The Complete Tolkien Companion

by J. E. A. Tyler

  Buck Hill – The most prominent hill of the Buckland, near the village of Bucklebury, extensively tunnelled into one gigantic smial called Brandy Hall

  Buckland – A strip of wooded country, nominally part of the Shire, though it lay on the eastern banks of the Baranduin between the River and the Old Forest. The Buckland was in fact a ‘colony’ of the Shire, settled in about 2340 Third Age (c. 740 Shire Reckoning) by Gorhendad Oldbuck (who later changed his name to Brandybuck). The Bucklanders were nearly all originally Marish folk from the Eastfarthing, and, being largely of Stoorish ancestry, were familiar with rivers and boats.

  Because of the uncomfortable stories associated with the Old Forest, which crouched on the eastern borders of the little land, soon after settling there the inhabitants planted a great hedge, the High Hay, to protect Buckland from the East. The Bucklanders were habitually more cautious than other Hobbits, locking the Buckland Gate (and their own front doors) at night. They were therefore regarded with some suspicion by more insular (and complacent) Shire-dwellers. The affairs of Buckland were administered from Brandy Hall, the great ancestral smial of the Brandybuck family. The head of the family – and chief Hobbit of the region – was known as the Master of Buckland.

  Buckland Gate – The entrance to Buckland from the north, along the Great East Road.

  Bucklebury – The chief village of Buckland, near Buck Hill. The Bucklebury Ferry plied across the Brandywine between the village and the Marish of the Eastfarthing.

  Budge Ford – A ford across The Water, linking Whitfurrows with the village of Scary in the Eastfarthing of the Shire.

  ‘Bullroarer’ – See BANDOBRAS ‘BULLROARER’ TOOK.

  Bunce – A Hobbit-family of the Shire.

  Bundushathûr – The Dwarvish (Khuzdul) name for the southernmost of the three great peaks of Moria, known to Men as Cloudyhead and to the Elves as Fanuidhol.

  Bungo Baggins – The father of Bilbo Baggins and husband of Belladonna Took, whom he wedded in 2880 Third Age (1280 Shire Reckoning). It was this well-to-do Hobbit who built the ancestral manor-hole of Bag End in the side of the hill of Hobbiton.

  Burrows – A Hobbit-family of the Shire.

  Butterbur – See BARLIMAN BUTTERBUR.

  Bywater – A village in the Westfarthing of the Shire, astride the Great East Road near the Pool of Bywater and not far from Hobbiton-on-the-Hill, with which it formed a single community.

  Cabed-en-Aras ‘The Deer’s Leap’ (Sind.) – A sheer-sided ravine of great depth, through which ran the swift river Teiglin. It lay on the marches of the Forest of Brethil. Here Túrin Turambar slew the Dragon Glaurung, by ascending the sides of the gorge and so coming up underneath the Worm’s guard; here also Nienor Niniel slew herself, after which this grim place was renamed Cabed Naeramarth, the ‘Leap of Dreadful Doom’, by the Woodmen of Brethil.

  Cabed Naeramarth – See preceding entry.

  Cair Andros – The island of Cair Andros lay in the middle of the Anduin, some leagues north of Minas Tirith where the provinces of Anórien and North Ithilien faced each other across the Great River. When the lands on the eastern side fell under Sauron’s control, about 2900 Third Age, Túrin II, twenty-third Ruling Steward of Gondor, fortified the island to protect Anórien from raids and invasion. The name Cair Andros means ‘Ship of long-foam’, for the island was shaped like a great ship, with a high prow facing upstream, against which the waters of Anduin broke with force.

  Calacirian – See CALACIRYA.

  Calacirya ‘Light-cleft’ (Q., older form Kalakirya) – The Realm of the Valar, Guardians of the World, was hidden from the shorelands of Valinor by a great range of mountains called the Pelóri, through which there was only one pass: the great ravine of the Calacirya. The Light of the Two Trees flowed through this pass and into the coastal lands beyond, where dwelt the Eldar and all those who had passed ‘over Sea’. The region of Eldamar thus illumined was called Calaciryan (sometimes spelt Calacirian), from the older form Kalakiryande, ‘The-Region-of-Calacirya’.

  Calaquendi ‘Light-elves’ (Q.) – The name given by the Eldar to all those of Elven race who dwelt, or had ever dwelt, in Aman the Blessed during the time of the Trees. These included all the VANYAR and the NOLDOR, and a part of the TELERI, but not the SINDAR, a subdivision of the Telerin clan who remained in Beleriand throughout the First Age. Those of the Calaquendi who returned to Middle-earth were sometimes also called ‘High-elves’ (Tareldar).

