The great caverns beneath Helm's Deep and the fortress called Hornburg where one of the crucial battles of the War of the Rings was fought. Here the Rohirrim horsemen had their strongest fortifications and under King Theoden they defeated the forces of Saruman. The caverns themselves were of ancient origin and believed to have been delved in the Second Age of the Sun by the Numeroreans. Aglarond is Elvish for 'Glittering Caves' and this vast glittering complex of caverns was one of the wonders of Middle-earth. After the War of the Ring, Gimli the Dwarf (one of the Fellowship of the Ring) returned to Aglarond with many of the Dwarves of Erebor. Gimli became Lord of the Glittering Caves and in the Fourth Age this became the most powerful Dwarf kingdom in Middle-earth. Under Gimli's leadership, the Dwarves of Aglarond became famous as the master smiths of Middle-earth.

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Spear of Gil-galad. Gil-galad wielded Aiglos in the War of the Last Alliance and the forces of Sauron greatly feared it. It is not known what became of Aiglos after Gil-galad fell in combat with Sauron.

There was also a shrub with white flowers in Beleriand called aeglos, translated as "snowthorn."

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In the very beginning there was Eru, the One, who dwelt in the Void, and whose name in Elvish was Iluvatar. As is told in the "Ainulindale". Thoughts came forth from Illuvatar to which He gave eternal life through the power of the Flame Imperishable. Illuvatar named these creations Ainur, the 'holy ones'. They were the first race and they inhabited the Timeless Halls that Illuvatar had fashioned for them. The Ainur were great spirits and each was given a mighty voice so that he could sing before Illuvatar for His pleasure. When He had heard each sing, Iluvatar called them to Him and proposed that they should sing in concert. This is what the tales call the Music of the Ainur, in which great themes were made as individual spirits sought supremacy or harmony according to their nature. Some proved greater than others; some were powerful in goodness, some in evil; yet in the end, though battle of sound was terrible, the Music was great and beautiful. From this harmony and strife Iluvatar created a Vision that was a globed light in the Void. With a word and the Flame Imperishable Iluvatar then made Ea, the 'World that Is'; Elves and Men later named it Arda, the Earth.

Some of the Ainur went down into this newly created World, where they were known as the Powers of Arda. They were thought of as gods to Men. Those who were good among them were guided by their knowledge of the Will of Iluvatar, while others strove to fulfil their own ends. Their powers were limited in Arda and would take on seperate shapes, each according to his nature and the elements they loved, and, though not bound by visible form, they most often wore these shapes as garments, and in later Ages they were known to Elves and Men in these forms.

In Arda the Elves divided this race into the Valar and the Maiar. Those of the Ainur counted among the Valar are:

Manwe, the Wind King; Varda, Queen of the Stars; Ulmo, Lord of the Waters; Nienna, the Weeper; Aule, the Smith; Yavanna, Giver of Fruits; Orome, Lord of the Forest; Vana, the Youthful; Mandos, Keeper of the Dead; Vaire, the Weaver; Lorien, Master of Dreams; Este, the Healer; Tulkas, the Wrestler; Nessa, the Dancer; and Melkor, later named Morgoth, the Dark Enemy.

Many of the Ainur were counted among the Maiar, but only a few are named in the histories that have come down to Men: Eonwe, Herald of Manwe; Ilmare, Maid of Varda; Osse, of the Waves; Uinen, of the Calm Seas, Melian, Queen of the Sindar; Arien, the Sun; Tilion, the Moon; Sauron, the Sorcerer; Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs; and Olorin (Gandalf), Aiwendil (Radagast), Curunir (Saruman), Alatar and Pallando - the Wizards.

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One of the many sad songs sung by the Grey-elves of Middle-earth tells of a plant called Alfirin. Its flowers were like golden bells and it grew on the green plain of Lebennin near the delta lands of the Anduin, the Great River.

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The Isle of Almaren, in the midst of a great lake in Middle-earth was the first dwelling place of the gods of Middle-earth, the Valar, during the Age of the Lamps. It was an idyllic island realm filled with godly dwellings and temples. However, it was destroyed when the rebel Vala, Melkor, made war on the others, destroyed the Two Lamps and cast Middle-earth down into darkness.

