House of Ransom
| House of Ransom | |
|---|---|
| Refuge | |
 | |
| "Ascent to Amon Rûdh" by Anke Eißmann | |
| General Information | |
| Other names | Bar-en-Danwedh (S) |
| Location | Amon Rûdh, Talath Dirnen |
| Type | Refuge |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Mîm and his sons, Gaurwaith |
| Destroyed | F.A. 489 Sack of Bar-en-Danwedh |
The House of Ransom was the secret home of the Gaurwaith when they controlled Dor-Cúarthol. It consisted in an underground complex inside the hill of Amon Rûdh.
History
The place was originally a collony of Petty-dwarves, and it was known as Bar-en-Nibin-noeg, the "House of the Petty-dwarves". As the First Age wore on, these people dwindled, until at last only three survived: Mîm and his two sons Khîm and Ibun. To their misfortune, the Petty-dwarves encountered Túrin at the time he led a desperate band of outlaws. Mîm's sons fled, but Mîm himself was caught, and agreed to house the outlaws in exchange of his own life. So the Dwarf-delvings of Amon Rûdh became known as Bar-en-Danwedh, meaning 'House of Ransom'. The ransom, in fact, was a double one: when they returned to Amon Rûdh, it was learned that Khîm had been shot by an arrow as he fled, and was dead. In recompense, Túrin promised to pay Mîm a ransom of his own, if ever he was able.
Túrin and the outlaws stayed for more than a year in Bar-en-Danwedh, where they were joined by Beleg Strongbow out of Doriath. They defended the lands around against Morgoth's forces, and became so famous in that region that they gained a following, with Túrin and Beleg coming to be known as the Two Captains of Dor-Cúarthol. In the end, though, disaster struck: Mîm betrayed them to the Orcs, who slew the outlaws and captured Túrin in a net. Beleg survived, and Mîm fled from him, never to return to his old House of Ransom on Amon Rûdh.[1][2]
Other names
Another name of the house was Echad i Sedryn (Sindarin, "Camp of the Faithful"). The "faithful" referred to Túrin Turambar and his companions, after they had taken refuge there.[3]
