A Guide to Tolkien

Radagast

Istari, Wizard of Middle-earth. Radagast the Brown was originally a Maia spirit of Yavanna the Fruitful called Aiwendil, meaning “lover of birds”. Chosen as one of the Istari, the order of Wizards, he came to Middle-earth in the year 1000 of the Third Age of the Sun. He seemed little concerned with the affairs of Elves and Men, but was extremely knowledgeable about herbs, plants, birds and beasts.

Radgbug

Orc of Cirith Ungol. During the War of the Ring, Radgbug gained brief note when he refused to carry out an order given by his Uruk-hai captain, Shagrat, after a fight between the Orcs of the Tower of the Spider’s Pass and the Orcs of Minas Morgul. His mutiny was short-lived because Shagrat threw him to the ground and squeezed out his eyes.

Rangers of Ithilien

At the end of the twenty-ninth century of the Third Age of the Sun, Túrin II, the Ruling Steward of Gondor, decreed that a brotherhood of knights be formed in North Ithilien, for Gondor’s power in that land was threatened by enemies from Mordor and Morgul. So the band called the Rangers of Ithilien was formed. These knights were dressed in foresters’ green, and they fought with bows, spears and swords. In the years before the War of the Ring, their captain was Faramir, second son of Denethor, Gondor’s Ruling Steward. Greatest of their dwellings was that refuge of caves and tunnels behind a great waterfall that looked far over the Vales of Anduin. This place was called Henneth Annûn, the “window of the sunset”.

Rangers of the North

Through many centuries of the Third Age of the Sun, in the lands of Eriador, there roamed grim-faced men clothed in cloaks of forest-green or grey, with clasps like silver Stars on their left shoulders. They were grey-eyed, armed with sword and spear, and they wore long leather boots. By the common folk of Eriador they were called Rangers, and they were thought to be a strange, unfriendly people. For though they wandered over all the lands of Eriador on foot or on strange shaggy Horses, they did so silently. Indeed, few knew who these tough weather-worn Rangers were, or from where they had come. But as the “Red Book of Westmarch” reveals, the Rangers were in fact the last nobles and knights of that once great Dúnedain realm of Arnor and their chieftain was the High Dúnedain king. In the years before and after the War of the Ring this was Aragorn, son of Arathorn, who as a Ranger was called Strider. At that time one named Halbarad, who was slain on Pelennor Fields, was Aragorn’s chief lieutenant among the Rangers, while the famous sons of Elrond Half-elven, Elladan and Elrohir, also rode in that company.

At the War’s end Aragorn was crowned King Elessar, lord of the twin Dúnedain realms of Arnor and Gondor, and the Rangers were honoured among the greatest Men of that Reunited Kingdom.

Rauros Falls

The most spectacular waterfalls on Middle-earth in the Third Age were the Rauros Falls on the Anduin River on the northern border of Gondor. The name Rauros means “roaring foam”, and accurately describes it as it fell in a shimmering golden haze from the long lake of Nen Hithoel on the heights of Emyn Muil to the marshlands below. The falls were unnavigable, but a portage route called the North Stair had been cut in the cliffs as a means of bypassing them. During the Quest of the Ring, the funeral boat of Boromir of Gondor was sent over the Rauros Falls to its final rest.

Ravenhill

Within Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, that stands just east of the forest of Mirkwood, was the Dwarf Kingdom under the Mountain. The Dwarves of Erebor built a fortified hill on the mountain’s southern spur. This was called Ravenhill because the hill and its guardhouse rooftop was home to many Ravens who were always friends and allies of the Dwarves. It was here that the Raven called Roäc brought news to Thorin Oakenshield that Smaug the Golden Dragon had been slain. During the Battle of Five Armies, it was on Ravenhill that the Elves (with Gandalf the Wizard and Bilbo Baggins) made their stand.

Ravens

Many races of birds lived on Middle-earth. Among those named in the tales were the Eagles, which were noblest of all birds, and the Ravens, which were strong and long-living.

Part of the tale of the slaying of Smaug, the Dragon of Erebor, tells of the Ravens of Erebor, which in the Third Age of the Sun served the Dwarves of Durin’s Line. These Ravens were wise counsellors and swift messengers of the Dwarves, and they were skilled in many tongues. At that time Roäc, son of Carc, was lord of the Ravens. He was ancient, his life having spanned more than one hundred and fifty years. By his will and wisdom he ruled the Ravens. And in the common tongue of Westron, Roäc spoke to his Dwarvish friends and brought them news and aid.

Region

Among the trees of Middle-earth was one that Elves called Region, and Men called Holly. Part of the realm of Sindar was named after that tree. This was the dense forest area of East Beleriand, which lay within the guarded realm of Doriath.

Region was widespread in Middle-earth, but in few places did it grow luxuriantly. One of the areas where it was most widely known was Eregion, which means “land of the Holly”. The Elven-smiths lived there in the Second Age of the Sun, and it was there that the mighty Rings of Power were forged.

