| Contents | Migrations of Men |
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The Edain / Atani / Hildor / After-comers / Second-born / Men | ||
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The Second-born Children of Iluvatar awoke at the rising of the Sun in Hildorien in the East of Middle-earth and began to wander. They too were found by Melkor. What happened to them in their earliest days is unclear. The recorded history of Men is mainly that of three Tribes who migrated to the West of Middle-earth, and of their descendents. These Tribes had decided the North and East of Middle-earth were too dangerous. Having been told by Dark Elves (Avari) they met that peace might be found in the West, they set out and eventually crossed the Ered Luin into Beleriand in about FA 300-320. Far from finding peace, they soon discovered they had walked into the middle of a large battlefield, across which a mighty war was being fought between Elves and Melkor. They sided with the Elves. Two other Tribes who followed later ended up fighting one another. |
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| Arrival in Beleriand (First Age) |
The arrival of Men in Ossiriand worried the Green-Elves, so Fingon - first of the Noldor to find them - arranged for them to settle elsewhere. Although the Three Tribes are presented as separate, they intermarried and became various groups living in different parts of Beleriand rather than wholly distinct tribes. The groupings were known by the Houses of their traditional tribal leaders, however. |
| The House of Beor (House of Ladros) |
The oldest tribe of Men who arrived first settled in Estolad (The Encampment). Most then moved to Dorthonion. A large number stayed in Estolad, however and a thousand-odd led by Bereg headed south out of Beleriand; others returned east into Eriador. When Boromir was appointed Lord of Ladros, those who had moved north gathered there. Following the Dagor Bragollach, Emeldir led the women and children out of Ladros/Dorthonion, to Brethil; some fled to Dor-Lomin. All the men of the House of Ladros were slain defending Dorthonion and the Pass of Sirion. (The line of the House then continued through Beren and the sons of Bregor and Bregolas). |
| The Haladin (People of Brethil) |
The second tribe of Men were not initially friends of Beor's people, though they were not enemies. They first settled in Thargelion and were the first tribe to encounter Orcs in Beleriand. They were nearly wiped out but were saved by Caranthir. Under Haleth they moved to Estolad, then trekked round the north of Doriath and southwards to Talath Dirnen. Some remained in the realm of Nargothrond, but most followed Haleth back north to the Forest of Brethil. This annoyed Elu Thingol, but Finrod interceded and they were allowed to stay provided they guard the Crossings of Teiglin, which they did with valour. Most of the Men of Brethil were wiped out in the 5th Battle of Beleriand. |
| The House of Hador (Folk of Marach) |
The third and largest tribe to arrive were already friendly with the House of Beor and first settled close by, south-east of Estolad. Many then moved west to Hithlum with Malach Aradan. Some split away south with Magor to the slopes of Ered Wethrin. Following Fingolfin's appointment of Hador Lorindol as Lord of Dor-Lomin most of the tribe gathered there. The majority of the Men of Hador were also slain in the 5th Battle of Beleriand. |
| The Druedain | A fourth, secretive and little-known tribe, who had earlier made friends with the Haladin also entered Beleriand and settled near them on the fringes of Brethil. A small tribe unknown to most, the Druedain contributed much to the defence of the Crossings of Teiglin and safety of the Folk of Brethil. But they were of a short-lived, ill-fated race but they were reckoned among the Elendili. The main settlement of Druedain remained east of Beleriand near the Ered Nimrais - in the Druwaith Iaur and Druedan Forest. The surviving Druedain of the War of Wrath in Beleriand were said to have rejoined their kin on the borders of Gondor as the Wild Men of the White Mountains, though some may have travelled to Numenor. |
| Easterlings | Two named tribes of "Swarthy Men" followed the first into Beleriand later in the First Age, persuaded to do so by Morgoth, who wanted them in North-East Beleriand as allies in his campaign against Elves and Men. In the 5th Battle of Beleriand the tribe of Bor fought with the Noldor and were wiped out. The survivors of the tribe of Ulfast were confined to Hithlum and ruled the remaining women, children and old men of the Houses of Beor and Hador sheltering there. They died in the War of Wrath. |
| The Dunedain (Second & Third Ages) The Northmen Southerlings |
The known history of Men thereafter is mainly that of The Dunedain (Men of The West). The survivors from the Three Houses were given Numenor when Beleriand was destroyed; the ruling House were of the Line of Elros. When Numenor was in turn destroyed, the few Elendili (Elf-friends) left escaped back to Middle-earth and established the "exile" Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. On arrival they were neither unknown nor without kin. Some men of the Three Tribes had always remained east of the Ered Luin and been friends with both the Elves and their Numenorean kin who visited Eriador from across the Great Sea, and were thus the natural subjects of the returning noblemen. There was a settlement of Numenoreans who had fled persecution earlier at what became Dor-en-Ernil (later Dol Amroth) in Belfalas. Gondor also found allies among The "Northmen", related tribes including the Eotheod, Beornings and Men of Dale who resisted the Shadow. However, some tribes of Men - the Dunlendings, Southerlings, Easterlings etc - had reason to hate the Men of The West as tyrants even without Sauron's encouragement. The battle-lines for the remainder of the Second Age and into the Third had thus already been partly drawn. |
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The Line of Elros - the Line of Kings - traces back to the House of Hador (the Folk of Marach), though the bloodline is mixed with that of the other two Houses, plus the Noldor, Teleri and Maiar |
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~ House of Beor ~ The Haladin ~ House of Marach/Hador ~ Other Tribes ~ ~ Migrations of Men ~ Alphabetical List ~ | |
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