Henneth Annûn Story Archive

Since the number of supporting characters in the Dûnhebaid Cycle continues to grow, a crib sheet may be useful.  After dealing with time and place, I have provided a character list, broken down by race: Men, Dwarves, Elves, and Creatures of Note.  The folk formerly of Srathen Brethil are divided into families, so status and kinship can be more easily seen.  The Dwarves of Gunduzahar are divided into household groups that include close kin, prentices, and followers.

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Time

To minimize the bafflement of readers who have not memorized the Sindarin month-names used by the Dúnedain, and also continued repitition in notes, I provide a list below.  For a fuller treatment of the coordination of the Western Gregorian calendar with those of Third-Age Eriador, please follow the embedded link.

                        Dúnedain        Common Speech/Westron
January          Narwain          Narvinyë
February        Nínui               Nénimë
March             Gwaeron         Súlimë
April               Gwirith            Viressë
May                Lothron           Lótessë
June                Nórui               Nárië
July                 Cerveth           Cermië
August            Urui                 Úrimë
September      Ivanneth          Yavannië
October          Narbeleth        Narquelië
November      Hithui              Hísimë
December       Girithron         Ringarë

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Place

I list here only places of my own invention or naming, in alphabetical order, with translations of their names and information on my sources of inspiritation, where those are particularly strong.  If you do not recognize some other place-name, please consult your favorite Tolkien references.

Calen Amon: Sindarin, "green hill."  A Dúnedain holding in the Emyn Uial.

Gelltunn: Sindarin, "triumph hill."  A Dúnedain holding in the Emyn Uial.

Gunduzahar: Khuzdul, "bold hall."  Veylin's halls some three leagues north of Habad-e-Mindon, so called for its daring location.  It is delved into a flat-topped hill closely resembling Healabhal Mhor, also known as Macleod's Table North, on Skye.

Habad-e-Mindon: Sindarin, "shore of the isolated hill, tower"; mindon appears to be equivalent to Gaelic dun, which can mean a hill suitable for a tower or the tower on it.  There is also an echo in Hebudes, the first recorded name of the Hebrides, in Pliny the Elder's Natural History, written in AD 77.  A cliff-backed bay on the shore north of Mount Rerir, where Saelon dwelt long dwelt alone before being joined by refugees from Srathen Brethil.  It has been modelled on a variety of Hebridean locales, principally Machir Bay on the isle of Islay and King's Caves on the isle of Arran.

Srathen Brethil: compound; Scots Gaelic srath, "strath, valley" (compare Sindarin rath, riverbed) and Sindarin en-brethil, "of the birches."  A glen in the eastern foothills of the Blue Mountains and the westernmost settlement of the Dúnedain, founded by refugees from the fall of Arthedain.

Sulûnduban: Khuzdul, "dale of the Lune"; according to Ardalambion, Tolkien considered the possibility that Lhûn/Lune originated as an early borrowing of Khuzdul sulûn or salôn, "to fall, descend swiftly" into Sindarin.  The chief dwarf-mansion of the northern Blue Mountains/Ered Luin, near the headwaters of the River Lune, and the seat of the king of the Firebeards.  It is delved in a mountain based on the spectacular Suilven of Assynt in the northern Highlands, which somewhat resembles the peak drawn at the head of the River Lune on Tolkien's map.

Thôntaen: Sindarin, "pine heights."  This is the name I have given to the northernmost forest west of the Ered Luin on Tolkien's map.  While it is not labeled on any of Tolkien's maps, I have assumed that the tributary running west from the River Lhûn towards this forest is the Little Lune.

White Cliffs: the Dwarvish name for Habad-e-Mindon.

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Men

There are many different kinds of Men in Middle-Earth (LotR, App. F, "Of Men").  Since my stories are based in northwestern Eriador, most of the Men are either Dúnedain, the long-lived descendants of the Númenóreans, or Edain, descendants of the First Age Atani who did not remove to Númenor.  The Dunlendings or Swarthy Men, whose ancestors dwelt in the vales of the White Mountains before the arrival of the Númenórean founders of Gondor, were apparently of Easterling rather than Atani stock; they were usually hostile to the Dúnedain and Edain peoples such as the Rohirrim.  It seems that many of this folk settled in the relatively empty lands around the old border between Arnor and Gondor.

