Lakes & Seas of Middle-earth and Numenor

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An encyclopedia of Middle-earth and Numenor

Lakes & Seas

Lakes & Pools

Bywater Pool

Pool formed by the Water. The Bywater Pool was located in the village of Bywater in the Shire. Another stream from the Northfarthing also fed the Bywater Pool. Sam Gamgee used to swim in the Bywater Pool with Rosie Cotton and her brothers. When he was parched with thirst in Mordor, he remembered the sparkling waters and cool mud of the Pool.

There were Hobbit-holes in the north bank of the Pool with gardens that ran down to the water. The Bywater Road ran close to the bank along Pool Side, the southern side of the Pool. It was shaded by an avenue of trees. During the War of the Ring, the trees along Pool Side were cut down and replaced with ugly new houses and the Hobbit-holes in the north bank were abandoned and neglected.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: Map of "A Part of the Shire"
The Return of the King: "Mount Doom, " p. 216; "The Scouring of the Shire," p. 283

Forbidden Pool

The Forbidden Pool in the New Line film

Pool in Ithlien. The Forbidden Pool was located below the hidden refuge of Henneth Annun. It was a deep, oval-shaped basin with rocks as sharp as knives on the bottom. The waterfall of Henneth Annuth flowed down the cliff on the eastern side and filled the pool. Water flowed out of the Forbidden Pool through a narrow opening in the rocks and formed a stream that flowed past the Field of Cormallen.

On March 8, 3019, Gollum found the Forbidden Pool and dived into the water to catch fish. He was spotted by Anborn, a Ranger of Ithilien under Faramir's command. Faramir brought Frodo Baggins to a ledge overlooking the Forbidden Pool and asked whether he should have Gollum shot for trespassing in the pool of the Rangers' secret refuge. Frodo asked Faramir to spare Gollum's life and he went down to the edge of the pool and called to Gollum. When Gollum came, Anborn seized him and Gollum felt betrayed by Frodo. Faramir told Gollum that looking on the Forbidden Pool bore the penalty of death, but at Frodo's request he released Gollum into Frodo's care.

Source:
The Two Towers: "The Window on the West," p. 283; "The Forbidden Pool," p. 292-97 and passim

Lake Evendim

Lake in Eriador. Lake Evendim was in the Hills of Evendim north of the Shire. The lake was the source of the Brandywine River.

In the early part of the Second Age, Galadriel and Celeborn may have dwelled in the area around Lake Evendim with many Elves in their following before they moved to Eregion around the year 700 S.A. Men also lived around Lake Evendim in the early part of the Second Age. When the North-kingdom of Arnor was established in 3320 S.A., the High King Elendil had his seat at Annuminas on the shore of Lake Evendim near the mouth of the Brandywine. One of the palantiri was kept there.

After Arnor was divided into three kingdoms in 861 of the Third Age, the capital was moved to Fornost. Annuminas began to fall into ruin and was eventually abandoned. In the Fourth Age, Annuminas was reestablished as the northern capital by Aragorn, King Elessar. In the year 15 of the Fourth Age, the King and Queen Arwen came north to dwell by the shores of Lake Evendim for a time.

Names & Etymology:
Evendim means "evening twilight." The Sindarin name was Nenuial meaning "lake of twilight" from nen meaning "lake" and uial meaning "twilight."

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "The Council of Elrond," p. 257
The Two Towers: "The Palantir," p. 203
The Return of the King: "Homeward Bound," p. 272-73
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The Numenorean Kings: Numenor," p. 317; "The North-kingdom and the Dunedain," p. 324
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 378
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 360; "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entry for uial
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 234-35
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "Of Dwarves and Men," p. 313

Lake Núrnen

Body of water in Mordor. Nurnen was a large, dark lake or inland sea in the southeastern part of Mordor. At least four rivers or streams branched off Lake Nurnen. The area where Lake Nurnen was located was known as Nurn. This area was the most fertile region in Mordor, and there were fields around the shores of Lake Nurnen that were worked by slaves. After the War of the Ring, Aragorn, King Elessar, freed the slaves and gave them the lands around Lake Nurnen as their own.

Names & Etymology:
On Tolkien's map of Middle-earth, this body of water is called the Sea of Nurnen. In the text, it is referred to as an inland sea but it is called Lake Nurnen.