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City and port of the Teleri Elves in Eldamar, on the coast of the Undying Lands. A magnificent city of marble and pearl built beneath the stars on the shore of the Undying Lands in a great natural harbour which shelters their vast fleet of swan ships. It can only be entered through the arching sea-carved stone gate of the haven.

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The great western continent which is the Undying Lands of the immortal Valar and the Eldar. Aman is Quenya Elvish for 'blessed', and until the downfall of Numenor and the Change of the World, it lay far to the west of Middle-Earth over the Belegaer, the Great Sea. After that cataclysm, Aman was torn away from the sphere of the world, so that those who sailed from Middle-earth after the Second Age of the Sun could only reach the Undying Lands on the magical ships of the Sea Elves.

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In the time of the trees of the Valar, many of the Elven peoples made the Great Journey from Middle-earth to the continent of the Undying Lands, which is also known as Aman. Thereafter, in the Ages of the Stars and Sun, Elves also came to Aman and all those who reached the Undying Lands, soon or late, were named the Amanyar, 'those of Aman'.

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Also called Orodruin, Amon Amarth is an Elvish name meaning 'Mount Doom', a volcanic mountain on a barren plain in the evil land of Mordor. It was in the fires of the Cracks of Doom on Amon Amarth that Sauron first forged the One Ring.

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The 'hill of the eye', one of the three peaks at the end of the long lake called Nen Hithoel on the Anduin River. The other two were Amon Llaw, or the 'hill of the ear' on the eastern bank, and Tol Brandir, or Tindrock, an unclimable island pinnacle that stood in the centre of the lake. Amon Hen and Amon Llaw had on their summits two magical throwns built to watch the borderlands of Gondor. These stone thrones were called 'the seat of seeing' on Amon Hen and 'the seat of hearing' on Amon Llaw.

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The 'hill of the ear', one of the three peaks at the end of the long lake Nen Hithoel on the Anduin River. It was one of the two watchtowers of the marchlands of Gondor, the other being Amon Hen, 'the hill of eye'. On the summit of Amon Llaw was the 'Seat of Hearing', a throne comparable to the 'Seat of Seeing' on Amon Hen. It is presumed that upon this throne, one may hear all the enemies of Gondor conspiring against her.

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The 'bald hill' in West Beleriand, south of the Brethil Forest and between the Narog and Sirion Rivers. The caverns cut into Amon Rhud were the last home of the Noegyth Nibin, or Petty Dwarves, which the 'Silmarillion' tells, had so diminished in numbers by the 5th century of the First Age of the Sun, that there were only three surviving: an ancient dwarf named Mim and his two sons. It was also the hiding place of the hero Turin Turambar. Amon Rhud was called the Bald Hill because it was rocky and without any vegetation, except the red flowers of the hardy seregon or bloodstone plant.

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Literally means 'hill of ever snow white'. It is one of the many names for Taniquetil, the highest mountain in the Undying Lands. It is the Olympus of Arda where Ilmarin, the great halls of the gods Manwe and Varda are built.

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Elven King of Lothlorien. Amroth was the son of Amdir, and ruled from 3434 of the Second Age until 1981 of the Third Age. Amroth fell in love with the Elf maid Nimrodel, and was the star crossed lover who was the subject of many songs. He once lived on the hill of Cerin Amroth in Lothlorien but in the year 1981 he went to Dol Amroth and awaited his lover, so they might sail to the Undying Lands. However, Nimrodel lost her way and perished, and Amroth threw himself from his white ship into the sea.

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Dunedain king of Gondor. Anarion, with his father Elendil and brother Isildur, escaped the Downfall of Numenor, and founded the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor in 3320 of the Second Age. They were among the chief enemies of Sauron, the Ring Lord, in the Second Age. With the Elf King Gil-galad, they formed the army of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. The Alliance was successful in destroying Sauron's power, but Anarion was killed by a stone hurled down on him from the Dark Tower of Mordor.

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Dragon of Angband. Ancalagon was the first and greatest of the Winged Dragons. Called Ancalagon the Black, he was bred in the Pits of Angband by Morgoth the Dark Enemy in the First Age of the Sun.

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Andor means the 'land of the gift' and is one of the Elvish names for Numenor, the Atlantis of Arda. This is the great island kingdom that at the end of the Second Age of the sun was swallowed up into Belegaer, the Great Sea.

