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A river of Rohan, arising in
the White Mountains.
Together with the river Isen, it formed the western border
of the Kingdom of Rohan. Adorn joined with the Isen about
150 miles (240 km) west of the Gap of Rohan.
The triangle of land between the Isen, Adorn, and the White
Mountains was nominally part of the Kingdom of Rohan, but in the
late Third Age it was a contested area between the Rohirrim and the
Dunlendings.
The name means double stream in Ilkorin, referring to a parting of the river
about the isle of Tol Galen, and many more along its path due
to its slow current.
Aros
The southern river of Doriath and northern tributary of Sirion. It rose in
the northern lands around Himring and met Sirion in the south-west at Aelin-uial. It formed the southern border
of the Kingdom of Doriath.
Ascar
A river in Ossiriand. The name means rushing,
impetuous. It was the northern-most tributary of Gelion, and the second river of Ossiriand. After the Sack of Doriath by Dwarves, Beren Erchamion fought and killed the
looters there. Doriath's treasure was lost in Ascar, and it was
renamed Rathlóriel ('Goldenbed').
B
Baranduin
Also called Brandywine, the fourth-longest
river in Middle-earth behind the Anduin, the Celduin (or Running), and the Greyflood/Hoarwell (or
Gwathló/Mitheithel). Originating from Nenuial (Lake
Evendim) in northern Eriador, the river flowed through the
easternmost reaches of the Shire, forming its eastern
border except for Buckland
which lay between it and the Old Forest. Its only major crossings in the
Shire were the Brandywine Bridge (originally Bridge of
Stonebows) on the East Road, Bucklebury Ferry,
and Sarn
Ford in the Southfarthing. Skirting the Old Forest to
the south, the river then crossed Sarn Ford and flowed to
the north of the depopulated region of Minhiriath before flowing into the Sundering Sea to the north of
the forested region of Eryn Vorn. The name Baranduin was
Sindarin for "golden-brown
river". The Hobbits of the
Shire originally gave it the punning name Branda-nîn,
meaning "border water" in original Hobbitish Westron. This was later punned again as
Bralda-hîm meaning "heady ale" (referring to the colour of
its water), which Tolkien renders into English as
Brandywine. To the Hobbits of the Shire, the Brandywine
was the boundary between the known and unknown, and even those who
lived in Buckland on the immediate opposite shore were considered
"peculiar". No tributaries of the Baranduin are described
except those near or in the Shire: The Water - central Shire, from the
northwest; the Stockbrook, arising in the Woody End; the
Shirebourne - rising in Green-Hill country with a tributary Thistle
Brook; and Withywindle from the Old Forest. There is a
Girdley Island in the river just above the Brandywine Bridge.
A minor river of the Falas.
Its name is North Sindarin, probably meaning
"pebbly".
Brilthor
A tributary of Gelion. It was the fifth from
the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
Bruinen
Also Loudwater, a major tributary of the Mitheithel or Hoarwell river. The
Bruinen began with two tributaries in the Misty
Mountains, one of them was begun at the High Pass where Goblin
Town was later dug.The river formed the southern border of the
Kingdom of Arnor and later the
petty-realm of Rhudaur, south of it lay Eregion or Hollin. The southern arm of
the Bruinen flowed through the deep valley where Elrond founded the refuge of Imladris
or Rivendell. Elrond had
some control over the river. The Bruinen had only one point where
it could be passed, a ford near Rivendell. This ford, and by
extension the river, was called the Edge of the Wild. When
Thorin
Oakenshield and company went to reclaim Erebor, they passed the
Bruinen after their adventure with the Trolls, before they rested at
Rivendell. At the beginning of the War of the Ring, Frodo Baggins was
carried on Glorfindel's horse towards the Ford of
Bruinen, with the Ringwraiths in hot pursuit. It was at the
ford Frodo, poisoned by a deadly wound, made his stand, and defied
the Witch-king of Angmar. This lured
the Ringwraiths into the Bruinen, and Elrond and Gandalf the Grey released a great flood, which
took the form of horses made out of water due to Gandalf's magic.
This flood killed the horses of the Ringwraiths.
C
Carnen
A river of Rhovanion, also called
Redwater. Carnen flowed southward from the Iron Hills east of the Lonely Mountain
until it met Celduin about 250 miles to the south.
From there the rivers flowed as one to the Sea of Rhûn, past the land of Dorwinion.
The kingdom of Dale after its
refounding extended into the angle between the Celduin and the
Carnen. It is quite possible that the Men of Dale and Esgaroth and the Wood-elves traded
along the rivers.
