The Dwarves are an old race, hardy as the rock from which they hew their mountain halls. From Iron and gold, Dwarves fashion weapons and armour that are the envy of all. Few evils can stand against a Dwarf hold roused to war. COMMON DWARF HEROES Gimli Balin Durin and Mardin Murin and Drar DWARF.
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Aman
Aman was the great western continent lying between Belegaer and Ekkaia. Valinor lay in central Aman west of the great curve of the Pelóri. Eldamar comprised the narrow coastal strip east of the Pelóri near the Calacirya, while to the north and south stretched the great wastes of Araman and Avatar. Aman and Tol Eressëa were removed from Arda when Arda was made round at the destruction of Númenor. It's frequently called Aman the Blessed and the Blessed Realm, as well as the Ancient West.
- The forging of the Rings of Power opens the prologue of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series, primarily with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). In the film, the Three Elven Rings are shown being cast using a cuttlebone mold, an ancient primitive casting technique.
- Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf men. Aragorn: It's the beards. Gimli: And this in turn has given rise to the belief that there are no dwarf women, and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground! Which is, of course, ridiculous.
Angmar
Angmar was the witch kingdom on both sides of the northern Misty Mountains, north of the Ettenmoors, ruled by the Lord of the Nazgul, who was then known as the Witch-king of Angmar. Its capital was Carn Dûm. Angmar was peopled with Orcs, Hill-men, and other such creatures. Angmar arose about the Third Age 1300 and, for the next 700 years, attempted to destroy the Dúnedain of the North. Cardolan and Rhudaur fell quickly, the former effectively destroyed by 1409 and the latter infiltrated even earlier, but Arthedain, aided by the Evles of Rivendell and Lindon, held out until 1974, although nearly defeated in 1409. In 1975, the Witch-king was defeated in the Battle of Fornost by armies from Lindon (led by Cürdan and Eärnur and strengthened by the latter's army from Gondor) and Rivendell (led by Glorfindel); he was driven from the North and his servants west of the Misty Mountains slain or scattered. Those few who survived east of the Mountains were destroyed soon after by the Eothéod.
Arda
Arda is the Earth, intended by Ilúvatar to be the abode of his Children. As conceived in the Ainulindalë, Arda was to be temperate and symmetrical, but it was seriously marred by the malice of Melkor and the struggle between him and the Valar. When the Valar had fulfilled as much of the Vision as they could, Arda was round and flat, encircled by Ekkaia, the Outer Sea, which in turn was enclosed within the Walls of the Night. Arda contained at least two great continents, Aman and Middle-earth, separated by Belegaer. Beneath the field of Arda was a great expanse of rock, pocked with caves; it is not said if this rock rested on anything. Above was the Veil of Arda, the atmosphere. At the Change of the World, Ilúvatar removed Aman from Arda and made Arda the spherical world in which we dwell. It is said that the original design of Arda will be restored in the End. Arda is also called the Earth and, when considered as a realm, the Kingdom of Arda, of Earth or of Manwë, and the Little Kingdom.
Arnor
The senior Dúnedain Kingdom of Middle-earth, founded in the Second Age 3320 by Elendil, who ruled directly as its first king. At its greatest Arnor included all the lands between the Gwathlo-Bruinen and the Lune. Arnor's first capital was Annúminas, but before 861 the capital was moved to Fornost, the chief city of the country. Unlike Gondor, Arnor did not prosper and the dwindling of the Dúnedain began with the disastrous Battle of the Gladden Fields in the Third Age 2. However, throughout all its troubles, the rules of Arnor, the heirs of the Line of Isildur, were preserved. When Eärendur, the tenth King of Arnor, died in the Third Age 861, Arnor was split among his three sons, the eldest becoming King of Arthedain. The Dúnedain in the other two kingdoms, Cardolan and Rhudaur, quickly dwindled, and in 1349 Arthedain claimed lordship over all of Arnor. After this time, what was properly speaking, Arthedain was sometimes called Arnor. Angmar and Rhudaur used this claim as a pretext to attack Arthedain, and in 1974 te kingdom fell. The heirs of Isildur became the Chieftans of the few Dúnedain of the North, until after the War of the Ring, when Arnor was reestablished by Elessar. It was also called the North-Kingdom.
Beleriand
Beleriand was an area of Middle-earth in the First Age, at first the lands around the Bay of Balar, but later all the lands lying west of the Ered Luin and south of the Ered Wethrin, possibly including Dorthonion and Nevrast. Beleriand was divided into East and West regions by the River Sirion; the populous northern lands were divided from the largely unsettled south bythe Andram. At first, Beleriand was the home of the Sindar of Doriath and the Falas, later joined by the Laiquendi of Ossiriand, the Noldor of Nargothrond, Himlad, East Beleriand and Thargelion, and the Edain. Gradually overrun by the forces of Morgoth, all of Beleriand, save for the portion of Ossiriand later known as Lindon, was ruined in the Great Battle at the end of the First Age. It was also called the Land of the Elves.
