a mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
, running for 795 miles (1280 kilometres) from north to south, between 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 the valley of 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...
, and from Mount Gundabad in the far north to Methedras in the south.
Geography
The northernmost peak of the Misty Mountains was Mount Gundabad, where according to legend DurinDurin
Durin is the name of seven Kings of Dwarves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They were held by the Dwarves to be the reincarnations of the first one, Durin the Deathless, resembling him in appearance and said to have preserved memories of their 'earlier lives'.Tolkien took the name Durin, like...
awoke, though it was later an abode of Orcs
Orc (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...
.
The greatest Dwarven
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....
realm in Middle-earth, Khazad-dûm, was located at the midpoint of the Misty Mountains. The three peaks that were part of Khazad-dûm were Caradhras
Caradhras
In the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Caradhras, also called the Redhorn , and known in the Dwarves' language as Barazinbar, is one of the mightiest peaks in the Misty Mountains...
(Redhorn), Celebdil (Silvertine) and Fanuidhol (Cloudyhead). Inside Celebdil, the Dwarves built the Endless Stair, from the foundations of the mountain to the top of it. The southernmost peak of the Misty Mountains was Methedras (Last Peak).
The most important passes are the High Pass and the Redhorn Pass. There was also a pass at the source of the Gladden.
The Gap of Rohan was the valley (probably of the River Isen) between the southernmost peaks of the Misty Mountains and the northernmost of 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...
. There may have been a gap between Mount Gundabad in the Misty Mountains and the westernmost extremity of the Grey Mountains, though published maps differ on this point.
Rivers originating in the Misty Mountains:
- Flowing West: Hoarwell, Bruinen, Glanduin, and Isen.
- Flowing East: Langwell, Rushdown, Gladden, Silverlode, Nimrodel, Entwash.
History
The Misty Mountains were created by MelkorMorgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
who wanted to make it difficult for Oromë, who often rode across Middle-earth hunting, to pass. They were far taller in those days and had a more dreaded appearance.
The High Pass (also called the Pass of Imladris and Cirith Forn en Andrath was first created before the First Age
First Age
In 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...
by Oromë in order to allow for a crossing of the mountains by the Eldar
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
. Later in the First Age the High Pass was used by the 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....
, who connected their roads (the Great East Road and the Men-i-Naugrim through 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 ...
) with it. There are actually two passes at this location. The lower pass is more prone to being blocked by Orcs, hence most travellers using the higher pass outside of those rare occasions when the Orcs were suppressed.
The great Dwarf realm of Khazad-dûm was once established beneath the Misty Mountains, but the unearthing of the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
(Durin's Bane) in T.A.
Third Age
The 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....
1981 led to the desertion of this realm by Dwarves, though Orcs and other creatures came to dwell under the Misty Mountains.
In the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
the High Pass was used by the army of Gil-galad
Gil-galad
Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, and featured in The Silmarillion.- Character overview :...
and Elendil
Elendil
Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
when they marched to 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...
in the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. After this war Isildur
Isildur
Isildur 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....
was slain by Orc
Orc (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 watching the way towards the pass.
During the later Third Age
Third Age
The 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....
the Pass became dangerous again because of the Orcs. Only with the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, which nearly wiped out all Orcs of the mountains, did it become safe again. Nevertheless by the time of the Quest of Erebor
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...
the goblins of Goblin Town had burrowed their way back to it, and eventually captured Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
and 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...
's Dwarf company.
The Fellowship of the Ring tried to cross the Redhorn Pass (after rejecting the High Pass leading to 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...
as being watched by the Enemy, and the Gap of Rohan as taking the Fellowship too close to Isengard
Isengard
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....
), but a blizzard forced it to go under the mountain instead of over it. The Nine Walkers faced the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
, Durin's Bane, that dwelt in the deserted realm of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
fell with the Balrog into the uttermost depths 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...
and fought the Balrog all the way up the Endless Stair, finally slaying it by throwing it from the peak of Celebdil, but sacrificing his own life in doing so.
Inhabitants
Under the Misty Mountains are the former Dwarf realm 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...
and the Orc mines in which Bilbo Baggins stumbles across the One Ring
One Ring
The 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...
. Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
was hidden in the foothills of the Misty Mountains at the western end of the High Pass. Carn Dûm, where the Witch-king of Angmar
Witch-king of Angmar
The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain among other names, is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. In Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl , the chief servants...
resided for several centuries in the Third Age, lay between a western spur of the northern extreme of the mountains, known as the Mountains of Angmar. Isengard lay centred around the tower of Orthanc in Nan Curunír between the arms of Methedras. Eagles
Eagle (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the eagles were immense flying birds that were sapient and could speak. Often emphatically referred to as the Great Eagles, they appear, usually and intentionally serving as agents of deus ex machina , in various parts of his legendarium,...
had eyries in the Mountains. The Mountains were also home to the only known Balrog in the Second and Third Ages, until it was destroyed by Gandalf the Grey in T.A. 3019. Gollum
Gollum
Gollum 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....
, a principal character in the legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, occupied the Mountains for over five centuries, living on an island in a little underground pool. Stone giants (also called mountain giants) were another race that inhabited the outside of the mountain. Sometimes because of their size, they could be mistaken for the side of the mountain itself. At times these creatures could reach heights of forty feet high, they were only witnessed by Bilbo and the thirteen dwarves who were passing that way, and this information can only be found in the Red Book of Westmarch
Red Book of Westmarch
The Red Book of Westmarch is a fictional manuscript written by hobbits, a conceit of author J. R. R...
. Fangorn forest reached right up into the eastern foothills of the southern end of the Misty Mountains, and deep dales there were filled with an ancient darkness.