An encyclopedia of Middle-earth and Numenor

Adorn River in Rohan. The Adorn flowed northwest from its source in the White Mountains to join the River Isen. Together the Adorn and the Isen formed the far western boundary of Rohan. Freca had a stronghold at the source of the Adorn and lands on both sides of the river. He was a Man of Rohan who claimed descent from King Freawine but was also said to have Dunlendish blood.  After Freca was slain by Helm Hammerhand, the land between the Adorn and the Isen was occupied by Dunlendings. This land was reclaimed for Rohan by King Folcwine but the people who lived there were of mixed blood and their loyalty to Rohan was tenuous. During the War of the Ring, many of them joined the forces of Saruman. Names & Etymology: The name Adorn was of pre-Numenorean origin adapted to Sindarin. The meaning cannot be interpreted. Sources: Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The House of Eorl," p. 346, 350 Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 305-6; "The Battles of the Fords of Isen," p. 364-65 note 4

Map of the Adorn and Isen

The source of the Anduin was the River Langwell, which came down from the Misty Mountains in the far north of Middle-earth. The Langwell was joined by another small river called the Greylin from the Grey Mountains. The Anduin began at the juncture of the Langwell and the Greylin.

A number of other rivers joined the Anduin farther downstream. The Rushdown, Gladden, Silverlode, Limlight, and Entwash all flowed into the Great River from the Misty Mountains. In the south, the Erui and Celos came down from the White Mountains to join the Anduin. Only two rivers flowed into the Anduin on the eastern side: the Morgulduin and the Poros, which both began in the Mountains of Shadow on the border of Mordor.

The lands on either side of the Great River were called the Vales of the Anduin. Hobbits were believed to have once lived in the upper Vales of the Anduin in Wilderland until around 1050, when the growing shadow in Mirkwood caused them to migrate across the Misty Mountains to Eriador. A group of Hobbits of the Stoor branch later returned to the Vales of the Anduin around 1356, but they eventually dwindled away.

Men also lived in the Vales of the Anduin in Wilderland, including the Eotheod - the ancestors of the Rohirrim. The Eotheod first came to dwell between the Gladden River and the Carrock on the west side of the Anduin in 1856, and in 1977 they relocated north to live near above the source of the Anduin. The Beornings - who were led by the skinchanger Beorn and his descendants - lived in the Vales of the Anduin near the Carrock in the later part of the Third Age.

The Carrock was a great peak of rock that rose out of the waters of the Anduin. A ford composed of stepping stones led to the Carrock from the eastern riverbank. About 25 miles south of the Carrock, the Old Forest Road between Mirkwood and the High Pass of the Misty Mountains crossed the Anduin at the Old Ford. At the end of the Second Age there was a bridge across the Anduin at this point which was used by the armies of the Last Alliance, but by the late Third Age the bridge was gone.

The Anduin then ran swiftly until it reached the marshland called the Gladden Fields which was located where the River Gladden joined the Anduin. It was there, in the year 2 of the Third Age, that Isildur perished and the One Ring was lost. The Ring lay at the bottom of the Anduin for over 2,000 years. In 2463, the Ring was found by Deagol, who was fishing with his friend Smeagol. They were of Hobbit-kind, descended from the Stoors who had settled in the Vales of the Anduin.

The Anduin flowed swiftly past Lothlorien and then entered a region of low flatlands. The Wold of Rohan was on the western side of the River. At this point, there were two great bends in the River called the North Undeep and the South Undeep. The Anduin had many shallows and wide shoals in this region and was relatively easy to cross.

South of the Undeeps in the Emyn Muil was Sarn Gebir - a stretch of stone spikes and rocky rapids about a mile long. Sarn Gebir was dangerous and virtually impossible for boats to navigate. There was narrow, swift central channel in which highly skilled boaters could try their luck. On the western bank of the Sarn Gebir there was a portage-way - a path by which boats could be carried past the rapids.

Past Sarn Gebir the Anduin was navigable but swift. The River narrowed and the banks rose to high cliffs. The two great statues called the Argonath stood on either side of the Anduin, at one time marking the northern boundary of Gondor. Beyond the Argonath, the high banks formed a narrow chasm that the River passed through before it widened to form the lake called Nen Hithoel. The island of Tol Brandir stood in the waters at the southern end of Nen Hithoel. The River then descended over the great Falls of Rauros. The North Stair was carved into the western bank to provide a portage-way past the Falls.

Beneath the Falls of Rauros, the Anduin was joined by the Entwash, forming the marshland called the Wetwang. In this region, the Anduin became sluggish and divided and was difficult to navigate by boat. The course of the River curved eastward at this point.

Farther downstream was Cair Andros. This large island made a convenient crossing point on the River. As such, it was fortified by Gondor as a defense against the forces of Mordor on the eastern side of the Anduin.

Along the lower Anduin, the Men of Gondor built several towns. The great city of Osgiliath - once the capital of Gondor - stood half on one side of the Anduin, and half on the other. Several bridges connected the two halves of the city, those these were later destroyed. When Osgiliath was abandoned, the capital was moved to Minas Tirith on the west side of the Anduin. There was a dock area called the Harlond on the river just outside Minas Tirith. The port city of Pelargir was 126 miles downstream from Minas Tirith on the western bank.

The lower course of the Anduin curved westward to the Bay of Belfalas. There it broke up into many streams and formed the great delta called the Ethir Anduin, or Mouths of the Anduin. Fisherfolk lived in this region, known as the Ethir, and people there were knowledgeable about the Sea. The island of Tolfalas was located in the Bay just beyond the Mouths of the Anduin.

The Anduin was a major route for trade and transportation. During the early days of Gondor, ships carried people and trade goods up and down the Anduin from Wilderland in the north to the Bay of Belfalas in the south. As Gondor's power waned and the threat from Sauron's forces increased, traffic on the river decreased and few if any boats came downriver from the north. But the Anduin remained an important route connecting Minas Tirith with the fiefdoms of southern Gondor.

The Anduin formed a natural line of defense between the lands of Gondor and Rohan west of the River and their enemies who lived in the east. For the most part, the defense of the River crossing was successful, but not always. In 2510, an army of Easterlings crossed the shallows of the Undeeps on rafts and attacked Gondor. The Men of the Eotheod came to the aid of Gondor at the Battle of the Field of Celebrant and were given the land of Rohan as a reward.

During the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age, Gondor was threatened by both the forces of Sauron east of the Anduin and the fleets of the Corsairs from Umbar south of the Bay of Belfalas. Boromir and Faramir successfully defended the River crossing at Osgiliath on June 20, 3018, though the Nazgul came across in secret to hunt for the Ring-bearer.