Bree-Land
Bree-land was the wooded area at the intersection of the Great East and North Roads, inhabited by Men and Hobbits. The Bree-land contained four villages, Bree, Archet, Staddle, and Combe, and a number of scattered dwellings. The Bree-land was founded in the Second Age by Men from Dunland, and somehow managed to survive through all the wars of Middle-earth. The Bree-land was part of Arnor and later Arthedain; after the fall of the North-kingdom it was protected by the Rangers of the North. Its economy dwindled when the North-kingdom failed and trade declined, but the Bree-land doubtless revived in the Fourth Age. In any case, its farms provided a comfortable existence for all its inhabitants.
Brown Lands
The Brown Lands were the area between Mirkwood and the Emyn Muil, desolate and treeless. Of old the Entwives made their gardens here, but they were driven away and the land ruined during the war between Sauron and the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age. They were also called the Noman-lands and the Noman Lands.
Dunland
Dunland was the area west of the Misty Mountains and south of the Glanduin, at the time of the War of the Ring neither prosperous, civilized, nor organized into a state, being a land of backward herdsmen and hillmen. Dunland was inhabited before the founding of Gondor by the Dunlendings. About the Third Age 1150 some Stoors came to Dunland, but migrated to the Shire in 1630. From approximately the Third Age 2770 to 2800 Dwarves who had escaped from the sack of Erebor, led by Thrór, lived in Dunland. At the time of the War of the Ring, Dunland, though a fair, fertile land, was sparsely inhabited.
Eä
Eä is the Creation, the realization of the Vision and the Ainulindalë by the will of Ilúvatar. It comprises Arda and the heavens (Ilmen or menel), is animated by the Secret Fire, and is bound by the principles of matter, space, and Time. Outside Eä are the Timeless Halls, and the Void. Eä is also called the World and the World that is.
Enchanted Isles
The Enchanted Isles were islands in the Shadowy Seas, created by the Valar after the poisoning of the Two Trees and the revolt of the Noldor as part of the guard of Valinor. Any mariner who set foot on the Enchanted Isles slept until the Change of the World.
Erebor
Erebor was a mountain east of Mirkwood and west of the Iron Hills. Erebor was first settled by Thráin 1, who came there with a large part of Durin's Folk after fleeing from Moria, and founded the Kingdom under the Mountain in the Third Age 1999. The Kingdom was for a while lessened in numbers and glory while the Kings of Durin's Folk dwelt in the Ered Mithrin, but dragons caused Thrór to return to Erebor in 2590. The fame and richness of Erebor grew for nearly two hundred years, until in 2770 Smaug plundered the Dwarf-kingdom. Smaug dwelt in Erebor with his hoard until 2941, when he was disturbed by Thorin and Company and slain by Bard. Dáin 2 reestablished the Kingdom under the Mountain, and its halls became once more fair and its people wealthy. During the War of the Ring, Erebor was besieged by an army of Easterlings, but after the downfall of Sauron the Dwarves and the Men of Dale routed the besiegers. In the Fourth Age, Erebor was independent, but it was allied with and protected by the Reunited Kingdom. It was called in Westron the Lonely Mountain and the Mountain.
Fangorn Forest
Fangorn Forest was a wood of great age east of the southern end of the Misty Mountains, watered by the Entwash and Limlight. Fangorn was the eastern remnant of the great forest that once covered all of Eriador and extended into Beleriand. The Ents lived in Fangorn Forest at the time of the War of the Ring. During the last century of the Third Age, Orcs of Isengard did great damage to Fangorn, but this stopped with the destruction of Isengard by the Ents during the War of the Ring. Fangorn was a wild, visibly old forest. There were places in it where the shadow of the Great Darkness had never been lifted. Fangorn was named after Fangorn the Ent, the oldest Ent living there at the time of the War of the Ring and the guardian of the Forest. It was called the Entwood by the Rohirrim; it was also called Fangorn and Forest of Fangorn. ambarona, Tauremorna, Aldalómë, and Tauremornalómë were epithes applied to the Forest by Fangorn the Ent.
Gondor
Gondor was one of the Dúnedain kingdoms in Middle-earth, founded by Elendil in the Second Age 3320 and committed by him to the joint rule of his sons Isildur and Anárion. At the height of its power (circa the Third Age 1100), Gondor extended north to Celebrant, east to the Sea of Rhûn, south to the River Harnen inland and Umbar on the coast, and west to Gwathlo. In addition, various realms to the east and south were tributary states. The chief cities of Gondor were Osgiliath, Minas Anor, Minas Ithil, Dol Amroth, and Pelargir. From its founding, Gondor was always under attack by Sauron or his allies. Ithilien was invaded a number of times, beginning in the Second Age 3429, until in the Third Age 2002 Minas Ithil was taken by the Nazgûl and held until the end of the War of the Ring. In the Third Age, Gondor suffered three great evils: the Kin-strife, the Great Plague, and the invasions of the Wainriders. These difficulties, combined with the degeneration of the Dúnedain, sapped Gondor's strength, decreased its population, and dulled its vigilance. After the death of Elendil in the Second Age 3441, Gondor was ruled by the Line of Anárion until it failed in the Third Age 2050. From that time until the restoration of the kingdom by Elessar in 3019, Gondor was governed by the Ruling Stewards. Gondor was a feudal kingdom. Originally the two greatest fiefs, the royal fiefs of Ithilien (Isildur) and Anórien (Anárion and his heirs), were of equal rank, but after the removal of Isildur to Arnor and the moving of the capital from Osgiliath to Minas Anor, Anárion became more important than Ithilien. Gondor was also called the South-kingdom, in opposition to Arnor. It was called Stonelending and Stoningland by the Rohirrim.
