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  See also KINSLAYING AT ALQUALONDË.

  Altariel – See GALADRIEL.

  Aman the Blessed – The ancient name given by the Valar (in their own tongue) to the UNDYING LANDS.

  Amandil (Tar-Amandil) – From 443–590 Second Age, third King of Númenor; he was the grandson of Elros Tar-Minyatur and son of Vardamir who ruled (notionally) for only one year before resigning the Sceptre. Tar-Amandil died thirteen years after surrendering the Sceptre to his own son Tar-Elendil. By now the practice of the King’s resigning the rule of Númenor to his Heir some years before his death was becoming established.

  Amandil of Andúnië – The father of ELENDIL THE TALL and last Lord of Andúnië, westernmost city of Númenor. He was also the last leader of that remnant of the Númenoreans who remained loyal to the traditions of the Eldar, and as a result called themselves ‘the Faithful’. Andúnië, a haven on the western shore of the land, was their chief city until the days of Ar-Gimilzôr; and Amandil was its lord when Ar-Pharazôn was King of Númenor.

  Although Amandil’s chosen calling was that of the sea – his son Elendil and his grandsons Isildur and Anárion were also great mariners – in his latter days he counselled the king on matters of policy. This was a privilege afforded him because of his lineage; scarcely less royal than Pharazôn’s, for Amandil was descended in direct line from the Lady Silmariën and therefore from Elros Tar-Minyatur, the founder of Númenor. But when Pharazôn sent his great armada to Middle-earth in 3261 Second Age, from which he returned bringing Sauron the Great as a ‘prisoner’, Amandil’s stock at court declined even as Sauron’s waxed, and soon afterwards he withdrew from the king’s presence and went to Rómenna in the east of Númenor, there to guide his exiled people through the long period of persecution which followed. After many years word reached Amandil of the building of the Great Armament. By now he was an old man. Counselling his sons to be alert for some great disaster, he resolved to attempt to emulate the feat of his forefather Eärendil, and sail into the West to plead for the cause of the Dúnedain. He never returned.

  Note: the Palantíri, the marvellous ‘seeing-stones’ which had been made during the Elder Days by Fëanor, were given by the Eldar of the Undying Lands to Amandil during the years of persecution. These were carried back to Middle-earth by Elendil and his sons and helped for centuries to unite the realms of Arnor and Gondor. Similarly, Amandil’s Silver Rod (of the Lordship of Andúnië) was carried back to Middle-earth to become Elendil’s Sceptre of Kingship. Númenor’s own royal sceptre, borne by Ar-Pharazôn, had perished in the Inundation.

  Amarië (of the Vanyar) – An Elf-maiden beloved by Finrod son of Finarfin, afterwards called Felagund. They were unhappily parted when Finrod, together with his kindred, left the Undying Lands in exile and never came back to Aman, where Amarië waited, while his life in Middle-earth endured.

  Ambarona – A Quenya embellishment, Entish in style, applied by Treebeard to Fangorn Forest.

  Amdir – A King of woodland Elves of Lórien in the Second Age; he was of Grey-elven origin. His son was AMROTH. Amdir led a force to the Last Alliance and was slain at the Battle of Dagorlad.

  Amlach of Estolad – The grandson of Marach of the Third House of the Edain. His name is recorded because he was one of those who opposed the leaguing of this House of Men with the Elves. At council, his arguments were virulent and scornful, and caused dissent among the Edain. Then came an eerie occurrence: Amlach returned to the council – or appeared for the first time, as he indignantly claimed – and denied that he had spoken in this way, or indeed at all. It became apparent that spies and deceivers were among them; which caused Amlach at last to change his mind. He went north and entered the service of Maedhros son of Fëanor. His fate is not recorded.

  Amlaith of Fornost – From 861–946 Third Age, the first King of Arthedain, and eldest of the three sons of Eärendur who quarrelled over the kingship of Arnor, thus dividing the realm into three: Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur. Fornost Erain (‘Northern fortress of the Kings’) became Amlaith’s chief city, while Elendil’s ancient capital of Annúminas was deserted and fell into ruin.

  Amon Amarth ‘Mount Doom’ (Sind.) – An epithet for ORODRUIN, first used in Ithilien during the later part of the Second Age, when the volcano erupted to signal Sauron’s initial assault upon the survivors of Númenor.

  Amon Anwar ‘Hill of Awe’ (Sind.) – The HALIFIRIEN.

  Amon Darthir – A hill in the east of Dor-lómin, near the house of Húrin. A secret pathway led over its shoulder into Serech, and so Beleriand.

