#eriador

[geopsych]

One August morning in the countryside, 2020

[velvet4510]

Tolkien’s fixation on the unbroken male line of Isildur and the family tree of Chieftains of the Dúnedain that led to Aragorn is almost funny to me because, there’s no way that generations of wives/mothers only gave birth to one son every time. Most of those Chieftains must’ve had sisters; Aragorn being an only child was probably the exception or more of a rarity, especially since his father was killed so soon after his birth, before any siblings could be conceived. I bet many Chieftains actually had older sisters. The odds of a baby’s sex at birth are almost always 50/50 (though I admit I’m no fertility expert). There was no gender-selective IVF in Middle-earth, so it’s not like they could’ve always guaranteed male offspring. It’s fun to headcanon the rest of those families - maybe some of them had, like, three or four or more daughters before the son finally arrived.

[theenlightenedoutlaw]

[lotro-tooltips-daily]

[arofili]

@tolkienofcolourweek day one | kingdoms, settlements, nomads | dúnedain of the north

There they established in the North-west the Númenorean realms in exile, Arnor and Gondor. Elendil was the High King and dwelt in the North at Annúminas... At its greatest Arnor included all Eriador.

—The Lord of the Rings: Appendix A, “The Númenorean Kings: Númenor; Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur”

In the latter days of the last age, before the War of the Ring, there was a man named Dírhael and his wife was Ivorwen daughter of Gilbarad, and they dwelt in a hidden fastness in the wilds of Eriador; for they were of the ancient people of the Dúnedain, that of old were kings of men, but were now fallen on darkened days.

—The Histories of Middle-earth: Volume XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, “The Making of Appendix A: The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen”

When the kingdom ended the Dúnedain passed into the shadows and became a secret and wandering people, and their deeds and labours were seldom sung or recorded.

—The Lord of the Rings: Appendix A, “The Númenórean Kings: Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur”

[krablo]

Daily Arda # 7 - Frodo Meets Gildor

On his way East, Frodo met Gildor. Gildor says things! Words!

[shotechis]

By day the countryside shone in vibrant red - red dirt, red rocks, and flecks of small red flowers that had given the kingdom its name. Under the light of the sun, it looked almost innocent. Suddenly, Tirirandir was swept with a surge of painful love for it, a love that each of his Cardolandrim ancestors must have felt the same. Oh, Old Cardolan, he thought, if only you are one day freed from darkness!

Tirnel in Cardolan full story here!

[ardgalen]

The Lands of Middle-Earth in the Second Age 1/∞

THE RINGS OF POWER // EP II.IV ELDEST

Lindon to Eregion through Eriador. South of Lake Nenuial, north of the Hills of Tyrn Gorthad, crossing the Baranduin (later Brandywine) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~