Drúwaith Iaur also called the Old Púkel-wilderness[1] or Old Púkel-land[2][3] was a region of dark woods[4] in the mountains of the promontory of Andrast[1] (a southwestern outlier of the White Mountains) on their northern[5] and northwestern side[6].
Drúwaith Iaur was one of two regions in the White Mountains where the Drúedain lived. They settled there in the First Age after they had crossed the river Anduin (probably near Cair Andros) from the east and continued to live there secretly at the time of the War of the Ring in the Third Age.[1] Drúwaith Iaur was never occupied by the Númenóreans,[1] not considered to be a part of the realm of Gondor,[4] not inhabited by Men of Gondor or of Rohan and seldom visited by them[1]. After the Battles of the Fords of Isen the Drúedain came out of the caves where they lived and attacked a remnant of the forces of Saruman that had been driven from the fords to the south.[2]
Etymology
Drúwaith Iaur is a Sindarin name, consisting of drú ("wild"), waith ("folk, land")[7] and iaur ("old").[4] In this name the word Iaur does not mean "original" but "former".[1]
It thus could be translated as The old wilderness of the Drû-folk[8], Old Púkel-wilderness[1] or Old Púkel-land[2].
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Drúedain", "Further notes on the Drúedain"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Drúedain", "Notes", note 13
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 42, July 2001, entry Lefnui, p. 14
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 42, July 2001, entry Gwathló, p. 9
- ↑ Christopher Tolkien, General Map of Middle-earth, label "Druwaith Iaur (Old Pukel-land)" added by J.R.R. Tolkien in green colour
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. lxiv
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index, entry Drúwaith Iaur