  Calembel – The chief town of the province of Lamedon in Gondor. It was situated upon a low hill commanding the ford across the river Ciril.

  Calenardhon ‘Green-region’ (Sind.) – A northern province of Gondor. It lay north of the White Mountains, between the rivers Anduin and Isen, and extended as far north as the Limlight and the Forest of Fangorn. In ancient times Calenardhon had been peopled by the Men of the upper vales of the Mountains. (It was this folk who constructed the refuge of Dunharrow and the labyrinth which lay under the Dwimorberg.)

  In the days of its power, Gondor defended this province with two strong fortresses: the Hornburg at the entrance to the gorge of Aglarond, and Angrenost, at the feet of the Misty Mountains. But as the Third Age slowly passed, Calenardhon became depopulated by war and by plague. In the year 2510 it was suddenly overrun by the invading Balchoth, and many of its remaining inhabitants perished. The army of Gondor, marching north to defend the province, was assailed by hordes of Orcs and Balchoth, and only the last-minute appearance of the Riders of Éothéod saved it from defeat. In gratitude, Gondor ceded her depopulated province to the Riders, who called their new land the Riddermark. In Gondor it became known as ROHAN.

  Calendar of Imladris – The system of reckoning used by the Elves of Rivendell; the only Elf-calendar known (or recorded) by the compilers of the Red Book. The Elves always preferred to reckon, wherever possible, in sixes and twelves, and their yén or ‘long year’ was equivalent to 144 solar years, or loa, each divided into six full ‘seasons’ and some extra days. These seasons were named tuilë, lairë, yávië, quellë, hrivë and coirë (spring, summer, autumn, fading, winter and stirring).

  The loa began on the last day of coirë (this day had a special name, yestarë). To correct inherent inaccuracies in the system, the Eldar inserted three ‘middle-days’, or enderi between ‘autumn’ and ‘fading’. Every twelfth year these extra days were doubled to give an average loa of 365 days. This is obviously a somewhat inaccurate system, but to the Eldar it presumably sufficed.

  Calenhad ‘Green-hump’ (Sind.) – One of the chain of seven BEACON-HILLS between Minas Tirith and the Firienwood, linking Gondor and Rohan. It lay west of Min-Rimmon and east of the Firienwood.

  Calimehtar – A prince of Gondor, younger brother of King Rómendacil II. His grandson was Castamir the Usurper. Also, from 1856–1936 Third Age, the thirtieth King of Gondor. His father, King Narmacil II, was slain in battle by the Wainriders, and the son avenged this death by a great victory over these formidable peoples in 1899, upon the ancient battlefield of Dagorlad. This victory was achieved with the aid of rebels from Rhovanion, who had been enslaved in the invasion which took Narmacil’s life.

  Calimmacil – A prince of Gondor, son of Arciryas and nephew of Narmacil II. It was through this blood-link with the royalty of Gondor that, in 1945 Third Age, Calimmacil’s grandson, the victorious general Eärnil II, claimed – and was subsequently awarded – the crown of Gondor.

  Calma – The Quenya word for ‘lamp’; also the title of the Fëanorian Tengwa number 3, representing the sound ch (later k) in both Quenya and Sindarin.

  Calmacil (Tar-Calmacil) – From 2737–2825 Second Age, the eighteenth King of Númenor. He was a great mariner and empire-builder, and conquered great lands along the shores of Middle-earth, thus alarming and arousing Sauron.

  Calmacil was the first King of Númenor to encourage his Adûnaic name – Ar-Belzegar – to be spoken openly in preference to the Eldarin form.

  Calmacil – From 1294–1304 Third Age, the nominal
eighteenth King of Gondor, though his son Minalcar (later crowned in his own right as RÓMENDACIL II) ruled as regent in his father’s name.

  Calmatéma – In the Fëanorian system of writing (the Tengwar), the title given to the ‘series’ of letters which utilised the sounds k, g, kh, gh (the velar stops and back spirants). These sounds were represented by letters 3, 7, 11, 15, 19 and 23 in Westron (Series III), and by 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 in Quenya (Series IV).

  Calmindon – The name given to the great lighthouse raised on the small island of Tol Uinen, in the Bay of Rómenna in eastern Númenor, by Aldarion (later Tar-Aldarion) the Mariner.

  Camellia Baggins – The (Sackville) wife of Longo Baggins, Hobbit of the Shire. Their only son Otho was the first Sackville-Baggins. Otho later wedded Lobelia Bracegirdle.

