A Dictionary of Tolkien

by David Day

  Thráin II

  Dwarf king-in-exile. Born in the Kingdom under the Mountain in 2644 of the Third Age of the Sun, Thráin was the son of King Thrór. In 2770 Thrór, Thráin and all the Dwarves of Erebor were driven out by Smaug the Dragon. In 2790, King Thrór was murdered by the Orcs of Moria, and Thráin II launched the bloody six-year War of Dwarves and Orcs. It culminated in the slaughter of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains at the Battle of Azalnulbizar, in which Thráin II lost an eye. Still without a kingdom after the war, Thráin II lived for a long time in the Blue Mountains. Finally, however, in 2845 he rather foolishly resolved to return to Erebor with a few companions. Unfortunately, he was taken captive by Sauron in Mirkwood, and had the last of the Dwarf Rings of Power taken from him. In 2850, after five years of imprisonment, Gandalf managed to find him and Thráin gave the Wizard the key to a secret door in Erebor.

  Thrushes

  The “Red Book of Westmarch” tells that in the Third Age of the Sun there were many bird races such as Crows and Ravens that possessed languages that Elves, Dwarves or Men might know. But the ancient breed of Thrush that lived in Erebor had an alliance with the Men and Dwarves of that place. The Men of Dale and some of the Lake Men of Esgaroth knew the Thrush language and used these birds as messengers. Thrushes would also approach Dwarves out of friendship, and although the Dwarves did not understand the quick Thrushes’ speech, the Thrushes understood Westron, the common daily speech of Dwarves and Men.

  These birds were especially long-lived. Legend relates how one very old Thrush of Erebor came to the Dwarves of Thorin Oakenshield and bore a message to Lake Town, to the heir of Dale named Bard the Bowman. Men, Elves and Dwarves had reason indeed to be grateful to this Thrush, for on the strength of its message Bard the Bowman learned of the weakness of the Dragon of Erebor, and with that knowledge slew the beast.

  Thuringwethil

  Maia and Vampire. Thuringwethil, meaning “the woman of shadows”, was an evil Maia spirit of Melkor, who took on the form of a huge Vampire Bat with iron claws. During the First Age of the Sun, Thuringwethil was one of the many shape-shifting monsters inhabiting Sauron’s tower on the Isle of Werewolves in Beleriand. She flew between Sauron and Melkor carrying messages and doing evil deeds. After the overthrow of the Sauron and the Werewolves, her power seems to have been destroyed. Her shaping-cloak was taken and was used by Lúthien as a means of entering the realm of Angband.

  Tilion

  Maia guardian of the Moon. Tilion of the Silver Bow was once a Maia spirit of Oromë the Huntsman. However, after Telperion, the last flower of the silver Tree of the Valar, was placed in a silver vessel to become the Moon, Tilion was chosen as its guiding spirit. Ever since the first rising of the Moon, he has laboured each night to carry the silver vessel and flower through the heavens.

  Tindómerel

  Fairest of the song birds of Arda was the Tindómerel, the “twilight daughter”, which common Men called the Nightingale. Elves loved this night-singer, which they named Tinúviel, “maiden of twilight”, and told many tales in which nightingales play a part.

  Tinúviel

  Among the songs and tales of Elves much is made of the night-singing bird that men call the nightingale. Of all birds its song is most loved, for like the Elves themselves it sings by the light of the Stars. This bird has many names: Dúlin (“night-singer”), Tindómerel (“twilight-daughter”), Lómelindë (“dusk-singer”) and Tinúviel (“maiden of twilight”).

  The greatest legends of this bird came from Doriath. For always about the Queen of the Grey-elves, Melian the Maia, were the sweet voices of Nightingales. In time a daughter was born to Melian and King Thingol – the only child born of Elf and Maia in the Circles of the World. She was the most beautiful of Elves, the fairest singer of all her race, and so she was named Lúthien Tinúviel. The “Lay of Leithian” tells how by the magic of her song she wielded immense power in Arda. But like the short-lived night bird she faded from the World, for she took the mortal Beren, son of Barahir, as her husband, and she herself was made mortal. So, the fairest being in Arda was gone long before the First Age of the Sun was ended.

