The Lord of the Rings

by J. R. R. Tolkien

  Gimli Glóin’s son is renowned, for he was one of the Nine Walkers that set out with the Ring; and he remained in the company of King Elessar throughout the War. He was named Elf-friend because of the great love that grew between him and Legolas, son of King Thranduil, and because of his reverence for the Lady Galadriel.

  After the fall of Sauron, Gimli brought south a part of the Dwarf-folk of Erebor, and he became Lord of the Glittering Caves. He and his people did great works in Gondor and Rohan. For Minas Tirith they forged gates of mithril and steel to replace those broken by the Witch-king. Legolas his friend also brought south Elves out of Greenwood, and they dwelt in Ithilien, and it became once again the fairest country in all the westlands.

  But when King Elessar gave up his life Legolas followed at last the desire of his heart and sailed over Sea.

  Here follows one of the last notes in the Red Book

  We have heard tell that Legolas took Gimli Glóin’s son with him because of their great friendship, greater than any that has been between Elf and Dwarf. If this is true, then it is strange indeed: that a Dwarf should be willing to leave Middle-earth for any love, or that the Eldar should receive him, or that the Lords of the West should permit it. But it is said that Gimli went also out of desire to see again the beauty of Galadriel; and it may be that she, being mighty among the Eldar, obtained this grace for him. More cannot be said of this matter.

  APPENDIX B

  THE TALE OF YEARS

  (CHRONOLOGY OF THE WESTLANDS)

  The First Age ended with the Great Battle, in which the Host of Valinor broke Thangorodrim1 and overthrew Morgoth. Then most of the Noldor returned into the Far West2 and dwelt in Eressëa within sight of Valinor; and many of the Sindar went over Sea also.

  The Second Age ended with the first overthrow of Sauron, servant of Morgoth, and the taking of the One Ring.

  The Third Age came to its end in the War of the Ring; but the Fourth Age was not held to have begun until Master Elrond departed, and the time was come for the dominion of Men and the decline of all other ‘ speaking-peoples’ in Middle-earth.3

  In the Fourth Age the earlier ages were often called the Elder Days; but that name was properly given only to the days before the casting out of Morgoth. The histories of that time are not recorded here.

  The Second Age

  These were the dark years for Men of Middle-earth, but the years of the glory of Númenor. Of events in Middle-earth the records are few and brief, and their dates are often uncertain.

  In the beginning of this age many of the High Elves still remained. Most of these dwelt in Lindon west of the Ered Luin; but before the building of the Barad-dûr many of the Sindar passed eastward, and some established realms in the forests far away, where their people were mostly Silvan Elves. Thranduil, king in the north of Greenwood the Great, was one of these. In Lindon north of the Lune dwelt Gil-galad, last heir of the kings of the Noldor in exile. He was acknowledged as High King of the Elves of the West. In Lindon south of the Lune dwelt for a time Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol; his wife was Galadriel, greatest of Elven women. She was sister of Finrod Felagund, Friend-of-Men, once king of Nargothrond, who gave his life to save Beren son of Barahir.

  Later some of the Noldor went to Eregion, upon the west of the Misty Mountains, and near to the West-gate of Moria. This they did because they learned that mithril had been discovered in Moria. 4 The Noldor were great craftsmen and less unfriendly to the Dwarves than the Sindar; but the friendship that grew up between the people of Durin and the Elven-smiths of Eregion was the closest that there has ever been between the two races. Celebrimbor was Lord of Eregion and the greatest of their craftsmen; he was descended from Fëanor.

  Year

  1 Foundation of the Grey Havens, and of Lindon.

  32 The Edain reach Númenor.

  c. 40 Many Dwarves leaving their old cities in Ered Luin go to Moria and swell its numbers.

  442 Death of Elros Tar-Minyatur.

  c. 500 Sauron begins to stir again in Middle-earth.

  521 Birth in Númenor of Silmariën.

  600 The first ships of the Númenóreans appear off the coasts.

  750 Eregion founded by the Noldor.

  c. 1000 Sauron, alarmed by the growing power of the Númenóreans, chooses Mordor as a land to make into a stronghold. He begins the building of Barad-dûr.

