An image of Cair Andros from The Battle for Middle-earth
Cair Andros, or the Isle of Cair Andros,[1] was an island on the river Anduin nearly forty miles north of Osgiliath. It was of paramount importance to Gondor in its long war with Mordor, usually preventing the enemy from crossing the river and entering Anórien.[2][3]
History[]
The name of this island was derived from the long shape of the isle, which was boat-like in nature, and the effects of the water breaking upon what was seen as the prow of the ship. The island was around ten miles in length, and narrowed toward its northern end, creating the prow.[4] Cair Andros was one of the main sites used to cross the river Anduin, along with Osgiliath to the south. As the northern parts of the river were nearly impassable marshland, and the south of the river near Lebennin became too wide to ford safely, these two locations were critical to both Gondor and Mordor during the war.[5]
The island was fortified by Túrin II following the loss of Ithilien in TA 2901, and was further strengthened during the rule of Ecthelion II.
Cair Andros had a steady garrison, well-maintained until the outbreak of the War of the Ring; military incursions were expected both here and at Osgiliath, but the southern crossing was considered by Denethor II to be of more importance, and therefore was more heavily guarded. Being a vital point in the defenses of Gondor, a crucial river junction, and due to the fact that it was less manned than was Osgiliath, shortly before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Sauron sent a force of Orcs and Easterlings from the Black Gate to lay siege to the fort, and the island was overrun. Around the time of the fall of Osgiliath, fugitives began arriving at Minas Tirith from Cair Andros.[6]
Aragorn, during his march toward the Black Gate, sent soldiers to reclaim the island for Gondor. These soldiers were young men of Rohan and Lossarnach too afraid to proceed further at first, but eventually successful. After the fall of Sauron and conclusion of the war, Cair Andros continued to serve as a vital place of crossing, and the Captains of the West set sail from it on their way down the Anduin to Osgiliath.[7]
Etymology[]
Cair Andros means "Ship of the Long-Foam," and is pronounced cyre an-dros.
In adaptations[]
Cair Andros in The Lord of the Rings Online
In The Lord of the Rings Online, the Lord of Cair Andros Gilgír and two of his sons were killed when the island was overrun, but his wife Dúneth and his youngest son Tolwin escaped to the west and survived. After the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, they join with the faint-hearted men led by Lord Duinhir and assist in the liberation of their home.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ካኢር ኣንድሮስ |
| Arabic | كير أندروس |
| Armenian | Քեյր Անդրոս |
| Assamese | কেয়াৰ এণ্ড্ৰছ |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Каір Андрос |
| Bengali | কেয়ার আন্দ্রোস |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Каир Андрос |
| Chinese | 凱爾安卓斯島 |
| Danish | Cair Andros (ø i Anduinfloden) |
| Georgian | კირ ანდროსი |
| Greek | Κάιρ Άνδρος |
| Gujarati | કેર એન્ડ્રોસ |
| Hindi | केयर एंड्रोस |
| Japanese | ケア・アンドロス |
| Kannada | ಕೈರ್ ಆಂಡ್ರೋಸ್ |
| Kazakh | Каир Андрос (Cyrillic) Kaïr Andros (Latin) |
| Konkani | कैर अँड्रोस |
| Korean | 카일 안드로스 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Каир Андрос |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Каир Андрос |
| Malayalam | കെയർ ആൻഡ്രോസ് |
| Marathi | कॅअर अॅन्ड्रोस |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Каир Андрос |
| Nepalese | केयर एन्ड्रोस |
| Punjabi | ਕੇਅਰ ਐਂਡਰੋਸ |
| Russian | Каир Андрос |
| Sanskrit | कैर् अण्ड्रोस् |
| Serbian | Каир Андрос (Cyrillic) Kair Andros (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | කෙයාර් ඇන්ඩ්රොස් |
| Tamil | கெய்ர் ஆண்ட்ரோஸ் |
| Telugu | కైర్ ఆండ్రోస్ |
| Thai | ไคร์อันดรอส |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Каір-Андрос |
| Urdu | کیئر اندراوس |
| Yiddish | קאַיר אַנדראָס |
|
Middle-earth Locations:
Provinces/Regions: Arnor | Dunland | Ettenmoors | Forochel | Forodwaith | Gondor | Harad | Ithilien | Khand | Lindon | Minhiriath | Mordor | Rhovanion | Rhûn | Rivendell | Rohan | The Shire Forests & Mountains: Amon Dîn | Amon Hen | Amon Lhaw | Caradhras | Emyn Muil | Erebor | Fangorn Forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Mirkwood | Mount Doom | Mount Gundabad | Old Forest | Orod-na-Thôn | Tower Hills | Weathertop Hill City/Fortifications: Angband | Barad-dûr | Bree | Caras Galadhon | Dol Guldur | Fornost Erain | Hornburg | Isengard | Minas Morgul | Minas Tirith | Last Homely House | Tower of Amon Sûl | Tower of Orthanc | Osgiliath | Umbar | Utumno Miscellaneous: Argonath | Astulat | Buckland | Cair Andros | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Enedwaith | Fords of Isen | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens The rest of Arda:
Aman | Burnt Land of the Sun | Dark Land | Empty Lands | Neldoreth | New lands | Númenor | Tol Eressëa |
References[]
- ↑ The Return of the King, "The Land of Shadow"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I: The Númenórean Kings, (iv): "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion": The Stewards, Footnote 1
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The Third Age, "The Brown Lands, the Wold, The Downs, and the Emyn Muil"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I: The Númenórean Kings, (iv): "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion": The Stewards, Footnote 1
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. IV: "The Siege of Gondor"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: "The Great Years"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V, Ch.X: "The Black Gate Opens"