Khazad-Dûm
Khazad-Dûm was the greatest of the Dwarf-halls, the mansion and folk-home of Durin's Folk, carved by Durin 1 early in the First Age in the caves overlooking Azanulbizar. Here was located the tomb of Durin, and here dwelt the heart of his people. Expanded many times, Khazad-dûm ultimately took up much of the area beneath Barazinbar, Zirak-zigil, and Bundushathûr, and in the Second Age a tunnel was built to Eregion. Khazad-dûm consisted of many large halls on a number of levels, as well as mines, etc. At the end of the First Age, the population of Khazad-dûm was increased, as many skilled Dwarves from the Ered Luin came there after the ruin of Nogrod and Belegost. Early in the Second Age, mithril was discovered in Khazad-dûm, and the friendship between Durin's Folk and the Noldor of Eregion began. The gates of Khazad-dûm were closed during the War of Elves and Sauron, and thus the Dwarves survived through the Second Age. In the Third Age 1980, the Dwarves, while extending their mithril-mine, released the Balrog hidden beneath Barazinbar. The next year, after two Kings of Khazad-dûm had been slain by the Balrog, the Dwarves fled. About 2480, Sauron began to keep Orcs in Khazad-dûm, and these Orcs murdered Thrór in 2790. This led to the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, which ended in 2799 with the Battle of Azanulbizar. Despite the Dwarves# victory, Dáin Ironfoot refused to reenter Khazad-dûm because of the presence of the Balrog. In 2989, however, a large group of Dwarves of Erebor, led by Balin, established a Dwarf-kingdom in Khazad-dûm. However, they were trapped by the Watcher in the Water at the West-gate and a large army of Orcs at the East-gate, and they perished in 2994. In January 3019, the Company of the Ring (and Gollum) passed through Khazad-dûm, and Gandalf slew the Balrog in a series of battles that ruined the Chamber of Mazarbul, Durin's Bridge, the Endless Stair, and Durin's Tower. There is no mention of a recolonization of Khazad-dûm by the Dwarves in the Fourth Age, despite the death of the Balrog. The Dwarvish kingdom of Khazad-dûm included Azanulbizar as well as the halls within the mountains. Except for Balin, all the Kings of Khazad-dûm were also Kings of Durin's Folk. Khazad-dûm was called the Dwarrowdelf in Westron and Hadhodrond in Sindarin, although the more usual Elvish name, especially after the freeing of the Balrog, was Moria. From the latter name came the Westron Black Pit, Black Chasm, and Mines of Moria.
Lórien
Lórien was the Elven realm west of Anduin, at the meeting of Celebrant and Anduin, ruled by Celeborn and Galadriel. The mellyrn woods of Lórien were protected from Sauron by the power of Galadriel, and here alone in Middle-earth was the true beauty and timelessness of Eldamar preserved. Lórien was made and founded in the Second Age by Galadriel. Although most of its people were Silvan Elves, Sindarin was spoken in Lórien. In 1981, as a result of the appearance of the Balrog in Khazad-dûm, many of the Elves of Lórien fled south. During the Quest of Mount Doom the Companions of the Ring rested in Lórien for a month. In the War of the Ring, Lórien was assaulted three times from Dol Guldur, but the attackers were defeated. With the passing of Galadriel over Sea at the end of the Third Age and Celebors removal to East Lórien, Lórien was largely deserted.
Menegroth
Menegroth was the underground halls of Thingol (Elwe), built for him by the Dwarves of Belegost during the third age of the captivity of Melkor at the urging of Melian. Menegroth was built in a rocky hill on the south bank of the Esgalduin at the point where it began to flow westward. Its only entrance was by a bridge of stone over the river. Menegroth prospered until the death of Thingol, when it was sacked by the Dwarves of Nogrod. Dior later settled there, but the city was deserted after his murder by the sons of Fëanor. It was also called the Caves of Menegrother and the Thousand Caves.
Middle-earth
Middle-earth consisted of the lands of Arda lying east of Belegaer, extending at least as far south and east as Harad and Rhûn. In the First and Second Ages it included Cuiviénen and Hildórien, and probably all of the lands north of Beleriand and Eriador as far as Ekkaia. But in the very far east in the Elder Days there were inner seas separating Middle-earth from tomething else, perhaps the Empty Lands. In the south there may have been lands, which, if they were part of Middle-earth, were ignored by geographers and mariners. The Change of the World at the downfall of Númenor damaged the coasts of Middle-earth but apparently did not alter its boundaries. Middle-earth is called Endóre in Quenya and Ennor in Sindarin. It is also called the Great Lands, the Hither Lands, the Hither Shors, the Wide World, and the Outer Lands.
