The Dûnhebaid Cycle
Rock and Hawk: 12. When, Where, and Who
Since my Dûnhebaid stories have a number of characters and locations of my own devising, a crib sheet may be useful. After dealing with time and place, I have provided a character list, broken down by race. Principals are listed first, in order of appearance; other characters are given in alphabetical order for easier reference.
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Time
There were, very properly given the cultural diversity present, several different calendars in use in Middle-earth during the Third Age. While it would be easier—on me as well as my readers—to simply translate these into English equivalents, that would deprive me of an ethnic marker for my characters and a very realistic source of confusion and intellectual friction between folk of different cultures. To try and 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
May Lothron
June Nórui
July Cerveth
August Urui
September Ivanneth
October Narbeleth
November Hithui
December Girithron
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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.
Aegas Cerch: Sindarin, "sickle peak." A mountain with a prominent cirque in the northern Blue Mountains.
Cîl-en-Ostrad: Sindarin, "cleft of the street." A pass in the northern Blue Mountains where an ancient dwarf-road ran from Beleriand to Mount Gundobad; little used since Orcs seized Gundobad in the Second Age. The dwarf-road is also my invention.
Craigenthôr: compound, Scots Gaelic creag an "crag of the" and Sindarin en-thôr, "of the eagle." A hill in the middle of Srathen Brethil.
Echad Gaearon: Sindarin, "camp (of) great sea." A name briefly used for Habad-e-Mindon.
Hithbrae: compound; Sindarin hîth, "mist" and Scots brae, "hillside." An Edain shieling in the northern Blue Mountains, six leagues from Rasgarth.
Rasgarth: Sindarin, "horn fort"; near-cognate with Scots Gaelic rasgarradh, "heath enclosure." An Edain settlement in the northern Blue Mountains, ten leagues from Habad-e-Mindon.
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.
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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.
Principals
Saelon (2790– ): solitary Dúnadaneth with a passion for the Sea
Halladan (2781– ): Saelon's eldest brother, Lord of Srathen Brethil
Gaernath (2832– ): Saelon's Edain cousin (FaFaDaSoSo)
Other Men
Aniel (2812– ): Edain huntsman
Artan (2828– ): Edain lad
Bereth (2816– ): Haldorn's youngest sister
Brandir: Edain of the Blue Mountains
Bred (2812– ): Gede's servant
Drust: Edain of the Blue Mountains
Eithel (2832– ): Haldorn's eldest daughter
Emerwen (2789–?): Saelon's Dúnedain cousin, presumed dead
Fransag (2815– ): Maelchon's wife
Frest: Edain of Srathen Brethil
Gede (2842– ): Gaernath's father
Gràinne (2786– ): Maelchon's mother-in-law
Haldorn (2784– ): Halladan's cousin (FaBrSo)
Halmir (2835– ): Halladan's son and heir
Halpan (2821– ): Haldorn's younger brother
Hanadan (2841– ): Haldorn's youngest son
Handin (2837– ): Haldorn's son
Handir (2829– ): Haldorn's eldest son
Hunthor: Edain of Srathen Brethil
Mais (2825– ): Gaernath's eldest brother
Maelchon (2810– ): Edain of Srathen Brethil
Minuial (2778–†2847): Saelon's elder sister
Morwen (2844– ): Haldorn's daughter
Muirne (2830– ): Artan's sweetheart
Naugton: Edain swordsman serving Halladan
Núneth (2803– ): Halladan's wife
Orleg: Edain of the Blue Mountains
Partalan (2801– ): Dunlending swordsman and harper serving Halladan
Rian (2832– ): Halladan's daughter
Tarain (2818– ): Edain swordsman serving Halladan
Tearlag (2815– ): Edain serving woman
Urwen (2795– ): wife of Haldorn
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Dwarves
There are seven kindreds or houses of Dwarves: Tolkien focused his attention on the Longbeards, whose Father was Durin the Eldest, who woke in the Misty Mountains (HoME XII: The Peoples of Middle-Earth, "Of Dwarves and Men"), but I am more interested in the Firebeards, who arose in the Blue Mountains in the west. All of the Dwarves listed here are Firebeards.
While some authors have suggested that Dwarves follow a social pattern similar to that of later medieval guilds, I have seen no evidence for such a rigidly hierarchical system among them. ("Master" is a title other races give them; Dwarves do not seem to use it for each other. The word "apprentice" appeared in The Hobbit in reference to the sons of the Men of Dale.) Therefore I have followed early medieval models: where a craftsman was not trained by his own kin, he would find a master (of the art) to work under until he had learned all he wished. Given that Dwarves "ill endure the domination of others" (The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"), I doubt they would bind themselves under another by anything except their own desire for the secrets of their craft and the deference they give to elders. For lack of better "archaic" words to describe this mentor–protégé relationship, I have used "prentice" for the protégé, but it does not have the specific (lowest) rank connotation the term "apprentice" has under a guild system.
Principals
Veylin, son of Vali (2708– ): gemsmith
Thyrnir, son of Thekk (2798– ): Rekk (BrSo) and Veylin's nephew (SiSo)
Rekk, son of Ekki (2686– ): waterwright
Other Dwarves
Ingi, son of Iolf (2769– ): prentice to Rekk
Nordri, son of Narði (2661– ): stonemason
Nyr, son of Nordri (2763– ): stonemason
Nyrað, son of Nordri (2772– ): stonemason
Oddi, son of Nidi (2673– ): stonemason
Thekk, son of Ekki (2695–†2847): gemsmith; Veylin's friend and brother-in-law
Thiolf, son of Thorð (2776– ): prentice to Nordri
Vestri, son of Oddi (2775–†2847): prentice to Veylin
Vitnir, son of Nali (2735– ): ironmaster; Veylin's cousin (FaBrSo)
Vitr, son of Nali (2724– ): ironmaster; Veylin's cousin (FaBrSo)
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Creatures of Note
Craec: a young raven who followed Thekk
Dûnsûl: Halpan's stallion
Môrfast: Halladan's prize black stallion
