Rivendell, or Imladris in Sindarin, was the name of an Elven settlement in Eastern Eriador and the valley containing it. Founded by Elrond Half-elven, it was first a stronghold and refuge in the Elves' first war with Sauron in the Second Age, but in the Third Age became a renowned, peaceful haven for wayward Elves, Rangers of the North, and other travelers. From that time, it was called by some the Last Homely House in the east of the civilized lands of Eriador, or the First Homely House west of the wild lands of Rhovanion over the Misty Mountains.
Location
A bridge to Rivendell, by Robert Zigo
The peaceful, sheltered valley of Rivendell was located at the edge of a narrow gorge of the river Bruinen, well hidden amongst the moorlands and foothills of the Misty Mountains. One of the main approaches to Rivendell passed through the nearby Ford of Bruinen.
History
Second Age
War of the Elves and Sauron
Rivendell was established amid the War of the Elves and Sauron by Elrond, son of Eärendil. In SA 1697, the realm of Eregion was laid waste by Sauron and Elrond was sent from Lindon with an Elven host to aid in the Elves of Eregion in resisting him. However, Elrond arrived too late and was forced, along with the refugees of Eregion, to retreat northward to Rivendell or Imladris, a valley in which they built a stronghold and refuge that assumed the same name. Sauron then found and besieged this valley, but withdrew upon the arrival of the Númenóreans.
Rivendell and its vicinity, by Ralph Damiani
Imladris, by Billy Mosig
The Last Alliance
After the forming of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the armies of Gil-galad and Elendil marched to Imladris and made camp in the valley to prepare for war, and then proceeded over the High Pass southeast to what would become Dagorlad.[1]
Third Age
Following the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, the last surviving son of Isildur, Valandil, was fostered in Elrond's home in Rivendell until he was ready to accede the throne eight years later.
When Angmar rose to power in the fourteenth century of the Third Age, Rivendell was again besieged, from TA 1356 to TA 1409. This siege was broken by reinforcements brought over the mountains from Lothlórien, and Angmar was repelled and subdued for a time.
However, in TA 1974, Arthedain fell to Angmar. Elrond then sent Glorfindel and a host of Elves to meet with the armies of Eärnil II and Círdan, defeating Angmar for good at the Battle of Fornost. After the fall of Angmar the heirs of Isildur were fostered in Rivendell.
A drawing of Rivendell by J.R.R. Tolkien
Frodo with Bilbo in Rivendell's "Hall of Fire", by Stephen Hickman
Quest for Erebor
During the Quest of Erebor, Bilbo Baggins and the Company of Thorin stopped at Rivendell.[2] The cryptic instructions written in moon-letters on Thrór's map, telling how to enter the Lonely Mountain after Smaug seized it, were interpreted for the group by Elrond. After the quest, Bilbo and Gandalf returned there.[3]
War of the Ring
Years later, Frodo Baggins and his Hobbit companions journeyed to Rivendell, where they met with Bilbo, who had retired there after his eleventy-first birthday. Several other Elves, Dwarves, and Men also arrived in the valley on separate errands. The Fellowship of the Ring was formed, at the close of the decisive Council of Elrond.[4]
Fourth Age
Elrond departed the valley of Rivendell in TA 3021, marking the end of the Third Age. Afterward, Rivendell was for a time the dwelling place of his sons Elladan and Elrohir and also of Celeborn. It is untold when the valley was finally abandoned.
Elves of Rivendell
Notable inhabitants
- Elrond, Lord of Rivendell
- Celebrían, Lady of Rivendell and Elrond's wife
- Elladan, a son of Elrond, who dwelt in Rivendell with Elrohir into the Fourth Age
- Elrohir, a son of Elrond, who stayed in Rivendell with Elladan
- Arwen, daughter of Elrond, who stayed there throughout the War of the Ring
- Glorfindel
- Erestor
- Gildor
- Lindir
- Celeborn, who resided there in the Fourth Age after leaving Lothlórien, before sailing West
Etymology
Gandalf with Frodo in Rivendell, after Gandalf's imprisonment in Orthanc - by Donato Giancola
Imladris is a Sindarin term which means "deep valley of the cleft": from imlad ("glen, deep valley") and rist ("cleft") or riss ("ravine").[5] An alternative (or complementary) etymology gives Rivendell as the Anglicised version of the Westron name Karningul (itself a translation of Imladris).[6]
Gardens in Rivendell, by Gabriel Midgley
Behind the scenes
The valley of Imladris (within which the Last Homely House was situated) was based upon the landscape of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. J.R.R. Tolkien was said to have journeyed to this region; his original painting of Rivendell is significantly similar to the Lauterbrunnen itself.
In adaptations
Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit
In The Hobbit animated film created by Rankin/Bass, Rivendell is depicted as a large valley with a triangular wooden house within it.
Rivendell as depicted in the 1980 film
Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King
In The Return of the King animated film created by Rankin/Bass, Rivendell appears again in the beginning and end of the film, depicted similarly to that in the previous film.
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, years later, Frodo Baggins and his companions journey to Rivendell, where they meet Bilbo. Several other Elves, Dwarves, and Men are summoned to Rivendell.
Following the destruction of the One Ring at the end of the Third Age, Elrond's ring loses its power, and Elrond, with many of his household, leaves Rivendell to sail for Valinor from the Grey Havens; this marks the start of the Fourth Age.
Rivendell in TA 2941
The Lord of the Rings Online
In The Lord of the Rings Online, Rivendell is an accessible location in the Trollshaws region. Its appearance somewhat resembles its depiction in Peter Jackson's films.