Nurnen means "sad water" in Sindarin. The word nurn means "lament" and the word nen means "water."

Sources:
Map of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers: "The Black Gate Is Closed," p. 244
The Return of the King: "The Land of Shadow," p. 201; "The Steward and the King," p. 247
Unfinished Tales: Index entry for Nurnen (definition)
Book of Lost Tales I: "Appendix - Names in the Lost Tales," entry for Nuri (definition of nurn).

Long Lake

Lake in Wilderland. Long Lake was formed by the River Running south of its source in the Lonely Mountain. It was a very large, oval-shaped lake that had once been a deep rocky valley. At the southern end of the lake was a waterfall from which the River Running continued its course southward. The Forest River flowed into Long Lake from the west. Lake-town stood on piles in the waters on the west side of Long Lake near the mouth of the Forest River.

Long Lake was central to a system of waterways used to transport goods. Many goods were packed in barrels that were lashed together to form rafts that were steered up and down the waterways by raftmen. Commerce on the waterways thrived when the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Men of Dale prospered in the time of Thror and Girion.

In 2770, Smaug the Dragon seized the Lonely Mountain and destroyed Dale. Trade continued on a much smaller scale between the Men of Lake-town and the Wood-elves of Mirkwood and the lands to the south. In 2941, Bilbo Baggins used the empty barrels sent by the Elves to Lake-town to help his Dwarf companions escape from Thranduil's prison. After Smaug was slain, Dain Ironfoot reestablished the Dwarf kingdom under the Mountain and Bard rebuilt Dale and the waterways became busy once more.

Lake-town was also rebuilt north of its former position in Long Lake. Smaug had landed on the town and destroyed it when Bard shot him. The Dragon's carcass remained in the waters of Long Lake and his bones could be seen in the shallows in calm weather. Few people dared to cross the water there, and no one dared to retrieve the gems that had fallen from Smaug's underbelly and lay at the bottom of the lake.

Sources:
The Hobbit: "Barrels out of Bond," p. 188-89; "A Warm Welcome," p. 201-205; "Fire and Water," p. 267; "The Last Stage," p. 316-17

Mirrormere

Lake in the Dimrill Dale east of Khazad-dum. Mirrormere was a long, oval lake shaped like a spearhead. The lake stretched southward from the northern end of the valley. Around the lake a green lawn sloped down to the shore. The waters of Mirrormere were a deep, dark blue and the surface was flat and still.

A stream called the Dimrill flowed into the northern end of Mirrormere from the slopes of Caradhras. At the southern end of the lake there was an icy spring fed by the waters of Mirrormere which was the source of the Silverlode.

In ancient times, Durin - the eldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves - came to the Dimrill Dale. He looked into Mirrormere and saw a crown of stars appear above the shadow of his head, and he decided to found the realm of Khazad-dum in the mountains above the valley. A column called Durin's Stone was erected to mark the spot where Durin first looked into Mirrormere.

Balin led a company of Dwarves to recolonize Khazad-dum, and on November 10, 2994, he went out to look into Mirrormere and was shot by an Orc. The rest of the colony perished soon afterwards.

On January 15, 3019, Gimli led Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee to look into Mirrormere.

At first they could see nothing. Then slowly they saw the forms of the encircling mountains mirrored in a profound blue, and the peaks were like plumes of white flame above them; beyond there was a space of sky. There like jewels sunk in the deep shone glinting stars, though sunlight was in the sky above. Of their own stooping forms no shadow could be seen.
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Lothlorien," p. 348

Names & Etymology:
Mirrormere was so-called because of the lake's reflective surface. Mere is an archaic word for lake.

The Dwarves called the lake Kheled-zâram meaning "glass pool." The Dwarvish word kheled means "glass" and the word zâram means "pool."

The Elvish name was Nen Cenedril which means "Lake Looking-glass" in Sindarin.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "The Ring Goes South," p. 296; "A Journey in the Dark," p. 329; "Lothlorien," p. 347-48
The History of Middle-earth, vol. VI, The Return of the Shadow: "The Mines of Moria," p. 466 note 39 (Dwarvish and Sindarin etymology)

Mirrormere by Barry Layman

Nen Hithoel

Nen Hithoel in the New Line film

Lake formed by the Anduin. Nen Hithoel was a long, oval-shaped lake. The rugged land called the Emyn Muil spread out from both shores of Nen Hithoel. At the northern end of Nen Hithoel stood the Argonath, great statues of Isildur and Anarion that had been built to mark the northern boundary of Gondor. At the southern end of the lake were the Falls of Rauros.