  Many songs recall Lúthien’s beauty, and in the “Tale of Aragorn and Arwen” it is said that in the Third Age of the Sun the dark beauty of Lúthien again found form in Arwen, the daughter of Elrond Half-elven. Arwen was also known as Tinúviel. Her song was beautiful and, like Lúthien, she married a mortal and chose a mortal life.

  Tirion

  In the Undying Lands, the Noldor and Vanyar Elves built the first and greatest city in Eldamar. This was Tirion of the white towers and crystal stairs. It was set on the hill of Túna in Calacirya, the Pass of Light. The city was placed so that not only could the Elves live in the light of the Trees and look out on the sea but also, from under the shadow of Túna and the tall towers, could view the glittering stars which shone down on the world beyond the Pelóri Mountains of Valinor. Appropriately, the name Tirion is Elvish for “watch tower”, perhaps referring specifically to the tallest tower which was called Mindon Eldalióva and in which was set a great silver lamp. In the courtyard of this tower was planted Galathilion, the sacred White Tree of the Eldar.

  Tol Eressëa

  In the first ages of Arda, there was a large island in the middle of the Great Sea of Belegaer that Ulmo the Valarian, Lord of Oceans uprooted and made into a floating island that served him as a vast ship. This was the Ship of Ulmo that transported the Vanyar and Noldor Elves of the Great Journey from Middle-earth to the Undying Lands. Upon departing, however, a portion of the island ran aground just off Beleriand and broke off to become the Isle of Balar. Nonetheless, the Vanyar and Noldor were safely delivered and Ulmo’s island returned to Beleriand to transport the Teleri Elves. However, many years had passed since the first passage and in that time the Teleri came to love the sea so greatly that Ossë the Maiar spirit, who is Master of the Waves, persuaded Ulmo not to complete the crossing, but to anchor the isle in the Bay of Eldamar. Although within sight of the Undying Lands and their brethren in Eldamar, for an Age of Starlight the Teleri Sea Elves were separated from their brethren, and during this time the island was given its name, Tol Eressëa, the “Lonely Island”. It was not until they were taught the craft of ship building that their isolation ended. Thereafter, they were masters of the seas and went where they wished. Some went and built the Teleri city of Alqualondë in Eldamar, and another part remained on Tol Eressëa and its port-city of Avallónë that looked eastward over the sea. These were the Elves who traded with the Númenóreans and brought gifts and knowledge to them during the Second Age of the Sun before the Change of the World, and whose white tower of Avallónë could be glimpsed glittering in the western sea from Númenor’s highest peak.

  Tol Sirion

  In Beleriand during the First Age of the Sun, there was a green island on the northern reach of the Sirion River that controlled the Pass of Sirion. This was called Tol Sirion, and was where the Noldor Prince Finrod built the fortress of Minas Tirith to guard the pass against the forces of Morgoth. It remained secure until the year 457 when it was seized by Sauron and a mighty host of Werewolves. For a decade thereafter, the island was called Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the “isle of Werewolves”. Within its dungeons were thrown Finrod and Beren, until the coming of Lúthien and Huan the Wolfhound of the Valar. In the ensuing conflict Huan slew Sauron’s chief lieutenant Draugluin, the lord and sire of Werewolves, and overcame Sauron himself in Werewolf form. After Huan’s victory, the evil powers fled from the island which once again was called Tol Sirion. Finrod was buried here, and it remained a green and peaceful isle until the end of the age and the destruction of Beleriand.

  Tom Bombadil

  Maia master of Old Forest. Tom Bombadil was the Hobbit name for the powerful and eccentric master of the Old Forest. Called Iarwain Benadar, which means both ”old” and “without father”, by the Elves, he was probably a Maia spirit that came to Middle-earth in the Ages of Starlight. By Dwarves he was called Forn, whi
le Men knew him as Orald. He was a very strange and merry spirit. He was a short, stout Man, with blue eyes, a red face and a brown beard. He wore a blue coat, a tall battered hat with a blue feather, and yellow boots. Always singing or speaking in rhymes, he seemed a nonsensical being, yet within the Old Forest his power was absolute, and no evil was strong enough to touch him. His spouse was Goldberry the River-daughter. Tom Bombadil played a role in the Quest of the Ring by twice rescuing the Hobbits who carried the Ring: first from Old Man Willow in the Old Forest, and later from the Barrow Wights in the Barrow Downs.