Rhovanion

The wide lands between the Misty Mountains and the Sea of Rhûn were called Rhovanion or “wilder-land” and encompassed all lands south of the Grey Mountains and north of Gondor and Mordor. This included Mirkwood, Erebor, Lothlórien, Fangorn, the Brown Lands and all the northern vales of the Great River Anduin.

Rhûn

To the north-east of Mordor and west of Rhovanion lay the vast lands of Rhûn. Here was the inland Sea of Rhûn which was fed by the Redwater and Running Rivers. Out of the wide lands of Rhûn came many a barbarian people to make war on the Dúnedain through the Second and Third Ages of the Sun. Rhûn was the land of the Easterlings who were ever under the influence of Sauron, the Ring Lord. Many of his greatest servants were recruited among the kings of Rhûn. By the Fourth Age, King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom had broken the power of most of the kingdoms of Rhûn and forced them to make a lasting peace with the westlands.

Ringwraiths

Nine was the number of the mighty wraiths that Sauron released in Middle-earth after the forging of the Rings of Power. In Black Speech they were named the Nazgûl, which in the common tongue is “Ringwraiths”, and they were the chief servants and generals of Sauron.

The tale of the evil deeds of the Ringwraiths is long, and the phantom shadows of these Black Riders brought terror to the hearts of even the bravest peoples of Middle-earth.

Rivendell

In the year 1697 of the Second Age, in the wake of the War of Sauron and the Elves, Master Elrond Half-elven fled Eregion with a remnant of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain. While most of the kingdom of the Elven-smiths of Eriador was destroyed, the surviving High Elves built the refuge of Rivendell in the steep, hidden valley of Imladris in easternmost Eriador at the foot of the Misty Mountains, in the “Angle” of land between the rivers Hoarwell and Loudwater.

Here was hidden the great House of Elrond. Considered the “Last Homely House East of the Sea”, it was a house of wisdom, great learning and a refuge of kindness for all Elves and Men of goodwill. It was here that Bilbo Baggins found refuge, as later did the Fellowship of the Ring. The house and valley were guarded by Elven enchantments that caused the rivers on either side to rise up and repel invaders. Rivendell survived all the wars of the Second and Third Ages, and besides being an Elven refuge, it was also a refuge for the Dúnedain, and particularly the Chieftains of the North Kingdom. After the War of the Ring, Elrond left Rivendell for the Undying Lands, but Elrohir, Elladan and Celeborn remained there with many other Elves until that time in the Fourth Age when the last Elven ship departed from the Grey Havens.

River Anduin

In the Third and Fourth Ages of the Sun, the Anduin was the largest and longest river on Middle-earth. Its name is Elvish for “great river” and it was often simply called The Great River. Its major tributaries were Celebrant, Gladden, Entwash, Limlight, Morgulduin, Erui, Poros and Sirith. The Anduin lands, stretching from its source in the Grey Mountains in the far north to its delta which drained into the Bay of Belfalas in the south, were the lands most hotly contested on Middle-earth during the War of the Ring.

River-women

In the histories and writings of Middle-earth, mention is made of the River-women. Whether, like Ossë and Uinen, these were Maiar of Ulmo, Lord of the Waters, or whether they were spirits who came into the World like Ents, is not told; but it is certain they were chiefly concerned with the Kelvar and Olvar of the World.

The “Red Book of Westmarch” tells how the River-woman of the Withywindle had a daughter named Goldberry, who was the wife of Tom Bombadil. This River-daughter was golden-haired and bright as an Elf-maiden. Her garments were often silver and green, and flowers continuously blossomed in the spring of her light and laughter.

Roäc the Raven

Raven lord of Erebor. The son of Carc, he was born in the year 2788 of the Third Age. Roäc was 153 years old and rather feather-bald when he helped out the Dwarves of Thorin and Company. It was Roäc who told Thorin of the death of Smaug the Golden Dragon, and it was he who sent his Ravens to the Dwarves of the Iron Hills to recruit them for the Battle of Five Armies.

Rógin

In the language of the Rohirrim horsemen, Rógin was the name given to those primitive tribal people of the Druadan Forest who were more commonly called the Wildmen or the Woses.