The Fellowship set out by boat down the Anduin from Lothlorien on February 16, 3019. They used the portage-way to carry their boats past the rapids of Sarn Gebir. They arrived at Nen Hithoel on February 25 and camped on the western shore at the foot of Amon Hen. The next day the Fellowship was broken and Boromir was killed by Uruk-hai. His body was placed in a boat which went over the Falls of Rauros and continued downriver to the Sea. The funeral boat was seen by Boromir's brother Faramir on February 29.

On March 10, a force from Mordor captured Cair Andros and crossed the River into Gondor north of Minas Tirith. Another force led by the Lord of the Nazgul crossed the Anduin at Osgiliath on March 12 and began to lay siege to Minas Tirith. But the next day, Aragorn led the Army of the Dead to Pelargir and defeated the Corsairs, who had captured the port city and were preparing to attack Minas Tirith. Aragorn used the Corsairs' ships to sail up the Anduin to Minas Tirith, arriving in time to help win the Battle of the Pelennor Fields on March 15.

Names & Etmology:
The name Anduin means "long river" from an or and meaning "long" and duin meaning "river." The Anduin was called the Great River in the Common Speech, or sometimes simply the River. The River was also sometimes referred to as Anduin the Great. The Anduin was called the Langflood, or "Long River." by the Eotheod - the ancestors of the Rohirrim.

The Vales of the Anduin refers to the river valley along the Anduin; the word vale is another word for "valley."

Ethir Anduin means "Mouths of the Anduin." The word ethir means "mouth of a river" from ed meaning "forth, out" and sîr meaning "river."

Sarn Gebir means "stone spikes" from sarn meaning "stone" and gebir from cebir meaning "stakes."

Sources:
Map of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien

The Hobbit: "Queer Lodgings," 123-25, 144-45

The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue - Concerning Hobbits," p. 12; "Concerning Pipe-weed," p. 18; "The Shadow of the Past," p. 61-62; "The Council of Elrond," p. 256-59, 264, 267, 281; "The Ring Goes South," p. 288, 294-95; "Lothlorien," p. 349, 355, 361, 363, 366; "Farewell to Lorien," p. 383-84, 387, 389-90, 393-95; "The Great River," passim; "The Breaking of the Fellowship," p. 411-12, 416-17, 422-23

The Two Towers: "The Departure of Boromir," p. 17-21; "The Riders of Rohan," p. 40; "The Uruk-hai," p. 49, 55; "Treebeard," p. 79; "The Black Gate Is Closed," p. 249; "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit," p. 258, 267; "The Window on the West," p. 274-76, 281; "The Forbidden Pool," p. 293; "Journey to the Cross-Roads," p. 306; "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol," p. 316

The Return of the King: "Minas Tirith,"  p. 22, 31, 36-38, 43; "The Siege of Gondor," p. 91; "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields," p. 122-23; "The Pyre of Denethor," p. 129; "The Last Debate," p. 149-54; "The Black Gate Opens," p. 159-60, 162, 166; "The Field of Cormallen," p. 231, 233-35; "The Steward and the King," p. 249

Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 324-29, 334-36; "The House of Eorl," p. 345

Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn - Appendix C: The Boundaries of Lorien," p. 260; "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields," passim; "Cirion and Eorl," p. 288-89, 295; "The Hunt for the Ring," p. 339; Index, entry for Sarn Gebir

The Silmarillion: "Of the Coming of the Elves," p. 54; "Of the Sindar," p. 94; "Akallabeth," p. 267; "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 290-91, 293, 295, 297-98, 301-2; "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entries for an(d),duin and sarn

The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entry for ED

Blackroot (Morthond)

Once past the Stone of Erech, the Blackroot flowed southwestward and then curved southeastward to join the Ringlo. The port of Edhellond was located near the juncture of the Blackroot and the Ringlo. The Blackroot emptied into Cobas Haven on the Bay of Belfalas.

On March 8, 3019, Aragorn and the Grey Company emerged from the Paths of the Dead alongside the Blackroot River followed by the Army of the Dead.

Names & Etymology:
The Blackroot was so named because its source was in the dark caverns of the Dead. The river was called Morthond in Sindarin, meaning "Blackroot" from mor meaning "black" and thond meaning "root."

Sources:
The Return of the King: "The Passing of the Grey Company," p. 62
Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings: "Writing and Spelling," p. 393
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 247, 255 note 18
The History of Middle-earth, vol. VII, The Treason of Isengard: "The First Map," p. 312
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Blackroot Vale
"The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor," by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Carl F. Hostetter, commentary by Christopher Tolkien, in Vinyar Tengwar #42, July 2001, p. 14

Brandywine

Sarn Ford was located on the Brandywine south of the Old Forest. The ford was a wide area of shingles, or small stones. A road that branched off the Greenway passed over Sarn Ford into the Shire.

The Great East Road crossed the Brandywine over the Bridge of Stonebows - also called the Brandywine Bridge - located at the northern border of Buckland. The bridge had been built at the height of the North-kingdom. Nearby, the Bridge Inn was a resting place for travelers.

Hobbits also used the Bucklebury Ferry to cross the river into Buckland. On the western bank, the Ferry crossing was in the Marish. There was a wooden landing stage where the Ferry could be docked. On the Buckland side, the Ferry crossing was near the town of Bucklebury. The Ferry itself was a large, flat boat that could be maneuvered across the river using long poles.

Around 1700 of the Second Age - long before the founding of the Shire - Sarn Ford was the site of a battle between the forces of Sauron and the combined forces of the Elves and the Men of Numenor. Sauron's forces were in retreat, and at Sarn Ford their numbers were further reduced. They were driven southeastward to Tharbad where they were finally defeated in the Battle of Gwathlo in 1701.

In the year 1601 of the Third Age, the Fallohide brothers Marcho and Blanco led a group of Hobbits from Bree west across the Brandywine. They had obtained permission from King Argeleb II at Fornost to settle the lands between the Brandywine and the Far Downs. This land became known as the Shire. Shire Reckoning began with the crossing of the Brandywine.

In 2340, Gorhendad Oldbuck crossed the Brandywine going the other way and settled in the lands between the river and the Old Forest. This area became known as Buckland and was the traditional home of the Brandybuck family, as the Oldbucks were renamed.

During the Fell Winter of 2911 (1311 S.R.), the Brandywine froze over and white wolves crossed into the Shire.

The Brandybucks sometimes went boating on the Brandywine. This practice stood Merry Brandybuck in good stead when the Fellowship traveled by boat down the Anduin. But boating was the cause of the deaths of Frodo Baggins' parents, who drowned in the Brandywine in 2980.

In the late Third Age, the Rangers of the North guarded the borders of the Shire, where the One Ring was hidden. Rangers were stationed at Sarn Ford, where the road from the Greenway entered the Shire. On September 22, 3018, the Rangers at the ford were slain or driven away by the Nazgul led by the Witch-king. Some of the Nazgul crossed the Brandywine and entered the Shire in search of the One Ring.