  Torogs

  During the Wars of Beleriand there came forth in the service of Morgoth, the Dark Enemy, a race of Man-eating Giants of great strength. Elves named these creatures Torogs, from which Men later invented the name Trolls. The lore of Middle-earth was filled with tales of this evil but stupid race of Giants who often beset the lone unwary traveller.

  Treebeard

  Ent of Fangorn Forest. Treebeard, which is “Fangorn” in Elvish, was the guardian of the Fangorn Forest. He was an Ent, a fourteen foot tall giant “tree shepherd” who resembled something between an evergreen tree and a man. He had a rough and sturdy trunk, a thatch beard and branch-like arms with smooth seven-fingered hands. At the time of the War of the Ring, he was the oldest of his race still surviving on Middle-earth. Although not generally concerned with the ways of Elves and Men, Treebeard’s discussions with the Hobbits, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, soon roused his long-held resentment towards the Orcs of Isengard. Treebeard persuaded the Ents to march on Isengard. The March of the Ents resulted in the total destruction of its walls and imprisonment of Saruman the Wizard in his own tower. Treebeard also sent those bad-tempered tree-spirits called Huorn in against the Orcs after the Battle of Hornburg.

  Trees of the Valar

  From the seeds devised by Yavanna, Queen of the Earth, there grew in the Ages of the Lamps the trees of the Great Forests of Arda. Many of these were the same as trees we now know, yet taller in those days and of greater girth. There were trees of oak, alder, rowan, fir, beech (which was called Neldoreth), birch (called Brethil), and holly (which was called Region). But there were others that have now vanished from the World: the red-gold Culumalda of Ithilien and the golden Mallorn, the tallest tree of Middle-earth, which stood in Lothlórien.

  Yet the most amazing and beautiful of all the trees that ever grew were the two Trees of the Valar, which appeared after the Ages of the Lamps. After Melkor had destroyed the Lamps of the World, the Valar left Middle-earth and came to the Undying Lands. There they made a second kingdom, which they named Valinor, and Yavanna, Giver of Fruits, sat on the green mound Ezellohar near the western golden gate of Valimar and sang, while the Valar sat on their thrones in the Ring of Doom and Nienna the Weeper silently watered the Earth with her tears. First, it is told, there came forth a Tree of silver and then a Tree of gold; glowing with brilliant Light, they grew as tall as the mountains of Aulë. Telperion was the elder of these Trees and had leaves of dark green and bright silver. On his boughs were multitudes of silver flowers from which fell silver dew. In praise Telperion was also called Ninquelótë and Silpion. Laurelin, the younger of the Trees of the Valar, was the “song of gold”. Her leaves were edged with gold yet were pale green; her flowers were like trumpets and golden flames, and from her limbs fell a rain of gold Light. In praise Laurelin was also named Culúrien and Malinalda, the “golden tree”.

  So it was that these two Trees stood in the Undying Lands and lit the lands with silver and gold. From the rhythm of the Light of the Trees of the Valar came the Count of Time, for Time had not before been measured, and so began the days and years of the Trees, which were many long ages – longer far than the years of the Stars of the Sun. The Light of the twin Trees in the Undying Lands was eternal, and those who lived in it were ennobled and filled with immense wisdom.

  In their Light the Valar lived in bliss, while Middle-earth was plunged in darkness and Melkor strengthened the power of his kingdom of Utumno and his armoury of Angband. Yet after a time Varda, who made wells beneath the Trees in which the dews of Light fell, took the silver Light of Telperion and climbed the vault of the skies and rekindled the faint stars. She made them more brilliant, and evil servants of Melkor on Middle-earth quailed in fear. For the starlight was now like spears to them, or like daggers of ice, that cut them deep. In this Light of the Stars the Elves came forth. Joyfully were they awakened by that Light.

  Though the life of the Trees of the Valar was long, their end was tragic and disastrous. For, it is told, Melkor made a pact with Ungoliant the Great Spider, and they came invisibly in the Unlight of the Spider, and the Trees were lasted with sorcerous flame, and the sap of their lives was drawn out. Their Light was extinguished and they were left but shattered trunks and roots blackened and poisoned. The wells of Light were drained and consumed by the Spider Ungoliant, and a terrible darkness fell on Valinor. So in all the World the Light of the Trees was gone, except in the three jewels called the Silmarils that the Elves of Eldmar had made, in which a little of the Light from the Trees was preserved. But Melkor took these gems too, though he did not destroy them, and it was for these Silmarils that the long disastrous War of the Jewels of all the next Age was fought.