Celduin
A river of Rhovanion, also named the River
Running. Celduin was a 600–miles long river that ran from
the Lonely Mountain south through the Long Lake, where it was joined by the Forest River, and thence through the eastern
outskirts of Mirkwood.
Afterwards it flowed south east through the wide eastern plains of
Rhovanion to its confluence with the Carnen, and
finally in a long south-eastward loop to the great inland Sea of Rhûn, past the land of
Dorwinion.
A tributary of Taeglin that flowed past Brethil
forest. Glaurung was slain
by Túrin near where this river met Taeglin,
and Nienor
Níniel committed suicide by jumping in it.
A tributary of Gelion. It was the sixth from
the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
E
Enchanted River
A dark running river under a sleeping spell in Mirkwood. Its origin was in
the Mountains of Mirkwood, and it met the Forest
River near Thranduil's Caverns. In The Hobbit, this
river forms an obstacle for the quest of Thorin
Oakenshield.
A river of Rohan. Its name is a translation of SindarinOnodló. Its sources were the springs that
arose beneath Methedras, the southernmost peak of the Misty
Mountains, near Treebeard's home. Leaving the Fangorn forest, Entwash flowed past the
Wold of Rohan and headed south, dividing Rohan into the West and
East Emnets. At the latitude of Edoras it was joined by the river Snowbourn, and then ran east towards Anduin, joining it just south of
the Falls of Rauros in the huge inland delta
known as the Mouths of the Entwash. The Mering Stream met one of the Entwashes' arms
there.
The Entwash river was named for the Ents (Onodrim) of Fangorn, but the origin of the name was
largely forgotten by the Rohirrim at the end of the Third Age.
The main river of Doriath. Doriathrin for River
under Veil, the Esgalduin flowed from the hills of Dorthonion through
Doriath past the caves of Menegroth, finally meeting up with the River Sirion.
The Esgalduin had two unnamed upper branches of its own in Ered Gorgoroth.
One ran along the border between Dor Dínen and Nan Dungortheb, and the other ran west for
about 20 miles from the mountains into Nan Dungortheb and further
south-east until merging with the first.
F
Forest River
A river that flowed through northern Mirkwood. It began in the Ered Mithrin far to
the north, and then flowed south-east, diverging at points, until
it was met by the Enchanted River near Thranduil's caverns. From
there it continued eastwards to the Long Lake of Esgaroth, which it met in the Long
Marshes.
The principal river of East Beleriand. Its
two sources were the Hill of Himring,
via the Little Gelion, and the Ered Luin, via the
Greater Gelion. It then passed south, dividing Estolad to
the west from Thargelion to the east, then was crossed by
the old dwarf-road at Sarn Athrad ("Ford of
Stones"). It then passed into Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, where it
was fed by rivers Ascar, Thalos,
Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant, all rising in
the Ered Luin.
Gelion then passed by Tuar-im-Duinath (the Forest between the
Rivers) and emptied into the Great Sea Belegaer.
Late in his life, Tolkien apparently decided to change the name
"Gelion", as it did not fit the pattern of Sindarin. The possible replacements he
recorded were "Gelduin", "Gevilon", "Gevelon", "Duin Daer", and
"Duin Dhaer".[1]
Gilrain
The last of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor. It started as two unnamed
tributaries in the White Mountains, and flowed south meeting the Serni at Linhir.
A river of Rhovanion, called Ninglor in
Sindarin (also Sîr
Ninglor, sîr = stream, ninglor = waterlily or gladden). Gladden was a short
but important river of the Vales of Anduin. Beginning as two
unnamed arms in the Misty Mountains, it flowed eastwards to
the Great River Anduin, which
it met in a series of marshes called the Gladden Fields.
After the Last
Alliance of Elves and Men, Isildur, King of Arnor and bearer of the One Ring, was assailed by Orcs near
the Gladden Fields, and the Ring was lost here in the river. Much
later during the Third
Age some Stoors lived near the streams of Gladden,
and from them came Sméagol,
who long held the Ring and eventually followed the stream up to its
source, ending up in forgotten caves near Goblin Town. Saruman searched for the Ring
extensively in the Gladden; he never found it since it was already
in the possession of Gollum at that time, but he discovered other
Isildur's garments.
Glanduin
A river of Eriador and
one of the sources of Gwathló. The name means
'border-river' in Sindarin, as it had been the southern boundary
of the Elven realm of Eregion and later of the Kingdom of Men Arnor.
Beginning in the Misty Mountains south of Moria, it ran west-north-west
until it was met by the Sirannon near the old
location of Ost-in-Edhil. Further downstream the
Glanduin flowed into the Swanfleet, the vast marshland north-east of
Tharbad,
which issued into Gwathló.