Frodo Baggins - the Ring-bearer - and his companions used the Bucklebury Ferry to cross the Brandywine on their way to Crickhollow in Buckland on September 25, 3018. When they reached the eastern bank, they saw Khamul, one of the Nazgul, on the western side lurking around the Ferry landing. The Nazgul was unable to follow them across and had to go north to the Brandywine Bridge.

When the Hobbits returned to the Shire, they found that great spiked gates had been erected on either end of the Brandywine Bridge. No one was allowed to cross the bridge between sundown and sunrise, but the four companions took no notice of that rule. Merry tore down the notice and he and Pippin climbed the gate. The Hobbits then crossed the river into the Shire and set about freeing their land from Saruman's minions.

Aragorn, King Elessar, came north in the year 15 of the Fourth Age. Since he had decreed that Men were not to enter the Shire, he met Merry Brandybuck, Sam Gamgee, and Peregrin Took at the Brandywine Bridge.

Names & Etymology:
Also called the Baranduin in Sindarin. The name Baranduin comes from the words baran meaning "golden brown" and duin meaning "river." The old Hobbit name for the river was Branda-nîn meaning "border water," but Hobbits also jokingly referred to the river as Bralda-hîm meaning "heady ale."

The name Sarn Ford includes the Sindarin word sarn meaning "small stone." The full Sindarin translation is Sarn Athrad. The ford was so called because of the small stones in the riverbed there.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue: Concerning Hobbits," p. 13-14; "A Long-Expected Party," p. 30-31; "A Conspiracy Unmasked," p. 108-9; "Strider," p. 184; "The Ring Goes South," p. 301-2; "Farewell to Lorien," p. 384.
The Return of the King: "The Scouring of the Shire," p. 277-79
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: p. 372, 377-78
Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings: p. 416
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 239; "The Hunt for the Ring," p. 341
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entry for sarn
Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad, map of the Shire, p. 70-71
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull: "Strider," p. 163

It is not entirely clear which of the the two forks was the main river and which was the tributary. A sketch drawn by Tolkien labelled the northern branch as the Bruinen, while the southern branch may have been called the Merrill. But from descriptions in the book it appears that the southern branch was the Bruinen, and that this was the river in the valley of Rivendell.

The Last Homely House where Elrond dwelled was on the northern bank of the river in the valley. A bridge spanned the river in front of the house, and just west of the bridge was a short waterfall.

The two branches merged west of Rivendell and just past their confluence was the Ford of Bruinen. The Great East Road crossed the river at the Ford. Beyond the Ford, there were rocky rapids. The Bruinen then continued southwestward, finally merging with the Hoarwell to form the Greyflood, which flowed to the Sea. The Bruinen was about 200 miles long.

The Bruinen was under the control of Elrond. He could command the waters to rise up against an enemy trying to enter Rivendell. Elrond was the bearer of the Elven-ring Vilya, which he used to defend Rivendell. It may be that he used Vilya to control the Bruinen, though this is never actually stated.

Frodo Baggins was pursued to the Ford of Bruinen by the Nazgul on October 20, 3018. Frodo crossed the Ford on Asfaloth but felt compelled to stop on the other side. The Nazgul commanded him to give up the Ring, but Frodo refused. As soon as the Lord of the Nazgul started to cross the Bruinen, Elrond commanded the waters to rise up in a great flood, embellished by images of white horses created by Gandalf. The Nazgul were washed away. Eight of their horses were later found dead in the river, and the Nazgul themselves returned disembodied to Mordor.

Names & Etymology:
Called the Loudwater in the Common Speech. The name Bruinen means "Loudwater," though the origin of the element brui - apparently meaning "loud, noisy" - is not clear. The element nen means "water." The Bruinen was also called the River of Rivendell and the Ford of Bruinen was called the Ford of Rivendell.

Sources:
Map of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien
The Hobbit: "A Short Rest," p. 57-60 and illustration of Rivendell
The Fellowship of the Ring: "A Knife in the Dark," p. 200; "Flight to the Ford," p. 212-16, 220, 222, 225-27; "Many Meetings," p. 231-36, 238, 250; "The Council of Elrond," p. 252, 262; "The Ring Goes South," p. 288, 294
The Return of the King: "Homeward Bound," p. 268
The History of Middle-earth, vol. VI, The Return of the Shadow: "From Weathertop to the Ford," p. 201, 204-205

Celos

Note:
On one map of Gondor included with an early edition of Unfinished Tales the Celos is mistakenly shown as flowing into the Sirith from the east rather than the west.

Names & Etymology:
Also spelled (and pronounced) Kelos. The Sindarin name Celos is dervied from the Quenya Kelussë meaning "freshet, water falling out swiftly from a rocky spring."

Sources:
The Return of the King: "The Last Debate," p. 151
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 243; Index entry, p. 426 (etymology)
The History of Middle-earth, vol. VII, The Treason of Isengard: "The First Map," p. 322 note 9 (map error)

Ciril

The town of Calembel was located on the eastern side of the Ciril. The road between Pelargir and Erech crossed the Ciril near Calembel. Aragorn and the Grey Company crossed the Ciril on March 9, 3019, on their way to Pelargir.

Names & Etymology:
Also spelled (and pronounced) Kiril. The name Ciril is derived from kir meaning "cut."

Sources:
The Return of the King: "The Passing of the Grey Company," p. 63; "The Last Debate," p. 151
"The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor," by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Carl F. Hostetter, commentary by Christopher Tolkien, in Vinyar Tengwar #42, July 2001, p. 13

Deeping-stream

The Deeping-stream then continued for a quarter mile to Helm's Dike, where it passed through a breach. The stream flowed through the Deeping-coomb and out into the Westfold Vale beyond. The Deeping-road from the Hornburg ran alongside the Deeping-stream.

During the Battle of Helm's Deep on the night of March 3-4, 3019, Orcs crept through the culvert where the Deeping-stream passed under the Deeping-wall. Gamling led the Men of the Westfold to stop them and Gimli helped barricade the culvert. The Deeping-stream was blocked and began to form a pool behind the Deeping-wall. But later the Orcs returned and set off an explosive in the culvert, destroying the wall and unleashing the waters of the Deeping-stream. The Orcs invaded Helm's Deep but they were eventually defeated.

Names & Etymology:
The Deeping-stream was so named because it belonged to Helm's Deep.

Sources:
The Two Towers: "Helm's Deep," p. 134-36, 139-42; "The Road to Isengard," p. 148, 151
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Deeping Coomb

Dimrill

Names & Etymology:
The name Dimrill means "dim or shadowy stream." A rill is a small stream.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Lothlorien," p. 347
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Dimrill Dale
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull: "Lothlorien," p. 299

Enchanted Stream

Beorn warned Thorin Oakenshield and Company to avoid touching the water. When they came to the Enchanted Stream, they saw a boat on the opposite bank that had most likely been left by the Wood-elves. The Dwarves got ahold of the boat using a rope and a hook and were able to cross the stream, but just as Bombur was disembarking he was startled by a deer and fell into the stream. He immediately fell into a deep sleep and did not awake for many days.

