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Chronology

The Thain's Book
An encyclopedia of Middle-earth and Numenor

Days & Times


Dawnless Day

March 10, 3019 of the Third Age, during the War of the Ring. A Darkness began flowing out of Mordor on the night of March 9-10. There was no dawn on the morning of March 10. A great cloud covered the sky over Gondor and Rohan and the day remained dark and gloomy. The Darkness emanated from the smoke and fumes of Mount Doom. It was sent by Sauron to cause fear and uncertainty among his adversaries and to aid his army of Orcs, who preferred darkness, and the Nazgul, whose powers where enhanced in the dark.

On the Dawnless Day, King Theoden led the Muster of Rohan in Dunharrow and Gandalf rescued Faramir and his men from Winged Nazgul outside Minas Tirith. The Darkness hung heavily over Ithilien as Frodo Baggins came to the Crossroads, but at sunset he saw a beam of sunlight from the West touch the fallen head of a great statue of a King. That night Frodo saw the Lord of the Nazgul lead the Morgul-host from Minas Morgul.

The Darkness lasted for several days as the forces of Mordor laid siege to Minas Tirith. Dawn finally came on March 15 as the Rohirrim charged onto the Pelennor Fields and Aragorn sailed up the Anduin toward the City. In Mordor, Frodo and Sam caught a glimpse of the dawn over the Mountains of Shadow.

Sources:
The Two Towers: "Journey to the Cross-roads," p. 308-11
The Return of the King: "Minas Tirith," p. 45; "The Muster of Rohan," p. 74; "The Siege of Gondor," p. 79-81, 89, 91; "The Ride of the Rohirrim," p. 110-13; "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields," p. 114; "The Tower of Cirith Ungol," p. 174-76; "The Land of Shadow," p. 196


Days of Dearth

Famine that followed the Long Winter. The Days of Dearth lasted from the winter of 2758-59 of the Third Age through the following year of 2760. Food was in short supply, especially in Rohan and the Shire, and many people starved to death. Gandalf helped the Hobbits during the Long Winter and the Days of Dearth and he was impressed with their courage and their pity for one another.

Names & Etymology:
The word dearth means "scarcity of food, famine."

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue: Concerning Hobbits," p. 14
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The House of Eorl," p. 347-48
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 369
Unfinished Tales: "The Quest of Erebor," p. 331


Days of the Week

The Hobbits' names for the days of the week originated in the period when they lived in the Vales of the Anduin. The names were adapted from the language of Men who lived in that region and were similar to the weekday names used by the Rohirrim who also came from around there. The older forms of the Hobbits' weekday names were used in the Yearbook of Tuckborough which was begun around the year 2000 of the Third Age. By the end of the Third Age the names had been shortened. Outside the Shire, people who spoke the Common Speech used the Quenya names for the days of the week.
 

Sterday

Saturday in the Shire. Sterday was the first day of the week. The first day of the year - which was part of Yule - always fell on a Sterday.

The archaic form of Sterday in the Hobbits' language was Sterrendei. The name meant "Star Day." It was a translation of the Quenya name Elenya from elen meaning "star." The Sindarin name for this day was Orgilion from aur meaning "day" and gil meaning "star."
 

Sunday

Sunday in the Shire. Sunday was the second day of the week, and it was not a holiday.

The archaic form of Sunday was Sunnendei. This day was named for the Sun. The Quenya name was Anarya where anar means "Sun." The Sindarin name was Oranor where aur means "day" and anor means "Sun."
 

Monday

Monday in the Shire. Monday was the third day of the week.

The archaic form of Monday was Monendei. It meant "Moon Day." In Quenya it was Isilya from isil meaning "moon." The Sindarin name was Orithil from aur meaning "day" and ithil meaning "moon."
 

Trewsday

Tuesday in the Shire. Trewsday was the fourth day of the week.

The archaic form of Trewsday was Trewesdei. The Quenya name was Aldúya from aldu meaning "Two Trees" in reference to the Two Trees of Valinor. The Sindarin name was Orgaladhad from aur meaning "day" and galadhad - apparently a dual form of galadh meaning "tree." The Numenoreans altered these names to Aldëa and Orgaladh in order to specifically honor the White Tree because a sapling of it grew in Numenor which later gave rise to the White Tree of Gondor.
 

