Rhudaur

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Rhudaur
General information
Location	North-eastern Eriador
People
Population	Men, Hobbits, Trolls, people from Angmar
Language	Westron
Governance	King of Rhudaur
History
Preceded by	Arnor
Dissolution of Arnor	T.A. 861
Taken by Angmar	T.A. 1409
Gallery	Images of Rhudaur

Rhudaur was the smallest of the kingdoms that originated from the break-up of Arnor (T.A. 861). The other kingdoms were Arthedain and Cardolan.

Location

Rhudaur formed the eastern part of Arnor, and stretched from the Weather Hills with Amon Sûl to the river Bruinen. It reached to the Ettenmoors. It shared a long border with Cardolan along the Great East Road, and with Arthedain along the line of the Weather Hills.

The land between the rivers Mitheithel and Bruinen was also considered part of Rhudaur and was called The Angle.

History

From the start of its existence, Rhudaur was unfriendly towards the two other successor states, and took part in a bitter conflict with Cardolan over the tower of Amon Sûl and the Palantír associated with the tower.

The last Kings of Rhudaur were not of Númenórean blood, but were descended of Hill-men in service of Angmar. Under their rule the land became a vassal of Angmar, and thus enemies of Cardolan and Arthedain.

The first Stoor Hobbits came into Eriador around 1150. However, due to the increasing hostility of Angmar these Stoors fled the region around 1356, with some of them moving west to Arthedain, and others moving back to the Vales of Anduin.

Angmar annexed and terminated the kingdom in 1409. By this time the Númenóreans were gone from the region, as well as most of the other inhabitants.

There is evidence that after the fall of Angmar at the Battle of Fornost the Angle became home to the remainder of the Dúnedain, and the Rangers of the North established several villages there, where their people lived until the resurrection of the northern Kingdom under King Elessar at the end of the Third Age.

Etymology

The name Rhudaur is translated by Tolkien as "Troll shaw" (rhû "evil, wicked" and taur, "forest"). It is unknown whether it is intended to be the same as Trollshaws.

Portrayal in Adaptions

2012-2014: The Hobbit (film series) :

Although the kingdom itself does not appear in The film trilogy at all, since by the time the film is set, the kingdom has been destroyed, the High Fells of Rhudaur, a place invented by the filmakers for the movies, is located in the place that once was the kingdom of Rhudaur, which pays a major role in this trilogy. Gandalf goes there in the second Hobbit film to examine the whereabouts of Nazgul along with Radagast, only to discover that all Nazguls have escaped.