Mirkwood
Mirkwood was the name given Greenwoo the Great when the shadow of Dol Guldur fell on it about the Third Age 1050. With the growth of the power of Sauron in Dol Guldur, black squirrels, Orcs, and great spiders spread through the forest, but the Woodman and the Elves of the Woodland Realm of northern Mirkwood remained in Mirkwood. In the course of the Third Age the Old Forest Road fell into disuse. In the Third Age 2941, Thorin and Company passed through Mirkwood on an old elf-path and encountered an enchanted stream, queer eyes and insects at night, the great spiders, and a feeling of oppression and darkness. After the War of the Ring, Mirkwood was cleansed and renamed Eryn Lasgalen. It was called Taur e-Ndaedelos in Sindarin. It was also called the Wood and the Great Wood.
Mordor
Mordor was a realm east of the lower Anduin, bounded and protected on the north by the Ered Lithui and on the south and west by the Ephel Dúath. First settled by Sauron about the Second Age 1000, Mordor was ever after a stronghold of evil. From Mordor, Sauron directed the War of the Elves and Sauron and he remained there until he submitted to Ar-Pharazôn in 3262. After the fall of Númenor, Sauron returned to Mordor, and in 3429, attacked Gondor. Mordor was invaded by the army of the Last Alliance in 3434, and with Sauron's defeat in 3441, Mordor was cleansed of his servants. Called in Westron the Black Land, the Land of Shadow, or the Dark Country, Mordor was also called the Nameless Land. In the Third Age, Gondor built fortresses such as Durthang, the Towers of the Teeth, and the Tower of Cirith Ungol to prevent any evil thing from reentering Mordor. After the Great Plague of 1636 these fortresses were abandoned, and the Nazgûl entered Mordor and began the slow preparation of the land for the return of Sauon, who was then dwelling in disguise in Dol Goldur. In 2942, Sauron returned to his home, and in 2951 openly declared himself and began the rebuilding of Barad-Dûr. During the War of the Ring the armies gathered in Mordor were unleashed against Gondor, but with the unmaking of the One Ring many of Sauron's works were destroyed and Mordor was devastated by earthquakes.
Northfarthing
The Northfarthing was one of the Four Farthings of the Shire, where the barley for the Shire's beer was grown. Only in the Northfarthing was snow common in the Shire. It was also the site of hunting. Its soil tended to be rocky. It was also spelled “North Farthing”.
Númenor
Númenor was the rich and powerful kingdom of the Dúnedain in the Second Age, founded in the Second Age 32 on a great island raised by the Valar in the western waters of Belegaer. The westernmost of mortal lands, Númenor was granted to the Edain as a reward for their valor and faithfulness in the War of the Great Jewels. The Kings of Númenor were Elros Tar-Minyatur and his descendents; after 1075 the scepter passed to the eldest child of the King, whether male or female. Enriched by gifts from Eldar, the Númenóreans became great mariners, powerful and wise, but they were forbidden to set foot on the Undying Lands or to become immortal. About 600 ships of Númenor first returned to Middle-earth, and the Dúnedain instructed the primitive Men they found there and helped them free themselves from the Shadow. About 1200 Númenor began to establish permanent havens in Middle-earth, of which Umbar and Pelargir were the greatest. In 1700 Tar-Minastir sent a great fleet to the aid of Gil-galad in Lindon, and with this aid Sauron, who had overrun all of Eriador in the War of the Elves and Sauron, was Defeated. After helping to defeat Sauron, the Dúnedain began to grow proud and discontented. Situated between Middle-earth and the Undying Lands, the Númenóreans lost sight of the significance of the Gift of Men, and their later history shows a failure to understand both mortality and immortality. About 1800 they started to establish dominions on the shors of Middle-earth, exacting tribute and domination. This desire for power was partly a result of irritation at the Ban of the Valar, which barred the Dúnedain from the fair towers of Eldamar which they could see from their ships, but all these discontents ultimately stemmed from the growing fear of death. Viewing the Gift of Men as their Doom, the Dúnedain tried to find immortality in lordship and ornate tombs, and satisfaction in riches and revelry. By the twenty-third century, in the reign of Tar-Atanamir, the Dúnedain began to speak openly against the Valar. Soon the Eldar were estranged and the Hallow of Eru neglected. Only the Faithful remained loyal to the Valar and friendly wih the Eldar. In succeeding generations the majority of Númenóreans, known as the King's Men, abandoned the use of the Elven tongues, persecuted the Faithful, and lost the joy of life through the fear of death. The Kings in 2899 began to take their royal names in Adûnaic, and the dwindling of their life spans increased. In 3175, Tar-Palantir tried to return to the old ways, but his reign was marked by civil war, and on his death in 3255 his nephew usurped the crown and became Ar-Pharazôn. Resolving to gain the kingship of the world, Ar-Pharazôn humbled Sauron in 3262 and took him to Númenor as a prisoner. Sauron quickly corrupted Númenor. Within fifty years he had built a Temple to Melkor in which human sacrifices were held, persuaded Ar-Pharazôn to destroy Nimloth, and induced the King to assault Valinor and seize the right to immortality by force. Amid civil anarchy, frenzied sacrifices to Melkor, the enslavement of Men in Middle-earth, and portents from the West, Ar-Pharazôn prepared the Great Armament. When he landed on Aman in 3319, the Valar laid aside their Guardianship and called upon Eru, and Númenor was destroyed in the Change of the World. Elendil, son of the Lord of Andúnië, escaped from the ruin with his sons and a small following of the Faithful and came to Middle-earth. The only other Dúnedain to survive were those living in Middle-earth, the Faithful of Lindon and Pelargir and the Black Númenóreans of Umbar and Harad. Sauron also escaped, but his body was destroyed. Númenor is a slightly Anglicized (or Westron-ized) form of the Quenya Númenóre; the Adûnaic form was Carn Dûm and the Westron Westernesse. More properly called Númendor. Andor, Elenna, and the Land of the Star tended to refer to the island as opposed to the kingdom. After its fall, Númenor was called Akallabêth in Westron and Mar-nu-Falmar or Atalante in Quenya; the last form gives the modern Atlantis.
