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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Foreword to the Third Edition

  Compiler’s Note

  A

  B

  C

  D

  E

  F

  G

  H

  I

  K

  L

  M

  N

  O

  P

  Q

  R

  S

  T

  U

  V

  W

  Y

  Z

  Notes

  Copyright

  For Susan

  Foreword to the Third Edition

  It is generally agreed that the task of a compiler of reference works is a straightforward if laborious one. The information is there. All he has to do is locate, select, arrange and annotate it in a pleasing and coherent manner so that others, in search of the same information, may find it more quickly and conveniently than he did. But this agreeable picture presupposes that the body of information being referenced is itself fixed and finite, so that the task of referencing will have to be performed once only. If it expands only a little, the compiler’s labours may still serve their intended purpose; but if the expansion is considerable – and especially when new data conflict with or at least sharply modify existing data – the concordance as a whole will stand in need of revision, and the compiler must go back to work.

  This has been the fate of The Tolkien Companion and its compiler, not once, but twice. The first revision took place only three years after first publication, and was not unexpected. The second revision – this Third Edition – had to wait a further twenty-three years, and when it happened was almost entirely unexpected; though perhaps it should not have been, since in the meantime the number of J. R. R. Tolkien’s published works on the subject of Middle-earth had more than quadrupled, and the pressure to execute a second major overhaul of the Companion had been mounting steadily over the years. What had always inhibited the resolve to do so had been the very regularity with which new volumes continued to be published. The likely appearance of new data in the immediate future must always limit the value of any compilation.

  When, in 1976, the original Tolkien Companion was published, the canon of Middle-earth consisted of two main works and two minor ones. The two main works were, in order of publication, The Hobbit (1937) and The lord of the Rings (1953–55). The minor works were The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1961) and The Road Goes Ever On (1967). Of these incomparably the most important was The Lord of the Rings. Fourteen books about Middle-earth later this remains true. The events it details may have been seen by their creator as a form of finale to a story that had been going on for aeons, but for the vast majority of Tolkien’s readers it has served as the principal gateway into his world. The Lord of the Rings is the Master Volume: the ‘core’ of Middle-earth, and, needless to say, of the original Tolkien Companion.

  Then, in 1978, The Silmarillion was published. Much was already known (or guessed) of this work. It represented Tolkien’s personal gateway into Middle-earth, his own ‘core’. Conceived (in fine detail) long before The Lord of the Rings, it was ‘senior’ to the latter in all ways except actual date of publication. His ideas for it had been evolving over a period of sixty years, and were by no means fixed: he had still been working on them when he died in 1973.

  What had not been foreseen was the enormous complexity of The Silmarillion. No less than the history of the universe was laid before us. Stately themes unfolded, and undreamed-of wonders were revealed. Individuals that had been mere passing references in The Lord of the Rings now took on life and historical context. Whole peoples – hitherto just names – played their parts in the great drama of the First Age. Realms, mountains, rivers, forests and sea-coasts were named and described; and new maps were furnished. Altogether it was a massive addition to the existing body of information about Middle-earth, and to do it justice required 1,800 new entries for The New Tolkien Companion (1979).

  If the many books by J. R. R. Tolkien published over the last twenty years – that is, since The Silmarillion – had individually contained even half as much new material as that work, compiling this Third Edition – The Complete Tolkien Companion – would have been a labour indeed. Fortunately, for my purposes anyway, they do not. But I cannot explain why without first expressing admiration for Christopher Tolkien’s heroic long-term achievement in preparing for publication his father’s hitherto unpublished writings – a very great feat of scholarship in its own right. A wonderful author’s posthumous work has been handled with meticulous sensitivity by a wonderful editor; and, due entirely to him, since The Silmarillion no less than thirteen more books have been published: the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth series, and Unfinished Tales.

  Yet, though anything but valueless to the Tolkien scholar, The History of Middle-earth proves to be of limited relevance to the compiler of Middle-earth reference works. The reason is that this series consists, in the main, either of earlier (rejected or superseded) versions of material already published as The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, or of material dating from a very early time in the evolution of these myths before they had coalesced into the forms we recognise in later works. There are experiments in writing styles and different constructions of the legendarium. They are, in a phrase, earlier drafts, in which we learn (to cite two trivial examples) that for a long time Frodo was called Bingo, and that Strider was known as Trotter until a similarly late stage of The Lord of the Rings. It is fascinating material for those who wish to understand how these marvellous books came into being – the actual authorial process as experienced by Tolkien – but of minor relevance to a Companion that must confine itself to ‘fixed’ facts about Middle-earth rather than ‘earlier versions’ or abandoned byways of plot, riveting though these invariably are.