The Hobbit film trilogy
In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, on the Quest of Erebor, Gandalf intends to pass through Rivendell and ask Elrond for advice, particularly in deciphering Thrór's Map, and sends word to Elrond in advance. Thorin, having developed a hatred of all Elves following the Elven-king's betrayal, objects to this at least twice, but Gandalf uses the threat of a Warg attack to lead the company towards the Hidden Valley, where Elrond and a company of Riders intercept the Warg-riders.
Rivendell as depicted in The Lord of the Rings Online
With the Dwarves' suspicion and disrespect of the Elves, they nearly come to blows with Elrond's company, bathe naked in their sacred fountains, steal some of Elrond's silverware (which then falls into the hands of the Goblins in Goblin-town) and use his furniture as fuel for campfires. Elrond, for his part, is hospitable but suspicious of the Dwarves' endeavour, as is Saruman who convenes the White Council in Rivendell in response to the Dwarves' quest. Bilbo, unlike the Dwarves, finds Rivendell so enchanting that he almost abandons the quest to remain, and later returns on his way back from the Quest, and again when he leaves the Shire following his 111th birthday.
Unknown to Elrond at the time, Sauron has secretly returned and seeks to destroy Rivendell (as well as Lórien) by re-establishing Angmar. In order to do so, he forges an alliance with Smaug, who will hold the Iron Hills Dwarves and the Men and Elves of Rhovanion at bay to secure Angmar's flank. This is thwarted by the Quest of Erebor, in which Smaug is slain, the subsequent Battle of Five Armies, in which the Orc armies meant to remake Angmar are decimated; and the attack of the White Council, in which Sauron and his Nazgûl are banished into the east.
Translations
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Arabic | ريفينديل |
| Armenian | Ռիվենդել |
| Basque | Rivendel |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Рывендэл (Rivendell)
Імладрыс (Imladris) |
| Bengali | রিভেনডেল |
| Bosnian | Rivendel |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Ломидол (Rivendell)
Имладрис (Imladris) |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 瑞文戴爾 |
| Czech | Roklinka |
| Danish | Kløvedal |
| Dutch | Rivendel |
| Esperanto | Rivendelo |
| French | Fondcombe / Combe Fendue / Fendeval |
| Galician | Valfendido |
| Georgian | რივენდელი (Rivendell)
იმლადრისი (Imladris) |
| German | Bruchtal |
| Greek (Hellenic) | Σχιστό Λαγκάδι |
| Gujarati | રીવેન્ડેલ |
| Hebrew | ריוונדל (Rivendell)
ימלדריס (Imladris) |
| Hungarian | Völgyzugoly |
| Italian | Gran Burrone (in the first Italian translation of Lord of the Rings,the new Italian translation of the Hobbit ) / Forraspaccata (in the first Italian translation of the Hobbit) / Valforra (in the new Italian translation of Lord of the Rings) |
| Japanese | 裂け谷 (Saketani)
イムラドリス (Imladris) |
| Kannada | ರಿವೆಂಡೆಲ್ |
| Korean | 깊은골 (리븐델/리벤델) |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Намыспы |
| Latin | Karningul |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Ривендел |
| Malayalam | റിവെൻഡെൽ |
| Marathi | रिवेन्डेल |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Ривэндэлл |
| Norwegian | Elverhøy (Werenskiold tr.) Kløvendal (Bugge Høverstad tr.) |
| Romanian | Vâlceaua Despicată |
| Persian | ریوندل (Rivendell)
ایملادریس (Imladris) |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | Valfenda |
| Punjabi | ਰਿਵੈਂਡਲ |
| Russian | Ривенделл (Rivendell)
Имладрис (Imladris) |
| Sinhalese | රිවෙන්ඩෙල් |
| Slovak | Vododol |
| Spanish (Spain and Latin America) | Rivendel |
| Swedish (old)
Swedish (new) |
Vattnadal
Riftedal |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Ривенделл |
| Tamil | ரிவெண்டல்ல |
| Telugu | రివెండెల్ |
| Thai | ริเวนเดลล์ (Rivendell)
อิมลาดริส (Imladris) |
| Turkish | Ayrıkvadi |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Рівенделл (Rivendell)
Імладріс (Imladris) |
| Urdu | راوانڈیلل |
| Yiddish | ריווענדעלל |
|
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 | Khazad-dûm (Moria) | 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 |
| Elven Realms of Middle-earth throughout the Ages | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Age | Cuiviénen • Eldamar & Tol Eressëa • Eglador (Doriath) • Havens of the Falas • Greenwood the Great • Hithlum • Dorthonion • Nargothrond • Gondolin • Havens of Sirion • Himlad • Maglor's Gap • March of Maedhros • Nevrast • Ossiriand • Lothlórien • Belfalas • Pass of Aglond • Pass of Sirion • Thargelion • Greenwood the Great • Eriador | |
| Second Age | Eregion • Lothlórien • Woodland Realm • Lindon • Belfalas • Rivendell | |
| Third Age | Lindon • Lothlórien • Woodland Realm • Belfalas • Rivendell | |
| Fourth Age | East Lórien • Lindon • Lothlórien • Rivendell • Ithilien • Woodland Realm | |
References
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Second Age"
- ↑ The Hobbit, Chapter III: "A Short Rest"
- ↑ The Hobbit, Chapter XIX: "The Last Stage"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter I: "Many Meetings"
- ↑ Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F