Rhûn
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In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhûn is a large region of eastern Middle-earth.
Rhûn is a name used for all lands lying east Rhovanion, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence many attacks on Gondor and its allies came during the Third Age.
Almost nothing is known of the lands of beyond the great Sea of Rhûn that stood on its borders with the western lands. Even Gandalf had never explored there, and though Aragorn had travelled there, there is no report of his doings.
Its ancient geography can be gleaned a little from the Silmarillion; throughout most of the First Age the vast Sea of Helcar was located here and beyond that the Orocarni ('red mountains'). Somewhere in the lost east, too, lay Cuiviénen and Hildórien, where Elves and Men first awoke: all the Children of Ilúvatar could trace their ancestries back to the eastward regions of Middle-earth.
Rhûn was the domain of the Easterlings, Men of Darkness who were ready to follow both the Dark Lords and fought as their allies in war. These lands, too, were peopled by lost Elves, Avari and Úmanyar, and by four of the seven clans of the Dwarves.
During the Third Age, Rhûn was visited by three Wizards; Saruman, Alatar and Pallando, and though Saruman returned into the west, the two Blue Wizards remained or went to the south to the lands of Khand and beyond. Sauron himself journeyed into the eastward lands, in hiding from the White Council during the centuries known in the west as the Watchful Peace.
On the west side of the Sea of Rhûn, Dorwinion lies, where it is famous for its elvish wine. The Easterlings of the Balchoth and Wainriders mostly occupy the lands to the far east of the Sea of Rhûn, where they live in the nomadic steppes.
Rhûn is also the elvish word for "east".
| Realms from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium during the Third Age | |
|---|---|
| Realms of Men: | Arnor • Arthedain • Breeland • Cardolan • Corsairs of Umbar • Dale • Dol Amroth • Dunland • Éothéod • Esgaroth • Gondor • Harad • Khand • Rhovanion • Rhudaur • Rhûn • Rohan • Umbar |
| Realms of the Elves: | Lindon • Lothlórien • Northern Mirkwood • Rivendell |
| Realms of the Dwarves: | Belegost • Erebor • Grey Mountains • Iron Hills • Khazad-dûm |
| Realms of the Hobbits: | Breeland • Gladden Fields • The Shire |
| Realms of the Ents: | Fangorn forest |
| Uncertain population: | Dorwinion |
| Realms of the enemy: | Angmar • Barad-dûr • Dol Guldur • Isengard • Mordor |
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