Rivendell
Elven-refuge in a steep and hidden valley in the Angle, founded in the Second Age 1697 by Elrond, who was fleeing from the destruction of Eregion with the remnant of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain; most of the Elves of Rivendell were Eldar, including the great lords Gildor and Glorfindel. From Rivendell, Elrond succoured the Dúnedain at need in the Third Age. Valandil, the son of Isildur, was raised here, as were, later, all the Chieftains of the Dúnedain. Rivendell survived the War of the Elves and Sauron and the wars against Angmar because of the great Elvenpower there; in more peaceful times Rivendell was a center of lore and counsel. After the War of the Ring, Elrond and many of the Elves of Rivendell went over Sea, but Ellandan ad Elrohir remained there, and they were joined by Celeborn. There is no record of when Rivendell was finally deserted. In Sindarin it was called imladris and Karningul in genuine Westron.
Rohan
Rohan was the kingdom of the Rohirrim, bounded by the Ered Nimrais, the Isen, the Misty Mountains, Fangorn, the Limlight, Anduin, the Mouths of Entwash, and the Mering Stream. Once a province of Gondor, Calenardhon, the land was given to the Men of èothéod by Cirion of Gondor in the Third Age 2510 in return for their aid in the Battle of the Fields of Celebrant and their swearing to the Oath of Eorl. Rohan, as the country was then called in Gondor, was ruled by King Eorl and his descendants. The Rohirrim farmed and raised horses on the green plains of their country and restored ancient fortresses and refuges in the Ered Nimrais, the most important of which were Dunharrow and Helm's Deep. The first kings built the capital of Edoras below Dunharrow, but most of the Rohirrim dwelt in small villages or on farms. Their greatest concern was for their horses, which were the best in the world. In 2758 Rohan was overrun by Dunlendings led by Wulf, but the invaders were defeated the next spring by Fréaláf. After 2799, Orcs fleeing from the Battle of Nanduhirion troubled Rohan, and they were not entirely driven out of the Ered Nimrais until 2864. About 2960, Saruman began to trouble Rohan, and his harassments increased until the War of the Ring, when Rohan was invaded by an enormous army of Orcs and Dunlendings. Although the Rohirrim were defeated in the two Battles of the Fords of Isen, the invaders were crushed, with the aid of Gandalf and the Huorns, in the Battle of the Hornburg. Throughout its history, Rohan was closely allied with Gondor. Rohan performed its greatest service to the Dúnadan realm during the War of the Ring, when the Riders of Rohan played a crucial role in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Rohan was the name given the land in Gondor, the Rohirrim called their land the Riddermark, the Mark of the Riders, or the Mark. The Orcs called it Horse-country.
Undying Lands
Undying Lands was the general name given to the lands of Arda west of Belegaer: Aman (comprising Valinor and mainland Eldamar) and Tol Eressëa. Despite the lies of Sauron and the wishes of the Númenorëans, the Undying Lands were not inherently immortal, but rather were hallowed by the Valar, Maiar, and Eldar, their deathless inhabitants. It was also called the Deathless Lands. Such terms as the West, the Far West, the Uttermost West, and the Isles of the West refer to the same area.
Valinor
Valinor is the land of the Valar in Aman, bounded on the north, south, and east by the curve of the Pelóri and on the west by Ekkaia. Established by the Valar was the home of the Valar (except Ulmo), most of the Maiar, and, later, the Vanyar. Its only city is Valimar. Valinor was lighted by the Two Trees until their poisoning, and later by the Moon and Sun. Mandos and Vairë dwell in his halls on the shores of Ekkaia, and Nienna dwells nearby. The woods of Oromë lie in southern Valinor, east of the fields and gardens of Yavanna. The mansions of Aulëe are in central Valinor, while Manwë and Varda dwell on Taniquetil. The gardens of Vána and the gardens and pools of Lórien and Estë are also in Valinor.