  Mournfully, the Valar came again to the Trees, and again they sent for Yavanna and Nienna. Over the dead Trees Yavanna sang her green song and Nienna wept tears of endurance beyond hope, and from the charred ruins came a single golden fruit and a single silver flower. These were named Anar the Fire Golden and Isil the Sheen. The “Narsilion” tells how Aulë the Smith made great lanterns about these radiant lights that they might not fade. Manwë hallowed them, and Varda lifted them into the heavens and set them on a course over all the lands of Arda. Thus, the fragments of the living Light of the Trees of the Valar were brought to the whole World and they were called the Sun and the Moon. Arien the Maia fire spirit carries the Sun, Anar, which is also named Vása, the “heart of fire”; and Tilion the Maia hunter and bowman carries the Moon, Isil the silver flower, which is also called Rána.

  It was not in their Light alone that the Trees remained in the World, for Yavanna made the tree Galathilion in the image of Telperion, though it did not radiate Light. She gave this tree to the Elves of Tirion, who knew it as the White Tree of the Eldar. Many of its seedlings grew and still grow in Eldamar. One of these was Celeborn, which bloomed on Tol Eressëa and brought forth the seedling that Elves gave to the Men of Númenor. This seedling became the tree named Nimloth the Fair, the White Tree of Númenor, which grew in the royal court until King Ar-Pharazôn destroyed it. With that act the Isle of Númenor was doomed. Yet a sapling had already been taken from Nimloth by the princes of Andúnië, and before the Downfall of Númenor one prince named Elendil the Tall took this sapling to Middle-earth. His son first planted the fruit of Nimloth in Minas Ithil in Gondor, and until the Fourth Age of the Sun the White Trees of Gondor bloomed. Though three times a White Tree perished in plague or war, a sapling was always found and the line never died out. These White Trees were a living link with the most ancient past of the Undying Lands, and they were a sign of the nobility, the wisdom and the goodness of the Valar come to mortal Men.

  Trolls

  It is thought that in the First Age of Starlight, in the deep Pits of Angband, Melkor the Enemy bred a race of giant cannibals who were fierce and strong but without intelligence. These black-blooded giants were called Trolls, and for five Ages of Starlight and four Ages of the Sun they committed deeds as evil as their dull wits allowed.

  Trolls, it is said, were bred by Melkor because he desired a race as powerful as the giant Ents, the Treeherds. Trolls were twice the height and bulk of the greatest Men, and they had a skin of green scales like armour. As Ents were to the substance of wood, so Trolls were to stone. Though not so strong as Ents who could crush stone, Trolls were rock hard and powerful. Yet in the sorcery of their making there was a fatal flaw: they feared light. The spell of
their creation had been cast in darkness and if light did fall on them it was as if that spell were broken and the armour of their skin grew inwards. Their evil, soulless beings were crushed as they became lumps of lifeless stone.

  The stupidity of Trolls was so great that many could not be taught speech at all, while others learned the barest rudiments of the Black Speech of Orcs. Though their power was often brought to nought by the quick-witted, in mountain caverns and dark woods Trolls were rightly feared. They desired most a diet of raw flesh. They killed for pleasure, and without reason – save an undirected avarice – hoarded what treasures they took from their victims.

  In the Ages of Starlight they wandered Middle-earth freely and with Orcs made travel a great peril. At this time they often went to war alongside Wolves and Orcs and other evil servants of Melkor. But in the First Age of the Sun they were far more wary, for the great light of the Sun was death to them and only in darkness did they go forth in the Wars of Beleriand. It is told in the “Quenta Silmarillion” that in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Trolls in great numbers were the bodyguard of Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs, and, though they fought neither with craft nor skill, they fought fiercely and knew nothing of fear. Seventy of their number were slain by that one great Edain warrior called Húrin, yet other Trolls came on and at last took him captive.

  After the War of Wrath and the First Age of the Sun, many of the Troll race remained on Middle-earth and hid themselves deeply under stone. When Sauron the Maia arose in the Second Age, he took to himself these old servants of his master, Melkor. Sauron also gave the Trolls craftiness of mind born of wickedness, and they became more dangerous than before. Freely and fearlessly, these monsters wandered in dark places of the World.