  Then there is Unfinished Tales. First published in 1980, this volume is anything but irrelevant. It consists of a number of shorter tales, essays and (by the Editor) annotations, nearly all of which cast fascinating light on hitherto unilluminated regions of Tolkien’s world. For example, the island-realm of Númenor – about which little had been recorded – is now described geographically (with a map). The story of the heroic Númenorean mariners, their epic voyages to Middle-earth and their growing friendship with Gil-galad of the Noldor is also told; but we learn also of their ruthless despoliation of the forests of Minhiriath in order to provide timber for shipbuilding. The disastrous battle of the Gladden Fields is described in harrowing detail; we stand beside Elendil’s tomb on the Hill of Awe and watch (in awe) while Cirion Steward of Gondor and Eorl the Young of the Éothéod exchange vows of perpetual friendship and alliance. We listen with fascination as Gandalf ruefully describes the problems he encountered in persuading Thorin Oakenshield to accept Bilbo Baggins as part of his expedition; and the actual routes followed by the Black Riders in their hunt for the Ring are likewise detailed. We learn the names of the two ‘missing’ Wizards, and at least one of the Nazgûl; and much of the odd history of the Wild Men of Druadan Forest is made clearer than ever before. In short, Unfinished Tales is a major source-volume, not greatly less so than The Silmarillion, and much (though by no means all) of what differentiates The Complete Tolkien Companion from
earlier Editions is derived from it.

  Not, it may be added, without difficulty. Considerable and in some cases irreconcilable confusion is introduced in many places by ‘earlier versions’ that are in fact ‘later versions’ – in other words post-Lord of the Rings or -Silmarillion revisions, of plot or (more often) spelling, that never found their way into the main texts, for reasons that vary widely. Worse, there are facts – or at least intimations of facts – that appear to collide sharply with information already in the canon and widely accepted as such. Even Tolkien’s editor confesses that ‘there is no part of the history of Middle-earth more full of problems than the story of Galadriel and Celeborn’.1 He is quite right about Galadriel and Celeborn, but there are other examples nearly as perplexing.

  Deciding what and what not to include in the Third Edition therefore proved something of a problem, since it seemed impossible to devise any single test which would admit of all contingencies. In the end I chose to include only material which could be shown to have been conceived (if not executed) after the publication of The Lord of the Rings, and even then only if it supplemented, rather than collided with, ‘established’ facts. I have also drawn on those books in The History of Middle-earth series which deal with the genesis of The Silmarillion; but hardly at all from the volumes which concern themselves with earlier versions of The Lord of the Rings – material, as I have explained, which seems to me to be wholly inapplicable. In all cases I have précised the information and supplied footnoted references rather than quoting extensively from these ‘new’ works, since it is my earnest hope that readers of this Companion will become readers of those books too, if they are not already.

  * * *

  Here let me offer a much delayed mea culpa. In the Foreword to the First and Second Editions, I took the position that the Red Book of Westmarch and Translations from the Elvish (in other words, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion) were real (if incredibly ancient) books, and that Professor Tolkien’s role in the transmission of their contents to an admiring public had simply been that of curator and translator. This, according to one reviewer,2 displayed ‘an archness that would rattle the teeth in your head’, and I confess I have come to share this view. After all, if it was miraculous that these volumes should have survived for perhaps 10,000 years in a legible condition, how much more marvellous it is that this entire world, with its histories, legends, geography and peoples, should be the product of a single man’s imagination – in a single lifetime. Middle-earth has been described as ‘the most perfectly conceived and detailed example of literary sub-creation ever accomplished’, and few would argue with that assessment, least of all myself. I first read The Lord of the Rings in 1966; and today, nearly forty years later, the sense of wonder and delight is every bit as keen, while my admiration has deepened beyond measure. If I have managed to convey even a little of this in The Complete Tolkien Companion, I shall be satisfied.

  * * *

  My warmest thanks to my agent Julian Alexander for his encouragement; to my old friends Ian, Charles, Tim and Neil for their prodding, and particularly to my dear wife Kate for editing services beyond the call of duty.

  My gratitude to HarperCollins Publishers and the J. R. R. Tolkien Estate Ltd for permission to quote from the following volumes:

  The Hobbit © The J. R. R. Tolkien Copyright Trust 1937, 1951, 1966, 1978, 1995.

  The Lord of the Rings © The Trustees of the J. R. R. Tolkien 1967 Settlement 1954, 1955, 1966.

  The Silmarillion © The J. R. R. Tolkien Copyright Trust and C. R. Tolkien 1977.

  The Adventures of Tom Bombadil © The J. R. R. Tolkien Copyright Trust 1962.

  The Road Goes Ever On text © The J. R. R. Tolkien Copyright Trust 1961, 1967.

  J. E. A. T.

  Compiler’s Note

  SMALL CAPITALS have been used to indicate lines of further research within this Companion. Italics are merely intended to emphasise a word’s linguistic qualities. References to works in the Tolkien canon are generally found in the form of notes at the end of each letter of the alphabet (chapter). Because of the difficulties in reconciling the many different paginations of The Lord of the Rings, most references to this work are by Book, Chapter and Appendix. Abbreviated references to other books by Tolkien are as follows:

  Hobbit

  =

  The Hobbit

  LT II

  =

  The Book of Lost Tales 2

  MR

  =

  Morgoth’s Ring

  PME

  =

  The Peoples of Middle-earth

  Silmarillion

  =

  The Silmarillion

  UT

  =

  Unfinished Tales

  WJ

  =

  The War of the Jewels

  The only other abbreviations used are for the various languages of Middle-earth. These are as follows:

  Adûn.