West
The West was the realms and peoples opposed to Sauron and favoring virtue and the Dúnedain.
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Lord of the Rings Home
J.R.R Tolkien's extensive worldbuilding in Lord of the Rings remains an incredible feat not just in the history of fantasy novels, but literature in general. The denizens of Middle-earth, even the most marginal creatures who appear only briefly, still have an entire backstory that links with others and makes Lord of the Rings an immersive experience for readers of the books and watchers of the movies alike. In fact, Tolkien's descriptions, sketches, and detailed notes are so specific he completely set up the visual adaptations to succeed onscreen, even though he never lived to actually see them. Inspired by history, mythology, philosophy, and world religions, as well as his own experiences fighting in World War I, Tolkien drew heavily from real-life inspirations in creating his fantasy world and its citizens battle between forces of light and darkness. There is one ring to rule them all, indeed, but who's 'them'? Here's a breakdown of all the different beings in Lord of the Rings explained.
Maiar and Valar: Wizards
The most powerful beings in Lord of the Rings are the Maiar and Valar, also known as wizards. Descended from the magical spirits of the Valar, the majority of the wizards in Middle-earth relocated to the Undying Lands of Valinor, where they exist as pure energy that can never be destroyed. But some of the Maiar adopted human forms and decided to remain as public figures in Middle-earth to assist — or later battle — the other creatures who live there. Called Istari by the Elves, the cadre of remaining wizards was extremely small, but that does not diminish their power.
Among these wizards we find Sauron, the dark lord whose enchanted rings threatened the lives of most of Middle-earth in his search for total power. Sauron's right hand Istari was Saruman the White, a most powerful wizard for good once upon a time, but corrupted by the dark magic of Sauron. Gandalf the Grey becomes the foil of Sauron and Saruman, eventually transforming into Gandalf the White after his battle with the Balrog Durin's Bane in the Mines of Moria.
In fact, Balrogs are actually fallen Maiar who have taken on a demonic shape and related dark powers. Durin's Bane was the last known Balrog, killed by Gandalf during their epic confrontation. Wizards' powers include telepathy, telekinesis, pyromancy, spell casting, and extreme strength even though their appearance is that of wizened elderly men.
Elves
Considered the first of the Free People, those who were never swayed by the dark forces of Sauron and Morgoth and instead fought to defeat them, Elves are a mystical warrior race endowed with many of their own powers. Elves are also known as the Quendi, which means people who can speak since they were some of the first beings in Middle-earth to win the gift of speech. Elves are tall and lean, beautiful with pointed ears and many natural talents like exceptional eyesight both in light and dark, the inability to suffer physical wounds, and a very slow aging process.
In Sauron's first war for the enchanted rings, the Elves were one of the key figures who helped defeat him, and after that battle many Elves went to the foreverland in the West where their spirits will live forever. The remaining Elven dominions in Middle-earth included Rivendell, led by Elrond, and the dark-Elves abode in Lothlorien, headed by Galadriel. Dark-Elves are called such not because they are evil, but because they live deep in the forest where light doesn't reach. After the second and final defeat of Sauron in Lord of the Rings, all the Elves except for Elrond's daughter Arwen journeyed to the Utter West and their presence in Middle-earth was finished once and for all.
Men
Originally called Atani, Men also made up a huge portion of the Free People who escaped the dark power of Sauron, and Morgoth before him. Unlike Elves and wizards who are functionally immortal — even if their body dies, their magical spirit remains behind — The Gift of Men is that of pure mortality. This 'gift' would quickly become considered a curse by Men who envied those beings in Middle-earth blessed with forever life, and many conflicts arose between Men and Elves. This explains much of the tension between Elven leader Elrond and the emissaries of Men Aragorn and Boromir in Fellowship of the Ring: Elves had come to severely distrust Men and their pettiness over the passing of years.
But there were in fact Men who had found a kind of immortality that so many of them craved. The Nazgul, or Ringwraiths, who do Sauron's bidding in locating the rings and terrorizing all those who stand in their way were once Men. But now they are corrupted dark spirits who are Men only in history and name, not humanity. The Black Riders on horseback also also fallen Men. On Frodo, Sam, and Gollum's journey to Mordor they also come upon the Dead Marshes and Paths of the Dead, where ghostly beings trapped in limbo under the water taunt the living to join them in that watery purgatory. These ghouls were once Men, and now occupy a shadow space.
Dwarves
Created by the ancient wizard of the Valar, Aulë the Smith, Dwarves live and work deep underground mining for metals like mithril, rock, and precious stones used for all manner of life in Middle-earth. While they are both part of the Free People, in many ways Dwarves are the polar opposite of Elves. Dwarves are short and squat, with a grizzled appearance that makes even the youngest Dwarf look decades older than their actual age. It doesn't help that they all have long beards, including the female Dwarves, which are a huge point of pride among the community. Dwarves are exceptionally strong and wield battle axes as large as themselves with no complaint. While Dwarves are not immortal, they do live for hundreds of years, unlike mortal Men and the immortal Elves.
