Vales of Anduin

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 00:11, 30 December 2012 by 2.219.164.233 (talk)
"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
This article or section needs expansion and/or modification. Please help the wiki by expanding it.

The Vales of Anduin was the collective name for the large valley of the Anduin, specifically the part east of the Misty Mountains. It is where the Gladden River meets the Anduin and form the Gladden Fields. Throughout history, it had been occupied by Elves, Men and Hobbits.

History

In the First Age, the Teleri who were too afraid to cross the Misty Mountains stopped there. They became the Nandor and their leader was Lenwe.[1] Later they were joined by the Avari, specifically the Penni, who came west. But eventually they left the Vales for the west or became the Elves of Mirkwood or the Galadhrim.

Near the end of the First Age, the Vales were occupied by Edain, the ancestors of the Northmen. Those were in confederation with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and provided food in return for Dwarven weapons and precious items. This cooperation continued until the reign of Durin IV.[2]

After the disastrous Battle of the Plains, some Northmen were gathereed under the leadership of Marhwini son of Marhari, who led them north between Anduin and Mirkwood, eventually settling in the Vales of Anduin between the Carrock and the Gladden Fields.[3] They were joined by many fugitives who came through Mirkwood. This was the birth of the Éothéod.

Sometime during the Third Age the Hobbits migrated to the Vales of Anduin from an unknown earlier location; the Vales are their first known location before eventually the Shadow of Dol Guldur fell on Greenwood. The Harfoots left for the west in T.A. 1050 and begin their Wandering Days. When Angmar threatened Eriador, some of the Stoors would return to the east and around T.A. 1356 settled in the Gladden Fields.[4]

Once a fair and fertile land, it became a dangerous area, beleaguered by the creatures of the Necromancer at Dol Guldur. However, when the evil Kingdom of Angmar was destroyed in T.A. 1975, freeing up land to the north, Frumgar led the Éothéod to the vale between the rivers Greylin and Langwell,[5] where they built a city.

In the later years before the War of the Ring, the Vales were inhabited by the Beornings.[6] During Grimbeorn's time, the High Pass and the Ford of Carrock were kept open and no Orc or Wolf dared to enter his land.[7]

Climate

Firs, strawberries and wild berries (cf.) grew in the Vales.[source?]

References