Since kinship was an important bond, I have specified the exact relationship between significant people.  For instance, Gaernath is Saelon's cousin; to be precise, he is her FaFaDaSoSo—father's father's daughter's son's son.  I might simply say Gaernath was her great-aunt's grandson, but in these patrilineal societies, it is important to see who is in the same line.  I follow Tolkien's convention of adding a dagger symbol (†) before the dates of untimely deaths; the names of those who are deceased, from any cause, are italicized.  All dates given are in the Third Age.

Dúnedain of Srathen Brethil
Saelon (2790–  ): lady of Habad-e-Mindon

Halladan (2781–†2847): 15^th lord of Srathen Brethil, Saelon's brother
Núneth (2803–†2847): Halladan's wife
Rian (2832–  ): Halladan's daughter
Halmir (2835–  ): Halladan's son and heir
Tathar (2841–†2847): Halladan's daughter
Tarain (2818–  ): swordsman serving Halmir
Partalan (2801–  ): swordsman and harper serving Halmir

Nárwen (2706–2826): Saelon's maternal grandmother

Haldorn (2784–†2847): Halladan's cousin (FaBrSo)
Urwen (2795–  ): Haldorn's wife, born in Emyn Uial
Handir (2829–†2847): Haldorn's son
Eithel (2832–  ): Haldorn's daughter
Handin (2837–  ): Haldorn's son
Hanadan (2841–  ): Haldorn's son
Morwen (2844–  ): Haldorn's daughter
Níniel (2848–  ): Haldorn's daughter

Halpan (2821–  ): Haldorn's brother
Bereth (2816–  ): Haldorn's sister

Free Men of Srathen Brethil
Maelchon (2810–  ): husbandman
Fransag (2815–  ): Maelchon's wife
Gormal (2837–  ): Maelchon's son
Maon (2839–  ): Maelchon's son
Guaire (2841–  ): Maelchon's son
Ros (2843–  ): Maelchon's daughter
Uspag (2845–  ): Maelchon's son
Malmin (2847–  ): Maelchon's daughter
Gràinne (2786–  ): Fransag's mother

Gede (2842–†2847) : husbandman
Lis (2824–  ): Gede's second wife
Mais (2825–  ): husbandman; Gede's eldest son
Eapag (2829–  ): Mais's wife
Sonas (2848–  ): Mais's daughter
Sorcha (2827–  ): Gede's daughter; Tarain's sweetheart
Deonaid (2829–  ): Gede's son
Gaernath (2832–  ): Gede's son; Saelon's cousin (FaFaDaSoSo) and fosterling
Roid (2834–  ): Gede's son

Cottars of Srathen Brethil
Airil (2780–  ): gaffer
Artan (2828–  ): Airil's grandson (SiSo)
Muirne (2830–  ): Artan's wife
Ailig (2848–  ): Artan's son
Leod (2831–  ): Airil's grandson (SiSo)

Finean (2799–  ): widower
Unagh (2829–  ): Finean's daughter
Murdag (2832–  ): Finean's daughter

Aniel (2812–  ): huntsman
Teig (2808–  ): Aniel's brother and kennelman

Servants
Bred (2812–  ): manservant
Canand (2792–  ): drover
Earnan (2848–  ): Sitheag's bastard son by Maelchon
Fokel (2809–  ): manservant
Sitheag (2823–  ): serving woman
Tearlag (2815–  ): serving woman

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Rangers of the North
Arathorn (2693–  ): Argonui's father; 12^th Chieftain
Argonui (2757–  ): 13^th Chieftain of the Dúnedain; great-grandfather of King Elessar
Dírmaen (2796–  ) : Ranger sent to Habad-e-Mindon
Dírnuir: Halgorn's father
Dolladan (2775–  ): Ranger sent to Habad-e-Mindon
Halglas (2732–  ): Dúnedain lord of Calen Amon in the Emyn Uial; Urwen's father
Halgorn (2784–  ) : Ranger sent to Habad-e-Mindon
Hanend (2812–  ) : Ranger sent to Habad-e-Mindon
Meagvir (2761–  ): second-in-command of group sent to Habad-e-Mindon
Râdbaran (2746–  ): leader of group sent to Habad-e-Mindon

Some of these names may be noms de guerre, as "Dúnadan" and "Strider" were, cloaking the identity of high-born Rangers; or perhaps they are merely especially apt nicknames that have become use-names.  In any case, Râdbaran ("brown road") and Dolladan ("obscure man") seem unlikely birth-names.