  Amon Dîn ‘The Hill of Silence’ (Sind.) – A hill which lay on a north-eastern shoulder of the White Mountains overlooking Druadan Forest. It was the first of what later became a chain of such BEACON-HILLS between Gondor and Rohan.

  Amon Ereb ‘Lonely Hill’ (Sind.) – A mountain in East Beleriand, an outlier of Andram, the ‘Long Wall’. On its slopes, during the very first clashes between the Elves and the forces of Morgoth, died a lord of the Green-elves, Denethor son of Lenwë, whose people had come late into Beleriand and who had been dwelling across the Gelion, in Ossiriand. Years later, after the great defeats in the north, Amon Ereb was maintained for a while as a bastion in defence of Ossiriand and the south.

  Amon Ethir ‘Hill of Spies’ (Sind.) – An artificial mound, hill-high, built by the Elves of Nargothrond at the direction of their king, Finrod Felagund, one league from the gates of their city; from its summit Elves kept watch in days of war.

  Amon Gwareth – A rocky, precipitous knoll which rose from the exact centre of the Hidden Vale of Tumladen in West Beleriand. On the summit and sides of this hill Turgon built his city of GONDOLIN.

  Amon Hen ‘The Hill of the Eye’ (Sind.) – One of a group of three tall hills straddling the Anduin and the Falls of Rauros, maintained by the Men of Gondor as outposts of the realms in exile. The other two hills were Amon Lhâw, ‘The Hill of the Ear’, on the eastern bank, and Tol Brandir, the Tindrock, on which no man or beast had ever set foot, in the centre of the stream. The summits of Lhâw and Hen had High Seats.

  Amon Lanc ‘Naked Hill’ (Sind.) – The highest point of the south-western highlands of Greenwood the Great, so-called because, unusually, no trees grew on or near its summit. In the forest near this hill were the first dwellings of the East-elves of the Anduin vale, later the Elves of Northern Mirkwood. In later days Amon Lanc became the site of the evil fortress of DOL GULDUR.

  Amon Lhâw ‘The Hill of the Ear’ (Sind.) – See AMON HEN.

  Amon Obel – A tall hill rising from the middle of the Forest of Brethil on the borders of Doriath in Beleriand; the site of a fortified settlement called Ephel Brandir, founded by the Haladin, the folk of the Second House of the Edain, which commanded the ways of the forest for many years.

  Amon Rûdh ‘Bald Hill’ (Sind.) – A solitary, towering hill, which rose abruptly from the moors to the west of Doriath, dominating the lands that lay round about. It rose sheer in places, a rocky crown above green slopes. In antiquity its caves had been the abode of the Dwarf MÎM, though they had been delved at a still earlier date by his people, the Noegyth Nibin (‘Lesser-Dwarves’ in the Grey-elven view). This race of Dwarves had been the first to enter Beleriand but had suffered at that time from the enmity of the Grey-elves, who allowed no strangers in their lands. Afterwards this persecution ceased, and the ‘Lesser-Dwarves’ were let alone. Amon Rûdh was one of the oldest of their early settlements, called in their own tongue Sharbhund.

  Amon Sûl ‘The Hill of Winds’ (Sind.) – The name of the tower built by Elendil on the summit of Weathertop, southernmost and tallest of the Weather Hills in Eriador. After the division of Arnor into three separate states (in 861 Third Age), Weathertop commanded the Great East Road from Cardolan into Rhudaur; since it lay on the frontiers of both kingdoms, possession of the tower became an early source of dispute. Its importance was increased by the fact that here was kept the only remaining palantír of the North-kingdom (the other two were in the p
ossession of Arthedain). After the rise of the realm of Angmar in the north, and its devouring of Rhudaur, the Weather Hills became the eastern bastion of Cardolan and Arthedain in alliance against the Witch-king. In 1409 a great army advanced out of Rhudaur to surround and capture Weathertop and raze the tower of Amon Sûl. The palantír was carried in retreat to Fornost (but later lost with Arvedui). With the ending of the North-kingdom (1974), the strategic significance of the Weather Hills vanished and the fortifications fell into ruin. The lands round about became desolate.

  Amon Uilos – The Sindarin form of the Quenya word OIOLOSSË meaning ‘Mount Everwhite’, tallest of the Mountains of Valinor. A still older name was Taniquetil (Q.) ‘High-white-peak’.

  Ampa – The Quenya word for ‘hook’; more properly the title of the Fëanorean Tengwa number 14, which represented the sound mp in Quenya; it was modulated in other tongues to a v sound.

  Amras – See AMROD AND AMRAS below.

