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Places in Middle-earth

Celduin

Type: Rivers & Lakes

Region: Rhovanion/Misty Mtns

Other Names Running River

Location: The Running River, which flowed from inside the Lonely Mountain (Erebor) to the Sea of Rhûn.

Description: The sun had set when turning with another sweep towards the East the forest-river rushed into the Long Lake. ... It ... was so long that its northerly end, which pointed towards the Mountain, could not be seen at all. Only from the map did Bilbo know that away up there ... the Running River came down into the lake from Dale and with the Forest River filled with deep waters what must once have been a great deep rocky valley. At the southern end the doubled waters poured out again over high waterfalls and ran away hurriedly to unknown lands.

The Hobbit, Ch 10, A Warm Welcome

From their town [Laketown] the Lonely Mountain was mostly screened by the low hills at the far end of the lake, through a gap in which the Running River came down from the North.

The Hobbit, Ch 14, Fire and Water

'We might go ... up along the River Running,' went on Thorin ... 'and so to the ruins of Dale -- the old town in the valley there, under the shadow of the Mountain. But we none of us liked the idea of the Front Gate. The river runs right out of it through the great cliff at the South of the Mountain, and out of it comes the dragon too -- far too often, unless he has changed.'

The Hobbit, Ch 1, An Unexpected Party

Thorin sent out a scouting expedition to spy out the land ... They marched under the grey and silent cliffs to the feet of Ravenhill. There the river, after winding a wide loop over the valley of Dale, turned from the Mountain on its road to the Lake, flowing swift and noisily. Its bank was bare and rocky, tall and steep above the stream; and gazing out from it over the narrow water, foaming and splashing among many boulders, they could see in the wide valley shadowed by the Mountain's arms the grey ruins of ancient houses, towers, and walls. ...

They did not dare to follow the river much further towards the Gate; but they went on beyond the end of the southern spur, until lying hidden behind a rock they could look out and see the dark cavernous opening in a great cliff-wall between the arms of the Mountain. Out of it the waters of the Running River sprang; and out of it too there came a steam and a dark smoke. ... The only sound was the sound of the stony water, and every now and again the harsh croak of a bird.

The Hobbit, Ch 11, On the Doorstep

They passed through the ruined chamber [of Thrór]. ...

'There is the birth of the Running River,' said Thorin. 'From here it hastens to the Gate. Let us follow it!'

Out of a dark opening in a wall of rock there issued a boiling water, and it flowed swirling in a narrow channel, carved and made straight and deep by the cunning of ancient hands. ...

Now before them the water fell noisily outward and foamed down towards the valley. ... They were come to the Front Gate, and were looking out upon Dale. ...

[Said Balin,] '... The road from the Gate along the left edge of the stream seems all broken up. But look down there! The river loops suddenly east across Dale in front of the ruined town. At that point there was once a bridge, leading to steep stairs that climbed up the right bank, and so to a road running towards Ravenhill.' ...

Under the rocky wall to the right there was no path, so on they trudged among the stones on the left side of the river ... The bridge that Balin had spoken of they found long fallen, and most of its stones were now only boulders in the shallow noisy stream; but they forded the water without much difficulty ...

The Hobbit, Ch 13, Not At Home

Contributors: Elena Tiriel 24Jun04, 12Jul04

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