Eregion

Eregion, known in the Common Speech as Hollin, was a realm of the Noldor in the Second Age, famed for its Elven-smiths and their friendship with the Dwarves of Moria. It was here that Celebrimbor, lord of Eregion and descendant of Fëanor, forged the Rings of Power, aided by Sauron in disguise. When Sauron forged the One Ring in secret, Celebrimbor became aware of his betrayal and hid the Three Rings of the Elves. War followed: Sauron's forces invaded Eregion, laid waste to the land, and slew Celebrimbor. The gates of Moria were shut, and the surviving Elves fled or were scattered. By the Third Age, Eregion was empty and desolate, its memory preserved only in song and the silent stones of its ancient roads.

Geography and Appearance

Eregion lay in a narrow strip of land between the Misty Mountains and the river Greyflood, south of Rivendell and west of the great mountain passes. It was a country of rolling hills and holly-trees, from which it took its Westron name, Hollin. The land was well-watered and green, but by the time of the War of the Ring it had become barren and bleak, its Elven inhabitants long gone. The Company of the Ring passed through Hollin in January of 3019, and found it a silent, watchful place. Aragorn noted that no birds sang, and the very ground seemed to echo with the absence of the Elves. Legolas, hearing the stones lament, said: "Deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they builded us; but they are gone." The only living trees were the ancient holly-trees that still stood near the West-gate of Moria, marking the end of the Elven-way from Hollin.

History and the Forging of the Rings

In the Second Age, the Noldor of Eregion were great craftsmen, and they established a close friendship with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm (Moria). Celebrimbor, their lord, was the greatest of their smiths. Sauron, in fair guise, came to Eregion and offered his knowledge, and the Elven-smiths, eager for learning, received him. Under his instruction, they forged the Rings of Power. But Sauron secretly forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom to control all others. Celebrimbor perceived his designs and hid the Three Rings he had made—Narya, Nenya, and Vilya—from Sauron's grasp. War followed: Sauron's armies invaded Eregion, laid waste to the land, and slew Celebrimbor. The gates of Moria were shut, and the friendship between Elves and Dwarves was broken. Elrond led the remnant of the Noldor to found the refuge of Imladris (Rivendell).

The Road to Moria

The West-gate of Moria, the Elven Door, was built at the end of the road from Hollin, and was used by the Elves in their traffic with the Dwarves. The door was marked with the emblems of Durin, the Tree of the High Elves, and the Star of the House of Fëanor, wrought in ithildin that mirrored only starlight and moonlight. The password was the Elvish word "mellon" (friend). By the time of the War of the Ring, the road was broken and the door was hidden, but the holly-trees that marked the end of the Elven-way still stood, tall and dark, near the shores of the lake that had formed before the gate.

The Company of the Ring in Hollin

The Company of the Ring entered Hollin on January 8, 3019, after crossing the Misty Mountains. They found the land cold and silent, but Gandalf noted that it had a "wholesome air" and that much evil must befall a country before it wholly forgets the Elves, if once they dwelt there. They rested there for a day and a night, but their peace was broken by the sight of crebain, black crows from Fangorn and Dunland, which were spying out the land. Aragorn sensed a watchfulness and fear that he had never felt there before, and the Company was forced to move on, abandoning their plan to rest. They left Hollin and attempted the Redhorn Gate, but were turned back by snow and the malice of Caradhras. They then turned to the West-gate of Moria, the only remaining path eastward.

Significance

Eregion was the crucible of the Rings of Power, the event that set the stage for the entire War of the Ring. Its destruction marked the end of the great alliance between Elves and Dwarves in the Second Age, and its desolation in the Third Age served as a poignant reminder of the fading of the Elves from Middle-earth. The road from Hollin to Moria was the path taken by the Fellowship, and the memory of Eregion's former glory hung over their journey like a ghost.