Rhimdath

From Tolkien Gateway
Rhimdath
River
General Information
Other namesRushdown
LocationUpper vale of the Anduin
TypeRiver
DescriptionShort, east-flowing tributary of the Anduin

The Rhimdath or Rushdown was a short, early tributary of the Anduin River. It flowed from the Misty Mountains eastward into the Anduin roughly halfway between the Langwell-Greylin confluence and the Carrock.[1] Given the name "Rushdown" it probably had a steep gradient.

The river-name is found as a pencilled addition by Tolkien on the map of Wilderland in one of his copies of The Hobbit.[1] It has been noted that Rhimdath (according to the map) seems to have been joined by another small mountain stream.[2]

The river-name is also a feature of the first map of The Lord of the Rings in The Treason of Isengard. On Map II, in square J-12, both "R.Rushdown" and "Rhimdad" are written next to the short Anduin tributary north of the Carrock.[3]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The first element in Rhimdath is related to Noldorin rhib-, rhimp, rhimmo ("to flow like a [?torrent]"), derived from the stem RIP- ("rush, fly, fling"). Christopher Tolkien stated that the name Rhibdath or Rhimdath, given the meaning "Rushdown", was a hastily scribbled addition at the end of the R-stems.[4] In the index he noted that this name only appeared in The Etymologies but is the river described above.[5][note 1]

As the stem DAT- is glossed as "fall down",[6] it is possible that the second element in Rhimdath is a derivative of this stem.

Notes

  1. This was before the publication of The Return of the Shadow.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Return of the Shadow, "The First Phase: XI. From Weathertop to the Ford, Note on the river of Rivendell", p. 205
  2. Rivers & Falls: Rushdown at The Thain's Book (accessed 29 April 2011)
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Treason of Isengard, "XV. The First Map of The Lord of the Rings", "Map II", p. 305
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 384
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Index", p. 446
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 354