  Camlost ‘Empty-Handed’ (Sind.) – The bitter name assumed by BEREN ERCHAMION when he returned to the halls of Thingol Greycloak without the Silmaril he had won. His right hand still clasped the Jewel, but the hand itself at that time lay within the belly of the Wolf Carcharoth.

  Captain of Despair – An epithet used in Gondor for the Chief Nazgûl, the Lord of Minas Morgul.

  Captain of the Haven (of Umbar) – The title of the Governor of the Havens of Umbar during the time of the Corsairs. He was responsible for the efficiency of the harbour and the ships berthed there.

  Captain of the White Tower – The (traditional) title of Gondor’s war-leader; in the days after the passing of the Kings, the title was normally held by the Heir to the Stewardship. Boromir, son of Denethor II, bore this rank.

  Carach Angren ‘Iron-jaws’ (Sind.) – The Isenmouthe; the gate and wall which guarded the road from the plateau of Gorgoroth in Mordor to the valley of Udûn, which lay behind the Black Gate. Together with the fortress of Durthang which overlooked it, the Isenmouthe was built by Gondor early in the Third Age, to guard Mordor and prevent the re-entry of evil creatures. After Sauron’s return, these fortifications were used by him to prevent escape from the Black Land.

  Caradhras ‘Red-peak’ (Sind.) – The Elvish name for the northernmost of the three great peaks that rose above the ancient Dwarf-realm of Moria. (The other two were Celebdil the White and Fanuidhol the Grey.) Because of its cruel reputation, and the bloodlike tinge which habitually lit its northern face, this mountain was known in the Westron speech as the Redhorn. The Dwarves called it Barazinbar. Dimrill Dale on the far side, was known as the ‘Redhorn Gate’.

  Caragdur ‘Dark-fang’ (Sind.) – The name given by the Elves of Gondolin to the steep northern face of the hill Amon Gwareth, on which their city was built.

  Caranthir the Dark – The fourth of the Sons of Fëanor, by repute the most quick-tempered and fell. He returned with his father and his other brothers to Middle-earth in the year before the Rising of the Moon, and took part in the Battle-under-Stars in Mithrim and Ard-galen, afterwards taking Thargelion, the most easterly portion of Beleriand, as his realm. He was thus the first of the High-elven lords to encounter the Dwarves, who dwelt at that time beyond the Ered Luin in their cities of Nogrod and Belegost. As a result, all trade between Dwarves and Elves passed first through Caranthir’s lands, affording him and his people considerable profit. But the main focus of his interest lay of course in the North, and to guard against the evil of Morgoth, Caranthir fortified the mountains about Lake Helevorn (for this eastern sector of the front was the most difficult to defend).

  All the Sons of Fëanor were prickly, and though valiant, not the easiest of allies; Caranthir exemplified this touchiness. The annals of the times are replete with stories of misunderstandings and missed opportunities, many of which can be laid to the door of the brothers – or to their Oath – and most of all perhaps to Caranthir. For example, he at first underrated the valour of the Edain, so indirectly contributing to the grievous losses sustained by the Haladin when first they came to Beleriand; and he disliked the sons of Finarfin, and thereby did much to sow dissension between the Noldor and King Thingol, who was of course related to Finarfin’s kindred.

  Caranthir held his lands – named now Dor Caranthir (‘Caranthir’s Land’) – for many hundreds of years, and did his part in the War; but in the Battle of Sudden Flame, whereby Morgoth overthrew the Siege of Angband, the front held by the Eldar and the Edain was broken, and Thargelion was invaded. Caranthir, with the remnant of his people, fled south, to the land of his brethren Amrod and Amras, and there he dwelt until the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. In that grievous battle Caranthir played a valiant part; but it is also told that it was the allies he brought to the fight, Men of Eastern race, who were in great measure responsible for the defeat sustained by the Eldar on that day: for Caranthir’s ‘allies’ were secretly in Morgoth’s pay (see ULDOR THE ACCURSED) and it was their sudden betrayal at the height of the battle which brought ruin upon the rearguard, and so upon the whole Eldarin army.

  Afterwards Caranthir, together with his brothers Curufin and Celegorm, lived a hunted life in Beleriand, with no realms to rule, making no war upon Morgoth but seeking still for some way to fulfil the Oath sworn long before. And in their wandering days they fell into evil thoughts, and committed evil actions. It came to their ears after a while that a Silmaril had been recovered from Morgoth and lay hid in Menegroth; and they resolved to recover the Jewel, by any means possible – as indeed they were bound to do, by their Oath. Thingol Greycloak of Doriath, to whom the Jewel had been given (by Beren and Lúthien), was already dead, slain in his own hall; but Thingol’s heir Dior Eluchíl ruled in Menegroth, and was the new Keeper of the Silmaril. The three brothers, Celegorm, Curufin and Caranthir now attacked Dior, by stealth and in the dead of winter. But they were unsuccessful in their objective (for the Silmaril was carried to safety by Dior’s daughter Elwing the White); and, though they succeeded in killing the Heir of Thingol – and in destroying Doriath – all three were themselves slain.

