East

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For those living in the Westlands, the East refers to all unknown eastern lands. The Quenya name for the East is Rómen, which is also the name of a letter. In Sindarin the East is called Rhûn.

Geography

Not much is known about the lands or peoples outside the Westlands. Cuiviénen, the lake where the Elves awoke, was somewhere in the East of Middle-earth[1]. The eastern parts of the continent also featured two great mountain ranges, the Red and Yellow Mountains. Hildórien, the origin of Men, was also somewhere in the east.[2] Beyond these, the continent of Middle-earth ended on the shores of the East Sea.

Peoples

The Avari remained in the East, and other Elves who abandoned the Great March to the West. Eventually some of the Avari would also migrate West.[3][4]

The Men living in the East were known as Easterlings, being various tribes of Men of Darkness, such as the Wainriders, the Balchoth and the Variags.

The East was also home to the Dwarven clans of Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks and Stonefoots.[5]

In the Second or Third Ages the Blue Wizards went into the East, never to return[6]. Saruman may have joined them before returning and occupying Isengard. During the Watchful Peace, Sauron went to hiding in the East for 400 years and gathered the Easterlings to his service; the Blue Wizards failed to discover his eastern stronghold.[6]

Other notes

As the general direction of the West was revered by the Gondorians,[7] conversely the East had evil connotations in some contexts as it where Mordor lay; the people of Gondor endured the east wind but do not ask it for tidings, because it came from the "Evil in the East".[8]

Unlike the Elven maps, the maps drawn by the Dwarves displayed the East on the top, as can be seen on the Thrór's Map.

See also

References