  1075 Tar-Ancalimë becomes the first Ruling Queen of Númenor.

  1200 Sauron endeavours to seduce the Eldar. Gil-galad refuses to treat with him; but the smiths of Eregion are won over. The Númenóreans begin to make permanent havens.

  c. 1500 The Elven-smiths instructed by Sauron reach the height of their skill. They begin the forging of the Rings of Power.

  c. 1590 The Three Rings are completed in Eregion.

  c. 1600 Sauron forges the One Ring in Orodruin. He completes the Barad-dûr. Celebrimbor perceives the designs of Sauron.

  1693 War of the Elves and Sauron begins. The Three Rings are hidden.

  1695 Sauron’s forces invade Eriador. Gil-galad sends Elrond to Eregion.

  1697 Eregion laid waste. Death of Celebrimbor. The gates of Moria are shut. Elrond retreats with remnant of the Noldor and founds the refuge of Imladris.

  1699 Sauron overruns Eriador.

  1700 Tar-Minastir sends a great navy from Númenor to Lindon. Sauron is defeated.

  1701 Sauron is driven out of Eriador. The Westlands have peace for a long while.

  c. 1800 From about this time onward the Númenóreans begin to establish dominions on the coasts. Sauron extends his power eastwards. The shadow falls on Númenor.

  2251 Death of Tar-Atanamir. Tar-Ancalimon takes the sceptre. Rebellion and division of the Númenóreans begins. About this time the Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, slaves of the Nine Rings, first appear.

  2280 Umbar is made into a great fortress of Númenor.

  2350 Pelargir is built. It becomes the chief haven of the Faithful Númenóreans.

  2899 Ar-Adûnakhor takes the sceptre.

  3175 Repentance of Tar-Palantir. Civil war in Númenor.

  3255 Ar-Pharazôn the Golden seizes the sceptre.

  3261 Ar-Pharazôn sets sail and lands at Umbar.

  3262 Sauron is taken as prisoner to Númenor; 3262-3310 Sauron seduces the King and corrupts the Númenóreans.

  3310 Ar-Pharazôn begins the building of the Great Armament.

  3319 Ar-Pharazôn assails Valinor. Downfall of Númenor. Elendil and his sons escape.

  3320 Foundations of the Realms in Exile: Arnor and Gondor. The Stones are divided (p. 598). Sauron returns to Mordor.

  3429 Sauron attacks Gondor, takes Minas Ithil and burns the White Tree. Isildur escapes down Anduin and goes to Elendil in the North. Anárion defends Minas Anor and Osgiliath.

  3430 The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is formed.

  3431 Gil-galad and Elendil march east to Imladris.

  3434 The host of the Alliance crosses the Misty Mountains. Battle of Dagorlad and defeat of Sauron. Siege of Barad-dûr begins.

  3440 Anárion slain.

  3441 Sauron overthrown by Elendil and Gil-galad, who perish. Isildur takes the One Ring. Sauron passes away and the Ringwraiths go into the shadows. The Second Age ends.

  The Third Age

  These were the fading years of the Eldar. For long they were at peace, wielding the Three Rings while Sauron slept and the One Ring was lost; but they attempted nothing new, living in memory of the past. The Dwarves hid themselves in deep places, guarding their hoards; but when evil began to stir again and dragons reappeared, one by one their ancient treasures were plundered, and they became a wandering people. Moria for long remained secure, but its numbers dwindled until many of its vast mansions became dark and empty. The wisdom and the life-span of the Númenóreans also waned as they became mingled with lesser Men.

  When maybe a thousand years had passed, and the first shadow had fallen on Greenwood the Great, the Istari or Wizards appeared in Middle-earth. It was afterwa
rds said that they came out of the Far West and were messengers sent to contest the power of Sauron, and to unite all those who had the will to resist him; but they were forbidden to match his power with power, or to seek to dominate Elves or Men by force and fear.

  They came therefore in the shape of Men, though they were never young and aged only slowly, and they had many powers of mind and hand. They revealed their true names to few, 1 but used such names as were given to them. The two highest of this order (of whom it is said there were five) were called by the Eldar Curunír, ‘ the Man of Skill’, and Mithrandir, ‘ the Grey Pilgrim’, but by Men in the North Saruman and Gandalf. Curunír journeyed often into the East, but dwelt at last in Isengard. Mithrandir was closest in friendship with the Eldar, and wandered mostly in the West, and never made for himself any lasting abode.

  Throughout the Third Age the guardianship of the Three Rings was known only to those who possessed them. But at the end it became known that they had been held at first by the three greatest of the Eldar: Gil-galad, Galadriel and Círdan. Gil-galad before he died gave his ring to Elrond; Círdan later surrendered his to Mithrandir. For Círdan saw further and deeper than any other in Middle-earth, and he welcomed Mithrandir at the Grey Havens, knowing whence he came and whither he would return.

