| This article is about the valley and the kingdom. For the people, see Dale-men. Additionally for the unrelated poem, see The Dale-lands. |
Dale was a valley between two arms of Erebor,[4][5][6], the town of the Dale-men in that valley,[7][8] and the realm of the Bardings[9].[1]
Description[]
The valley of Dale lay between the south-western and south-eastern arms of Erebor. The River Running sprang from beneath the mountain and issued from the Front Gate of the Dwarven Kingdom under the Mountain in the mountain wall, forming a waterfall that fell into the valley below. Dale Town[2] was located near the southern end of the valley nestled in an acute bend within the eastward loop of the river on its western side.[10]
An old road ran from the Front Gate of Erebor along the eastern bank of the River Running down into the valley and then led to the east towards the Iron Hills. A road branched off to the west to a bridge at the beginning of the eastward bend of the river where it crossed over the River Running. From the western end of the bridge, one road ran east to Dale Town[2] and another road ran in the direction of Ravenhill.[11]
The valley held a merry town that traded, mainly in food-supplies, for the skills and craft-pieces of the Dwarves of Erebor. Fathers from Dale also paid handsomely to send their sons as apprentices for the Dwarves, and Dale Town's[2] market became famous for wonderful and magical toys. Dale Town[2] sent or received trade along the River Running to and from their kin in Esgaroth and beyond.[7] The town was also renowned for its bells.[8][4]
History[]
Foundation[]
There is no record of when Men first settled in the valley of Dale. It is implied that Men were already living in or near Dale and were joined by refugees of the Northmen after the latter were defeated by the Wainriders in the Battle of the Plains in the year 1856 of the Third Age.[12]
In the year 2590,[13] King Thrór re-established the Kingdom under the Mountain in Erebor.[14] The realm prospered, and, around the same time, Men living to the south gradually spread up the River Running as far as the valley and built Dale Town[2].[7] The town shared in the prosperity of the Dwarves[7] and was governed by the Lord of Dale, of whom the last was named Girion.[15]
Destruction[]
In the year 2770,[13] the Dragon Smaug descended upon Dale Town[2] and the Kingdom under the Mountain.[14] Although the Dale-men fielded warriors against the monster, they could not prevent him from killing or scattering the Dwarves and then occupying Erebor. After the attack, the dragon would crawl out of the Front Gate of the Mountain by night and carry away people (especially maidens) from Dale Town[2] to eat. The remaining population, which included Girion's wife and child,[15] soon fled and the deserted town fell into ruins.[7]
Re-establishment[]
In the year 2941,[13] Bilbo Baggins, a member of Thorin and Company snuck into Erebor causing the angered dragon to attack[16] and destroy Esgaroth on the Long Lake.[15] During the defense of Esgaroth Bard, a descendant of Girion, managed to kill Smaug with the black arrow from his yew bow.[15]
Three years after the death of Smaug, Bard rebuilt Dale Town[2] in the valley and became the King of Dale.[13] Dale soon again enjoyed prosperity. Men from the Long Lake, the South, and the West came to Dale and the whole valley was tilled again. Esgaroth was rebuilt and grew wealthy from trade up and down the River Running.[5] The people of the realm of Dale became known as the Bardings,[9] after their new ruler.[1]
Bard was succeeded by his son, Bain in the year 2977.[13]
Jan Pospisil - The Battle of Dale
Later history[]
Near the end of the year 3000, Bilbo Baggins began ordering special gifts from Dale and Erebor for his Farewell Birthday Party. In the year 3001, Dwarves of Erebor had started arriving with wagons full of packages, with some bearing the labels "Made in Dale" or just "Dale",[17] and others bearing no label.[18]
In the year 3007, Brand, the son of Bain, became the King of Dale.[13] During his reign his realm extended "far south and east of" the Long Lake.[1] The eastern border of his realm is untold, but it may have been as far east as the river Carnen.[19][20]
