Eriador is a large region in Middle-Earth, bounded by Lindon and the Blue Mountains to the west, by Rhovanion and the Misty Mountains to the East, the Northern Seas and the Bay of Forochel to the north, and the river Gwathlo and Enedwaith to the South.
Geographical Features[]
Eriador is a hilly land, with many series of hills, some of which are known as "Downs", which form concentric rings. The hills are as follows: the Tower Hills, Hills of Evendim, Weather Hills, Far Downs, White Downs, South Downs, North Downs, and the Barrow-Downs. Eriador has pockets of woodland, although the majority is either flat or hilly land without trees, although notable forest areas include Chetwood, the Old Forest, and Eryn Vorn.. At it's widest extent, it is 675 miles from east to west and 690 miles from north to south. There are quite a few rivers, including the Lune, the Brandywine, the Gwathlo, the Glanduin, the Bruinen, and many others. There is a large lake, lake Evendim. The plains outside Rivendell tend to be flat and dotted with boulders.
Climate[]
Eriador is prone to warm summers and cool winters. Eriador tends to sometimes be a misty land, although this is not always for natural reasons, such as the areas near the Barrow-Downs. Snow is often in the winter, although it falls in moderate amounts, and winters tend to be more cold, windy, and wet.
Flora and Fauna[]
Eriador's plant life is diverse. For the skilled forager and herbalist, there is a plethora of plants with many uses. Earth-Bread, originally discovered by the Petty-Dwarves, can be found here, and often serves as food for the Rangers when they have run out on one of their expeditions. Potatoes, originaly from Numenor but transplanted into Middle-Earth, also serve as a source of nutrition. A regenerative tea can be made out of the Athelas plant, and the galenas plant, more often known as pipe-weed, is used extensively by the Hobbits. The uses of Athelas have been forgotten by many, but not by the Rangers. Wild deer can be found in the woodlands, as well as a variety of red squirrel.
Settlements[]
Realms of Eriador[]
- Arnor
- {Arthedain}
- {Cardonan}
- {Rhudaur}
- {Several Arnorian splinter kingdoms}
- The Shire
- Free Townships of Bree-Land
- Township of Bree
- Township of Staddle
- Township of Combe
- Township of Archet
- Kingdom of Rivendell
- {Numenoreans}
- Dunedain of the North
- Men of Minhirwaith
- {Kingdom of Eregion}
- Reunited Kingdom
Inhabitants[]
The area of the Angle is inhabited by mostly isolated villages of Dunedain. The area around Bree-Land is inhabited by a mix of Men and Hobbits, one of the few places where they lived side-by side. The Shire is inhabited by Hobbits, and Rivendell by Elves. The southern portions of Eriador are inhabited by the Men of Minhirwaith, the people who lived in Eriador before the Numenoreans.
Eriador is rarely invaded by Orcs from the Misty Mountains, and even more rarely the remnants of Angmar.