Sources:
The Hobbit: "Queer Lodgings," p. 143; "Flies and Spiders," p. 153-56

Entwash

The river then flowed through the Entwash Vale, where it broke up into many small streams before joining the Anduin. The land around the Mouths of the Entwash was marshy and the air was misty. In the spring thaw following the Long Winter of 2758-59, there were great floods and the Entwash Vale had become a vast fen. On the other side of the Anduin lay the marshland known as the Wetwang. The Anduin was difficult to navigate in this region.

The Entwash could be crossed at a ford called the Entwade about 60 miles northeast of Edoras. The River Snowbourn flowed from the White Mountains into the Entwash east of Edoras. Thickets of willow trees grew around the juncture of the two rivers. Farther east, the Mering Stream came down from the mountains and merged with the Mouths of the Entwash.

The waters of the Entwash had special properties. When Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took bathed their feet in its waters, they felt refreshed and their wounds were healed. The water from the springs of the Entwash was used by the Ents to make Ent-draughts, a drink that caused Merry and Pippin to grow taller.

Names & Etymology:
Also called Onodlo in Elvish.

The Entwash got its name from the Ents who dwelled in Fangorn. The word wash is from the Old English waesc meaning "flood water." The Sindarin name Onodló translates as "Entwash," from the word Onod meaning "Ent" and ló meaning "soaking wet, swampy, flood."

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Farewell to Lorien," p. 389-90; "The Great River," p. 405
The Two Towers: "The Riders of Rohan," p. 23, 26, 29, 31-32, 39, 42; "The Uruk-hai," p. 62; "Treebeard," p. 64, 66, 71, 72-74; "The White Rider," p. 93, 107; "The King of the Golden Hall," p. 111; "Flotsam and Jetsam," p. 175; "The Window on the West," p. 275-76
The Return of the King: "The Muster of Rohan," p. 78
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn - Appendix D: The Port of Lond Daer," p. 263 (definition of lo); "Cirion and Eorl," p. 300-301, 306, 318 note 46; "The Battles of the Fords of Isen," p. 367
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Entwade, Entwash, Entwood

Erui

In 1447, the Battle of the Crossings of Erui was fought between the forces of Eldacar - the rightful King of Gondor - and Castamir - the rebel who had usurped his throne. Many were killed in the battle including Castamir, and Eldacar reclaimed his throne.

Names & Etymology:
The name Erui is composed of er meaning "one, single, alone" and ui which is a common adjectival ending in Sindarin. It was apparently so named because it had no tributaries.

Sources:
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 327
"The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor," by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Carl F. Hostetter, commentary by Christopher Tolkien, in Vinyar Tengwar #42, July 2001, p. 10

Gilrain

Legend told that when the Elf-maiden Nimrodel became separated from her lover Amroth on their journey to the Elf-haven on the Bay of Belfalas, she came upon the Gilrain and her heart was lightened because it reminded her of the stream by which she dwelled in Lorien. She sat by the mere and fell into a long deep sleep. Amroth's ship was swept to Sea by a storm and he jumped overboard and drowned trying to return to find Nimrodel.

On March 11, 3019, Lord Angbor of Lamedon and his Men fought at the fords on the Gilrain near Linhir against the Men of Umbar and Harad who had sailed up the river. Aragorn and the Grey Company arrived leading the Army of the Dead and Men on both sides of the battle fled, but Angbor was brave enough to remain. Aragorn and the Grey Company crossed the Gilrain driving their enemies before them and continued on to Pelargir.

Note:
There is some question about whether it was the Gilrain or the Serni that flowed into the Bay of Belfalas after they merged. Legolas described Linhir as being "above the mouth of the Gilrain" (RotK, p. 151), which would seem to indicate that the mouth of the Gilrain was on the Bay of Belfalas. But the map and other sources such as Unfinished Tales (p. 463-64) show that the Gilrain flowed into the Serni, and the Serni in turn flowed into the Bay.

Names & Etymology:
The element gil means "star, shine." The element rain is derived from ran meaning "wander, stray, go on uncertain course" in reference to the meandering portion of the Gilrain where Nimrodel wandered.

Sources:
The Return of the King: "The Last Debate," p. 151
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn: Amroth and Nimrodel," p. 242-43

Gladden

The marshland called the Gladden Fields spread out around the lower courses of the Gladden River and across the Anduin. In ancient times, when the Silvan Elves first came to the region, there was a lake where the Anduin and the Gladden River merged, but over time the waters receded and the wetlands of the Gladden Fields were formed.

In the year 2 of the Third Age, Isildur was slain by Orcs in the Gladden Fields and the One Ring was lost in the waters for over two millennia. In 2463, the Ring was found by Deagol who was fishing with his friend Smeagol. Smeagol murdered Deagol and took the Ring for himself.

Deagol and Smeagol were descendants of a group of Hobbits of the Stoor branch who originally settled near the Gladden River around 1356. By the end of the Third Age, their settlements were gone.

Men had also dwelled in the Vales of the Anduin near the Gladden River. The ancestors of the Rohirrim, who were called the Eotheod, settled on the west side of the Anduin between the Gladden River and the Carrock around 1856. In 1977, the Eotheod relocated farther north to the source of the Anduin. Men also lived along the Anduin south of the Gladden, but by 2510 most of them had been driven away by raids of hostile Men from the East.

After the Council of Elrond in 3018, scouts set out to discover whether the Nazgul or other servants of Sauron were abroad. Some scouts went over the mountain pass near the Gladden and followed the river to the Gladden Fields. They crossed the Anduin and visited Rhosgobel, the home of Radagast the Wizard in Mirkwood, but he was not home.

Names & Etymology:
The word gladden is from the Anglo-Saxon glædene, meaning "iris," referring to the yellow irises that grew in the Gladden Fields. The Sindarin name of the river was Sîr Ninglor, meaning "golden river." The word sîr means "river" and ninglor means "golden waters" from nin meaning "waters" and glor or glaur meaning "gold."

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "The Shadow of the Past," p. 61-63; "The Ring Goes South," p. 287
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The North-kingdom and the Dunedain," p. 321; "The Stewards," p. 334; "The House of Eorl," p. 344; "Durin's Folk," p. 355
Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age," p. 405, 407
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 289; "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields," passim (see especially note 13); "The Hunt for the Ring," p. 337, 339, 343
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entry for sir
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entries for GLAW(R) and NEN
Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Letter #297

The upper course of the Glanduin ran swiftly. The river could be crossed at an old ford. West of the ford was a waterfall. Beyond the falls, the lower courses of the Glanduin became a marshland that was called Swanfleet because it was inhabited by swans. The city of Tharbad was located on the Greyflood near the point where the Glanduin and Hoarwell merged.

