Rhûn
Encyclopedia
In the fictional world of Middle-earth
created by J. R. R. Tolkien
, Rhûn was a large region of eastern Middle-earth. Rhûn (which is also the Elvish
word for "east") was the name used for all lands lying east of Rhovanion
, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence came many attacks on Gondor
and its allies during the Third Age
of Middle-earth.
Almost nothing can be known of the lands beyond the Sea of Rhûn from Tolkien's written work, though it is vaguely described in The Fellowship of the Ring
as a realm of "wide uncharted lands, nameless plains, and forests unexplored". The wizard Gandalf
had never explored these lands, and though Aragorn
is said to have travelled to them, there is no report of what he did while there.
Rhûn's ancient geography can be gleaned a little from The Silmarillion
; throughout most of the First Age
the vast Sea of Helcar was located there and beyond that the Orocarni ('red mountains'). Somewhere in the east, too, lay Cuiviénen and Hildórien, where Elves and Men
first awoke: all the Children of Ilúvatar
could trace their ancestries back to the eastward regions of Middle-earth.
Rhûn was the domain of the Easterlings
, Men of Darkness who were ready to follow both the Dark Lords and fought as their allies in war. These lands were also peopled by lost Elves, Avari
and Úmanyar, and by four of the seven clans of the Dwarves
.
During the Third Age, Rhûn was visited by three Wizards: Saruman
, Alatar and Pallando, and though Saruman returned into the west, the two Blue Wizards remained or went to the south to the lands of Khand and beyond. Sauron
himself journeyed into the eastward lands, hiding there from the White Council
during the centuries known in the west as the Watchful Peace. He seems to have had a second fortress somewhere in Rhûn where he dwelt during that time and earlier during the Second Age
, as his original realms were in the East, not in Mordor
.http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Fr_Men.html This eastern abode of the Dark Lord is briefly noted in The Silmarillion as a place which he surrounded with fire.
Dorwinion lay on the west side of the Sea of Rhûn. The Easterlings
of the Balchoth and Wainriders mostly occupied the lands to the far east of the Sea of Rhûn, where they lived on the nomadic steppes.
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
created by J. R. R. Tolkien
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,...
, Rhûn was a large region of eastern Middle-earth. Rhûn (which is also the Elvish
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...
word for "east") was the name used for all lands lying east of Rhovanion
Rhovanion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhovanion or Wilderland was a large region of northern Middle-earth. It extended to the east as far as the inland Sea of Rhûn; north to the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills, home of the Dwarves; west to the range of the Hithaeglir, or Misty Mountains; and south to...
, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence came many attacks on Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
and its allies during 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....
of Middle-earth.
Almost nothing can be known of the lands beyond the Sea of Rhûn from Tolkien's written work, though it is vaguely described in The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...
as a realm of "wide uncharted lands, nameless plains, and forests unexplored". The wizard Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
had never explored these lands, and though Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
is said to have travelled to them, there is no report of what he did while there.
Rhûn's ancient geography can be gleaned a little from The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
; throughout most of the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
the vast Sea of Helcar was located there and beyond that the Orocarni ('red mountains'). Somewhere in the east, too, lay Cuiviénen and Hildórien, where Elves and Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
first awoke: all the Children of Ilúvatar
Children of Ilúvatar
The Children of Ilúvatar is the name given to the two races of Elves and Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium because they were created by Ilúvatar, the One God, without the help of the Ainur....
could trace their ancestries back to the eastward regions of Middle-earth.
Rhûn was the domain of the Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
, Men of Darkness who were ready to follow both the Dark Lords and fought as their allies in war. These lands were also peopled by lost Elves, Avari
Avari (Middle-earth)
In the fictional works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Avari are an ethnic group of the Elves.- History of the Avari:Avari is a Quenya word meaning 'Refusers' or 'Recusants'. When the vala Oromë found the Elves who had awakened in Cuiviénen , he asked them to come with him to Valinor...
and Úmanyar, and by four of the seven clans of the Dwarves
Fathers of the Dwarves
In Norse Mythology and in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves were the first of their race....
.
During the Third Age, Rhûn was visited by three Wizards: Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
, Alatar and Pallando, and though Saruman returned into the west, the two Blue Wizards remained or went to the south to the lands of Khand and beyond. 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...
himself journeyed into the eastward lands, hiding there from the White Council
White Council
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the White Council is a group of Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed to contest the growing power of Dol Guldur, at the request of Galadriel...
during the centuries known in the west as the Watchful Peace. He seems to have had a second fortress somewhere in Rhûn where he dwelt during that time and earlier 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....
, as his original realms were in the East, not in Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
.http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Fr_Men.html This eastern abode of the Dark Lord is briefly noted in The Silmarillion as a place which he surrounded with fire.
Dorwinion lay on the west side of the Sea of Rhûn. The Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
of the Balchoth and Wainriders mostly occupied the lands to the far east of the Sea of Rhûn, where they lived on the nomadic steppes.