  ‘Take this ring, Master,’ he said, ‘ for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill. But as for me, my heart is with the Sea, and I will dwell by the grey shores until the last ship sails. I will await you.’

  Year

  2 Isildur plants a seedling of the White Tree in Minas Anor. He delivers the South-kingdom to Meneldil. Disaster of the Gladden Fields; Isildur and his three elder sons are slain.

  3 Ohtar brings the shards of Narsil to Imladris.

  10 Valandil becomes King of Arnor.

  109 Elrond weds Celebrían, daughter of Celeborn.

  130 Birth of Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond.

  241 Birth of Arwen Undómiel.

  420 King Ostoher rebuilds Minas Anor.

  490 First invasion of Easterlings.

  500 Rómendacil I defeats the Easterlings.

  541 Rómendacil slain in battle.

  830 Falastur begins the line of the Ship-kings of Gondor.

  861 Death of Eärendur, and division of Arnor.

  933 King Eärnil I takes Umbar, which becomes a fortress of Gondor.

  936 Eärnil lost at sea.

  1015 King Ciryandil slain in the siege of Umbar.

  1050 Hyarmendacil conquers the Harad. Gondor reaches the height of its power. About this time a shadow falls on Greenwood, and men begin to call it Mirkwood. The Periannath are first mentioned in records, with the coming of the Harfoots to Eriador.

  c. 1100 The Wise (the Istari and the chief Eldar) discover that an evil power has made a stronghold at Dol Guldur. It is thought to be one of the Nazgûl.

  1149 c.Reign of Atanatar Alcarin begins.

  1150 The Fallohides enter Eriador. The Stoors come over the Redhorn Pass and move to the Angle, or to Dunland.

  c. 1300 Evil things begin to multiply again. Orcs increase in the Misty Mountains and attack the Dwarves. The Nazgûl reappear. The chief of these comes north to Angmar. The Periannath migrate westward; many settle at Bree.

  1977 King Argeleb I slain in battle with Rhudaur. About this time the Stoors leave the Angle, and some return to Wilderland.

  1356 The Witch-king of Angmar invades Arnor. King Arveleg I slain. Fornost and Tyrn Gorthad are defended. The Tower of Amon Sûl destroyed.

  1409 King Valacar of Gondor dies, and the civil war of the Kin-strife begins.

  1432 Burning of Osgiliath and loss of the palantír. Eldacar flees to Rhovanion; his son Ornendil is murdered.

  1437 Eldacar returns and drives out the usurper Castamir. Battle of the Crossings of Erui. Siege of Pelargir.

  1447 Rebels escape and seize Umbar.

  1448 King Aldamir slain in war with the Harad and Corsairs of Umbar.

  1540 Hyarmendacil II defeats the Men of Harad.

  1551 Many Periannath migrate from Bree, and are granted land beyond Baranduin by Argeleb II.

  c.1630 They are joined by Stoors coming up from Dunland.

  1601 The Corsairs ravage Pelargir and slay King Minardil.

  1634 The Great Plague devastates Gondor. Death of King Telemnar and his children. The White Tree dies in Minas Anor. The plague spreads north and west, and many parts of Eriador become desolate. Beyond the Baranduin the Periannath survive, but suffer great loss.

  1636 King Tarondor removes the King’s House to Minas Anor, and plants a seedling of the White Tree. Osgiliath begins to fall into ruin. Mordor is left unguarded.

  1640 King Telumehtar Umbardacil retakes Umbar and drives out the Corsairs.

  1810 The attacks of the Wainriders upon Gondor begin.

  1851 Gondor loses its eastern territories, and Narmacil II falls in battle.

  1856 King Calimehtar defeats the Wainriders on Dagorlad.

  1899 Calimehtar builds the White Tower in Minas Anor.

  1900 Gondor and Arnor renew communications and form an alliance. Arvedui weds Fíriel daughter of Ondoher of Gondor.

  1940 Ondoher falls in battle. Earnil defeats the enemy in South Ithilien. He then wins the Battle of the Camp, and drives Wainriders into the Dead Marshes. Arvedui claims the crown of Gondor.