Around the 3017, a messenger from Mordor came to King Dáin II at the gate to Erebor for news of Hobbits and of the One Ring. The Dwarves found out that messengers from Mordor had also come to King Brand in Dale. Despite words offering Sauron's friendship, the Dark Lord's forces began gathering on the realm of Dale's eastern borders.[19] Around March 15 in the year 3019, during the War of the Ring, a host of Sauron's allies, including Easterlings, which had been a threat to the borders of Dale for a long time, crossed the river Carnen and drove Brand back to Dale Town[2]. On March 17, the Battle of Dale began. Not able to hold back the Easterlings, the Bardings and the Dwarves retreated into Erebor, though King Brand and King Dáin II were both killed at the Front Gate. The enemy could not take the gates and a siege began.[20] Seven days later, however, news of the fall of Sauron came, demoralizing the enemy forces,[20] and on March 27[21] the besieged Men and Dwarves, led by the new King of Dale, Bard II, and the new King under the Mountain, Thorin III, broke the siege and drove the enemy away out of Dale.[20]
After the Battle of Dale, the Easterlings did not trouble Dale again in the future.[20] King Bard II also sent an ambassador to the Crowning of King Elessar[21].[20] Dale remained independent but in friendship with Gondor and under the protection and crown of the King of the West.[20]
Etymology[]
It is possible that Dale received its name, because of its location in a valley.[22] The word dale from Old English dael means "valley",[23] often in otherwise hilly areas.[24]
In other versions[]
On the first version of Thrór's Map, called "Fimbulfambi’s Map", and the first manuscript of The Hobbit, Dale is labeled Ruins of Dale Town and referred to by Gandalf (Thorin II) as such.[25] The Dwarves and Bilbo "look on the Ruins of Dale in a group of plot notes associated with a later draft.[26]
In two plot notes for The Hobbit, Bard I was not the first King of Dale, as the Lords of Dale were originally also Kings of Dale.[27][28] In earlier versions of what would later become the chapters "Inside Information" and "Fire and Water", Girion is already referred to as Lord of Dale.[29][30]
In adaptations[]
In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II[]
The City of Dale appears on the Erebor map of EA's 2006 video game, The Battle for Middle-earth II, just south-east of the mountain itself. It appears to contain several houses, taverns and bridges, as well as a statue of a man. The city is built around the mountain's river.
In The Hobbit film trilogy[]
In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey[]
In the year 2770 in the continuity of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit films, the city of Dale appears briefly in the prologue of the 2012 film, An Unexpected Journey, when the dragon Smaug attacks Erebor. Although the Dale-men fielded warriors against the monster, the speed and power of the dragon's assault was overwhelming, whilst Girion, Lord of the city, fired several Black Arrows at Smaug, these were ineffective, save for one that removed a scale of the dragon's armour, creating a weakness.
In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug[]
The ruined city of Dale appears briefly in the 2013 film, The Desolation of Smaug, when Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves are heading for Erebor.
In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies[]
In the 2014 film, The Battle of the Five Armies, Smaug is killed by Bard the Bowman, after destroying Lake-town. The surviving villagers of the town seek refuge in the ruined city of Dale, and are bolstered by the arrival of Thranduil, who brings provisions alongside his army. They proceed to Erebor to bargain with Thorin; Bard wants to resolve the conflict without going to war, however, Thorin refuses to negotiate due to being consumed by the gold sickness that once plagued his grandfather. Returning to the city, Bard tells Thranduil what has happened and that going to war is the only option, so the Men scoured the ruins for arms and armor and readied themselves for battle alongside the Elves. During the night, Bilbo Baggins gives them the Arkenstone to ransom to Thorin in exchange for their promised treasure. During the Battle of the Five Armies, the Siege of Dale takes place, where both Elves and Men fight Azog's army.
The fighting spills into the streets of Dale, forcing Bard to retreat to defend the women and the children who remain among its ruins. The great hall on top of the hill serves as a refugee for most of the elderly, the women and the children during the fighting, although many of them choose to stand and fight. With Thorin leading a charge that pushes the Orcs back in the Long Valley, the defenders are able to get the upper hand before Thorin went to Ravenhill to confront Azog. A second army by Bolg arrives, but is thwarted by Beorn. Despite Dol Guldur's greater strength, the army is defeated. Those who survive the battle gather and honor those who have fallen.
