Rhovanion

Rhovanion as shown in the Hobbit trilogy

**Rhovanion** (**The Wilderland**) was a land in the North-East of Middle Earth, between Eriador to the west and Rhun to the East. It was home to Dwarves, Men, Sindar and Silvan Elves, River-Folk Hobbits and Orcs.

## Geography

Originally, the term referred to the country between the Misty Mountains and Greenwood, which was home to Woodsmen and Shape-shifters, but by the late Third Age, it was used to describe the country through and across Greenwood, as far as the River Running. The name (translated to Elvish as Rhovanion) refers to the wild, outlandish nature of the country (as opposed to Eriador) but also to the bewildering quality of some of its regions, namely the forest of Mirkwood.

Districts of Rhovanion include:

* **Upper Anduin Grasslands**: This land came to host the Skinchangers once the Orcs drove them out of the Misty Mountains, and was subsequentely the location of Beorn's House. The Eotheod also settled this country before migrating to Calenardon and becoming the Rohirrim. The Gladden Fields lay in the southern reaches of this land.
* **Greenwood the Great:** This large woodland is a major feature of Rhovanion, and houses both the Silvan Elves (under the rule of the Sindarin princes Oropher and Thranduil) and the Woodsmen. Once The Necromancer settled there, his influence turned the wood dark and sickened, earning the new name Mirkwood. The forest's bewildering quality gave a new meaning to the name Wilderland.
* **Lands of the Kingdom of Rhovanion**: East of Greenwood are the lands of the historic Kingdom of Rhovanion. After its defeat by the Easterlings, it was reduced to the populace of Esgaroth, a town on the Long Lake, and later Dale.
* **Dale**: To the North-East were the Lonely Mountain the Dale residing amidst its spurs. Once settled in earnst by Dwarves of Durin's Folk, refugees of Moria, men from the Kingdom of Rhovanion built a town there. During the late Third Age it was temporarily laid waste by the Dragon Smaug and became known as the Desolation of Smaug.

## History

The realms of the Wilderland were subjected to several attacks from Easterlings, as well as the threat of Angmar in the early Third Age. Orcs came down from the North and drove the Skin-Changers away from the Misty Mountains, raided the Woodland Realm (costing the lives of Tauriel's parents, as well as the Elvenqueen). Angmar's defeat and the instigation of the Watchful Peace stopped these raids. However, when the Necromancer settled in the ruins of Dol Guldur, Orcs (which have been replenishing their numbers in Gundabad and Moria) came down into the Wilderland again.

The Wilderland was traversed by Dwarves as they fled Moria (for fear of Durin's Bane) for Erebor, the Iron Hills and the Grey Mountains. They later passed through it again when Smaug took Erebor.

During the Quest of Erebor, Thorin and Company passed through the Wilderland during the Quest of Erebor as they were pursued by Azog under orders from The Necromancer. Gandalf left the company at Mirkwood to discover the identity of this sorcerer, a feat finally acheived during the Battle of Dol Guldur when Galadriel banished Sauron to Mordor.

After the battle of Dol Guldur, it led to the outbreak of the Battle of the Five Armies and War of the Ring, in which the Orc population in the Wilderland was decimated. Nevertheless, a force of Orcs and Easterlings marched on Wilderland again, attacking the Woodland Realm and Erebor during the Battle of Dale, but was defeated shortly before the War of the Ring ended.

By the Fourth Age, much of the Wilderland became a tributary of Gondor.

## Population

The lands of Rhovanion were principally populated by the Northmen. These, related to the ancient house of Hador, were the progenators of the Woodsmen, the Eotheod, the Skinchangers and the Halflings. The woodsmen of Greenwood formed the bulk of the Northmen population of Rhovanion, settling mostly in the south-western corner of the Forest. Their vigorous woodwork resulted in a great bight being carved along the eastern corner of the forest.

The forest itself was the dwelling place of Silvan Elves. Coming under the rule of Sindarin princes like Oropher and Thranduil, they slowly migrated from the southern borders of the forest (and their ancient capital on Amon Lanc) to the Mountains of Greenwood in the midst of the forest and ultimately to the hills on its north-eastern side.

Dwarves were perhaps the first to settle the land in earnst, establishing their ancient realm of Khazad Dum to the southwest and traversing much of Wilderland to mine in the Iron-hills to the northeast, and the Lonely Mountain and Grey Mountains. They were the first to contact Men upon their arrival to Wilderland.

Orcs came down into these lands from the North during the time of Angmar, and slowly but surely infested the Grey Mountains (also menaced by dragons originating from the Withered Heath), the Misty Mountains (with the intention of cutting Rhovanion off from Eriador), and - by the late Third Age - much of the Anduin Grasslands. Under the direction of Sauron, Orcs also secretly assembled in Dol Guldur and traversed Mirkwood, attacked Esgaroth and intended to conquer Erebor. Their failure decimated their numbers, granting peace to the people of Rhovanion for many years.