Because a Dwarf ancestor Durin III received one of Sauron's rings for safekeeping, his cohort of Dwarves were slowly corrupted by the ring's power and they became overly greedy for jewels and precious metals. As they overworked Khazad-dum, later called the Mines of Moria, they released a hidden Balrog who proceeded to kill most of Durin's kin. Those who survived fled to the north and resettled, but their numbers were greatly diminished.
Hobbits
Even though Hobbits are central figures in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe, there is surprisingly little known about their proper origins, unlike their Free People counterparts in Men, Elves, and Dwarves. Hobbits have no powers other than a fierce sense of loyalty and forthright determination. They are short of stature with pointed ears, and they have such tough skin on their overly large feet for their size that they require no shoes, even when walking in rain, or on snow or mountains. These original foodies and fans of second breakfast mostly live in the pastoral wonderland of the Shire, where their Hobbit-holes are built into the landscape so naturally you almost wouldn't even know there are homes there.
It was because of the gentle Hobbit personality that one in particular, Frodo Baggins, would be entrusted with carrying and ultimately destroying the One Ring, even though this experience would take an enormous toll on him as did possessing the ring have on his ancestor Bilbo. While Gollum was the only one of his kind, he was once technically a Hobbit who went by the name of Smeagol until his many years with the ring turned him into a creature unrecognizable by Hobbit standards.
Orcs and Uruk-hai
Before Sauron there was Morgoth, a dark wizard with designs to rule over Middle-earth with a cruel hand. He molded an entire race of slaves in Orcs and Uruk-hai, vicious creatures distantly related to Elves who served as army forces to do the bidding first of Morgoth and later unearthed once more by Sauron. Orcs have reptilian faces, sharp as nails teeth, and claws they don't hesitate to use when necessary or not. They range in height, some only Hobbit-sized and others as tall as Men and Elves. Orcs cannot stand daylight, but their larger cousins the Uruk-hai are able to see in daylight without any trouble, making this army of monsters quite a force to be reckoned with. These grotesque creatures are as crafty as they are ugly, with the ability to fashion all kinds of horrific tools for torture, domination, and the ultimate subjugation of others per their Dark Lord's orders. J.R.R. Tolkien used the term goblin synonymously with orc.
Ents
Called the Onodrim by the Elves, Ents were once humanoid caretakers of the woods, protecting the forests from environmental threats like Orcs and even Dwarves who would cut down the trees for fashioning their weapons. Eventually the Ents took on the physical form of the trees they were watching after, and are one of the only groups in Middle-Earth almost as old as the Wizard spirits. At first, Ents did not have the gift of speech. But after a time of listening to the Elves, they learned how to speak, even though they continue to do so v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.
By the time of Lord of the Rings, there were two known forms of their language: Old Entish and New Entish. The old version was made purely of various long tones, where New Entish included actual words from Elvish given an Ent spin. Sadly, after all the Entwives were killed during the many wars fought over Middle-earth, the Ents are subsequently unable to create new members of their community. If Middle-earth had an endangered beings list, Ents would be right at the top.
Trolls and Ogres
The Dark Lord Morgoth created more disturbing creatures for his protracted battles against forces of good which also included Trolls and Ogres. Made as an open mockery of Ents, Trolls are huge, hulking, humanoid creatures with almost impenetrable thick skin and melty bulbous faces. They are exceedingly strong and can wield huge weapons with a crushing force. But unfortunately, they cannot withstand sunlight; exposure makes them turn into stone permanently.
As time went by, a new breed of Troll called the Olog-hai were born and while they looked very much like standard Trolls, this breed could go out into both night and daylight making them an even bigger threat in battle. Not all Trolls have the ability of speech, but all of them are not particularly clever and are better suited for taking orders.
While Ogres only make a brief appearance in the Hobbit book, and it suggests they are a possible mythical creature from Middle-earth history, the version we see in the Battle of Five Armies film could be inspired by Half-Trolls, who are a smaller and faster version of standard Trolls with a slightly different appearance.
The Spiders
The Ungoliant was the first of the huge, venomous, light-eating spiders, but her actual origins are unclear other than being related to an ancient race of large, sentient eight-legged beasts with segmented bodies. She was not created by Morgoth like Orcs and Trolls, but did work closely with that Dark Lord in his campaign to take over Middle-earth. The Spiders are also referred to as Children of the Ungolient, and Lord of the Rings books seem to suggest The Ungoliant may have mated with other large spiders to create this new species.
The Spiders prefer dark places where evil reigns and any time light enters they consume it to create more darkness, both physically and metaphorically. They do speak, but a language only other Spiders can understand. Eventually the Ungoliant's descendent Shelob would encounter Sam and Frodo on their journey to Mordor, first incapacitating Frodo with her venom and later being killed by Sam using Frodo's Mithril blade Sting. The Spiders mainly live in the tunnels of Mordor as well as the dark forest of Mirkwood.