The Glanduin and the Greyflood formed the southern border of Eriador. In the Second Age, the Glanduin was also the southern boundary of the Elvish realm of Eregion. South of the Glanduin was Dunland.

Frodo Baggins and his companions crossed the Glanduin on their way home in September of 3019.

Names & Etymology:
The name Glanduin means "border river" from glan meaning "border" and duin meaning "river." The name was usually applied only to the swift upper course of the river, while the marshy lower course was called Swanfleet. It was also called the Swanfleet river because it was the river that fed the marshlands of Swanfleet.

Sources:
The Return of the King: "Many Partings," p. 263
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur," p. 319
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn - Appendix D: The Port of Lond Daer," p. 261-65

Greyflood (Gwathló)

The city of Tharbad was located at the juncture of the Hoarwell and the Glanduin. A bridge originally spanned the Greyflood there, and the North-South Road passed over it.

The Greyflood flowed southwestward to the Sea. The port of Lond Daer was near the seacoast on the southern bank of the Greyflood. Lond Daer was founded in the early Second Age by Aldarion of Numenor.

Originally, the land on both sides of the Greyflood was covered by a great forest, which grew down to the riverbanks and cast deep shadows on the water. But the Numenoreans cut down many of the trees. They floated the timber down the Greyflood to Lond Daer and used the wood to build ships. In time, most of the woods were destroyed, and open grasslands lay on either side of the Greyflood.

In 1701 of the Second Age, the Battle of the Gwathlo was fought along the Greyflood between the forces of Sauron and an army of Numenoreans who landed at Lond Daer. Sauron's forces were defeated. Sauron himself escaped and retreated to Mordor.

In the Third Age, the Greyflood formed part of the southern border of the North-kingdom of Arnor. The river was also briefly the northwestern boundary of Gondor at the height of its power under Hyarmendacil I (1015-1149), though later Enedwaith was no longer considered part of Gondor.

Tharbad was an important river port. People traveling from Gondor to Arnor often sailed by Sea to the mouth of the Greyflood and then upriver to Tharbad where they continued by land.

The Greyflood flooded during the spring thaw of 2912 following the Fell Winter. Tharbad was ruined and deserted. The Bridge of Tharbad collapsed and the crossing - though still slow and shallow - became dangerous because of the ruins in the water. When Boromir traveled to Rivendell in 3018, he lost his horse while crossing the Greyflood.

Names & Etymology:
The original Sindarin name given to the river was Gwaithir meaning "River of Shadow" from gwath meaning "shadow" and hir from sir meaning "river." The name referred to the shadows cast on the river by the dense forest on its banks.

Later when the Numenoreans discovered the marshy Swanfleet at the source of the river they changed the name to Gwathló - "the shadowy river from the fens." The element lô is from loga meaning "wet, soaked, swampy."

The name of the river in Adunaic – the language of Numenor – was Agathurush, meaning "flood under shadow." The Common Speech name was Greyflood.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Flight to the Ford," p. 212; "The Ring Goes South," p. 287-88, 298; "Farewell to Lorien," p. 390
The Return of the King: "Many Partings," p. 263; "Homeward Bound," p. 272
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Eriador, Arnor and the Heirs of Isildur," p. 319; "The North-kingdom and the Dunedain," p. 320; "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 325
Unfinished Tales: "Aldarion and Erendis," p. 175-76, 200, 206; "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 239-40, 261-65; "The Battles of the Fords of Isen," p. 370; "The Druedain," p. 383
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entries for gwath and sir
"The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor," by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Carl F. Hostetter, commentary by Christopher Tolkien, in Vinyar Tengwar #42, July 2001, p. 8-10

Greylin

Between 1977 and 2510, the Eotheod lived north of confluence of the Greylin and Langwell and they had a fortified burg called Framsburg where the two rivers merged. The Eotheod relocated after 2510 and became the people of Rohan.

Names & Etymology:
The Greylin was named by the Eotheod. The first element is a reference to the river's source in the Grey Mountains, while the second element is derived from the Anglo-Saxon hylnn meaning "torrent" or "the noisy one."

Sources:
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 295, 313 note 20, and Index entry p. 442
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull: "The Maps of The Lord of the Rings," p. lxv

Harnen

The River Harnen was the southern border of Gondor at the height of its power under King Hyarmendacil I, who crossed the Harnen in 1050 and defeated the Men of Harad.

Names & Etymology:
The name Harnen means "south water" from harad meaning "south" and nen meaning "water."

Sources:
Map of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 325
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entries for KHYAR and NEN

Hoarwell

The Hoarwell then continued south and was joined by the Loudwater. The triangular-shaped land between these two rivers was called the Angle. The Hoarwell bent southwestward to the town of Tharbad on the Greenway. Just above Tharbad, the Hoarwell was joined by the Glanduin and the two rivers merged to form the Greyflood, which flowed southwest into the Sea.

Around the year 1150, the Fallohides crossed the Misty Mountains in the north and came down the Hoarwell into Eriador. The Stoors crossed the mountains at the Redhorn Gate and settled in the Angle between the Hoarwell and the Loudwater. At this time the Angle was part of the Kingdom of Rhudaur and the Hoarwell formed part of the boundary between Rhudaur and Cardolan.

By 1356, Rhudaur had fallen under the influence of the Witch-king of Angmar and the Stoors fled. The Kingdoms of Arthedain and Cardolan defended a frontier along the Weather Hills, the Great East Road, and the lower Hoarwell, but in 1409 the Witch-king crossed the Hoarwell and defeated them. The Witch-king was finally driven from the north in 1975.

One night in late May of 2941, Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves of Thorin's company crossed the Last Bridge over the Hoarwell, which was swollen with rains from the hills and mountains in the north. It was that same night that they encountered the Trolls Tom, Bert, and William in the Trollshaws.

In October of 3018, Gandalf travelled up the Hoarwell after he was attacked by Nazgul on Weathertop and he passed through the Ettenmoors and came to Rivendell from the north. On October 11, the Elf-lord Glorfindeldrove three Nazgul from the Last Bridge and left a green stone on the bridge as a token. Two days later, Strider found the stone and led Frodo Baggins and the Hobbits safely across the Hoarwell. In November and December, scouts were sent from Rivendell up the Hoarwell to its springs in the Ettenmoors, but they found no trace of the Nazgul there.

Names & Etymology:
Also called the Mitheithel in Sindarin. The word Mitheithel comes from the words mith meaning "grey" and eithel meaning "spring, well." The word hoar means "grey."

