Anduin

Anduin is a Sindarin word that describes the Great River of Wilderland or the Great River. The Éothéod, the ancestors of the Rohirrim, called this Great River Langflood. According to Karen Wynn Fonstad’s Atlas of Middle-earth, Anduin is described to be 1388 miles long, which is approximately a distance of 2234 km. Originally the name Sindarin has the meaning "Long River."

The ancestors of the Rohirrim called the Éothéod lived in a lush triangular area north of the River Langwell and west of the River Greylin. These two streams merged and from there became the River Anduin. The headwaters of the River Langwell was the eastern slopes of the northern Misty Mountain near Mount Gundabad to the northwest, while the headwaters of River Greylin flowed from the southern slopes of the Grey Mountains to the north. It was also fed by a smaller tributary that flowed due south from the western Grey Mountains that flowed into the River Greylin about eleven leagues north of the Langwell-Greylin confluence. It is here where the river is named 'Anduin'. The Éothéod named i it 'Langflood' likely due to its high waters and heavy flows due to spring rains and snow melt in the mountains.

The course of the River Anduin is fascinating as it meanders and flows south. From the confluence of the Greylin and Langwell rivers, the course flows parallel to the Misty Mountains to the west which feeds swift torrents of water from the Rushdown River into it. The Anduin then slows and widens in the lowlands, and the Old Ford crosses it at a shallow place. Further south, another river who's headwaters are high in the Misty Mountains flows into the Anduin. The land is lush and marshy here, and this river is named the Gladden after the marshy fields in the area. As the Anduin passes the land of Lorien, river Silverlode with its headwaters flowing from the Mirrormere high in the Dimrill Dale feeds its water into the Great River. As the Anduin passes between the Fields of Celebrant to the west and the Brown Lands to the east as It moves through the North Undeep, the River Limlight feeds waters from Fangorn Forest into it. It then curves back through the South Undeep, flowing past the Emyn Muil. The course then flows past Sarn Gebir which has a series of rapids before it flows between the Argonath and into the Lake Nen Hithoel. The lake empties around a stall, sheer-sided rock island called Tol Brandir and over the Falls of Rauros. As the Anduin flows on from the bottom of the falls, the many mouths of the Entwash river delta flows into it. This delta is a large marshy area that is also called the Wetwang. The great course continues through the City of Osgiliath past the White Mountain to the west and the Ephel Dúath to the east. It then flows past the southern part of the wall of Rammasn Echor and the harbor of Harlond to the South of Minas Tirith. This course is, however, shown differently in Journey of Frodo by Barbara Strachey. [1] In the journey of Frodo the harbor is placed right outside the wall). The great river continues its course past Emyn Arnen to the east where the Morgulduin empties its waters from the Morgul Vale into it. It then collects waters from the river Euri before meeting the river Sirith at the port of Pelargir. About fifty miles southwest of Pelargir, the River Poros flows into the Anduin from its headwaters in the Ephel Dúath. About thirty miles further downstream from the Poros confluence, the River Anduin spreads and breaks into a delta before it empties into the Bay of Befalas of the Great Sea.

The Anduin had tributaries, and some of these tributaries had their sources in the misty, mountain, in the Ephel Duath that is on Mordor border and some in the White Mountain. The tributaries in the misty mountain were the Entwash, the Gladden that joined marshes, also called the Gladden field, the Celebrant, the Rushdown, and the River Limelight. These are the five tributaries that had their sources in the misty mountain. The tributaries Morgulduin and Poros had their source in the western and southern Ephel Dúath respectively. The orivers Erui and Sirith had their sources from the southern slopes of the White Mountains.

The crossing points on the great river or Anduin marks very key events. One of the crossing points was the Old Forest Road. This was the road that led into Mirkwood and crossed the river Anduin at the Old Ford, where Beorn’s hall was located near the Southern side. The river was a key defensive line used to impede the invading armies of Mordor. The forces of Gondor broke the bridges in the city of Osgiliath. This is seen in the War of the Ring; however, part of the bridge was later repaired by Mordor. The importance of Anduin is seen near the Wold. Other crossing points near the Wold was very important to both Sauron and enemies.

The river becomes an important strategy for Sauron and his enemies, as it is marked with much war through the years. Throughout the Third Age, many died while trying to defend or attack over the Anduin River. Easterlings managed to cross the Great River Anduin and attacked Gondor in TA 490. Romendacil II from Gondor and his army managed to cross safely, and the Easterlings incursion into Rhovanion was ended in TA 1248 when the men of Gondor crossed and attacked the men of Rhun, completely burning the Rhunic settlements around the sea of Rhun to ashes.

The Easterling's revenge came in TA 1856, where the men of Gondor were attacked by the Wainraiders east of the Anduin they took the lands of Gondor. The Easterlings made a decisive move to use chariots in the attack. The king was killed, and the Easterling repossessed East of Anduin except for Ithilien and Mordor’s doorstep. Men of Gondor however, inflicted a lot of losses on the Wainriders, and they needed time to recover. The men of Gondor had the time they needed to regather their armies and counterattack.

The main islands of the Anduin River were Cair Andros, which borders Ithilien, to the east and Anórien to the west; Tol Brandir in Nen Hithoelabove the Falls of Rauros; and the Carrock in the North where Thorin and company were placed by the Eagle. Eyot is another one of the main islands where the fellowship rested as they traveled between Lorien and Parth Galen.

Nandor lived in the vales of Anduin and left his former host, Eldarin. This was when the Elves matched in the time of the Trees. Nandor was facing a great task of the height of the Misty Mountains. Some people later became Green Elves of Ossiriand. [2] Some Elves stayed on until the War of the Ring. At the end of the first age, refugees were coming from Beleriand. More refugees came in the second from Eregion. Some of the settlements in the Third Age were Framsburg in the Vales of Anduin; Beorn’s Hall; Rhosgobel (Radagast's house); Stoor settlements that were near Gladden fields. Gladden fields recorded a lot of events, including the birth of Smeagol.

Isildur was killed in Gladden fields on the Northern parts of Anduin. In the Glidden, the field is where the one ring was lost, and much later, about two a millennia later Deagol found it. Smeagol later took the ring from Deagol. Gladden field played a host to all these activities. The Elven Realm of Lothlorien was in the Vale of Anduin. The course of the river, which entered Gondor and flowed through Osgiliath and by Minas Anor/Minas Tirith and passing through Pelargir and near the sea, marked key events. One of the key events marked by the great river is the eastern limit of the influence of Gondor.

Anduin comes from Sindarin, which had the meaning "Long River" or “ Great River."

In the Lord of the Rings film by Peter Jackson's the Great River Anduin scenes were shot in Southern New Zealand at Waiau River. [3]. The river appeared to be much calmer than how it is described in the book with my noticable rapids.

1. ^Journey of Frodo by Barbara Strachey.
2. ^The Laiquendi of Ossiriand.
3. ^Southern New Zealand at Waiau River.