Lake-town: Difference between revisions

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'''2013: ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]'':'''
'''2013: ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug]]'':'''
:Lake-town appears on the second Hobbit film.The scenes in Lake-town were shot in  studio in New Zealand.{{fact}} As opposed to the book, the dwarves and Bilbo met Bard earlier,as he goes them to Lake-town. As in the book there is a Master and a counselor named [[Alfrid]],a character created by the filmakers. In the movie they stay shorter that in the book, where they stayed for a mounth.
:Lake-town appears on the second Hobbit film.The scenes in Lake-town were shot in  studio in New Zealand.{{fact}} Itr role and it;s appearence is much more the same as in the book, with a few devastiations. As opposed to the book, the dwarves and Bilbo met Bard earlier,as he enters them to Lake-town. As in the book, there is a Master and a counselor named [[Alfrid]],a character created by the filmakers. In the movie, they stay shorter that in the book, where they stayed for a mounth. Also in the movie [[Kili]] was let behind, along with [[Óin]] and [[Fíli]], because of his injuries by Morgul arrow, striken by an Orc during the  barrel escape.[[Tauriel]], an Elf character invented for the films whom he met during its capture in Mirkwood, finds him and heals him.  


'''2014: ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]'':'''
'''2014: ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies]]'':'''
:Lake-town appears in the opening scene of the third Hobbit film, where it is destroyed by Smaug, WHO attacks there for revenge because the people of Laketown helped Bilbo and the dwarves to come to Erebor.As in the book, Smaug is killed by Bard.
:Lake-town appears in the opening scene of the third Hobbit film, where it is destroyed by Smaug, who attacks there for revenge because the people of Laketown helped Bilbo and the dwarves to come to Erebor.In the movie, Kili along with [[Óin]] and [[Fíli]] become witnesses of its destruction and with the help of Tauriel,  they help Bard family to escape from the destroyed city,  As in the book, Smaug is killed by Bard.


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 02:20, 3 January 2017

This article is about the town in Rhovanion. For the MERP supplement, see Lake-town (book).
Lake-town
Town, also described as City
J.R.R. Tolkien - Lake Town (Colored by H. E. Riddett).jpg
General Information
Other namesEsgaroth
LocationWilderland
TypeTown, also described as City
DescriptionTown built on surface of north-western Long Lake
RegionsKingdom of Dale (after T.A. 2944)
People and History
InhabitantsLake-men
EventsAttack of Smaug, Battle of Five Armies
GalleryImages of Lake-town

Lake-town, also known as Esgaroth upon the Long Lake, was the township of the Lake-men in Wilderland.

Description

The town was constructed entirely of wood and stood upon wooden pillars sunk into the bed of the Long Lake, as a protection against the dragon Smaug, who dwelt nearby in the Lonely Mountain.

It was situated on the west side of the lake, north of the mouth of the Forest River in a calm bay that was formed by the shelter of a rock promontory. A long wooden bridge connected the town to the land, ending in a building, with guards watching over the entrance.

The central market square of the Lake-town

In the middle of Lake-town the central market-place was located, which was a round pool connected to the lake by a tunnel[1]. The greatest houses of Lake-town were around this market-place, from which ramps descended to the water[2]. The edge of the town was occupied with quays and, again, ramps, which descended to the water.[3][4]

History

It is not known when Lake-town was built. The name Esgaroth is mentioned on Thrór's Map, and is said to be an older name, known while Smaug was younger[5]. When Bilbo Baggins came to the town, he noticed old pilings of a (possibly older) greater town along the shores when the waters sank in a drought.[2] It's possible that an original Esgaroth was destroyed sometime in the past, and the later Lake-town was its remnant.[4]

The Lake-town was occupied by the Lake-men, descendants of the survivors of the former Kingdom of Dale, like Bard the Bowman, whose ancestor was its last lord, Girion. However as the years passed, Smaug was forgotten and children even doubted about his existence or the tales of older men who sometimes had seen him flying.[2]

Henning Janssen - Abusing Hospitality

In the autumn of T.A. 2941 Thorin and Company escaped from Thranduil's halls and Thorin followed by Fíli, Kíli and Bilbo decided to enter the town and speak to the Master. The Dwarves were welcomed warmly, because the Lake-men were eager to have the King under the Mountain return. The Dwarves and Bilbo were hosted, rested and pampered before being sent with boats to the ruins of Dale to confront the dragon.

John Howe - Smaug Destroys Lake-town

Some days later however, the town was attacked by Smaug, but Bard the Bowman, who had indirectly learned of a weakness in Smaug's armour, slew the dragon with the Black Arrow. The town was wrecked by the dragon who fell dead on it and sunk in the lake. Survivors managed to sail to the lakeshore with boats and camped there[1].

Thorin refused to share Smaug's treasure and declared war on both the Lake-men and the Elves. The conflict eventually exploded because they heard news of approaching Wargs and Goblins. Thus began the Battle of Five Armies.

The town was afterwards rebuilt to the north of its former location, using some of the treasure. The town's Master ran off with some of the gold. Part of the town's population followed Bard to resettle the Kingdom of Dale.

By the time of the War of the Ring, Lake-town was part of the kingdom of Dale under Bard II.[6]

Etymology

The name Esgaroth was seemingly not given a clear etymology in any of Tolkien's later writings. A manuscript written after The Lord of the Rings states that Esgaroth was "not Sindarin (though perhaps 'Sindarized' in shape)", similarly to the name Galion.[7]

In earlier manuscripts, at least two interpretations of the name Esgaroth appeared:

  1. Deriving from the root-word esgar, meaning "reed-bed" in Ilkorin Elvish. The whole name Esgaroth translates as "…Reedlake, because of reed-banks in west".[8]
  2. Translated as "[?]strand-burg", from esgar "shore" (not given any designated language).[9]

Portrayal in adaptations

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

Esgaroth is featured as a level.[source?]

2013: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug:

Lake-town appears on the second Hobbit film.The scenes in Lake-town were shot in studio in New Zealand.[source?] Itr role and it;s appearence is much more the same as in the book, with a few devastiations. As opposed to the book, the dwarves and Bilbo met Bard earlier,as he enters them to Lake-town. As in the book, there is a Master and a counselor named Alfrid,a character created by the filmakers. In the movie, they stay shorter that in the book, where they stayed for a mounth. Also in the movie Kili was let behind, along with Óin and Fíli, because of his injuries by Morgul arrow, striken by an Orc during the barrel escape.Tauriel, an Elf character invented for the films whom he met during its capture in Mirkwood, finds him and heals him.

2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:

Lake-town appears in the opening scene of the third Hobbit film, where it is destroyed by Smaug, who attacks there for revenge because the people of Laketown helped Bilbo and the dwarves to come to Erebor.In the movie, Kili along with Óin and Fíli become witnesses of its destruction and with the help of Tauriel, they help Bard family to escape from the destroyed city, As in the book, Smaug is killed by Bard.

External links

References

Route of Thorin and Company
Bag End · Green Dragon · The Shire · Lone-lands · Last Bridge · Trollshaws · Trolls' cave · Rivendell · High Pass · Front Porch · Goblin-town · Goblin-gate · Eagle's Eyrie · Carrock · Beorn's Hall · Wilderland · Forest Gate · Elf-path · Mirkwood · Elvenking's Halls · Forest River · Lake-town · Long Lake · River Running · Desolation of the Dragon · Ravenhill · Back Door · Lonely Mountain · Great Hall of Thráin