Sources:
The Hobbit: "Roast Mutton," p. 41
The Annotated Hobbit: "Roast Mutton, p. 66-67 and note 9
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue: Concerning Hobbits," p. 12; "Flight to the Ford," p. 212-13; "The Council of Elrond," p. 278; "The Ring Goes South," p. 287
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The North-kingdom and the Dundedain," p. 320-21
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 366-67
History of Middle-earth, vol. VI, The Return of the Shadow: "From Weathertop to the Ford," p. 205; "The Ring Goes South," p. 432 note 3 (Hoardale references)

As it emerged from the valley and continued across flatlands of the Gap of Rohan, the Isen became broader, shallower and slower. At the Fords of Isen, the river could be crossed by large groups of people and horses. There was a small island at the middle of the Fords. Three rows of stepping stones led to the island from each bank with fords for horses between them. From the east bank of the Fords the Great West Road ran through Rohan to Gondor, and from the west bank the North-South Road ran to Arnor.

Just south of the Fords of Isen, the river curved westward and flowed along the southern boundary of Enedwaith. It was joined by the Adorn, which sprang from the White Mountains to the south. The Isen became deep and rapid again as it flowed down long slopes to the coastlands and into the Sea.

The Isen and the Adorn formed the western border of Rohan, and the Fords of Isen were of strategic importance for Rohan's defense. Men from Dunland invaded Rohan in 2758 by defeating the Rohirrim led by King Helm in a battle at the Fords of Isen.

There were two Battles of the Fords of Isen during the War of the Ring between the Rohirrim and the forces of Saruman from Isengard. At the First Battle on February 25, 3019, King Theoden's son Theodred was killed. He was buried on the island in the middle of the Fords. The Second Battle was fought on March 2. The Rohirrim were again defeated and Saruman's forces proceeded to Helm's Deep.

The Ents led by Treebeard used the waters of the Isen to destroy Isengard. They began damming the river on March 3, and at midnight on March 4 they broke the dams and diverted the floodwaters into the circle of Isengard. The waters poured into the underground tunnels, quenching the fires of Saruman's forges and washing out the filth. The Ents then returned the Isen to its normal course.

Names & Etymology:
The name Isen means "iron" in the language of Rohan, from the Old English word ísen. The Sindarin name was Sîr Angren, from sîr meaning "river" and angren meaning "iron."

The Fords of Isen were also called the Crossings of Isen. In Sindarin, they were called Athrad Angren - sometimes written in the plural form as Ethraid Engrin.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "A Journey in the Dark," p. 309; "Farewell to Lorien," p. 390
The Two Towers: "Helm's Deep," p. 131-34; "The Road to Isengard," p. 150, 154-61; "Flotsam and Jetsam," p. 171, 174-80; "The Palantir," p. 194, 201
The Return of the King: "The Passing of the Grey Company," p. 46; "Many Partings," p. 260; "Homeward Bound," p. 272
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The Stewards," p. 334; "The House of Eorl," p. 345, 347, 349-51
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 374
Unfinished Tales: "Aldarion and Erendis," p. 175, 214 note 6; "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 262-64; "Cirion and Eorl," p. 303, 305-6, 314 note 32, 318 note 47; "The Battles of the Fords of Isen," passim

Langwell

Between 1977 and 2510, the Langwell was the southern boundary of the land of the Eotheod - who later settled in Rohan. There was a fortified burg called Framsburg at the juncture of the Langwell and Greylin.

Names & Etymology:
The word lang is a variant of "long" and the word well is used to mean "spring, source." The Langwell was so called by the Eotheod because it was the source of the Anduin, which they named the Langflood, or "Long River."

Sources:
Map of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 295 and Index entry for Langwell
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull: "The Maps of The Lord of the Rings," p. lxv

Lefnui

Names & Etymology:
The name Lefnui means "fifth." The river was so named because it was the fifth river or river system in southern Gondor after the Erui, the Sirith-Celos, the Serni-Gilrain, and the Morthond-Ciril-Ringlo.

Sources:
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 263; "The Druedain," p. 383-84
"The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor," by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Carl F. Hostetter, commentary by Christopher Tolkien, in Vinyar Tengwar #42, July 2001, p. 14-15

Limlight

The land of Rohan was originally a part of Gondor called Calenardhon. The Men of Gondor built a bridge over the upper part of the Limlight. Forts were built on the west bank of the Anduin south of the Limlight during the time of Romendacil II. Defenses were also maintained north of the Limlight at the point where it joined the Anduin. The Anduin was wide and shallow there and was vulnerable to an invasion from the East.

In 2510, a group of Men from Rhun called the Balchoth invaded Calenardhon by crossing the Anduin south of the Limlight. The Balchoth forced the Northern Army of Gondor led by Cirion to retreat northward across the Limlight into the Field of Celebrant. Defeat seemed imminent, but then the Eotheod led by Eorl the Young arrived. The Eotheod crossed into Calenardhon and over the Limlight to attack the Balchoth from the rear.

The Balchoth were defeated in the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. The Eotheod drove the Balchoth back across the Limlight and hunted them down in Calenardhon. Cirion then gave the land of Calenardhon to the Eotheod and it became Rohan.

Names & Etymology:
The meaning of the name Limlight is uncertain. It appears to be a partial translation of an original Sindarin name. The first element lim is Sindarin while the second element light is Common Speech with the meaning of "bright, clear" according to one source. (Nomenclature)

The Sindarin word lim has the meaning "swift" as in "noro lim" which Tolkien translated in unpublished notes as "run swift." Thus Limlight could mean "swift light" as one source indicates. However, lim also has the meaning "clear, sparkling." (HoME XI, p. 337) In this case both elements would have essentially the same meaning with the second possibly being a translation of the first.

Various sources have different wholly Sindarin forms of Limlight including Limlint, Limlaith, and Limlich. None of these names has a clear meaning. Limlint is said to mean "swift light." (UT, p. 318) The element lint means "quick, agile, nimble, light." So either lim means "light" while lint means "swift" or lim means "swift" while lint means "light" as a synonym of "agile" rather than "illumination."

The element laith in Limlaith could be derived from a variety of roots including lek meaning "loose" (with laith possibly meaning "agile") or lak meaning "swift."

The meaning of the element lich in Limlich is unknown. The name of the river used by the Rohirrim was Limliht which was said to be derived from the Sindarin Limlich. In Old English, liht means "light" in the sense of both "agile" and "illumination" but whether liht was a direct translation of the Sindarin lich or whether it was a homophone with an unrelated meaning is unclear. (To add to the confusion, Limliht was apparently intended to be a Sindarin word in one source.)

The Limlight is also alluded to as the Limhîr, defined as "clear, sparkling river." (HoME XI, p. 337) The element hîr is from sîr meaning "river."

