Eriadorians

The Men of Eriador were the original mannish inhabitants of the lands of Eriador before its colonization by the Númenóreans. They were closely akin to the Edain of Beleriand, some of them descending from groups who had never crossed the Ered Luin, others descending from refugees of Beleriand after its cataclysm. Most of the Men of Eriador lived in the area between the North Downs and the Evendim Hills, but others inhabited the Barrow Downs, the Trollshaws and the forests of Minhiriath.

While the northern Eriadorians mostly resembled in language and appearance the tall and dark-haired Bëorians and their Númenórean descendants, the Southerners of Eriador were closely akin to the Haladin and the original Gondorians.

Also in the north of Eriador, there were men who descended from the Easterlings of Bór and Uldor the Accursed, or related tribes that had not crossed the Ered Luin. These tribes may or may not be identical with the Forodwaith and their Lossoth descendants or the population of Angmar.

When the Dúnedain founded the Province of Rhudaur, they had to fight the indigenous populace, the Arvandor, who still revered the Darkness. The later Hillmen may have been, at last to some degree, descendants of these tribes.

The exact origin of the Bree-landers is not known; while one source considers them kinsmen of the Gwathuirim of Enedhwaith who had moved to Arthedain, other sources count them as kinsmen of the House of Bëor the Old (although both may be true, them representing the last remnants of the indigenous people of Arthedain).

Eriadorian tribal groups[]

The Eriadorian commoners were usually seen as descendants of indigenous folk and Dúnedain or lesser Dúnedain, while on the other hand there were various tribes of rural folk.

Eriadorian Cultures:

Algraig - Dunnish exiles in Eregion and northeastern Enedhwaith
Angmarrim
The Arvandor, an ancient Edainic people of later Rhudaur
Beffraen of Enedhwaith
Bree-men and their ancestors the Brigaic
Brigands - scattered bands of mixed men
The Caladirrim or men of the Greenbanks Steadings
Cardolan Hill-folk
Downsmen, possibly including both the Forodrim and the Men of the South-Downs.
Dunmen of Enedhwaith and southern Rhudaur
the Dynion or Clansmen of Saerlann
Eglain - scattered bands of men in the Lone Lands. Possibly a sub-group of the Downsmen or Tinker-Folk
Eriadorian Commoners (the mixed rural men of Arnor, and later Arthedain, Cardolan, and southern Rhudaur)
Eriadorian Fisherfolk, possibly identical or related to the Dynion or Eurocllan
Eriadorian Northmen, including the Wulfseggeas and Men of Feotar and Pinnath Ceren
Eriadorian Tinkers
Eurocllan of Enedhwaith
Faerdorrim
Forest Men or Hil Fferid and Mebden of the Eryn Vorn
Forodrim of the North Downs - along the settlements Esteldin, or Trestlebridge and Othrikar
Gauredain - wolf-worshippers in northern Eriador and Forochel
Girithlyn
Gwathló Bargemen
Haeranedain of Rhudaur
Hillmen of Rhudaur
The Hollin-Folk
Hulorm - fisherfolk
Ice-Walkers - Angmarean hunters in Forochel
Lossoth of the southern shores of the Ice Bay
Men of the Coldfells along the settlements Glân Vraig, Ost Ringdyr, and Tírith Rhaw
Men of Siragale
Men of the South-Downs - possibly including Feotari, Egalain, and the men of the Greenbanks Steadings
Men of the Tharbad marshes
Men of the Twilight Hills
The Moormen, a primitive people in Angmar
Nimwaith - degenerated descendants of Angmarean slaves
The Red Hill folk of Pinnath Ceren (Cerens)
Rivermen of Númeriador and Baranduin
Runedain or "Eastern Edain"
The Sarn-folk
Valley-Folk

Eriadorians of renown[]

First and Second Age: Agaldor Balasimur Baragon Baragud Baragûr Bârna I Bârna II Beegor Belgor Benor Beogrin Bereg the Refuser Bergund Bern Blogath Bôrna Bregor of Eriador Carlesic the Wise Ethrog Gerse Gothólin Hama of Eriador Hurn Imarhîl Naranatur Silweth Skrykalian Ustokhîr

Third Age: Aelfred Agonar of Tharbad Aldhelm Demuret Aramath Argil the great Artan of Tharbad Athalaina Athelwyn Barliman Butterbur Barney Butterbur Baumyakund Betsy Butterbur Bhaltair Bill Ferny the Elder Bill Ferny the younger Bondan Bregol of Caras Celairnen Briam Broggha Carthadan Claith of Rhudaur Coelmath Culberth Curotal Cyneig Dagan Darothild Deniu Dinglas Corddwallon Durond Eärnil of Girithlin Einion Gurgan Elharian Erbin of Daithen Finduilas III of Dol Caladir Finnel Frecwian Fulcwian Furnuren Gaertil the Bad Gelos Tiran Gerse Gordaig Trollbane Gordaig II Gospatric Hannei Iweriadd Gwynn Laneig Leamon Lindal of Caras Celairnen Maladan Malm Bairg Meneldir of Fornost Mongán Finn Odelard Paddro Rhiwal Rhiwallon Seammu Selyf Hen Shaleen Sibroch the Slayer Sispar Ted Bloom Tudgech hyn Bodnod Úasal Undarak Ungust of Tref Maur Urrhi Vulfredda Wulf-Dylan

In The Lord of The Rings books[]

Eriadorsettlements — *Mannish populace in Eriador as described by Tolkien*

In The Lord of the Rings books it is stated that (in the late Third Age) no men had settled dwellings so far west or within a hundred leagues of the Shire. On the other hand Tolkien's notes for The Lord of the Rings state that Men lived in the South Downs, and when the Hobbits and Strider returned to Bree, men along the great Greenway fled from the host of the Rangers. This might either indicate that these men might have been nomads or at least that their settlements were small, thinly populated, or unstable in comparison to Breeland and the Shire.

Population and urbanisation in Eriador[]

In his article "Population and Urbanisation in Eriador" Thomas Morwinsky names some of the more "settled" communities after the fall of Arthedain:

Other possible post-Arthadan communities in the late Third Age may have been:

Gwaelin
Men of the Cold Hills
Men of the Ettenmoors and the Mitheithel Wells
Rast Vorn
Southern Greenway Settlements
Survivors of Rangaza and Ceredigion
Survivors of Carest, Fereic and Cromm Bráighe
Winterhome