Eregion
Encyclopedia
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien
, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldor
in Elves
in Eriador
during the Second Age
, located near the West Gate of Moria
under the shadow of the Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains). Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil (literally fortress of the Elves). This city was established by the Noldor
during the Second Age
, located where the Sirannon met the Glanduin. The elves built a large road to connect Ost-in-Edhil to the West Gate of Moria.
Eregion was populated by Noldor, and for a while ruled by Galadriel
and Celeborn
, until they left for Lothlórien on the other side of the Misty Mountains
. The Elves of Eregion lived in harmony with a Dwarven
civilization, trading freely with the Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm, or Hadhodrond in the Elven tongue
.
After Galadriel and Celeborn had left, Eregion was ruled by Celebrimbor
, grandson of Fëanor
. Under his rule the Elves of Eregion became friends with Annatar, Lord of Gifts, and created the Rings of Power
. When Annatar was revealed as the Dark Lord Sauron
, the Elves of Eregion tried to keep the Rings from falling in Sauron's hands, but only managed to rescue Vilya, Narya, and Nenya (the Three Rings
of the Elves). Eregion was utterly destroyed, and its survivors fled to Lindon
, Lothlórien, and the refuge of Imladris (Rivendell
).
In the Third Age
, Eregion was a pleasant but unpopulated land, and contained many ruins of the Elven civilization that once thrived there. It was famous for its holly trees, hence the name in both (translated) Westron
and Sindarin
(ereg 'holly tree', from root ERÉK- 'thorn', also yielding Quenya
erka, 'prickle, spine', according to the Etymologies
in The Lost Road and Other Writings
).
On their way to the Redhorn Gate the Company of the Ring
travelled through Hollin. By day they had to hide from flocks of Crebain. After being turned back by Caradhras
they were attacked that night by a host of Wargs. Their defeat by the mountain, the spying crows during the day and wild wolves by night sealed the Fellowship's decision to journey through Moria.
Eregion should not be pronounced as in the word region: the g sounds like the g in get.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
in Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
in Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
during the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
, located near the West Gate of Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
under the shadow of the Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains). Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil (literally fortress of the Elves). This city was established by the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
during the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
, located where the Sirannon met the Glanduin. The elves built a large road to connect Ost-in-Edhil to the West Gate of Moria.
Eregion was populated by Noldor, and for a while ruled by Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and Celeborn
Celeborn
Celeborn is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven husband of Galadriel, Lord of the Galadhrim; and co-ruler along with Galadriel of Lothlórien. He was the father of Celebrían — the wife of Elrond — and thus the...
, until they left for Lothlórien on the other side of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. The Elves of Eregion lived in harmony with a Dwarven
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
civilization, trading freely with the Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm, or Hadhodrond in the Elven tongue
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
.
After Galadriel and Celeborn had left, Eregion was ruled by Celebrimbor
Celebrimbor
Celebrimbor is a fictional character In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. His name means "silver fist" or "Hand of silver" in Sindarin ....
, grandson of Fëanor
Fëanor
Fëanor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium who plays an important part in The Silmarillion. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Serindë...
. Under his rule the Elves of Eregion became friends with Annatar, Lord of Gifts, and created the Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
. When Annatar was revealed as the Dark Lord Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
, the Elves of Eregion tried to keep the Rings from falling in Sauron's hands, but only managed to rescue Vilya, Narya, and Nenya (the Three Rings
Three Rings
In Tolkien's legendarium, the Three Rings are magical artifacts forged by the Elves of Eregion. After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power....
of the Elves). Eregion was utterly destroyed, and its survivors fled to Lindon
Lindon (Middle-earth)
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth in the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon and Harlindon...
, Lothlórien, and the refuge of Imladris (Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
).
In the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
, Eregion was a pleasant but unpopulated land, and contained many ruins of the Elven civilization that once thrived there. It was famous for its holly trees, hence the name in both (translated) Westron
Westron
Westron, or the Common Speech, is a fictional language in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.Westron is the closest thing to a lingua franca in Middle-earth, at least at the time during which The Lord of the Rings is set. "Westron" is an invented English word, derived from West...
and Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
(ereg 'holly tree', from root ERÉK- 'thorn', also yielding Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
erka, 'prickle, spine', according to the Etymologies
The Etymologies (Tolkien)
The Etymologies is an etymological dictionary of the constructed Elvish languages written during the 1930 by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited by Christopher Tolkien and published as the third part of The Lost Road and Other Writings, the fifth volume of the History of Middle-earth...
in The Lost Road and Other Writings
The Lost Road and Other Writings
The Lost Road and Other Writings is the fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth, a series of compilations of drafts and essays written by J. R. R. Tolkien...
).
On their way to the Redhorn Gate the Company of the Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
travelled through Hollin. By day they had to hide from flocks of Crebain. After being turned back by Caradhras
Caradhras
In the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Caradhras, also called the Redhorn , and known in the Dwarves' language as Barazinbar, is one of the mightiest peaks in the Misty Mountains...
they were attacked that night by a host of Wargs. Their defeat by the mountain, the spying crows during the day and wild wolves by night sealed the Fellowship's decision to journey through Moria.
Eregion should not be pronounced as in the word region: the g sounds like the g in get.