For a more detailed discussion on the name Limlight see Musings on Limlight by Helios De Rosario Martínez and Javier Lorenzo Merino.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "The Great River," p. 397
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 326; "The Stewards," p. 334; "The House of Eorl," p. 345
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn - Appendix C: The Boundaries of Lorien," p. 260; "Cirion and Eorl," p. 299-300, 305, p. 318 note 46 (etymology of Limlight)
"Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings," p. 188
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entries for LAK and LEK
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XI, The War of the Jewels: "Maeglin," p. 337
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Limlight
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull: "Flight to the Ford," p. 195 (noro lim translated as "run swift" in Tolkien's notes)
Musings on Limlight

Little Lune

The Little Lune was the northern boundary of the Elvish territory between the Blue Mountains and the River Lune. North of the Little Lune was Dwarf country.

Names & Etymology:
The Little Lune was so called because it was a tributary of the Lune. (See etymology under Lune below.)

Sources:
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "Of Dwarves and Men," p. 313, 328 notes 63 and 64

The River Lune flowed into the Gulf of Lune, which opened onto the Sea. The Grey Havens were located where the River Lune flowed into the Gulf.

The Gulf of Lune was created at the end of the First Age when Beleriand was destroyed and the Blue Mountains were divided. It was at that time that the River Lune changed its course to empty into the Gulf. The River Lune's original course is not known.

The Grey Havens were established at the mouth of the River Lune in the year 1 of the Second Age. Elves embarked from the Grey Havens to sail to the Undying Lands. Cirdan was Lord of the Havens and he lived there with many Elves.

More Elves dwelled in the surrounding region called Lindon, which lay mainly west of the Blue Mountains but also included the area east of the mountains to the River Lune and as far north as the Little Lune. North of the Little Lune was Dwarf country.

Sauron invaded Eriador in the middle of the Second Age and his forces were stopped at the Lune by Gil-galad, who defended the river to prevent the Grey Havens from being captured. In 1700, a fleet sent by Tar-Minastir of Numenor arrived in the Gulf of Lune and Sauron's forces were driven back.

When Elendil escaped the destruction of Numenor in 3319 of the Second Age, he sailed up the River Lune and settled with his followers in the lands east of the river. The Lune became the western boundary of Arnor, the North-kindgom of the Dunedain. There were a number of Dunedain settlements along the River Lune.

Arnor was divided into three kingdoms in 861 of the Third Age and the River Lune became the western boundary of Arthedain. In 1974, the Witch-king of Angmar invaded Arthedain and drove most of the Dunedain across the Lune into Lindon. But in 1975, help came from Gondor to the Gulf of Lune, and the Dunedain along with many Elves of Lindon recrossed the Lune into Arthedain. The Witch-king thought he could drive them back into the Lune, but his forces were defeated in the Battle of Fornost and he fled from the North.

Names & Etymology:
Called the Lhûn in Sindarin. Lune is a Common Speech adaptation of Lhûn. The word lhûn means "blue" and is apparently an earlier version of luin, the more commonly used word for "blue" as in Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, from which the Lhûn sprang.

Sources:
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Eriador, Arnor and the Heirs of Isildur," p. 319; "The North-kingdom and the Dunedain," p. 320-21; "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 331; "Durin's Folk," p. 357
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 363
Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age," p. 412
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 285-86, 290
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 239
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entry for LUG2
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "Of Dwarves and Men," p. 313, 328 notes 63 and 64

At the edge of the Firien Wood, the Great West Road passed over the Mering Stream by way of a bridge. The stream then continued northward through open lands to join the Mouths of the Entwash.

East of the Mering Stream was the province of Gondor called Anorien. West of the Mering Stream was marshland of the Fenmarch in the Eastfold of Rohan. Before the country of Rohan was established in 2510, the land west of the Mering Stream was another province of Gondor called Calenardhon. As the population of Calenardhon declined, the people of Anorien fortified the Mering Stream to guard against an enemy invasion from the west.

Names & Etymology:
The name Mering Stream means "boundary stream" from the Old English maere or mere meaning "boundary." The Sindarin name for the Mering Stream was Glanhír, also meaning "boundary stream" from glan meaning "boundary, border" and hir from sîr meaning "river, stream."

Sources:
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 300-302, 305-306, 318 note 46
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Mering Stream

The Morgul-road ran alongside the Morgulduin on the northern bank. In the Morgul Vale the road crossed the Morgulduin over a white bridge. Hideous carved figures in human and bestial form stood at the head of the bridge. On the southern bank of the river was Minas Morgul, the stronghold of the Nazgul.

The waters of the Morgulduin were poisonous and deadly cold. Vapors rose from the river and gave off a terrible stench. Faramir warned Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee not to drink from the Morgulduin or any stream flowing from the Morgul Vale.

On March 10, 3019, the two Hobbits saw the Witch-king lead a great army from Minas Morgul across the bridge spanning the Morgulduin and on down the road toward Minas Tirith. The bridge was cast down by the Host of the West on March 20.

The Morgul Vale remained uninhabitable for many years after the War of the Ring, but it is possible that over time the valley and the Morgulduin became cleansed of the taint of evil. It may be that the river was once again called the Ithilduin.

Names & Etymology:
The name Morgulduin means "River of Black Sorcery." The word morgul means "black sorcery." The element mor means "black, dark." The element gûl means "sorcery, magic" from the stem ngol or nólë meaning "long study, lore, knowledge." The word duin means "river."

The original name Ithilduin means "River of the Moon." The word ithil means "moon."

Sources:
The Two Towers: "Journey to the Cross-roads," p. 303, 306; "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol," p. 312-16
The Return of the King: "The Black Gate Opens," p. 161; "The Steward and the King," p. 247
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entries for duin,gul, and mor
The History of Middle-earth, vol. VIII, The War of the Ring: "Kirith Ungol," p. 181 (drawing of Minas Morghul and the Cross-roads); "The Second Map," p. 436

Nimrodel

The Nimrodel was named after an Elf maiden who once lived near the waterfall. After the Balrog awoke in Moria in 1980, Nimrodel left Lothlorien and became lost in the southlands while her lover Amroth perished at sea trying to return to her. It is said that her voice could still be heard in the falls of the Nimrodel in springtime. The sound of the river was soothing and beautiful, "for ever blending its innumerable notes in an endless changeful music." (FotR, p. 360)

The Bridge of Nimrodel once spanned the river, but it was taken down, probably when Orcs began increasing in the area following the awakening of the Balrog. The river was shallow enough to wade across below the falls.

The Fellowship crossed the Nimrodel on January 15, 3019. Frodo felt his weariness washed away by the waters. Legolas sang the story of Nimrodel and Amroth. In a cluster of trees overhanging the Nimrodel near the falls, the Fellowship encountered three Elves of Lothlorien: Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin. The Fellowship spent the night in the Elves' flet in the trees.

During the night a company of Orcs from Moria crossed the Nimrodel seeking the Fellowship, but Haldir and his brothers led them deep into the woods and the Elves of Lothlorien made sure they never returned. Gollum also followed the Fellowship to the Nimrodel and started to climb the tree where Frodo was but was scared away by Haldir.