Hevensday

Wednesday in the Shire. Hevensday was the fifth day of the week.

The name Hevensday was sometimes shortened to Hensday. The archaic form was Hevenesdei. This name meant "Heavens' Day." In Quenya it was called Menelya from menel meaning "heavens." The Sindarin form was Ormenel.
 

Mersday

Thursday in the Shire. Mersday was the sixth day of the week.

The archaic form of Mersday was Meresdei. This day did not exist on the calendar of the Elves, who had a six day week. It was the Numenoreans who created the seven day week, and they added this day which they named after the Sea. In Quenya it was called Eärenya from Eär meaning "Great Sea." In Sindarin it was Oraearon from aur meaning "day" and aearon meaning "Great Sea."
 

Highday

Friday in the Shire. Highday was the seventh and last day of the week. Starting at noon on Highday was a holiday in the Shire and there were feasts held in the evening.

The archaic form of Highday was Highdei. In Quenya it was Valanya in honor of the Valar. It was also called Tárion in Quenya from tára meaning "lofty." The Sindarin names were Orbelain or Rodyn where Belain and Rodyn both mean "Valar."
 

Sources:
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 384, 388-89
Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age," p. 408
The Quenya Corpus Wordlist
Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary


Durin's Day

Holiday of the Dwarves. Durin's Day occurred only when the Moon and the Sun were in the sky together on the Dwarves' New Year's Day - which was the first day of the last Moon of autumn. By the end of the Third Age, the Dwarves no longer had the ability to calculate when such a phenomenon would occur.

The map of the Lonely Mountain given to Gandalf by Thorin's father Thrain contained a secret message written in Moon-letters:

Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole.
The Hobbit: "A Short Rest," p. 63
When Thorin & Company reached the Lonely Mountain in 2941 of the Third Age, they tried unsuccessfully to find the secret door. At last, on the first day of the last week of autumn, Bilbo Baggins heard a thrush knocking and he saw a new Moon in the sky with the setting Sun. It was Durin's Day, and the light of the setting sun revealed the key-hole to the secret door leading into the Lonely Mountain.

Names & Etymology:
Durin's Day was named in honor of Durin, who was the eldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves.

The phrase Durin's Day was also used as a general description of the era in which Durin I reigned.

Sources:
The Hobbit: "A Short Rest," p. 63-64; "On the Doorstep," p. 221-23


Fell Winter (First Age)

Winter of 495-496 of the First Age. The Fell Winter began in early November of 495 before autumn had officially ended. A strong wind came down from Morgoth's realm in the North as Glaurung conquered Nargothrond.

On November 8, Tuor and Voronwe reached the Pools of Ivrin on their way to Gondolin and they were passed by Turin who was traveling north to Dor-lomin. That night, there was a heavy snowfall and the Fell Winter began in earnest. For the next five months, the northern lands were gripped by snow and ice and bitter cold. The Fell Winter ended when spring arrived late in March of 496.

Names & Etymology:
The word fell means "cruel, terrible." There was also a Fell Winter in 2911 of the Third Age.

Sources:
The Silmarillion: "Of Turin Turambar," p. 213, 215, 217; "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin," p. 239
Unfinished Tales: "Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin," p. 25, 28, 36-38, 42; "Narn I Hin Hurin," p. 112
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XI, The War of the Jewels: "The Grey Annals," p. 88, 93; "The Wanderings of Hurin," p. 256, 261


Fell Winter (Third Age)

Winter of 2911 of the Third Age, or 1311 by Shire Reckoning. During this winter, the Brandywine River froze and white wolves from the North entered the Shire. In this time of emergency, the Horn-call of Buckland was used to rally the Hobbits. The spring thaw in 2912 brought great floods that devastated Enedwaith and Minhiriath and ruined the town of Tharbad on the Greyflood.

