NAME(s)
Rivendell
Riven = (literary adjective) torn apart, split [word origin: from Old Norse rīfa; related to Old Frisian rīva]
Dell = (noun) a small, esp. wooded hollow [word origin: Old English; related to Middle Low German delle valley]
Imladris
Sindarin name, meaning ādeep valley of the cleftā
Karningul
Translation of āimladrisā in Westron
Last Homely House East of the Sea
The Last Homely House west of the Mountains
GEOGRAPHY
Rivendell is located at the edge of the gorge of the southern arm of the Bruinen River, in eastern Eriador. Near Rivendell thereās the only known ford of the river. It adjoin the Misty Mountain in the east, the hills of Rhudaur in the west, the region of the Coldfells in the north and the south-east part of Eregion in the south.
The climate is cool-temperate and semi-continental with moderately warm summers, fairly snowy ā but not frigid ā winters and moderate precipitation. Seasons are more pronounced than in areas further west, such as the Shire, but less extreme than the places east of the Misty Mountains. Like Hobbiton, it is located at about the same latitude as Tolkienās hometown Oxford.
It seems that for Rivendell, Tolkien was inspired by the area of Lauterbrunnen, in Switzerland:
"I am⦠delighted that you have made the acquaintance of Switzerland, and of the very part that I once knew best and which had the deepest effect on me. The hobbitās journey from Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains, including the glissade down the slithering stones into the pine woods, is based on my adventures in 1911⦠Our wanderings mainly on foot in a party of 12 are not now clear in sequence, but leave many vivid pictures as clear as yesterday.".
Talking about the movie, the selected location for Rivendell was in the Kaitoke Regional Park, Upper Hutt, NZ (some details were added with CGI).
HISTORY
Foundation & Second Age (SA)
The foundation of Rivendell took place in the 1697 SA (4000/5000 years before LotR events) during the War of Elves and Sauron. Two years before (1695 SA), the enemy invaded Eriador and an elven force led by Elrond rescued the refugees of Eregion (chiefly Noldorin). These forces were driven into the hills of Rhudaur and retreated in the gorge of Imladris. The Numenoreansā aid for the elves was delayed and so began the First Siege of Imladris.
Sauron didnāt really focus on this frontline, thinking Gil-Galad had the three Elven rings, but he sent a small force to lay seige to prevent Elrond from attacking his rear for three years. The succesful defeated happened after the weakening of Sauron forces at the Battle of Gwathlo: the little army left to besiege Imladris was caught between Elrond and Gil-galand who crushed them definitively.
After the end of the siege, a Council decided that Imladris should become the new elvish stronghold in Eriador, since Eregion was devastated. Then Gil-galad bestowed Vilya on Elrond.
Third Age (TA)
Around between year 1356Ā TA to 1409Ā TA took place the Second Siege of Imladris. It was one of the events during the war between Arnor and the witch-kingdom of Angmar, during the late reign of Arveleg I. The elves of Rivendell, helped by Lothlorien forces, subdued the army of Angmar for some time and at some point they broke the siege.
In the end, in TA, Rivendell become a refuge. There came the Hight Elves of Eriador, the heirs of Isildur were harbored in Imladris and many treasured of the house of Isildur (including Narsil) were brought there.
Elrond himself said that Rivendell is a place of peace and learning, not a stronghold of battle.
Lastly the 25 October, TA 3018, the Council of Elrond took place in Imladris. During the council, the fate of the One Ring was discussed by delegates of all the kind of Middle-earth: elves, dwarves, hobbits, man, plus Gandalf, an Istari. At the end of the discussion, the Fellowship of the Ring was born, though the question about its members had been discussed for some months after the council.
Fourth Age (FA)
In the FA Elrond left Middle Earth and it was his ring that made Rivendell amazing and particular, but we know that it remained (slightly) populated with Elladan and Elrohir, Elrondās sons, Celeborn and some high elves.
WHO LIVED IN RIVENDELL
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell
Arwen, daughter of Elrond
Elrohir, son of Elrond
Elladan, son of Elrond
Erestor, chief of the House of Elrond
Glorfindel, Elf lord
Bilbo Baggins, the first Ring-bearer
SOURCES
Text: Collins Dictionary, One wiki to rule them all, Tolkien gateway, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (294, 306), The Lord of the Rings Appendix, Unfinished Tales (The History of Galadriel and Celeborn), askmiddlearth posts about Rivendell
Images (from top left to bottom right): The Atlas of middle earth, Daniel Reeveās draw taken from Elvenesse site, Tolkien drawing, google images, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Jouney
This post was made for the Tolkien Read-along bingo cards about locations. I thought it would the right time to do it, since in 2 days weāre going to read the first chapters located in Imladris :) If you find any mistake, feel free to correct me: English isnāt my native language and Iām not Tolkien himself, so I can get wrong on contents too :P