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Dunland means 'Hill Land' in the language of neighbouring Rohan, who's people named it after arriving in nearby Calenardhon in the later Third Age.

The ancient ancestors of the Dunlendings inhabited the forested regions of Middle-earth either side of the Gwathló in the early Second Age, and so were called 'Gwaithuirim' by the early Númenoreans. They spoke a language related to that of the Second House of Men, the Haladin, rather than the vastly different Bëorian/Marachian tongue which stood at the base of Adûnaic, and this lack of mutual understanding led to outright hostility. The Númenoreans greedily harvested their forests for timber, and after much war and bloodshed, the Gwaithuirim from south of the Gwathlo fled east to the Hithaeglir, while others scattered to the cape of Eryn Vorn and the White Mountains.

At the end of the Second Age, the land north of the Gwathlo and south of the Baranduin was named Minhiriath, 'Land between the Rivers', although the land south of Minhiriath remained unnamed.

It's inhabitants were ignored, although a city grew up on the Gwathlo, west of the Misty Mountain hill-folk who had been Gwaithuirim long before.

About Third Age 1150 some Stoors came to Dunland before migrating finally to Shire in Third Age 1630

It was not until Gondor abandoned this city (Tharbad) in T.A 2050 that the people and their land were renamed: both became known as Enedwaith, 'The Middle-folk' and 'The Middle Region', because they no longer owed allegiance to either North or South Kingdom.

These Hill-folk of the Hithaeglir kept their hatred of the descendants of Númenor, unlike those of Eryn Vorn and the White Mountains, who nevertheless remained uncooperative. The Dead Men of Dunharrow, for example, who betrayed Isildur, were descended from Gwaithurim.

When Gondor decided to give the depopulated province of Calenardhon to the numerous people of Éothéod in 2510 T.A., the Hill-folk of the Hithaeglir felt threathened by these 'Forgoil', or Strawheads (referring to the blonde hair). The Hill-folk had slowly colonized Calenardhon during the dwindling of the Dúnedain, and had already reclaimed all the land between the rivers Adorn and Isen.

Still, open war was not waged until the reign of Helm Hammerhand (2741 T.A. - 2759 T.A.). Freca, the lord of the hill-men (whom the Rohirrim now called Dunlendings) tried to get the throne of Rohan for himself by petitioning for the marriage of his son Wulf to the daughter of Helm. Freca was killed, and Wulf led the Dunlendings into open war with Rohan. They unsuccessfully besieged the Hornburg during the Long Winter of 2758–2759. Wulf did take Edoras and killed Haleth, the son of Helm, in front of the golden hall of Meduseld. But in the refuge of Dunharrow Helm's nephew Fréaláf held out against the Dunlendings. He recaptured Edoras in the end of the long winter and killed Wulf personally. The Dunlendings were driven out of Rohan, and Fréalaf succeeded the deceased Helm Hammerhand.

Those of Durin's folk led by King Thráin II, settled in Dunland for around twenty years, and then once the War of the Dwarves and Orcs ended they wandered in Eriador for three years till they settled in the North of the Ered Luin.

Guarding the Gap of Rohan was the fortress of Isengard, where a hereditary guard watched for Gondor. However, by the time of the Beren, Steward of Gondor, these guards had mixed with Dunlendings, and it had become hostile to Gondor. To remedy this situation, Beren gave Saruman the keys to Orthanc, to guard Isengard for Gondor.

Saruman used this old history to tempt the Dunlendings into supporting him during the War of the Ring.



Dunland is understood as "Brownland" (Old English dunn means "brown, dusky, dull"), referring to its inhabitants being swarthy and dark-haired[1]

The element dunn is not meant to have any relation to the Elvish root dûn meaning "west".

Region of Dunland
Tharbad, Gwathló.
Glanduin, Eregion Moria, Misty Mountains, Lórien
Lond Daer, Gwathló,
WindRose3.pngMisty Mountains, Fangorn Forest
Enedwaith, Drúwaith Iaur, River Isen River Isen Isengard, Gap of Rohan.