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A massive escarpment wall that ran from west to east across central Beleriand. Its name means 'long wall' and it served to divide north and south Beleriand.

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The earliest chief city of the great island kingdom of Numenor that during the Second Age of the Sun was found in the middle of Belegaer, the Great Sea, and between Middle-earth and the Undying Lands. Andunie was a haven on the westernmost part of Numenor, and its name means 'sunset'. Its people were the most faithful, to the old ways of the Numenoreans, and later founded the Dunedain kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor on Middle-earth.

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Utumno was the first chief underground kingdom of the satanic Valarian Melkor, but in the ages of darkness that followed the destructions of the Lamps of Valar, Melkor built a great armoury and underground fortress in the north of Beleriand called Angband, the 'iron prison'.

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The Witch-kingdom of Angmar in the northern part of the Misty Mountains arose in the year 1300 of the Third Age of the Sun. Its capital was Carn Dum, and it was populated by Orcs and the barbarian Hillmen of the Ettenmoors. Its ruler was called the Witch-king of Angmar, but in reality he was the Lord of the Nazgul and the chief servant of Sauron, the Dark Lord.

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When the Sun first rose on Arda and its light shone in the land of Hildorien in eastern Middle-earth, there arose a race of mortal beings. This was the race of Men, who were also named the Apanonar, which means 'afterborn', because they were not the first speaking people to come to Arda. Elves, Dwarves, Ents and the evil races of Orcs and Trolls had been in the World for many Ages before Men arrived.

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Dunedain chieftain of Arnor. After the North Kingdom of the Dunedain was destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar in 1974 of the Third Age, the heirs of this lost kingdom were thereafter known as the Chieftains of Dunedain, and of these there were sixteen. the fifth was Aragorn I. Little is recorded of those dark days, except that after ruling for eight years as Chieftain, in 2327 he was slain by wolves in Eriador.

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Dunedain chieftain of Arnor. At the time of the War of the Ring, Aragorn II was the sixteenth and last chieftain of the Dunedain. Born in 2391 of the Third Age, Aragorn was raised by Elrond the Half-Elven in Rivendell. When Aragorn was twenty he met Elrond's daughter, Arwen, and the couple fell in love. However, Elrond would not permit marriage until Aragorn became the rightful king of Arnor and Gondor.

He went by many names: Thengel, Ecthelion, Thorongil, Elfstone, Elessar and Strider.

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Among the Powers of Arda there are the Valar, eight of whom are named the Aratar, the 'exalted'. Their might far exceeds that of all other in the Undying Lands.

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The High Elven name for the whole world as it was conceived by Illuvatar and shaped by the Valar. It included both the mortal lands of Middle-Earth and the immortal realm of the Undying Lands.

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Literally the 'royal stones', but also called the Gates of the Kings or the Gates of Gondor, the Argonath was a pair of massive carvings cut into the high cliffs on either side of a gorge that fed into a lake above the great falls of Rauros on the Anduin River. The huge statues were of the Kings of Gondor, Isildur and Anarion and were carved into the living rock in the year 1340 of the Third Age to mark the northern limit of the kingdom of Gondor.

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Maia guardian of the Sun. The radiant Arien was a Maia maiden spirit of fire who once served Vana the Ever-young in the gardens of Valinor. After the destruction of the Trees of Light, Arien took the single surviving fruit of the Golden Tree and, in a vessel forged byAule the Smith, carried it through the heavens. As the guardian of the Sun, Arien is the best-loved of all the Maiar spirits by mortal Men.

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The capital city of Numenor, Armenelos, was built on the slopes of Meneltarma, the highest mountain of the island kingdom. Sometimes called Armenelos the Golden, it contained the court of the kings of Numenor, and many of its finest temples. It was here that Sauron was brought in chains and, by the power of cunning evil, overcame and corrupted the king, causing destruction in Numenor.

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Founded in the year 3320 of the Second Age of the Sun by Elendil the Numenorean, Arnor was the first kingdom of the Dunedain on Middle-earth. Elendil ruled in Arnor as High-king of the Dunedain, but sent his sons south to found Gondor, the realm of the Dunedain of the South.

