The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Location
A broad term given to the lands eastward from Rhovanion
Races
Known to be occupied by Men, Dwarves and Elves
Divisions
The Men of the Eastlands were of the general kind known as Wild Men or Men of Darkness; the Dwarves belonged to clans distinct from the Longbeards of the Westlands, and the Elves of this region belonged to the Avari
Settlements
None are named, but clearly the many peoples who occupied these lands must have possessed settlements of some kind
Other names
The East; the name Rhûn (meaning 'East') might also reasonably be taken as synonymous with the Eastlands

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  • Updated 9 October 2021
  • This entry is complete

Eastlands of Middle-earth

The hostile and unknown East

Map of the Eastlands of Middle-earth
A part of the wide and little-known Eastlands of Middle-earth1
A part of the wide and little-known Eastlands of Middle-earth1

A term for the vast regions beyond the eastern edge of the maps in The Lord of the Rings, whose geography and history remain almost unknown. The nearer parts, at least, were given the name Rhûn, but this reveals little: it is merely an Elvish word for 'East'. We do know that there were war-like Men throughout the Eastlands, many of whom became servants of Melkor and later of Sauron. There also seem to have been colonies of Dwarves, and perhaps in places the Avari - the lost Dark Elves - wandered these mysterious eastern regions.


Notes

1

We have only minimal information about the geography of the Eastlands. This map shows those parts that approached the Westlands closely enough for their main features to be recorded, if only in rather limited detail.

See also...

Blue Wizards

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 9 October 2021
  • This entry is complete

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