In The Lord of the Rings Online[]
Dale in The Lord of the Rings Online
In The Lord of the Rings Online, Dale was originally introduced as a standalone instance taking place during the Battle of Dale. Several years later, a proper explorable version of the town and the surrounding lands were added as part of the "Strongholds of the North" update. Still rebuilding after the recent battle, Dale is now ruled by King Bard II and his mother, Queen Regent Erna. A large statue of Bard the Bowman stands at the northern entrance of the city.
External links[]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Arabic | واد |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | даліна |
| Bengali | উপত্যকা |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Дейл |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 河谷鎮 |
| Czech | Dol |
| Dutch | Dal |
| Finnish | Laakso |
| Italian | Valle/Conca |
| French | Dale |
| Georgian | დეილი |
| German | Thal |
| Greek | Κοιλάδα |
| Gujarati | ખીણ |
| Hebrew | דייל |
| Hungarian | Suhatag |
| Japanese | 谷間の国 |
| Kazakh Cyrillic | Дэйл |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Дејл |
| Marathi | डेल |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Дэйл |
| Norwegian | Dal |
| Persian | دیل |
| Polish | Dal |
| Portuguese | Vale (Portugal) Valle (Brazil) |
| Russian | Дейл |
| Spanish (Spain and Latin America) | Valle |
| Thai | เดล |
| Realms of Men of Middle-earth throughout the Ages | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Age | Amon Ereb • Forest of Brethil • Dor-lómin • Eriador • Estolad • Ladros | |
| Second Age | Arnor • Dunland • Gondor • Haradwaith • Númenor• Rhovanion • Rhûn • Umbar | |
| Third Age | Arnor (later split into Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur) • Dale • Dunland • Lake-town (later part of the kingdom of Dale) • Gondor • Haradwaith • Khand • Rhovanion • Rohan • Rhûn • Umbar • Vales of Anduin | |
| Fourth Age | Dale • Haradwaith • Núrn • Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor • Rhovanion • Rohan • Rhûn • Khand • Eriador • Vales of Anduin | |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Lord of the Rings, vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. I: "Many Meetings"
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, The First Phase, I(a): "The Pryftan Fragment", iii: "The Geography of the Tale & The First Map", pgs. 10, 18-9
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, vol. VI: The Return of the Shadow, The First Phase, XII: "At Rivendell", pg. 213
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Hobbit, "On the Doorstep"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Hobbit, "The Last Stage"
- ↑ The Hobbit, "Not at Home"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Hobbit, "A Short Rest"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Lord of the Rings, vol. II: The Two Towers, Book III, ch. II: "The Riders of Rohan", pg. 33
- ↑ The Hobbit, "Thrór's Map"
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, Addendum: "The Seventh Phase", ii: "Notes on a Parley"
- ↑ Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, Part Three: The Third Age, II: "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", (i) "The Northmen and the Wainriders"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 The Hobbit, "Fire and Water"
- ↑ The Hobbit, "Inside Information"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, vol. VI: The Return of the Shadow, The First Phase, I: "A Long-Expected Party"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, ch. I: "A Long-Expected Party"
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Lord of the Rings, vol. I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, ch. II: "The Council of Elrond"
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, The Second Phase, "While the Dragon's Away...", text note 24
- ↑
Dale (landform) at Wikipedia
- ↑ dale
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, The First Phase, I(a): "The Pryftan Fragment", pg. 10
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, "The Second Phase", "Plot Notes B", [page] 2
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, The Second Phase, "Plot Notes B", [page] 4
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, "The Second Phase", "Plot Notes C", [page] 3
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, The Second Phase, "Conversations with Smaug"
- ↑ The History of The Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, The Second Phase, XIII (later XIV): "The Death of Smaug", i: Bard the Dragon-Slayer