The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
The Stone of Erech was placed here by Isildur in the late Second Age, probably in II 3320 or soon afterward
Location
Near the head of the Morthond Vale, a wide valley on the southern side of the White Mountains
Race
Culture
Within the land of the Gondorians, but frequented by shades from the Paths of the Dead
Source
Erech stood below the source of the river Morthond
Pronunciation
Erech is pronounced 'e'rech' ('ch' as in German 'Bach')
Meaning
Erech is a pre-Númenórean name of unknown meaning1
Other names
Also simply referred to as Erech

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About this entry:

  • Updated 4 October 2023
  • Updates planned: 1

Hill of Erech

The hill of the Black Stone

A hill lying on the southern fringes of the White Mountains, near the source of the River Morthond. When Isildur came to Middle-earth, he brought with him a great Black Stone, which he placed on the summit of the Hill of Erech (and which was afterwards known as the Stone of Erech).

It was on the hill that the King of the Mountains swore his aid to Isildur, but when his people failed to fulfil his promise, they were cursed to wander the mountains as the Dead. So the hill and the stone gained a sinister reputation among the people of the Blackroot Vale where it stood, as a place where the whispering Dead would meet. At the time of the War of the Ring, Aragorn led the King of the Dead and his people to the Hill one last time, and there they granted their aid to Isildur's Heir, agreeing to follow Aragorn and fulfil their ancient oath.


Notes

1

The name Erech predated the arrival of the Númenóreans in the lands that would become Gondor. It belongs to the language of the Men who had formerly occupied these lands, and its full meaning is not known. Tolkien speculates that it may have been influenced in part by the Elvish er- 'one, alone', as the hill rose separately from the main range of the White Mountains.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 4 October 2023
  • Updates planned: 1

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