  1944 Eärnil II receives the crown.

  1945 End of the North-kingdom. The Witch-king overruns Arthedain and takes Fornost.

  1974 Arvedui drowned in the Bay of Forochel. The palantíri of Annúminas and Amon Sûl are lost. Eärnur brings a fleet to Lindon. The Witch-king defeated at the Battle of Fornost, and pursued to the Ettenmoors. He vanishes from the North.

  1975 Aranarth takes the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain. The heirlooms of Arnor are given into the keeping of Elrond.

  1976 Frumgar leads the Éothéod into the North.

  1979 Bucca of the Marish becomes first Thain of the Shire.

  1980 The Witch-king comes to Mordor and there gathers the Nazgûl. A Balrog appears in Moria, and slays Durin VI.

  1981 Náin I slain. The Dwarves flee from Moria. Many of the Silvan Elves of Lórien flee south. Amroth and Nimrodel are lost.

  1999 Thráin I comes to Erebor and founds a dwarf-kingdom ‘ under the Mountain’.

  2002 The Nazgûl issue from Mordor and besiege Minas Ithil.

  2043 Fall of Minas Ithil, afterwards known as Minas Morgul. The palantír is captured.

  2000 Eärnur becomes King of Gondor. He is challenged by the Witch-king.

  2050 The challenge is renewed. Eärnur rides to Minas Morgul and is lost. Mardil becomes the first Ruling Steward.

  2060 The power of Dol Guldur grows. The Wise fear that it may be Sauron taking shape again.

  2063 Gandalf goes to Dol Guldur. Sauron retreats and hides in the East. The Watchful Peace begins. The Nazgûl remain quiet in Minas Morgul.

  2210 Thorin I leaves Erebor, and goes north to the Grey Mountains, where most of the remnants of Durin’s Folk are now gathering.

  2340 Isumbras I becomes thirteenth Thain, and first of the Took line. The Oldbucks occupy the Buckland.

  2460 The Watchful Peace ends. Sauron returns with increased strength to Dol Guldur.

  2463 The White Council is formed. About this time Déagol the Stoor finds the One Ring, and is murdered by Sméagol.

  2470 About this time Sméagol-Gollum hides in the Misty Mountains.

  2475 Attack on Gondor renewed. Osgiliath finally ruined, and its stone-bridge broken.

  c. 2480 Orcs begin to make secret strongholds in the Misty Mountains so as to bar all the passes into Eriador. Sauron begins to people Moria with his creatures.

  2509 Celebrían, journeying to Lórien, is waylaid in the Redhorn Pass, and receives a poisoned wound.

  2510 Celebrían departs over Sea. Orcs and East
erlings overrun Calenardhon. Eorl the Young wins the victory of the Field of Celebrant. The Rohirrim settle in Calenardhon.

  2545 Eorl falls in battle in the Wold.

  2569 Brego son of Eorl completes the Golden Hall.

  2570 Baldor son of Brego enters the Forbidden Door and is lost. About this time Dragons reappear in the far North and begin to afflict the Dwarves.

  2589 Dáin I slain by a Dragon.

  2590 Thrór returns to Erebor. Grór his brother goes to the Iron Hills.

  c. 2670 Tobold plants ‘ pipe-weed’ in the Southfarthing.

  2683 Isengrim II becomes tenth Thain and begins the excavation of Great Smials.

  2698 Ecthelion I rebuilds the White Tower in Minas Tirith.

  2740 Orcs renew their invasions of Eriador.

  2747 Bandobras Took defeats an Orc-band in the Northfarthing.

  2758 Rohan attacked from west and east and overrun. Gondor attacked by fleets of the Corsairs. Helm of Rohan takes refuge in Helm’s Deep. Wulf seizes Edoras. 2758-9: The Long Winter follows. Great suffering and loss of life in Eriador and Rohan. Gandalf comes to the aid of the Shire-folk.

  2759 Death of Helm. Fréaláf drives out Wulf, and begins second line of Kings of the Mark. Saruman takes up his abode in Isengard.

  2770 Smaug the Dragon descends on Erebor. Dale destroyed. Thrór escapes with Thráin II and Thorin II.

  2790 Thrór slain by an Orc in Moria. The Dwarves gather for a war of vengeance. Birth of Gerontius, later known as the Old Took.

  2793 The War of the Dwarves and Orcs begins.

  2799 Battle of Nanduhirion before the East-gate of Moria. Dáin Iron-foot returns to the Iron Hills. Thráin II and his son Thorin wander westwards. They settle in the South of Ered Luin beyond the Shire (2802).