  =

  Adûnaic, the earliest speech of Western Men.

  Khuz.

  =

  Khuzdul, the secret ancestral tongue of the Dwarves.

  Q.

  =

  Quenya, the High-elven tongue.

  Sind.

  =

  The Sindarin or Grey-elven tongue.

  Since nearly all of the Kings of Númenor took royal names beginning with either Tar- or Ar-, to avoid clustering these individuals into (at most) two locations, I have alphabetised them under the main parts of their names, e.g. Amandil (Tar-Amandil) or Pharazôn (Ar-Pharazôn).

  Accursed Years – One of the many names given by tradition to the period of Sauron the Great’s first dominion over Middle-earth. Other names – the Black Years, the Dark Years, The Days of Flight – betray equally bitter memories of the latter part of the Second Age, when Númenor grew in power while Men and Elves of Middle-earth groaned under Sauron’s tyranny or fought desperate wars for their very existence.

  Sauron established this early dominion by means of the Rings of Power. These were forged in Eregion, not by the Lord of Mordor but by the High-elves of Celebrimbor’s House, seduced for this purpose in the days when Sauron’s treacheries were not readily apparent. Under his tutelage, the Elven-smiths grew skilful at this craft and succeeded in forging, first lesser Rings with limited powers, then the Nine, the Seven and the Three.

  The One Ring was forged by Sauron himself – and from the moment he first put it on and spoke the Ring-spell, his power in Middle-earth waxed, until many of the Free Peoples were defeated or enslaved. The Accursed Years had numbered more than a thousand before the Last Alliance of Elves and Men took Sauron’s Ring, cast down the Dark Tower and laid his first realm in ruin, thus ending the Age.

  Adamant – An antique name for diamond.

  Adan – See EDAIN.

  Adanedhel ‘Elf-man’ (Sind.) – An admiring name given by some of the Elves of the city of Nargothrond to the Man Túrin Turambar, son of Húrin of the Third House and Morwen Eledhwen of the First House of the Edain.

  Adanel – A wise-woman of the Edain in the First Age; she was the sister of Hador Lórindol of the Third House and later wedded BELEMIR of the First House. Their grand-daughter was Emeldir ‘the Manhearted’, the mother of BEREN ERCHAMION.

  Adorn – A river in Rohan. It rose in the White Mountains and fell westward into the Isen.

  Adrahil (of Dol Amroth) – A war-leader of Gondor; he was instrumental in the victory of 1944 Third Age against the Wainriders and fell in battle in that campaign. Also the name of his descendant, the twenty-first Prince of Dol Amroth; the father of Imrahil and his sister the Lady Finduilas, who became the wife of Denethor, twenty-sixth Steward of Gondor.

  Aduial (Sind. from Q. Undómë) – Eventide, twilight, ‘Star-opening’. The root of the word, -uial, also occurs in the Grey-elven name for Lake Evendim: Nenuial.

  Adûnaic – The language that the Dúnedain of Númenor adopted in the days of their power. It was largely based on their early na
tive Mannish speech before this became influenced by Eldarin modes of thought. It perished in the Downfall of Númenor. The survivors, or Faithful, of that land spoke either the Grey-elven (Sindarin) tongue, or the Common Speech of Middle-earth, which had itself partly been derived from the ancient Adûnaic.

  The word Adûnaic (‘The-Speech-of-the-West’) is itself an example of that Númenorean tongue, as are the names of all the Kings and Princes of Númenor after Tar-Calmacil (except Tar-Palantír) – and the name of the Downfall itself, Akallabêth.

  See also SPOKEN TONGUES.

  Adûnakhôr (Ar-Adûnakhôr) ‘Lord-of-the-West’ (Adûn., Q. Herunúmen) – In its Númenorean form, as it appears here, the royal title assumed by the twentieth King of Númenor. It was ill-omened for two reasons: firstly, this was the first time a Númenorean ruler had taken a royal title in a Mannish tongue, as opposed to the older practice of assuming Eldarin names; and secondly, the particular title ‘Lord of the West’ had hitherto been given only to the Elder King, Manwë Súlimo, Lord of the Valar and chief of the Ainur, the Holy Ones. Adûnakhôr’s choice of name was therefore both insolent and blasphemous; though the popularity he gained from the Númenoreans by so choosing may have seemed sufficient recompense. During his reign open use of the Eldarin tongues was banned.

  Adurant ‘Double-course’ (Sind.) – A river of Ossiriand. It was the southernmost of the six tributaries of the Gelion, a fast-running mountain stream whose source was high in the Blue Mountains. Adurant reached the lowlands in two branches, which joined together some miles further on to enclose the ‘Green Isle’ of Tol Galen.