  Amrod and Amras – The two youngest of the seven sons of Fëanor, twin brothers alike not only in appearance, but in all they thought and did. Born in Eldamar before the poisoning of the Trees and the theft of the Silmarils, they fell into evil when, together with all their brothers and many more of the Noldor besides, they swore the great oath which doomed the House of Fëanor.

  Amrod and Amras took leading parts in the early battles of the War of the Jewels; but after the commencement of the Long Peace they removed to East Beleriand, into open country to the east of Doriath. (It is said they were great hunters, and spent most of their time at the chase.) But the Long Peace came to an end, and in the Battle of Sudden Flame the northern Elf-kingdoms were overthrown and the hinterland realm of the twin brothers became a frontier of war; they therefore retreated into the south, with Caranthir their brother, and maintained an insecure foothold there for many years. But as time passed, the position of the Eldar and the Edain in Middle-earth became truly desperate. In these troubled times they turned on each other, and at the forefront of this strife – for possession of the single Silmaril won back from Morgoth – were the surviving sons of Fëanor: Maedhros, Maglor, Amrod and Amras. In an assault upon the Havens of Sirion both twins were slain.

  Amroth ‘High-climber’ (Sind.) – An Elf-prince of the Woodland realm of Lothlórien, the son of Amdir who was slain at the Battle of Dagorlad. He was of Sindarin origin, but gladly adopted the customs of the Wood-elves of that land and dwelt in a high house on Cerin Amroth. In the middle years of the Third Age, following Sauron’s assault on the Elves of Eregion, he decided to take ship over Sea to the West with his beloved, the Elf-maiden Nimrodel (in thus abandoning his people at a time of need he was obeying the desires of Nimrodel, who had pledged that she would wed him only when he brought her to a land of peace). He waited for her long at the havens on the Bay of Belfalas but she never came to him; for she did not complete the crossing of the White Mountains. When a storm broke the moorings of his ship and hurled it far out to sea, Amroth, in his grief and uncertainty, dived into the raging waters in an attempt to reach the shore. In this way he was lost.5

  Anach – See PASS OF ANACH.

  Anadûnê ‘Westernesse’ (Adûn.) – One of the names given at its founding to the land of Númenor.

  Anar ‘Fire-golden’ (Q.) – The Sun. According to the traditions of the Vanyar, the Sun was in origin the last golden fruit of the dying Tree Laurelin, brought forth by the prayers of the Vala Yavanna at the same time as the last silver flower of the Elder Tree, Telperion, which became the Moon. Aulë made great vessels to bear Sun and Moon aloft, and Varda (Elbereth) set them in the sky and fixed their courses. The Noldor believed that the Sun, which they called Vasa, ‘Heart of Fire’, was a sign of the coming of the Second People, Men, and of the eclipse of the Firstborn in Middle-earth. In Sindarin, Anor.

  Anardil – The birth-name of Tar-Aldarion, the sixth King of Gondor.

  Anárion (Tar-Anárion) – From 1280–1394, the eighth King of Númenor.

  Anárion – The younger son of Elendil the Tall and brother of Isildur. The brothers, both of whom had been born in Númenor before its Fall, ruled as conjoint Kings of Gondor from shortly after its founding (in 3320 Second Age) until Anárion perished in the War of the Last Alliance (3430). The rule subsequently passed to his son Meneldil, from whom all later Kings of Gondor were descended.

  As the realm was originally ordered, Anárion was given the fief of Anórien, which he ruled from his high city of Minas Anor. When Sauron suddenly attacked Gondor, in 3429 Second Age, Anárion took command of the Southern Army and successfully confined the Enemy to the further (eastern) shore of the Anduin. Isildur, meanwhile, went to his father in the North where they rallied the Dúnedain and forged the Last Alliance with the Elves. Anárion was slain by a great stone cast from the walls of Barad-dûr.

  See also LINES OF DESCENT.

  Anarríma ‘Net-of-Fire’ (Q.) – One of the constellations created by Varda to bring light to Middle-earth for the comfort of the Elves, at the time of their Awakening.

  Anarya ‘Sun’s-day’ (Q.) – The second day of the week in both the Elvish calendars and the Númenorean system of Kings’ Reckoning (the system which was eventually used by most of the Westron-speaking peoples of Middle-earth). The Sindarin form Oranor was used by the Dúnedain; while the Hobbits (who had early taken their calendar from the Dúnedain) used the translation Sunnendei, which later became shortened to Sunday.

  Anborn – A scout for the Rangers of Ithilien at the time of the War of the Ring; Faramir’s deputy.

  Anca – The Quenya or High-elven word for ‘jaws’; also Tengwa number 15, which represented the sound nk in those languages that required it.

