Edain

The Edain (pronounced 'eh-dine'; singular adan) also known as Atanatári, Fathers of Men, or the Three Houses of Men, were the group of mankind that came to Beleriand from the Far East in the First Age, and their offspring thence through history.
==History==
With the first rising of the Sun in the West, Men awoke in Hildórien. However, Morgoth acted in order to corrupt them while they were still in the east of Middle-earth. Some of them desired to go westward, seeking the rumored Great Sea and the Light found there.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XVII: "Of the Coming of Men into the West" In their wanderings westward, these Men made contact with the Dark Elves,The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XII: "Of Men" adopting "many words and devices" that would influence their language, and with the Dwarves, whenever they traveled near mountains.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, Part Two: The Later Quenta Silmarillion, chapter XIII: "Concerning the Dwarves"
During the migration, these Men separated in two hosts: one moved north and reached the Sea of Rhûn, while the other moved southwest.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, Part Two: Late Writings, chapter X: "Of Dwarves and Men" Then, the northern host split again in two: the Lesser Folk dwelt in the hills near the south-western shores of the Sea, while the Greater Folk dwelt in the woods near the north-eastern shores of the Sea. In these days the common tongue of the two Folks started to diverge, but they continued to remain in kinship.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, Part Two: Last Writings, chapter XII: "The Problem of Ros" The southern host, instead, spoke a completely different language and was joined by strange folk whom they called Drûg.Unfinished Tales, Part Four, Chapter I: "The Drúedain" Thus, the Edain became divided into three distinct peoples with their own language and appearance.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, Part Two: Late Writings, chapter X: "Of Dwarves and Men", "The Atani and their Languages"
After sometime, the Greater Folk and the Lesser Folks resumed their migration crossing Rhovanion, while the southern host reached the White Mountains. Some of the northern host, mostly of the Greater Folk, stayed behind in Rhovanion, while others of the southern host established themselves in Minhiriath and Eriador. Perhaps, this people were the ancestors of the so-called Middle Men.Unfinished Tales, Part Two: The Third Age, Chapter II: "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan" During the crossing of Eriador the Greater Folk was the vanguard, but eventually they were surpassed by the Lesser Folk, who were the first group of Men to cross the Blue Mountains and reach Beleriand under the guide of Balan. The next year also the southern tribe, commanded by Haldad, crossed the Blue Mountains, followed by the Greater Folk, that was guided by Marach. Initially, the three Houses of Men established themselves in Estolad, within the lands of Amrod and Amras.
When the Edain entered Beleriand, they were befriended by the Elves that lived there, entered their service, received land and title for that service, and fought valiantly in the War of the Great Jewels. Some, however, remained in Estolad, or fled south or east from the power of Dark Lord Morgoth. Despite their mighty heroes, the Edain were greatly reduced overtime by the hordes of Morgoth, but one of them, Eärendil of the House of Hador, sailed to Aman and obtained from the Valar the aid by which Morgoth was defeated in the Last Battle. The remnant of the Edain, now increased in body and mind by Eönwë, then sailed to Númenor after the breaking of Beleriand and became known as Númenóreans, and later the Dúnedain, who came to live in Middle-earth in the Realms in Exile after the Fall of Númenor.
==Three Houses of Men==
They were divided into three tribes, or "Houses":
* The House of Bëor: they were dark-haired and stoutly built, and most resembled the Ñoldor of all Elves. They were first discovered by Finrod Felagund, Lord of Nargothrond, and under his guidance later made their way to the lands of the Ñoldorin lord Amrod, in a place later known as Estolad, the Encampment. They remained loyal to the House of Finarfin, and later settled in the lands of Dorthonion.
* The Second House, later known as the Haladin or the House of Haleth: They were a reclusive folk, dark-haired but smaller in stature than the Bëorians. They usually kept separate from the other Men, and were later granted permission to settle in the Forest of Brethil, part of Doriath. They mostly kept out of the wars.
