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Anórien

In Progress

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Canon

Original locations created by the ArdaCraft team to fill in gaps left by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is carefully designed to remain completely faithful to the established Middle-earth canon.

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A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark barriers.
Pippin cowered back, afraid for a moment, wondering into what dreadful
country Gandalf was bearing him. […]
‘Where are we, Gandalf?’ he asked.
‘In the realm of Gondor,’ the wizard answered. ‘The land of Anòrien
is still passing by.’
– The Return of the King (Book 5), Chapter 1

Men first settled in what is now known as Anórien during the First Age, when the Drúedain (or Púkel-men) fled into the region’s forests after being hunted by men from the East. While they still linger in these forests today, the region is now occupied by the kingdom of Gondor. In the late Second Age, after the fall of Númenór, the region was given to Anárion as part of the Realms in Exile and was named ‘Anórien’ after him. Here, Anárion built Minas Anor, the future Minas Tirith.

By T.A. 3006, Anórien was the northernmost fiefdom of Gondor. It has become increasingly deserted due to plagues and the threat from Mordor. Nowadays, Anórien is one of the few fiefs which is still dominated by the Dúnedain of Gondor; specifically, in Minas Tirith and the adjacent townlands where Sindarin is still known and used as a daily language.

A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark barriers.
Pippin cowered back, afraid for a moment, wondering into what dreadful
country Gandalf was bearing him. […]
‘Where are we, Gandalf?’ he asked.
‘In the realm of Gondor,’ the wizard answered. ‘The land of Anòrien
is still passing by.’
– The Return of the King (Book 5), Chapter 1

Men first settled in what is now known as Anórien during the First Age, when the Drúedain (or Púkel-men) fled into the region’s forests after being hunted by men from the East. While they still linger in these forests today, the region is now occupied by the kingdom of Gondor. In the late Second Age, after the fall of Númenór, the region was given to Anárion as part of the Realms in Exile and was named ‘Anórien’ after him. Here, Anárion built Minas Anor, the future Minas Tirith.

By T.A. 3006, Anórien was the northernmost fiefdom of Gondor. It has become increasingly deserted due to plagues and the threat from Mordor. Nowadays, Anórien is one of the few fiefs which is still dominated by the Dúnedain of Gondor; specifically, in Minas Tirith and the adjacent townlands where Sindarin is still known and used as a daily language.