On some maps of Middle-earth, the name Swanfleet
river is erroneously placed against Glanduin or even
against Isen, but properly
Swanfleet was the name of the marshlands alone.[2]
A river that originally was the southern border of Gondor. The territory to the
north of it, South Gondor, later became a debatable land.
South of Harnen lay the land of Near Harad. It was some
600 miles (970 km) long, beginning in the mountains
surrounding Mordor from the
south and then flowing south-west for about 350 miles
(560 km). There it bent west and speeds to Belegaer, which it enters in a wide delta. The
Harad Road crossed Harnen shortly after it bent westwards.
A river of Gondor,
beginning in the south-western valleys of the Starkhorn peak of the
White Mountains and flowing south-west parallel to a mountain
range. It entered the Bay of Belfalas near the long cape of
Andrast.
The name means fifth in Sindarin, with a reference to the position of
the river if counting the mouths: Erui, Sirith, Serni, Morthond, Lefnui.
Legolin
A tributary of Gelion. It was the fourth from
the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
Lhûn or Lune
A river of northern Lindon emptying through a long
firth[3] into
the Gulf of Lune, which breaks through the line
of the Blue Mountains,
and thence into Belegaer.
The main map accompanying The Lord of the Rings shows
three tributaries: two of them (including "the Little Lune"[4])
arising in the Mountains, and one beginning in the Hills of Evendim north of Annúminas. The Lhûn did not connect to Lake
Evendim, the source of the
Baranduin river.
Limlight
A stream rising in the eastern Misty Mountains, with origins near Treebeard's dwellings. It
then ran through northern Fangorn and emptied
into Anduin. Limlight formed
the southern boundary of the Field of
Celebrant, and was claimed by people of Lothlórien as the
southern boundary of their realm. It was also the historic northern
border of Gondor, and later of
Rohan.
The name is from an Elvish form, but
Tolkien provided different explanations of the exact meaning and
even languages used in the name, including Limlich,
Limliht, Limlaith[5] and
Limhîr.[6]
Lithir
A tributary of Sirion that joined it just to the south of
the Pass of Sirion. The sources of Lithir were in Ered Wethrin.
The border river of Rohan
and Gondor. The Mering Stream
or (Sindarin)
Glanhír formed the border between the
Gondorian province of Anórien and the Rohan province of Eastfold.
It flowed through the Firien Wood, which grows about the hill of
Halifirien.
Mindeb
A northern tributary of Sirion. It began in the Ered Gorgoroth
near the Pass of Anach, and was met by an unnamed tributary coming
from the Crissaegrim. It formed the boundary between
Dimbar and
Nan Durgotheb.
It formed the western border of the forest of Neldoreth in Doriath and was part of the
Girdle of Melian. It is
mentioned in Quenta Silmarillion chapter
14.
Mitheithel
A great river of Eriador, also translated as
Greyflood. The source lay in northern Misty
Mountains, from where the river sped through the Ettenmoors to bend south
after them. The East Road crossed it at the Last
Bridge, after which it was met by the Bruinen, forming the Angle.
From there Mitheithel formed the northern border of Eregion, until came to the Swanfleet, where Glanduin
flowed, and became the Gwathló river.
Morgulduin
(S. 'river of sorcery') A river of Gondor that began at Cirith Ungol. It
flowed past Minas
Morgul towards Anduin, and
was followed by the old Númenórean road from Osgiliath to Minas Morgul. It was crossed by
the Harad Road with a bridge at the Crossroads.
The chief river of West Beleriand. The Narog rose from the
Pools of Ivrin in the Ered Wethrin, flowed south and then
southeast, flowing through a gorge in a series of rapids where it
crossed the hills of the Andram or Long Wall, finally meeting
Sirion in the Land of Willows Nan-tathren, not far
above the Mouths of Sirion. Narog's tributaries
were the Ginglith in the north and the Ringwil in the Taur-en-Faroth.
Into its western bank, just south of where Ringwil rushed into
Narog, was carved the city of Nargothrond, stronghold of Finrod
Felagund.
During his time in Nargothrond, Túrin Turambar persuaded Orodreth to build a bridge
over Narog. He did, but it resulted in the downfall of Nargothrond
as it provided a way for the dragon Glaurung to reach the city.
A river of Lothlórien. It began in the foothills of the
Misty
Mountains under the Celebdil peak, and then flowed through
Lothlórien until it met the Silverlode. The river
was named after the Elven lady Nimrodel who dwelt
beside the stream.