Dragons
Without the Dark Lord Morgoth's menagerie of monsters, we wouldn't have the incredible reptilian beasts known as Dragons that play a variety of roles in Lord of the Rings and beyond, but always unfortunately on the side of evil. From the first Dragon Glaurung the Great Worm to vicious and greedy Smaug hoarding gold and jewels for his own pleasure, Dragons played a huge part in the history of Middle-earth up until their supposed extinction with the death of Smaug. Dragons had the gift of speech as well, although they chose to use the Common Tongue instead of the Elven-based Middle-earth languages.
While most dragons had wings and could breathe fire, there were some that didn't have flight like Scatha the Worm and others that could only breathe smoke, not actual flames. Dragons were a spiteful bunch. As much as they loved finding and keeping treasure away from others who might need it more, they received far more joy in the actual taking away of precious things from those they rightfully belonged to. Dragons aged slowly and were notoriously difficult to kill because of the virtually impenetrable scales covering their bodies.
Watcher in the Water
While the Watcher in the Water only appears once in Lord of the Rings, it represents a point of no return for the Fellowship of the Ring. In Tolkien's book, the creature is described as living in a pool of stagnant water and that it has many tentacles. Peter Jackson's adaptation for the screen is heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos as the monster emerges in great detail with a dozen tentacles and an octopus-like face with beady eyes.
After the creature is disturbed while Gandalf and Frodo are trying to solve the riddle to open the mine door, Frodo is almost killed and the group is subsequently rushed down a treacherous path through the Mines of Moria without any time to consider their next steps. The origins of the Watcher remain an enigma, with Gandalf only noting that the thing is as old as Orcs and fueled by the same dark power. In the film adaptation, Legolas shoots the monster in the eye with one of his Elven arrows and we never find out if the creature lived or died thence forward.
Giants
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The race of rock-looking beings known as Giants also have an enigmatic creation story in Lord of the Rings. Also called Stone-Giants in The Hobbit, their biggest appearance takes place in that story when Bilbo Baggins sees them having a rock fight in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. 'Bilbo saw that across the valley the stone-giants were out, and were hurling rocks at one another for a game, and catching them, and tossing them down into the darkness where they smashed among the trees far below, or splintered into little bits with a bang ... they could hear the giants guffawing and shouting all over the mountainsides.' While they aren't properly described in the book, Peter Jackson models the physical beings after their moniker Stone-Giant and we see them looking like walking rock faces that also appear to speak. Giants hail exclusively from the Misty Mountains and are such an ancient race they are almost mythological creatures even within the history of Middle-earth.
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Fellbeasts
The Nazghul's winged dragon-esque transportation is one of the few beings in Lord of the Rings whose name is assumed, not actually given. Tolkien refers to the monsters as 'fell' creatures, a word from Middle English that signifies a dark, vicious, and malevolent thing, and it was Tolkien's readers who coined the phrase 'Fellbeast' to refer to them. Their origins are also unclear, but there is a suggestion that it was Sauron who created or raised the creatures from a corresponding dark place and empowered them to be the chariots for his cadre of Nazgul as they searched for the One Ring. Unlike Dragons, Fellbeasts do not have the power of speech or breathing fire, but they do have huge clawed hands that they often employ for their Nazgul masters' bidding. Sam and Frodo have numerous near-death encounters with the dreaded Fellbeasts, who are as demonic and focused as their ghostly riders in the service of the Dark Lord Sauron.
Large mammals of Middle-earth
Through Middle-earth's history, the Great Eagles were an emissary for the forces of light through the age of Dark Lord Morgoth and Sauron. They have the ability to see through all things and from great heights, except into the darkest reaches of Dark Lord territory. The Great Eagles kept an eye on Sauron's mining of Orcs and Uruk-hai, as well as swooping in to rescue Dwarves, Hobbits, and Wizards alike in Lord of the Rings.
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Even though the Mumakil, or Oliphaunts, had no concrete loyalty to either the dark or light forces, they were mostly utilized by the Dark Lords on the battlefield. The Mumakil are reminiscent of prehistoric mammoths, with a tough hide, huge stature, and enormous tusks that can be manipulated as weapons. Sauron's armies constructed war towers on their backs from where they could launch weapons and see from a higher vantage point. The Mumakil's weakness was their eyes, a fact exploited by those who fought against them.
Tolkien's Werewolves were not men who turned into wolves on full moon nights, but rather an oversized mutated wolf created by the Dark Lord Morgoth using the spirits of fallen Maiar and later utilized by Sauron. They had an innate intelligence and ability to speak, as well as reason if need be.
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Wargs are said to have descended from the Werewolves, and in Lord of the Rings serve Orcs as their steeds for travel as well as battle. Unlike other references to Wargs that imply they are shapeshifters or able to be mentally controlled by other beings, Tolkien's version is simply a large, vicious wolf.