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Dwarves

There are seven kindreds or houses of Dwarves: the Longbeards, originally seated in the Misty Mountains; the Firebeards and Broadbeams of the Blue Mountains in the west; and the Ironfists and Stiffbeards, Blacklocks and Stonefoots, whose mansions were further east (HoME XII: The Peoples of Middle-Earth, "Of Dwarves and Men").  All of the Dwarves listed here are Firebeards, unless otherwise specified.

I have supposed that, since they are notoriously clannish, Dwarvish sociopolitical organization is firmly grounded on kinship.  I suggest that kindreds, governed by a king, are further divided into septs or lines (e.g., Durin's Line, LotR, App. A.III, genealogical lineage), led by chieftains ("Heavy have the hearts of our chieftains been since that night," said Glóin at the Council of Elrond: LotR, Book 2, Ch. II).  Men often refer to these kings and chieftains as dwarf-lords, but they are not lords in any kind of feudal sense.  Dwarves are singularly adverse to the dominion of others, and the justification for their leaders' authority is parental: "'kings' or heads of lines are regarded as 'parents' of the whole group" (HoME XII: The Peoples of Middle-Earth, p. 285).  Rank, such as they have, appears to be based on seniority, hence the priviledged status of Durin the Eldest and his descendants the Longbeards.

Dwarves of Gunduzahar
Veylin, son of Vali (2708–  ): gemsmith; chieftain of the Firebeards
Arðri, son of Orð (2791–  ): prentice to Veylin
Oski, son of Onar (2804–  ): prentice to Veylin

Vitr, son of Nali (2724–  ): ironsmith; Veylin's cousin (FaBrSo) and heir
Vitnir, son of Nali (2735–  ): ironsmith; Veylin's cousin (FaBrSo)
Ketli, son of Vetil (2729–  ): coalmaster
Skani, son of Skaði (2802–  ): Vitr's prentice

Rekk, son of Ekki (2686–  ): waterwright
Ingi, son of Iolf (2769–  ): prentice to Rekk

Nordri, son of Narthi (2661–  ): stonemason
Nyr, son of Nordri (2763–  ): stonemason
Nyrað, son of Nordri (2772–  ): stonemason
Haki, son of Harin (2687–  ): ironsmith, Nordri's cousin (FaBrSo)
Thiolf, son of Thorð (2776–  ): prentice to Nordri

Grani, son of Guti (2658–  ): carpenter, Nordri's cousin (FaSiSo)
Gamal, son of Grani (2760–  ): former prentice to Nordri
Thyrnir, son of Thekk (2798–  ): Rekk (BrSo) and Veylin's nephew (SiSo), prentice to Grani

Bersa, son of Berg (2624–  ): cook
Bersi, son of Berg (2657–  ): coppersmith
Barði, son of Bersi (2755–  ): coppersmith

Laufi, son of Lautnir (2716–  ): glazier, lampwright

Other Dwarves of note
Thekk, son of Ekki (2695–†2847): gemsmith; Rekk's brother and Thyrnir's father

Oddi, son of Nidi (2673–  ): stonemason
Vestri, son of Oddi (2775–†2847): prentice to Veylin
Bileg, son of Balnir (2697–  ): Oddi's cousin

Radsvinn: Veylin's master

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Elves
Círdan: The Shipwright, lord of Lindon
Elladan (130–  ): son of Elrond Half-Elven of Rivendell
Elrohir (130–  ): son of Elrond Half-Elven of Rivendell
Falathar: coastwarden of Lindon, originally of the Falas; one of the three companions of Eärendil on his voyage to Aman at the end of the First Age
Gwinnor: Noldor gemsmith

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Creatures of Note
Craec: a young raven who followed Thekk, now attached to Rekk
Dûnsûl: Halpan's stallion
Môrfast: Halladan's prize black stallion