The island called the Tindrock- or Tol Brandir - rose out of the waters of Nen Hithoel near the southern end. It was said that no man or beast had ever set foot on the island. Two hills stood opposite each other on either side of the lake: Amon Lhaw - the Hill of Hearing - on the eastern shore, and Amon Hen - the Hill of Sight - on the western shore. When Gondor was at its height, watch was kept from seats on the two hills. A green lawn called Parth Galen ran from the foot of Amon Hen to the banks of Nen Hithoel.

On February 25, 3019, the Fellowship rowed down the Anduin into Nen Hithoel and camped at Parth Galen on the western shore. The next day, the Fellowship was broken and Boromir was slain. His body was placed in a boat on Nen Hithoel and the current carried it over the Falls of Rauros. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee rowed across Nen Hithoel past the Tindrock to the eastern shore and they began their journey to Mordor.

Names & Etymology:
Nen Hithoel means "mist-cool water" in Sindarin. The word nen means "water" and hîth means "mist." The final element oel apparently means "cool" although this usage is not found elsewhere. The Etymologies list oel with the meaning "pool, lake" but the spelling was later changed to ael.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Farewell to Lorien," p. 384; "The Great River," p. 410; "The Breaking of the Fellowship," passim
The Two Towers: "The Departure of Boromir," p. 18-21
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 326
The Journeys of Frodo by Barbara Strachey: Map #26 - "Eastemnet and Nen Hithoel"
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entry for HITH
Unfinished Tales: Index entry for Emyn Muil, p. 434 ("Mist-cool Water")
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entry for AY (oel)
"Ae or Oe?" on Ardalambion

Nísinen

Lake in Numenor. Nisinen was near the Bay of Eldanna on the west coast of Numenor. It was on the border of the coastal region of Nisimaldar. The lake was formed by the River Nunduine which flowed into the Bay of Eldanna. There appears to have been a small island in the center of the lake. Sweet-smelling shrubs and flowers grew in abundance on the shores of Nisinen.

Names & Etymology:
The name Nísinen means "fragrant water" in Quenya from níse or nísima meaning "fragrant" and nen meaning "water."

Sources:
Unfinished Tales: Map of Numenor; "A Description of the Island of Numenor," p. 167-68
The Quenya Corpus Wordlist
The Tolkien Language List

Seas

Sea of Núrnen

See Lake Nurnen.

Sea of Rhûn

Sea in eastern Middle-earth. The Sea of Rhun was a large inland sea located in Rhun, a land in far eastern Middle-earth. Wilderland was west of the Sea of Rhun. The River Running flowed from the Lonely Mountain into the Sea of Rhun.

In the southeastern part of the Sea of Rhun was a wooded island. There were mountains on the southwest side of the sea and a forest on the northeast side. Wild white kine, or oxen, lived near the shores of the Sea of Rhun. The Great Horn of Gondor was made from the horn of one of these kine that had been hunted by Vorondil, a Steward of Gondor.

When Gondor was at the height of its power during the reign of King Hyarmendacil I (1015-1149), the realm extended east as far as the Sea of Rhun. But as Gondor's power waned, Easterlings came into the area around the Sea of Rhun and launched attacks on Gondor. In 1248, Minalcar (later called Romendacil II) defeated an army of Easterlings and destroyed their settlements near the Sea of Rhun. In 1944, an army of Wainriders gathered on the southern shores of the Sea of Rhun before launching an assault on Gondor that left King Ondoher dead.

During the War of the Ring, forces under the rule of Sauron mustered in the lands beyond the Sea of Rhun. After the downfall of Sauron, Aragorn, King Elessar, and King Eomer rode beyond the Sea of Rhun to flush out the last remnants of the enemy forces.

Names & Etymology:
Also called the Inland Sea. Rhûn means "east" in Sindarin.

Sources:
Map of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Return of the King: "Minas Tirith," p. 38
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The Realms in Exile - The Southern Line" p. 319 (footnote 1); "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 325-26; "The House of Eorl," p. 352
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 290, 292, 296