Anduin

The Anduin begins where the Langwell and the Greylin meet below the eastern Grey Mountains, then runs south between the Misty Mountains on the west and Mirkwood on the east. It passes the Carrock and the Old Ford, spreads into the Gladden Fields where the Gladden joins it, and takes in the Silverlode and the Limlight along the borders of Lothlorien and the Wold.

South of Lorien the valley narrows. The river runs between the gray hills of Emyn Muil, passes under the Argonath, widens into the lake of Nen Hithoel, and then falls over Rauros. Below the falls it swings west past the Brown Lands and the Dead Marshes country, splits around the island of Cair Andros, and flows down past Osgiliath, the Pelennor, the Harlond quays and the Anduin's mouths at Ethir Anduin into the Bay of Belfalas.

The river is a border as much as a road. It separated Gondor's Ithilien from its western provinces, marked the edge of Rohan, and held back Sauron's armies until they forced crossings at Osgiliath. It is also the great highway: Gondor's fleets came up it, the corsairs of Umbar sailed it, and the gray Elven boats of Lorien carried the Fellowship from Cerin Amroth country down to Parth Galen.

Two of the darkest turns in the story happen on its banks. Isildur was ambushed by orcs at the Gladden Fields in TA 2, the One Ring slipped from his finger as he swam, and it lay in the river bed for nearly two and a half thousand years until Deagol found it. Long after, Frodo took one of the Lorien boats across the water below Amon Hen and left the Company for Mordor.

Events at this place

1. TA 2 · Appendices

   The Disaster of the Gladden Fields

   Orcs ambushed Isildur's company on the Anduin near the Gladden Fields. Isildur was killed in the water and the One Ring was lost in the river.

2. TA 2463 · The Lord of the Rings

   Deagol finds the Ring

   A Stoor of the river-folk pulled the Ring from the bed of the Anduin near the Gladden, and Smeagol killed him for it.

3. TA 3019, February 16 · The Lord of the Rings

   The Fellowship takes to boats

   Leaving Lothlorien in February, the Company traveled down the Anduin in Elven boats as far as Parth Galen above Rauros.

4. TA 3019, February 26 · The Lord of the Rings

   The Breaking of the Fellowship

   At Parth Galen on the west bank, Frodo took a boat across the Anduin with Sam and turned toward Mordor.

5. TA 3019, March 15 · The Lord of the Rings

   Aragorn arrives at the Harlond

   The captured corsair ships came up the Anduin to the quays below Minas Tirith, bringing men of the southern fiefs into the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

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