Rohan

The kingdom of Rohan, meaning “horse land”, was founded in 2510 of the Third Age of the Sun after the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. During this battle a wandering race of golden-haired horsemen called the Éothéod came to the rescue of the Men of Gondor and turned the tide of battle. In gratitude, they were given Gondor’s entire province of Calenardhon as an independent yet allied nation. Thereafter, the Éothéod called themselves the Rohirrim or “horse-lords” and made Rohan (or Riddermark) their home. Rohan largely consisted of the wide grasslands, horse plains and farmlands bordered by the River Anduin in the east, the White Horn Mountains in the south, the Misty Mountains and the Fangorn Forest in the north. It was divided into five main regions: Eastfold, Westfold, East Emnet, West Emnet and the Wold. The Entwash and the Snowbourn were the main tributaries of the Anduin River that drained its lands. Rohan’s capital was the city of Edoras where Meduseld, the Golden Hall of the king was found. Although Edoras was fortified, it was not easily defended. In time of war, the Rohirrim took refuge in the great fortresses of Helm’s Deep and Dunharrow, high up in the White Horn Mountains. This happened during the Dunlending Invasion of 2758 and again during the War of the Ring and the decisive Battle of Hornburg. After the Rohirrim’s critical role in the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the defeat of the Ring Lord; Rohan, with the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, prospered long and well into the Fourth Age.

Roheryn

Horse of Aragorn II. During the War of the Ring, Roheryn carried Aragorn into many battles. A shaggy, but strong and proud horse, he was the gift of the Elven princess Arwen to her betrothed future king. Roheryn means “horse of the lady”. During the War he served Aragorn in the Battle of Hornburg, through the Paths of the Dead into the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and right up to that final cataclysm before the Black Gates of Mordor.

Rohirrim

In the year 2510 of the Third Age of the Sun, a host of golden-haired horsemen came to the Battle of the Field of Celebrant to rescue the routed army of Gondor from the Balchoth and Orc hordes. These were the Éothéod whom the Men of Gondor later named the Rohirrim, the “Horse-lords”. They were Northmen who inhabited the Vales of Anduin, and they were renowned as warriors and Horse-masters.

King Eorl the Young was most praised of their people, for he first tamed the Mearas, the noblest and fairest Horses of Middle-earth, which were said to be descended from Nahar, Oromë the Vala’s steed. And, as is told in the “Book of Kings”, it was Eorl the Young who had brought his warriors to the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. At the desire of the Men of Gondor, Eorl made a kingdom in the province of Calenardhon, which was renamed Rohan and the Mark. And he was made the first of the kings of Rohan who for five centuries of the Third Age ruled the Mark.

Yet the Rohirrim were often called to war, to defend both Gondor and Rohan, for they were bordered by many enemies. The Rohirrim were constantly prepared for battle and always wore silver corselets and bright mail. They were armed with spears and with long swords that were set with green gems. Their hair was braided in long golden plaits, and they wore silver helmets with flowing horsetail manes. They carried green shields emblazoned with a golden Sun and green banners adorned with a white Horse. So armed, and mounted on steeds which were white and grey, the blue-eyed Rohirrim advanced against Easterlings, Dunlendings, Haradrim, Uruk-hai and Orcs.

On the rolling hills near the White Mountains were built the royal courts of Edoras in which was Meduseld, the feast hall of Rohan’s kings, which was roofed with gold. The histories of the nine kings of the Mark are chronicled in the “Annals of the Kings and Rulers”. After Eorl the Young, the king of the greatest fame was Helm Hammerhand, the last of the First Line of kings. For though in his time Rohan suffered disaster by Dunlending invasions, famine and the bitter cold that came in the Long Winter of the year 2759, this king’s valour and strength were so great that his name alone brought terror to his enemies. For it is said Helm walked through blizzards of snow like a huge Troll in the night. He stalked his foes without weapons and slew them with the strength of his bare hands alone. And though he died before the Long Winter ended, the Dunlendings claimed his wraith remained in that place to haunt them and all enemies of the Rohirrim for many years thereafter.

The tale of the War of the Ring tells how Théoden, the last of the Second Line of kings, fell under the power of the Wizard Saruman. But with the aid of Gandalf, Théoden threw off that enchantment and led his warriors to victory at the Battles of Hornburg and of Pelennor Fields against the Dark Powers. And though he was an old man, it is told how he slew a king of Harad on the Pelennor Fields and was granted a warrior’s death there also, for he in turn was slain by the terrible Witch-king of Morgul.

So the lordship of the Rohirrim passed to Théoden’s sister’s son, who was named Éomer. He was counted among the greatest kings of the Mark, for with the Men of Gondor he made firm the old alliance. After the War of the Ring he often rode out to subdue the peoples of the East and South, and the Rohirrim had victory and their children lived in peace in the Fourth Age of the Sun.

Yet in the War of the Ring there was one other of the Rohirrim who won the greatest fame. This was Éowyn, the fair sister of Éomer. For though she was slender and tall she was filled with strength and was wise in the use of weapons of war. As a warrior of Rohan she came to the Battle of Pelennor Fields, and over Théoden, the fallen king, she stood against the Witch-king of Morgul. She then achieved a deed that in four thousand years of terror the mightiest warriors of all Middle-earth could not, for it had been foretold that the Witch-king could not be slain by the hand of Man. So Éowyn revealed that she was not a Man but a shield-maiden, and with her sword she slew the Winged Beast that was the wraith’s steed. Then with the aid of the Hobbit, Meriadoc Brandybuck, she slew the Witch-king himself.