A river in the Northfarthing of the Shire. Between it and Brandywine
River streched the Greenfields, where the Battle of Greenfields was fought. Norbourn
is only mentioned in the detailed index Tolkien was preparing for
The Lord of the Rings, but
which was eventually left unfinished. In the partial map of the
Shire published within The Lord of the Rings an unnamed
river flows from the north to the Bywater Pool, which might
possibly be Norbourn.
A river in the south of Gondor. It forms the northern border of the
contested land of the South Gondor, and the southern border of Ithilien. During the later
Third Age it was the effective southern border of Gondor.
About 400 miles (640 km) long, it began in the Ephel Dúath of Mordor and then flowed south-west for about
300 miles (480 km), when it bent north and met Anduin just before its delta.
Poros was crossed by the Harad Road at the Crossings of Poros.
The river is mentioned twice in The Silmarillion. The first
mention is in the chapter concerning Beren and Lúthien. Rivil's Well was where a camp was made
by the Orcs that had killed Barahir, father of Beren. Beren attacked them there,
taking back the Ring of Barahir before escaping again.
The second mention is in the chapter concerning the Nírnaeth
Arnoediad, where the valiant retreat of Húrin and Huor
is described thus: "...foot by foot they withdrew, until they came
behind the Fen of Serech, and had the stream of Rivil before them.
There they stood and gave way no more."
Rushdown
An early tributary to the Anduin river flowing from the Misty
Mountains. Early writings of Tolkien also gave its Sindarin name
Rhimdath, which, however, could have been
rejected.
Ringló
A river of Gondor arising as two smaller unnamed rivers in the
White Mountains, on the
southern arm that bent towards Belfalas. Flowing through the city Ethring, it
passed north of Tarnost, where it was met by Ciril, and poured into the sea together with Morthond at Edhellond.
The fourth of the Five Rivers of Lebennin in Gondor. It began in the plains of
Lebennin and met the Bay of Belfalas north of the Mouths of
Anduin at the city of Linhir.
A river of the Shire with the source in the
uplands of the Green Hill Country of the Eastfarthing. Thence
it ran south and then southeast, meeting the Thistle
Brook at Willowbottom and then flowing eastwards to Baranduin. There it formed the boggy region
known as the Overbourn Marshes.
Silverlode
A river of Lothlórien rising in the eastern Misty Mountains
near the East Gate of Moria. It then ran through
Lothlórien where it met Nimrodel and emptied into
Anduin. The Company of the Ring followed this river
when they travelled from Moria to Lothlórien.
The Gate Stream of Khazad-dûm. Beginning at
the Silvertine, it flowed past the gates of
Moria towards the river Glanduin. Sirannon
encountered the Stair Falls under the gates of Moria, and
its sound could have been heard from miles around.
During the War of the Ring, the Company of the
Ring found that the Gate Stream had been dammed by someone or
something, and before the gates of Moria there was a foul lake
where the Watcher in the Water dwelt.
Sirion
The principal river of Beleriand. See main article.
A river of Rohan arising in
the White Mountains under
the mountain Starkhorn. It flowed through Harrowdale where Edoras was built, and then flowed east until it
met the river Entwash. It separated Rohan's
Eastfold from the West Emnet.
T
Taeglin
A tributary of Sirion. It rose in the southern reaches of
the Ered Wethrin,
ran generally southeast, receiving the waters of Glithui and Malduin, then passed
along the southern margin of the Forest of
Brethil, where it ran through a gorge named Cabed-en-Aras and then received the Celebros. The Taeglin then ran eastward into Sirion
at the borders of Doriath.
An important ford on the river was the Crossings of Teiglin,
near the western border of Brethil. A road ran through it from Nargothrond to Minas Tirith. Minor tributaries were Celebros and Malduin. The river's
banks near Celebros was the scene of the encounter between Túrin
Turambar and the dragon Glaurung.
In the published Silmarillion and
early writings, the river was called Teiglin. As
revealed in The History of
Middle-earth, the rivername should actually have been
spelt Taeglin. This was a relatively late change which was
not adopted by Christopher Tolkien for the
published Silmarillion.
Thalos
A tributary of Gelion. It was the third from
the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand. Thalos sprang from the Ered Luin and at its
springs Finrod met the first Men to enter Beleriand.
Thistle Brook
A stream of the Eastfarthing of the Shire. It flowed southeast round
the Woody End and through the village of Willowbottom before its
waters emptied into Shirebourn.
W
The Water
A river in the Shire. It was a tributary of the river Brandywine that arose in the Westfarthing of the Shire, and flowed
eastward to meet Brandywine just north of the Brandywine Bridge. Hobbiton and Bywater both stood on this river.
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