J. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings

It must be observed, however, that when the Oldbucks (Zaragamba) changed their name to Brandybuck (Brandagamba), the first element meant ‘borderland’, and Marchbuck would have been nearer. Only a very bold hobbit would have ventured to call the Master of Buckland Braldagamba in his hearing.

The records of Gondor relate this was Argeleb II, the twentieth of the Northern line, which came to an end with Arvedui three hundred years later.

Thus, the years of the Third Age in the reckoning of the Elves and the Dû by adding 1600 to the dates of Shire — reckoning.

See Appendix B: annals 1451, 1462, 1482; and note at end of Appendix C.

Represented in much reduced form in Appendix B as far as the end of the Third Age.

See note 2, III, p. 1111

Elves (and Hobbits) always refer to the Sun as She.

The Hobbits’ name for the Plough or Great Bear.

The Brandywine River.

See note in Appendix F: Of the Elves .

See Appendix F under Ents.

Every month in the Shire — calendar had 30 days.

See Appendix F, 1131.

There were thirty days in March (or Rethe) in the Shire calendar.

It was probably Orkish in origin: sharkû, ‘old man’.

A few references are given by page to this edition of The Lord of the Rings, and to the hardback 4th (reset 4th edition (1995)) edition of The Hobbit.

Cf. pp. 244; 598; 971–2: no likeness remained in Middle — earth of Laurelin the Golden.

p. 243; p. 712.

p. 193; p. 712.

The Hobbit, p. 49; The Lord of the Rings, p. 316.

pp.233 — 6 .

pp. 361— 5; pp. 712, 720; pp. 915, 922.

pp. 52, 185.

See pp. 974, 978.

p. 235.

p. 597; p. 971.

p. 242.

p. 244.

p. 243.

He was the fourth son of Isildur, born in Imladris. His brothers were slain in the Gladden Fields.

After Eärendur the Kings no longer took names in High — elven form.

After Malvegil, the Kings at Fornost again claimed lordship over the whole of Arnor, and took names with the prefix ar(a) in token of this.

See p. 755. The wild white kine that were still to be found near the Sea of Rhûn were said in legend to be descended from the Kine of Araw, the huntsman of the Valar, who alone of the Valar came often to Middle — earth in the Elder Days. Oromë is the High — elven form of his name (p. 838).

p. 185.

p. 201.

These are a strange, unfriendly people, remnant of the Forodwaith, Men of far — off days, accustomed to the bitter colds of the realm of Morgoth. Indeed those colds linger still in that region, though they lie hardly more than a hundred leagues north of the Shire. The Lossoth house in the snow, and it is said that they can run on the ice with bones on their feet, and have carts without wheels. They live mostly, inaccessible to their enemies, on the great Cape of Forochel that shuts off to the north — west the immense bay of that name; but they often camp on the south shores of the bay at the feet of the Mountains.

In this way the ring of the House of Isildur was saved; for it was afterwards ransomed by the Dúnedain. It is said that it was none other than the ring which Felagund of Nargothrond gave to Barahir, and Beren recovered at great peril.

These were the Stones of Annúminas and Amon Sûl. The only Stone left in the North was the one in the Tower on Emyn Beraidthat looks towards the Gulf of Lune. That was guarded by the Elves, and though we never knew it, it remained there, until Círdan put it aboard Elrond’s ship when he left (pp. 45, 108). But we are told that it was unlike the others and not in accord with them; it looked only to the Sea. Elendil set it there so that he could look back with ‘straight sight’ and see Eressëa in the vanished West; but the bent seas below covered Númenor for ever.

The sceptre was the chief mark of royalty in Númenor, the King tells us; and that was also so in Arnor, whose kings wore no crown, but bore a single white gem, the Elendilmir, Star of Elendil, bound on their brows with a silver fillet (p. 146; pp. 848, 861, 967). In speaking of a crown (pp. 170, 247) Bilbo no doubt referred to Gondor; he seems to have become well acquainted with matters concerning Aragorn’s line. The sceptre of Númenor is said to have perished with Ar — Pharazôn. That of Annúminas was the silver rod of the Lords of Andúnie, and is now perhaps the most ancient work of Men’s hands preserved in Middle — earth. It was already more than five thousand years old when Elrond surrendered it to Aragorn (p. 972). The crown of Gondor was derived from the form of a Númenórean war — helm. In the beginning it was indeed a plain helm; and it is said to have been the one that Isildur wore in the Battle of Dagorlad (for the helm of Anárion was crushed by the stone — cast from Barad — dûr that slew him). But in the days of Atanatar Alcarin this was replaced by the jewelled helm that was used in the crowning of Aragorn.

p. 227.

p. 5; p. 1016.

The great cape and land — locked firth of Umbar had been Númenórean land since days of old; but it was a stronghold of the King’s Men, who were afterwards called the Black Númenóreans, corrupted by Sauron, and who hated above all the followers of Elendil. After the fall of Sauron their race swiftly dwindled or became merged with the Men of Middle — earth, but they inherited without lessening their hatred of Gondor. Umbar, therefore, was only taken at great cost.

The River Running.

That law was made in Númenor (as we have learned from the King) when Tar — Aldarion, the sixth king, left only one child, a daughter. She became the first Ruling Queen, Tar — Ancalimë. But the law was otherwise before her time. Tar — Elendil, the fourth king, was succeeded by his son Tar — Meneldur, though his daughter Silmariën was the elder. It was, however, from Silmariën that Elendil was descended.