Names & Etymology:
The word fell means "cruel, terrible." There was also a Fell Winter in 495-6 of the First Age.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "A Knife in the Dark," p. 189; "The Ring Goes South," p. 301-2
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 370


Fourth Age

The age of the dominion of Men in Middle-earth. The Fourth Age began after the departure of the bearers of the Three Rings of the Elves on September 29, 3021, of the Third Age. But in the records of Gondor, the first day of the Fourth Age was moved back six months to March 25 which was the first day of the year according to the New Reckoning. This was done to commemorate anniversary of the defeat of Sauron.

The Hobbits of the Shire, however, had a different system. For the most part they ignored they change of Ages and continued to use their own Shire Reckoning. But in their view, the Fourth Age began in 3022 on 2 Yule, which was the first day of their year. The different methods used in Gondor and the Shire can lead to a discrepancy of one year in calculating Fourth Age dates. (See also the Note on Dates.)

The Fourth Age was characterized by the rise to prominence of the race of Men. The Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor were reunited and Aragorn was crowned as King Elessar. The Reunited Kingdom flourished under his rule. The population of Minas Tirith increased, and the northern cities of Annuminas and Fornost were inhabited once more.

Rohan also prospered at the dawn of the Fourth Age under the rule of King Eomer and his son Elfwine. Dale was an independent realm under the protection of the Reunited Kingdom. The Men of Rhun and Harad were at peace with the Reunited Kingdom, although there were some pockets of unrest which King Elessar and King Eomer subdued.

Although Sauron had been defeated and never returned, evil was not eradicated from the world. There were most likely wars and conflicts among Men during the Fourth Age, and one source (HoME XII, p. 409-21) suggests that dissension arose within the Reunited Kingdom as early as the reign of Elessar's son Eldarion.

King Elessar died in 120. His son Eldarion's reign may have lasted until around 220. It was foretold that Eldarion's realm would be great and that it would endure under the rule of his descendants for a hundred generations of Men. It was also said that his descendants would rule many realms in the future. (HoME XII, p. 218)

But as Men became the dominant race in Middle-earth, other races began to diminsh, most notably the Elves. Many Elves had become weary of life in Middle-earth and yearned for the Undying Lands. Some left before the War of the Ring, and more departed after the destruction of the One Ring caused the Three Rings to lose their power to preserve beauty and slow the decay of time.

The Elves sailed westward in ships from the Grey Havens. Galadriel and Elrond - the bearers of Nenya and Vilya - embarked from the Grey Havens on the last day of the Third Age along with Gandalf - the bearer of Narya - and Bilbo and Frodo Baggins who had borne the One Ring. Many Elves accompanied them, and others followed.

But the Elves did not all leave Middle-earth immediately, and some chose not to leave at all. There were several communities of Elves in Middle-earth in the early part of the Fourth Age. In northern Greenwood - formerly Mirkwood - the Wood-elves led by Thranduil thrived for many years. Thranduil's son Legolas led a group of Elves from Greenwood to Ithilien where they restored the land to its former beauty. After King Elessar's death in 120, Legolas sailed West accompanied by his friend Gimli the Dwarf.

Celeborn stayed in Lothlorien for a while and even expanded the realm across the Anduin, but he left for Rivendell after a short time and the population of Lothlorien dwindled. At Rivendell, a number of High-elves lived along with Elrond's sons Elladan and Elrohir well into the Fourth Age. At some point Celeborn joined Galadriel in the Undying Lands. He was among the last Elves to leave Middle-earth. It was said that Cirdan waited at the Grey Havens to accompany the Last Ship into the West.

Eventually the Elves who remained in Middle-earth began to physically fade until they were no longer wholly visible to mortal eyes. These faded Elves, known as Lingerers, might on rare occasions reveal themselves to the minds of mortals, but for the most part they would "wander houseless in the world, unwilling to leave it and unable to inhabit it, haunting trees or springs or hidden places that once they knew." (HoME X, p. 223) How long this fading process took and whether it occurred during the Fourth Age or afterwards is unclear.

