- Type: Fishing Village
- Inhabitants: 70% Gondorian, 30% Haradan
- Population: 500
- Origin: Settled by Gondorians, c. TA 970
- Purpose: A trading center in Harondor, supplying and catering to coastal traffic approaching the Ethir Anduin.
Methir (S. "Last Stream") was the second-largest town in Harondor in the mid-Third Age, home to more than 8,000 Citizens in the time of the Ship-kings. Since it began as a river port at the time of the first Númenorean settlement along the Anduin, its people had always been fishermen, traders, or artisans. The lowlands of the Anduin across from Pelargir were also called the Methir, and the town, in the old days, was the major market-place of western Harondor and the focus for local trade with Pelargir and the Lebennin.
Description[]
Methir Surroundings
Methir sat on both sides of a rather small river which flowed out into a perfect bay for a harbor. The Men Falas crossed the river about two hundred yards inland from its mouth. Traditionally, the town's population was divided rather evenly by the river. In the dry seasons of the year the river was nothing but a shallow stream with just a bare trickling of water. If it ran dry at other tines, it meant that most of the water had been appropriated by farmers further inland.Most of the south side was inhibited by fishermen, with the artisans and traders taking the north side, although the bustling fish-market sat right among the trading houses just north of the river mouth.
The town had a squire whose residence and office were situated on the north side of the river, next to the bridge. The squire presided at the town meetings in the old days, but his influence was rather limited. An ancient fort stood above the town; as elsewhere in Old Harondor, the real power sat inside the fort in the form of a noble lord. The castle, Barad Methir, was an imposing stone structure on top of the promontory overlooking the harbor approximately two hundred yards east of the town limit. In the mid- Third Age it was always garrisoned with a few hundred men.
History[]
Methir began as a subsidiary fortress of Pelargir in S.A. 1700, yet there were almost no references to it in documents until after the Gondorian conquest of Umbar. When Harondor was organized as a province of Gondor, Methir became the legate residence for the surrounding rural district.Until the end of the Kin-strife, the town's history was uneventful. The Band Methir was then strengthened to offer the local civilians proper defense against the Corsairs. From T.A. 1448,.the fort was also the seat of the Lords of Methir of Ecthelion's line, ruling all the surrounding low country.
Between T.A. 1475 and T.A. 1810, Methir was subject to several Corsair raids. There were no serious attempts to capture the town, as the Corsairs did not wish to clash with die sizable fortress garrison, but several times its harbor was plundered and ships were seized while many houses were torched. After each attack, the town was repaired.T.A.1650 it was sacked by raiding Haradrim, and had to recover its role as a way-station for river traffic. Most ships bound for Pelargir that time hugged the river's right bank to avoid the danger of Haradron raiders.
In T.A. 1944, the town survived the Second Wainrider War almost unscathed, since most of the invasion took place to the east of it. Gondor's navy evacuated many refugees from its port, bringing them to safety in Lebennin.
After the Second Wainrider War, Methir's fortifications were improved since, after the abandonment of Harnendor, Methir had become a border fortress. A Gondorian garrison remained there to the end of the Third Age, but the town dwindled down to nothing as the Harwan pressed closer to the Anduin. The Barad Methir stood mute and alone over the haven, waiting for a time of peace and rebuilding.
In the Fourth Age, the Methir vales were rapidly reclaimed for agriculture by Gondorian settlers from Lebennin, and the village soon was rebuilt on the old foundations.