  Caras Galadhon ‘The City of the Trees’ (Sind.) – Chief dwelling-place of the Elves of Lothlórien, where ‘there rose to a great height a green wall encircling a green hill thronged with mallorn-trees … Their height could not be guessed, but they stood up in the twilight like living towers. In their many-tiered branches and amid their ever-moving leaves countless lights were gleaming, green and gold and silver.’1 The mightiest of the mellyrn bore several great platforms, or flets, the highest of which held ‘a house, so large that almost it would have served for a hall of Men upon the earth.’2 There, during the Second and Third Ages, dwelt the Lady Galadriel and her husband Celeborn the Wise.

  Carc – An ancient raven of the Lonely Mountain, father of Roäc, Thorin Oakenshield’s messenger before and during the Battle of Five Armies (2941 Third Age).

  Carcharoth ‘The Red Maw’ (Sind.) – Also called Anfauglir, ‘Jaws of Thirst’. The Wolf of Angband, Guardian of the Gates of Morgoth’s Realm in the North; the Slayer of Beren and of Huan the Hound of Valinor; and, for a time, the Keeper of a Silmaril.

  This great beast was in origin a cub of the brood of the werewolf Draugluin; but Morgoth, fearing the power of HUAN – of whom it was said that he should not die until he had encountered the greatest wolf of the world – took the cub, and nourished it in evil ways, until it outgrew all others of the wolf-race. Then Carcharoth was sent to guard the gates of Angband. On a time Beren and Lúthien came by evil roads to that place, and there Carcharoth challenged them, but was overcome by the power of Lúthien; then for a while he slept. But they, having secured a Silmaril from Morgoth’s Iron Crown, were hindered in their escape by the Wolf; who was now awake and undaunted by spells. Beren attempted to ward him off with the power of the Jewel, but the Wolf was not easily affected by such prohibitions, and bit off Beren’s hand which held the Silmaril, swallowing it. Then the pain of the Jewel – which endured no evil, and burned wicked flesh – drove him mad, so that he fled in anguish and rage, and gave no thought afterwards to his duties, or indeed to anything but the terrible pain in his belly. After a time of thus raging hither and thither t
hroughout northern Beleriand, Carcharoth came to the fences of Doriath, and broke through the ring of enchantment set upon that land. In the northern part of the Forest of Neldoreth he was caught by hunters from Menegroth – who included Beren and Huan – and there, in the ensuing battle, Carcharoth slew Beren and the Hound of Valinor, but was himself slain by Huan before he died. His great corpse was then disembowelled, and the Silmaril recovered.

  Carchost – Narchost (‘Fire-fort’) and Carchost (‘Fang-fort’) were the names originally given to the two Towers of the Teeth which flanked the Black Gate into Mordor. Both were originally built by Gondor to prevent entry to the Black Land, early in the Third Age after Sauron’s first overthrow.

  Cardolan ‘Land-of-Red-Hills’ (Sind.) – In 861 Third Age, at the death of King Eärendur, the realm of Arnor was divided into three, due to quarrels among his sons. The separate states which emerged were Arthedain, Rhudaur and Cardolan (see REALMS IN EXILE). The latter kingdom included all the lands of Eriador between the rivers Baranduin and Mitheithel-Gwathló as far north as the Great East Road. The hill-tower of Amon Sûl (Weathertop) thus lay on the border between Cardolan and the easternmost of the three successor kingdoms, Rhudaur. Possession of this strategic point later became a source of conflict between the two states.

  The story of Cardolan is sad, as are the histories of all three North-kingdoms. Often at war with Rhudaur, which early fell into evil ways under the influence of the Witch-realm of Angmar, Cardolan nonetheless managed to survive until the great invasion of 1409, when forces from Angmar and Rhudaur crossed the border and surrounded Amon Sûl. The tower was burned, Cardolan’s ally Arthedain was forced to retreat, and the surviving Dúnedain of Cardolan were driven to take refuge in Tyrn Gorthad (the Barrowdowns) and in the Old Forest. The last prince of the kingdom was slain in this war.

  The Great Plague which came from the East in the year 1636 decimated the remaining population of Cardolan, and the kingdom was never re-established.