The Dwarves and the Hobbits also had communities that continued into the Fourth Age though they too eventually declined. The Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain continued to prosper, and Dwarves also lived in the Blue Mountains. Gimli led a group of Dwarves to the Glittering Caves in the White Mountains. It was said that in time there was a King named Durin VII who reclaimed Moria and reestablished the great realm of Khazad-dum which endured "until the world grew old and the Dwarves failed and the days of Durin's race were ended." (HoME XII, p. 278)

The Shire was made a Free Land under the protection of the North-kingdom in the year 6 of the Fourth Age and King Elessar decreed that Men could not go there. The Hobbits were not completely removed from the affairs of the outside world, however. In the year 13, the Mayor, the Thain, and the Master of Buckland - at that time Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck - became Counsellors of the North-kingdom.

The Shire continued to be a place of peace and prosperity for many years. The Westmarch was added to the Shire in the year 31. The land became even more rich and fertile after Sam made use of the soil from Lothlorien given to him by Galadriel. Many strong and healthy Hobbit children had been born just before the end of the Third Age in 3020, the Great Year of Plenty.

At some point, however, despite the edict of King Elessar, the Shire was absorbed into the realm of Men just as the rest of the world was. Hobbits continued to live in the region but they avoided contact with Men and were seldom seen. It is not known whether this happened during the Fourth Age or at a later time.

The length of the Fourth Age is unknown. The Second and Third Ages were both over 3,000 years long. In Letter #211, Tolkien speculated that subsequent Ages may have been increasingly shorter. He suggested that the gap between the end of the Third Age and the present day was about 6,000 years and that the current Age is either the end of the Sixth or the early Seventh.

The First, Second, and Third Ages all ended with wars that had a profound impact on Middle-earth. Whether the Fourth Age also ended with a war or other cataclysmic event is not known. One source says that the realm of Eldarion's descendants would last "until a new age brought in again new things." (HoME XII, p. 245) This could indicate that the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor ceased to exist at the end of the Fourth Age. And since the Kingdom supposedly lasted 100 generations, that would correspond with the Fourth Age being between 2,000 and 3,000 years long.

Names & Etymology:
Also called the New Age. The Fourth Age was the beginning of the Younger Days. The Elder Days were the period before Morgoth's defeat at the end of the First Age, while the Second and Third Ages were referred to as the Middle Days.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue," p. 10-11, 23-25; "The Shadow of the Past," p. 52, 54; "The Council of Elrond," p. 272; "The Mirror of Galadriel," p. 380
The Return of the King: "The Last Debate," p. 156; "The Steward and the King," p. 246-47, 249; "Many Partings," p. 258; "The Grey Havens," p. 309
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The House of Eorl," p. 351-52; "Durin's Folk," p. 360, 362
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 363, 365, 375, 377-78
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 390
Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings: "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age," p. 415-16
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 303-4
The History of Middle-earth, vol. X, Morgoth's Ring: "Laws and Customs among the Eldar," p. 223-25; "Myths Transformed," p. 427
The History of Middle-earth, vol. IX, Sauron Defeated: "The Epilogue," p. 124
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "The Heirs of Elendil," p. 218; "The Tale of Years of the Third Age," p. 244-45; "The Making of Appendix A," p. 278; "The New Shadow," p. 409-21
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Letters #131, #144, #211, #244, #338


Gates of Summer

Festival of the Elves of Gondolin. The Gates of Summer took place on the first day of summer. The ceremony began at midnight. People gathered on the walls of the city and the crowds remained silent through the night. At the break of dawn, choirs sang ancient songs to greet the arrival of summer.

In 510 of the First Age, Morgoth attacked Gondolin during the festival of the Gates of Summer. Instead of the rising sun in the east, the Elves on the city walls saw the red fires of Morgoth's army coming over the Encircling Mountains from the north. The Elves of Gondolin were defeated and only a small number managed to escape led by Tuor and Idril.

Sources:
The Silmarillion: "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin," p. 242
The History of Middle-earth, vol. II, The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two: "The Fall of Gondolin," p. 172


Great Year of Plenty

The year 3020 of the Third Age, or 1420 by Shire Reckoning. Like most of Middle-earth, the Shire suffered hardship and deprivation during the War of the Ring. But the year following the War was one of rebirth and renewal.

