The Encyclopedia of Arda - Androth (original) (raw)

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random
Dates Occupied by Elves after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad of I 472; abandoned I 488; used by Tuor while a lone outlaw I 491 - I 495; destroyed at the end of the First Age Location Probably in the Mountains of Mithrim on the western borders of the land of Mithrim1 Race Primarily Elves, though Tuor, a Man, also dwelt in the caves of Androth for a time Division Sindar Culture Grey-elves of Mithrim Pronunciation a'ndroth Meaning Probably 'long caves'2 Indexes: Alphabetical: A Alphabetical: C Miscellaneous Places About this entry: Updated 22 February 2018 This entry is complete Refuge of the Grey-elves of Mithrim Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV Conjectural (see note 1) Conjectural (see note 1) After the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the northern land of Dor-lómin was overrun by Easterlings in the service of Morgoth. The Grey-elves who dwelt in Mithrim took shelter in the hills, and their leader Annael brought them to the caves of Androth, where they survived in secret for many years. With them was a young Tuor, whom Annael had fostered, and he grew to the age of sixteen hiding with the Elves among the caverns. At last, Annael determined to leave Androth, planning to lead his people into the south, to the Havens at the Mouths of Sirion. His plan was foiled when the Easterlings attacked and defeated the Elves, and took Tuor into servitude. After three years, he escaped, and fled back to his old home in the caves of Androth, which were now deserted and empty. He lived there alone as an outlaw for four more years, but at last he left the caves of Androth behind him, and set out westwards across Dor-lómin to meet his destiny. Notes 1 The exact location of the caves of Androth is not established, but we have sufficient hints to show that they must have been somewhere close to the point marked on the map. We know for sure that they were associated with the land of Mithrim, and specifically with that land's surrounding hills. At the very least, then, they must have lain among the foothills of the Mountains of Shadow, or the long spur known as the Mountains of Mithrim that separated Mithrim from Dor-lómin to the west. We have a stronger clue in the description of Tuor's final departure from the caves: '...he went westwards across Dor-lómin, and found Annon-in-Gelydh...' (Quenta Silmarillion 23, Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin). This requires that the caves be in the Mountains of Mithrim, because any other location would have involved Tuor crossing Mithrim itself before he could enter Dor-lómin. It's also clear from this description that they must have been approximately eastward of Annon-in-Gelydh, the Gate of the Noldor that led into the hidden cleft of Cirith Ninniach. Taken together, these facts indicate a point in the Mountains of Mithrim generally eastward of Annon-in-Gelydh. The fact that an (unnamed) river rose at almost exactly this point is perhaps a further hint, since springs are often associated with caves (and in this case would also provide a useful source of fresh water for refugees hiding there) though this connection is necessarily more speculative. 2 The name Androth is never formally explained, but we can surely presume that the -roth ending has its usual Sindarin meaning of 'caves'. The And- element of the name usually means 'long', but in the context of a cave system its meaning is not completely clear. Perhaps the most natural inference would be that the caves ran a long way into the hills (and indeed if they were occupied by an entire group of Elves, this seems especially likely) though other interpretations are possible. See also... Grey-elves of Mithrim, Lake Mithrim Indexes: Alphabetical: A Alphabetical: C Miscellaneous Places About this entry: Updated 22 February 2018 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2004, 2017-2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.DISC The Complete Introduction takes you from core ideas to advanced DISC interpretation.

The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE

SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random

Dates Occupied by Elves after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad of I 472; abandoned I 488; used by Tuor while a lone outlaw I 491 - I 495; destroyed at the end of the First Age Location Probably in the Mountains of Mithrim on the western borders of the land of Mithrim1 Race Primarily Elves, though Tuor, a Man, also dwelt in the caves of Androth for a time Division Sindar Culture Grey-elves of Mithrim Pronunciation a'ndroth Meaning Probably 'long caves'2 Indexes: Alphabetical: A Alphabetical: C Miscellaneous Places About this entry: Updated 22 February 2018 This entry is complete Refuge of the Grey-elves of Mithrim

Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV Map of the caves of Androth

Conjectural (see note 1) Conjectural (see note 1) After the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the northern land of Dor-lómin was overrun by Easterlings in the service of Morgoth. The Grey-elves who dwelt in Mithrim took shelter in the hills, and their leader Annael brought them to the caves of Androth, where they survived in secret for many years. With them was a young Tuor, whom Annael had fostered, and he grew to the age of sixteen hiding with the Elves among the caverns. At last, Annael determined to leave Androth, planning to lead his people into the south, to the Havens at the Mouths of Sirion. His plan was foiled when the Easterlings attacked and defeated the Elves, and took Tuor into servitude. After three years, he escaped, and fled back to his old home in the caves of Androth, which were now deserted and empty. He lived there alone as an outlaw for four more years, but at last he left the caves of Androth behind him, and set out westwards across Dor-lómin to meet his destiny. Notes 1 The exact location of the caves of Androth is not established, but we have sufficient hints to show that they must have been somewhere close to the point marked on the map. We know for sure that they were associated with the land of Mithrim, and specifically with that land's surrounding hills. At the very least, then, they must have lain among the foothills of the Mountains of Shadow, or the long spur known as the Mountains of Mithrim that separated Mithrim from Dor-lómin to the west. We have a stronger clue in the description of Tuor's final departure from the caves: '...he went westwards across Dor-lómin, and found Annon-in-Gelydh...' (Quenta Silmarillion 23, Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin). This requires that the caves be in the Mountains of Mithrim, because any other location would have involved Tuor crossing Mithrim itself before he could enter Dor-lómin. It's also clear from this description that they must have been approximately eastward of Annon-in-Gelydh, the Gate of the Noldor that led into the hidden cleft of Cirith Ninniach. Taken together, these facts indicate a point in the Mountains of Mithrim generally eastward of Annon-in-Gelydh. The fact that an (unnamed) river rose at almost exactly this point is perhaps a further hint, since springs are often associated with caves (and in this case would also provide a useful source of fresh water for refugees hiding there) though this connection is necessarily more speculative. 2 The name Androth is never formally explained, but we can surely presume that the -roth ending has its usual Sindarin meaning of 'caves'. The And- element of the name usually means 'long', but in the context of a cave system its meaning is not completely clear. Perhaps the most natural inference would be that the caves ran a long way into the hills (and indeed if they were occupied by an entire group of Elves, this seems especially likely) though other interpretations are possible. See also... Grey-elves of Mithrim, Lake Mithrim Indexes: Alphabetical: A Alphabetical: C Miscellaneous Places About this entry: Updated 22 February 2018 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2004, 2017-2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.DISC The Complete Introduction takes you from core ideas to advanced DISC interpretation.