* The House of Marach, later best known as the House of Hador: They were originally led by Marach but later took the name of Hador in honor of him. Tall and golden-haired, they most resembled the Vanyar of the elves. They were a very numerous and war-like tribe, and the Green Elves of Ossiriand feared them. They first settled in Estolad, then in the southern parts of Ered Wethrin (Mountains of Shadow), and then later in Dor-lómin. They were loyal to Fingolfin.
== Characteristics ==
The Edain were tall, fair, and strong; their spirits were noble, they were fierce in war, and they shunned all dealings with evil. In Beleriand the Edain loved the Eldar, from whom they learned much wisdom, and they were further ennobled by the two marriages of Elda and Adan: Beren and Lúthien and Tuor and Idril. The lifespan of the Edain before they entered Beleriand was probably about 70 years; in Beleriand, it was lengthened to 90, but few of the Edain lived to old age in peace.
== Language ==
The Edain language (at least those of the First and Third Houses) was related to Adûnaic, and so the tongue of the Haladin was alien to them. However, in Beleriand most of the Edain spoke Sindarin.
== Fate of the Edain ==
The House of Bëor was nearly wiped out by Morgoth, and the remainder of its people merged with the Hadorians and became the Númenóreans. It would seem that the Haladin of Beleriand were completely wiped out, or at least disappeared as a separate people.
When they returned as Númenóreans to Middle-earth in the Second Age, they encountered many men who were obviously related to the Atani: they classified these men as Middle Men, and established friendly relations with them. Examples were the Rohirrim, the Men of Dale, and the Breelanders.
Other men, such as the Dunlendings, were not recognised as Middle Men because they were related to the Haladin rather than Bëorians or Marachians, and they were hostile to Númenor.
A fourth kind of men came with the Second House, and called themselves Drughu. This name was adopted in Sindarin as Drúedain: Drû+Edain. They were a strange people, living with the Haladin in the forest of Brethil, some even apparently made it to Númenor, but they died out or had left before the Akallabêth. In the Third Age, their far kin were known as the Woses of the Drúadan Forest. They had dwindled to a very small number and were secretive, but were renowned for the assistance they gave to the Rohirrim in the War of the Ring.
==Etymology==
The Sindarin word Edain, singular Adan (Quenya Atani, Atan), meant 'second people', and originally referred to all mankind - later it applied specifically to the Men of Beleriand and their descendants. However, the Quenya name Atani remained as a term for all mankind.
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Amharic 	ዐዳኢን
Arabic 	ىداين
Armenian 	Էդայն
Belarusian Cyrillic	Эдайн
Bengali 	এদিন
Bosnian 	Edaini
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	едаините
Chinese (Hong Kong)	伊甸人
Georgian 	ედაინ
Greek 	Εδαιν
Gujarati 	એડિન
Hebrew 	אדין
Hindi 	एदैन
Japanese 	エダイン
Kannada 	ಎಡೈನ್
Kazakh 	Едаін (Cyrillic) Edain (Latin)
Korean 	에다인
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Эдаин
Lao 	ເດໄນ
Macedonian Cyrillic	Едаин
Marathi 	एद्ऐन
Mongolian Cyrillic 	Едаин
Nepalese 	एद्ऐन
Pashto 	ېداین
Persian 	اداین
Polish 	Edainowie
Punjabi 	ਐਡਿਨ
Russian 	Эдайн
Sanskrit 	एद्ऐन्
Sinhalese 	ඒද්ඓන්
Serbian 	Едаини (Cyrillic) Edaini (Latin)
Tajik Cyrillic 	Едаин
Tamil 	ஏத்ஐந்
Telugu 	ఏదైనా
Thai 	เอไดน์
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	едайн
Urdu 	اداان
Uzbek 	Едаин (Cyrillic) Edain (Latin)
Yiddish 	עדאַין
== References ==
ca:Edain
de:Edain
es:Atani (Edain)
fr:Edain
it:Edain
pl:Edainowie
ru:Эдайн
sk:Atani
Category:Sindarin names & words
Category:Men
Category:Edain
Category:Elf friends