  Ancalagon the Black – The greatest of all dragons of Middle-earth, and the leader of the host of winged fire-drakes – the first of their kind ever seen – whom Morgoth unleashed upon the Host of the Valar in the final stage of the Great Battle which ended in his overthrow and casting-out. Ancalagon was slain, so the Elves say, by Eärendil, in battle in the upper airs, and crashed down upon Thangorodrim from a great height, destroying the mountain in his fall.

  Ancalimë (Tar-Ancalimë) – From 1075–1280 Second Age the first (ruling) Queen of Númenor; she was the daughter and only child of Tar-Aldarion; to ensure her succession, her father changed the Númenorean law so that the eldest child of either sex inherited. This caused dissension in the House of Elros.

  Ancalimon (Tar-Ancalimon) – From 2221–2386 Second Age, the fourteenth King of Númenor. During his reign the rift between the Faithful and the majority party known as the King’s Men grew wider beyond repair.

  Ancient Tongue – Quenya, the High-elven language.

  Ancient World – References to the ‘Ancient World’ in Third Age literature can be taken to indicate the Mortal Lands before the ending of the Second Age.

  Andaith ‘Long-mark’ (Sind.) – One of the tehtar, or ‘signs’, used in conjunction with the Fëanorean Tengwar to denote a ‘long’ vowel.

  Ando – The Quenya word for ‘gate’; also the name of Tengwa number 5, used for the sound nd; in other tongues it more usually represented d.

  Andor ‘Land-of-Gift’ (Q.) – The most ancient name for that land subsequently known as NÚMENOR, given by the Valar to the Edain, as a reward for their sufferings in the War of the Jewels.

  Andram ‘Long-wall’ (Sind.) – A great escarpment or range of hills in Beleriand, hundreds of leagues long, which ran in a line roughly west-east, from Nargothrond to Ramdal (‘Wall’s-end’), separating north from south and forming a natural second line of defence against Morgoth.

  Andrast ‘Long-cape’ (Sind.) – The hilly peninsula between the outflows of the rivers Isen and Lefnui. Also called Ras Morthil.

  Andrath ‘Long-climb’ (Sind.) – A defile on the Great North Road where it passed between the Barrow-downs and the South Downs.

  Andreth – The daughter of Boromir the great-grandson of Bëor the Old, and the great-aunt of BEREN ERCHAMION. In her youth she dwelt
for some time in the house of Belemir her cousin, and so came under the benign influence of one of the wise-women of the Edain: ADANEL, the wife of Belemir and sister of the great Hador Lórindol of the Third House of the Edain, from whom the younger woman learned much concerning the Third House; and more besides. In time she became a wise-woman in her own right – the Eldar called her Saelind, ‘Wise-heart’; but she is chiefly remembered as one of the two protagonists – the other was Finrod Felagund – in a debate of great poignancy concerning the respective fates of Elves and Men, which was recorded soon after taking place, shortly after the death of Boron the grandson of Bëor, and is titled ATHRABETH FINROD AH ANDRETH. Finrod, struck by the short lives of Men and trying to fathom Ilúvatar’s purpose in so ordering things, is confronted by the altogether bleaker view of one of the Daughters of Men; and much else to his disquietude.6

  Androg – One of the outlaw-band whom Túrin joined after fleeing from Dorthonion. It was his hasty arrow which slew Khîm son of the Petty-Dwarf Mîm; and Mîm hated him for it.

  Androth ‘Long-delving’ (Sind.) – The inhabited caves of the Hills of Mithrim; where Tuor son of Huor of the Edain was fostered by the Sindar, following the death of his father in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears.

  Anducal (Tar-Anducal) – From 2637–57 Second Age, the soi-disant Seventeenth King of Númenor. Born Herucalmo, and a descendant of Tar-Atanamir, he usurped the Sceptre on the death of his wife, the Ruling Queen Tar-Vanimeldë: for this reason his ‘reign’ was, in later days, discounted.

  Anduin – The Great River. It rose in northern Wilderland and flowed south for many hundreds of miles between Greenwood (Mirkwood) and the Misty Mountains. After passing the south-eastern end of the White Mountains and the western walls of the Ephel Dúath, the river bent west and eventually emptied into the Bay of Belfalas.

  The Great River was aptly named, being, after the inundation of Sirion at the end of the First Age, the longest and largest river of the west of Middle-earth. In many instances it formed the border between countries and provinces and, towards the end of the Third Age, much of it became a frontier of war between Sauron and the West. Anduin entered the Sea through a broad delta, the Ethir Anduin, south of Dol Amroth.