The Lord of the Rings Illustrated(548)

‘Take this ring, Master,’ he said, ‘ for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill. But as for me, my heart is with the Sea, and I will dwell by the grey shores until the last ship sails. I will await you.’





Year

2 Isildur plants a seedling of the White Tree in Minas Anor. He delivers the South-kingdom to Meneldil. Disaster of the Gladden Fields; Isildur and his three elder sons are slain.

3 Ohtar brings the shards of Narsil to Imladris.

10 Valandil becomes King of Arnor.

109 Elrond weds Celebrían, daughter of Celeborn.

130 Birth of Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond.

241 Birth of Arwen Undómiel.

420 King Ostoher rebuilds Minas Anor.

490 First invasion of Easterlings.

500 Rómendacil I defeats the Easterlings.

541 Rómendacil slain in battle.

830 Falastur begins the line of the Ship-kings of Gondor.

861 Death of Eärendur, and division of Arnor.

933 King Eärnil I takes Umbar, which becomes a fortress of Gondor.

936 Eärnil lost at sea.

1015 King Ciryandil slain in the siege of Umbar.

1050 Hyarmendacil conquers the Harad. Gondor reaches the height of its power. About this time a shadow falls on Greenwood, and men begin to call it Mirkwood. The Periannath are first mentioned in records, with the coming of the Harfoots to Eriador.

c. 1100 The Wise (the Istari and the chief Eldar) discover that an evil power has made a stronghold at Dol Guldur. It is thought to be one of the Nazgûl.

1149 c. Reign of Atanatar Alcarin begins.

1150 The Fallohides enter Eriador. The Stoors come over the Redhorn Pass and move to the Angle, or to Dunland.

c. 1300 Evil things begin to multiply again. Orcs increase in the Misty Mountains and attack the Dwarves. The Nazgûl reappear. The chief of these comes north to Angmar. The Periannath migrate westward; many settle at Bree.

1977 King Argeleb I slain in battle with Rhudaur. About this time the Stoors leave the Angle, and some return to Wilderland.

1356 The Witch-king of Angmar invades Arnor. King Arveleg I slain. Fornost and Tyrn Gorthad are defended. The Tower of Amon Sûl destroyed.

1409 King Valacar of Gondor dies, and the civil war of the Kin-strife begins.

1432 Burning of Osgiliath and loss of the palantír. Eldacar flees to Rhovanion; his son Ornendil is murdered.

1437 Eldacar returns and drives out the usurper Castamir. Battle of the Crossings of Erui. Siege of Pelargir.

1447 Rebels escape and seize Umbar.

1448 King Aldamir slain in war with the Harad and Corsairs of Umbar.

1540 Hyarmendacil II defeats the Men of Harad.

1551 Many Periannath migrate from Bree, and are granted land beyond Baranduin by Argeleb II.

c.1630 They are joined by Stoors coming up from Dunland.

1601 The Corsairs ravage Pelargir and slay King Minardil.

1634 The Great Plague devastates Gondor. Death of King Telemnar and his children. The White Tree dies in Minas Anor. The plague spreads north and west, and many parts of Eriador become desolate. Beyond the Baranduin the Periannath survive, but suffer great loss.

1636 King Tarondor removes the King’s House to Minas Anor, and plants a seedling of the White Tree. Osgiliath begins to fall into ruin. Mordor is left unguarded.

1640 King Telumehtar Umbardacil retakes Umbar and drives out the Corsairs.

1810 The attacks of the Wainriders upon Gondor begin.

1851 Gondor loses its eastern territories, and Narmacil II falls in battle.

1856 King Calimehtar defeats the Wainriders on Dagorlad.

1899 Calimehtar builds the White Tower in Minas Anor.

1900 Gondor and Arnor renew communications and form an alliance. Arvedui weds Fíriel daughter of Ondoher of Gondor.

1940 Ondoher falls in battle. Earnil defeats the enemy in South Ithilien. He then wins the Battle of the Camp, and drives Wainriders into the Dead Marshes. Arvedui claims the crown of Gondor.

1944 Eärnil II receives the crown.

1945 End of the North-kingdom. The Witch-king overruns Arthedain and takes Fornost.

1974 Arvedui drowned in the Bay of Forochel. The palantíri of Annúminas and Amon Sûl are lost. Eärnur brings a fleet to Lindon. The Witch-king defeated at the Battle of Fornost, and pursued to the Ettenmoors. He vanishes from the North.

1975 Aranarth takes the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain. The heirlooms of Arnor are given into the keeping of Elrond.

1976 Frumgar leads the Éothéod into the North.

1979 Bucca of the Marish becomes first Thain of the Shire.

1980 The Witch-king comes to Mordor and there gathers the Nazgûl. A Balrog appears in Moria, and slays Durin VI.

1981 Náin I slain. The Dwarves flee from Moria. Many of the Silvan Elves of Lórien flee south. Amroth and Nimrodel are lost.