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Places in Middle-earth

Great Hall of Thráin, The

Type: Buildings, Halls, Houses

Region: Rhovanion/Misty Mtns

Other Names
the bottommost cellar of Erebor
the dungeon-hall

Location: The bottommost cellar of the Lonely Mountain; used by Smaug as his lair; connects to the secret entrance via a long tunnel.

Description: Thrór ... returned to Erebor. To the Great Hall of Thráin, Thrór brought back the Arkenstone, and he and his folk prospered and became rich....

The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Durin's Folk

Smaug the Golden, greatest of the dragons of his day, arose and without warning came against King Thrór and descended on the Mountain in flames. It was not long before all that realm was destroyed...; but Smaug entered into the Great Hall and lay there upon a bed of gold.

The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Durin's Folk

... in [the dwarves'] songs they spoke ever of the Lonely Mountain far away, and the treasure and the bliss of the Great Hall in the light of the Arkenstone.

Unfinished Tales, Part 3, Ch 3, The Quest of Erebor: Appendix

From that the talk [of Thorin's company] turned to the great hoard itself and to the things that Thorin and Balin remembered. They wondered if they were still lying there unharmed in the hall below ... But fairest of all was the great white gem, which the dwarves had found beneath the roots of the Mountain, the Heart of the Mountain, the Arkenstone of Thrain.

The Hobbit, Ch 12, Inside Information

... you can picture [Bilbo] coming to the end of the tunnel ... Before him lies the great bottommost cellar or dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves right at the Mountain's root. It is almost dark so that its vastness can only be dimly guessed, but rising from the near side of the rocky floor there is a great glow. The glow of Smaug!

The Hobbit, Ch 12, Inside Information

... [Smaug] sped from his deep lair through its great door, out into the huge passages of the mountain-palace and up towards the Front Gate.

The Hobbit, Ch 12, Inside Information

... so black was it that the hobbit came to the opening unexpectedly ... stumbled forward, and rolled headlong into the hall! ...

They saw the little dark shape of the hobbit start across the floor holding his tiny light aloft. Every now and again ... they caught a glint and a tinkle as he stumbled on some golden thing. The light grew smaller as he wandered away into the vast hall; then it began to rise dancing into the air. Bilbo was climbing the great mound of treasure. Soon he stood upon the top, and still went on. Then they saw him halt and stoop for a moment; but they did not know the reason.

It was the Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain. ...

Now he went on again. Down the other side of the great mound he climbed, and the spark of his torch vanished from the sight of the watching dwarves. But soon they saw it far away in the distance again. Bilbo was crossing the floor of the hall.

He went on, until he came to the great doors at the further side, and there a draught of air refreshed him.... He peeped timidly through and caught a glimpse of great passages and of the dim beginnings of wide stairs going up into the gloom.

The Hobbit, Ch 13, Not At Home

Contributors: Still Anonymous, 03/03/04
added quotes: Elena Tiriel 27Sep05, 6Oct05

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