The next morning the Fellowship left the Nimrodel behind and were led to Caras Galadhon in Lothlorien.

Names & Etymology:
The Nimrodel was named for the Elf maiden whose name meant "Lady of the White Grotto," probably in reference to her dwelling place near the waterfall. The element nim means "white" and rod means "cave, grotto."

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Lothlorien," p. 353-61; "The Great River," p. 400
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn - Amroth and Nimrodel," p. 240-48 and index entry (definition of Nimrodel)
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entries for NIK-W and ROD

Norbourn

Names & Etymology:
The name Norbourn means "north stream." A bourn is a small stream or brook.

Source:
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull: "Prologue," p. 24

Nunduinë

Names & Etymology:
The name Nunduinë means "west river" in Quenya from nun meaning "west" and duinë meaning "river."

Sources:
Unfinished Tales: Map of Numenor; "A Description of the Island of Numenor," p. 168
Quenya-English Wordlist

Poros

The Haradrim came over the Poros into Ithilien in 1944. Earnil, the Captain of the Southern Army of Gondor, intentionally left the Crossings of Poros unguarded. He positioned his troops about 40 miles north of the river. When the Haradrim approached, the Southern Army destroyed them.

In 2885, the Haradrim occupied South Gondor. There were skirmishes along the Poros, and then a large army of Haradrim crossed the river into Ithilien. Turin II, Steward of Gondor, summoned help from Rohan. A great battle was fought at the Crossings of Poros. The Haradrim were defeated and were driven back over the river. Folcred and Fastred - the sons of King Folcwine of Rohan - were killed in the battle. They were buried in a mound called Haudh in Gwanur, the Tomb of the Twins, high on the northern bank of the Poros. The enemies of Gondor feared to pass their tomb.

Names & Etymology:
The meaning of Poros is not known. It may contain the element ros meaning "foam."

Sources:
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 329; "The Stewards," p. 335; "The House of Eorl," p. 350
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 291-92, 295
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entry for ros

Redwater

Men of Dale inhabited the lands between the River Running and the Redwater. During the War of the Ring, Easterlings crossed the Redwater and attacked Dale and the Lonely Mountain. The enemy forces were defeated and driven back over the river on March 27, 3019.

Names and Etymology:
A possible explanation for the name Redwater is that iron deposits from the Iron Hills may have turned sediment in the riverbed a rusty red color.

The Redwater was called the Carnen in Sindarin which means "red water" from caran meaning "red" and nen meaning "water."

Sources:
Map of Wilderland by Christopher Tolkien
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Durin's Folk," p. 353
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 375
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entries for caran and nen

Ringló

The Ringlo was cold and swift as it came down from the mountains and passed through the Ringlo Vale. Near the mouth of the valley, the town of Ethring stood at the main crossing of the Ringlo. The road from Erech to Pelargir crossed the river at this point.

The Ringlo flowed southwestward through Lamedon and was joined by the River Ciril. The river continued its course and merged with the Blackroot, which then emptied into Cobas Haven on the Bay of Belfalas. At the confluence of the rivers was the Elf haven of Edhellond.

During the War of the Ring on March 10, 3019, Aragorn and the Grey Company crossed the Ringlo en route from the Paths of the Dead to Pelargir.

Names & Etymology:
The name Ringló means "chill flood" from ring meaning "cold" and lô meaning "soaking wet, swampy, flood." The latter element most likely referred to the spreading floodwaters during the spring thaw in the snowfield at the river's source.

Sources:
The Return of the King: "Minas Tirith," p. 43; "The Last Debate," p. 151 and detailed map of Gondor
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 374
Unfinished Tales: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p. 247, 263; "Cirion and Eorl," p. 316 note 39
"The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor," by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Carl F. Hostetter, commentary by Christopher Tolkien, in Vinyar Tengwar #42, July 2001, p. 10, 13-14

The River Running formed a wide loop in the valley south of the Lonely Mountain. There on the western bank was the town of Dale. The river then flowed south and widened to form Long Lake. There was a waterfall at the southern end of Long Lake, and from there the River Running continued its course southward and then curved southeast to flow into the Sea of Rhun.

The River Running had several tributaries. The Forest River, which began in the Grey Mountains and flowed southeast through Mirkwood, joined the River Running in Long Lake. A stream whose name is not known flowed east from the Mountains of Mirkwood into the River Running. The Redwater began in the Iron Hills in the north and flowed south to the River Running.

In the 1200's, the River Running was the eastern border of the lands ruled by the Northern leader Vidugavia, who called himself King of Rhovanion and whose realm extended west to Mirkwood. The Northmen also lived between the River Running and the Redwater, and while Thrain II was King Under the Mountain from 2590 to 2770 the Northmen prospered and were friendly with the Dwarves. The River Running was a major commerce route until the Smaug seized the Lonely Mountain from the Dwarves in 2770. Then Dale was destroyed and the survivors fled down the River Running to Lake-town.

When Thorin and company came to the Lonely Mountain in 2941, they travelled part of the way from Long Lake by boat on the River Running. Later Thorin showed Bilbo the source of the river at the Front Gate. The Battle of the Five Armies was fought in the valley where the River Running emerged from the Front Gate. Many Orcs were driven into the River Running by the victorious allies. After the battle, commerce arose again between the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Men of Dale and Lake-town and goods were transported up and down the River Running.

Names & Etymology:
Also called the Running River. The Sindarin name is Celduin. The name Celduin is formed from the elements cel or kel meaning "run (especially of water)" and duin meaning "river."

Sources:
The Hobbit: "An Unexpected Party," p. 30; "A Short Rest," p. 62; "A Warm Welcome," p. 204; "On the Doorstep," p. 214-17 and illustration; "Not at Home," p. 254; "Fire and Water," p. 258, 261; "The Return Journey," p. 302; "The Last Stage," p. 317
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," p. 326; "Durin's Folk," p. 353
The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad: "Map of Wilderland," p. 76-77; "The Lonely Mountain" (text and map), p. 110-111

Rushdown

Names & Etymology:
The Sindarin name of the Rushdown is Rhimdath, also spelled Rhibdath. The element rhim or rhib means "flow like a torrent." The element dat means "fall down."

Sources:
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entries for DAT, DANT and RIP; Index, p. 446
The History of Middle-earth, vol. VI, The Return of the Shadow: "From Weathertop to the Ford," p. 205

Serni

The Serni emptied into the Bay of Belfalas just west of the Mouths of the Anduin. The mouth of the Serni was blocked with pebbles. Ships heading up the Anduin usually bypassed the Serni by going around the eastern side of Tolfalas.

Note:
There is some question about whether it was the Gilrain or the Serni that flowed into the Bay of Belfalas after they merged. Legolas described Linhir as being "above the mouth of the Gilrain" (RotK, p. 151), which would seem to indicate that the mouth of the Gilrain was on the Bay of Belfalas. But the map and other sources such as