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Elven princess of Rivendell. Arwen was the daughter of Elrond the Half-elven and Queen Celebrian. Born in the year 241 of the Third Age of the Sun, she was considered the greatest beauty of her time. She was known as Evenstar by Elves, and often called Undomiel, or 'evening maid' by Men.

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From the land of the Numenoreans, a herb of magical healing powers came to Middle-earth. In the High Elven tongue this herb was named Asea Aranion, the 'leaf of kings', because of the special powers that it possessed in the hands of the kings of Numenor. More commonly, Elven-lore used the Sindarin name, Athelas, in the common Westron tongue of Men it was Kingsfoil.

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The realm of Sauron, the Lord of the Rings, was called Mordor. It was a dark and evil land protected by a great horseshoe of mountains. the mountains that made up the northern border of Mordor were called the Ash Mountains, which in the Elvis is Ered Lithui. These mountains appear to have been totally impassable, except where they met the Shadowy Mountains - the Epthel Duiath - which formed the western and southern parts of Mordor's defences. The narrow gap where the two mountain chains met was Morannon, the Black Gate, the main point of entry to Sauron's Realm.

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Of the race of Men, there were those who, in the First Age of the Sun, came from the East to Middle-Earth, went West and North, and came to the realm of Beleriand where the Noldor and Sindar Elves lived. The Noldor named these Men the Atanatari, the 'fathers of Men'.

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Of all Men in the First Age of the Sun, the mightiest were the Atani of the Three Houses of Elf-friends, who lived in Beleriand.

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Among the many tales in the 'Red Book of Westmarch' is recorded a part of the Grey-elven rhyme concerning the healing herb Athelas. The meaning of the rhyme had in the passing of Ages been lost to the understanding of all but the wisest of Men, though by the time of the War of the Ring it remained folk cure for mild ailments of the body. It was named Kingsfoil the 'leaf of kings', by Men and its use by a true King of Numenore was a sign of the end that would soon come to that greatest evil of Mordor, east of Gondor, which threatened all who inhabited Middle-Earth.

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Vala called 'the Smith', but also called the Maker of Mountains, for Aule did more than any of the Valar in the Shaping of Arda. He made the Lamps of Valar, and forged the vessels that hold the Sun and the Moon. Aule is the master of all crafts, and the deviser of all metals and gemstones.The mansions of Aule are to be found in central Valinor. His spouse is Yavanna the Fruitful.

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The port and city of the Teleri Sea Elves on the Lonely Isle of Tol Eressea in the Bay of Eldamar. It was here during the Third Age of Stars that the Teleri first learned to build ships, and it was from thisport that they sailed at last to the shore of Eldamar in the Undying Lands.

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At the Time of the Awakening, all Elves lived in the East of Middle-Earth near Orocarni, the Mountains of the East, on the shore of Helcar, the Inland Sea. But in time the summons of the Valar came and all the Elves had to make a choice between starlight and the promise of a land of eternal light. Those who chose eternal light and set out on the Great Journey were named the Eldar, while those who remained were called the Avari, the 'unwilling'.

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That southern part of the continent of Aman in the Undying Lands that lay between the Pelori Mountains and the Sea. Avathar means 'shadows', for indeed it was a dark, cold desert region. In this shadowland, Ungoliant the Great Spider lived untils she was summoned by the evil Melkor and came forth and destroyed the Trees of the Valar.

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Dwarf king of Belegost. Through the Ages of Starlight and the First Age of the Sun, King Azaghal's realm in the Blue Mountains of Beleriand was famous for the forging of the finest steel blades and the best Dwarf-mail armour the world had ever seen. These arms were put to the test during the terrible Battle of Unnumbered Tears, when only Azaghal's Dwarves could withstand the blaze of Dragon fire.

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The once fair pass outside the gates of Khazad-dum was called Azanulbizar. Since the destruction of the Dwarf kingdom at the hands of the Balrog, the pass, along with the kingdom (later called Moria), suffered many evils. Once beautiful and sacred, it was the source of the Silverlode River and contained Mirrormere, the lake of vision and prophesy.

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Orc king of Moria. Azog ruled the hordes within the old Dwarf realm of Moria. He was a particularly large and obnoxious Orc, possibly one of the Urak-hai, a breed of Orkish soldiery. He was responsible for the murder and mutilation of the Dwarf King Thror in 2790 of the Third Age.

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