Timeline Event
Battle of the Field of Celebrant
Event Type: Military/Strategic
Age: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Date: April 15, 2510
Description:
The decisive final battle in the Invasion of Calenardhon by Balchoth and Orcs; see that entry for a description of the enemy, the invasion, and its aftermath, and for the overall timeline:
The invaders overran Calenardhon, and Cirion, Steward of Gondor, sent north for help.... At last tidings came to Eorl of the need of Gondor, and late though it seemed, he set out with a great host of riders.
'Thus he came to the battle of the Field of Celebrant, for that was the name of the green land that lay between Silverlode and Limlight. There the northern army of Gondor was in peril. Defeated in the Wold and cut off from the south, it had been driven across the Limlight, and was then suddenly assailed by the Orc-host that pressed it towards the Anduin. All hope was lost when, unlooked for, the Riders came out of the North and broke upon the rear of the enemy. Then the fortunes of battle were reversed, and the enemy was driven with slaughter over Limlight. Eorl led his men in pursuit, and so great was the fear that went before horsemen of the North that the invaders of the Wold were also thrown into panic, and the Riders hunted them over the plains of Calenardhon.'
The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: The House of Eorl
An army marching up from the south was cut off and driven north over the Limlight, and there it was suddenly attacked by a horde of Orcs from the [Misty] Mountains and pressed towards the Anduin. Then out of the North there came help beyond hope, and the horns of the Rohirrim were first heard in Gondor. Eorl the Young came with his riders and swept away the enemy, and pursued the Balchoth to the death over the fields of Calenardhon.
The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion
Earlier Versions of the Battle
Eorl the Young leads his people, the Éothéod or Rohirrim, out of the North from the sources of Anduin, and rides to the help of Cirion, Steward of Gondor. With his aid the great victory of the Field of Celebrant is won. Elladan and Elrohir rode also in that battle. From that time forth the brethren never cease from war with the Orcs because of Celebrían.
The Peoples of Middle-Earth, HoME Vol 12, Part 1, Ch 8, The Tale of Years of the Third Age
There is no other writing extant before the final typescript of The House of Eorl from which the text in Appendix A was printed, save for a single typescript page. This is the first page of the text, beginning 'Eorl was the lord of the Men of Eotheod', and my father wrote it with the old version ... before him; but he expanded it almost to the form that it has in Appendix A. It includes, however, the following passage (struck out on the typescript) after the words 'the Riders hunted them over the plains of Calenardhon'
In the forefront of the charge they saw two great horsemen, clad in grey, unlike all the others, and the Orcs fled before them; but when the battle was won they could not be found, and none knew whence they came or whither they went. But in Rivendell it was recorded that these were the sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir.
The Peoples of Middle-Earth, HoME Vol 12, Part 1, Ch 9, The Making of Appendix A: The House of Eorl
[Note: the date was set by directly translating Víressë to April; no attempt was made to adjust for the differing lengths of the months.]
Contributors:
Lyllyn 25Jul03
added quotes: Elena Tiriel 21Feb04, 25Jul04