Sam Gamgee had planted saplings to replace felled trees and had spread Galadriel's gift of soil from her garden throughout the Shire. In the spring of 1420, the trees began to grow and the mallorn seed Sam had planted in the Party Field sprouted and bloomed with golden flowers. Harvests of fruits and grains were rich and plentiful. The barley crop in the Northfarthing yielded the finest beer any Hobbit had ever tasted. Pipe-weed, which had all but disappeared from the Shire during the War, was reaped in great quantities.

The weather was fine with a perfect measure of sun and rain. There was little illness and much happiness.

Many children were born and begotten during the Great Year of Plenty. They were fair and strong and many had golden hair, which had been rare among Hobbits. One of the fairest was Elanor the Fair, conceived shortly after the marriage of Sam Gamgee and Rose Cotton in May of 1420 and born on the anniversary of Sauron's downfall on March 25, 1421.

Sources:
The Return of the King: "The Grey Havens," p. 303-304
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 377


Lithe

Midsummer holiday in the Shire. Lithe fell between Forelithe, the sixth month of the year, and Afterlithe, the seventh month. In most years there were three Lithedays: 1 Lithe, Mid-year's Day, and 2 Lithe. In Leap-years there was a fourth Litheday called Overlithe between Mid-year's Day and 2 Lithe. Mid-year's Day and Overlithe were not assigned any weekday, while 1 Lithe always fell on a Friday and 2 Lithe was a Saturday.

Lithe and the Midwinter holiday called Yule were the two major holidays in the Shire. Lithe was a time of great feasting and merriment. During Lithe, the Free Fair was held on the White Downs, where Hobbits gathered to celebrate and to buy and sell goods. Every seven years at the Free Fair during Lithe, an election was held for the office of Mayor of Michel Delving.

In the years that Overlithe occurred, it was a day of special celebration. Overlithe fell during the Great Year of Plenty in 3020 of the Third Age after the War of the Ring, and it was the merriest holiday in the history of the Shire.

Names & Etymology:
The word lithe is from the Old English líða. This may have been the name for Midsummer, while ærra Líða and æftera Líða were used for the months June and July. The word lithe means "mild, balmy" in relation to the weather.

Also called Lithedays and Summerdays.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue - Of the Ordering of the Shire," p. 19
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 387 and Shire Calendar
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Lithe


Long Winter

Winter of November 2758 to March 2759 of the Third Age. This harsh winter brought great hardship and loss of life to the peoples of Middle-earth, particularly in Rohan and the Shire.

Rohan was already under siege by invaders from the East and by the Dunlendings led by Wulf. Wulf took over Edoras and King Helm of Rohan took refuge with many of his people in the Hornburg and the ravine behind, which became known as Helm's Deep. Then winter came and snow covered the land for five months.

The Rohirrim sufferred from cold and starvation. King Helm's son Hama led an expedition from the Hornburg and perished in the snow. Helm himself left the Hornburg many times clad in white and slew his enemies in their camps, but one day he did not return. His frozen body was found standing on the Dike. When the winter ended, Helm's nephew Frealaf took Edoras back from Wulf and expelled the Dunlendings. The spring floods turned the vale of the Entwash into a fen, and the Eastern invaders died or retreated.

In the Shire, many thousands of Hobbits died during the harsh winter and the resulting famine called the Days of Dearth that lasted until 2760. Gandalf came to the aid of the Hobbits and it was during this time that the Wizard's fondness for the Shire-folk grew. He was impressed by their courage and their pity for one another in the face of great hardship. Gandalf recalled these qualities when he decided to bring the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins along on the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug in 2941.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue: Concerning Hobbits," p. 14
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The House of Eorl," p. 347-48
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 369
The Annotated Hobbit: "Appendix A: The Quest of Erebor," p. 370
Unfinished Tales: "The Quest of Erebor," p. 331


Months of the Year

Afteryule

The month of January in the Shire. Afteryule was the first month of the year. Afteryule began after the two-day midwinter holiday of Yule. The second Yuleday was the first day of the year, but it was not considered part of the month of Afteryule. Thus the first day of the month of Afteryule was the second day of the year. The first and second days of Afteryule were part of the longer, six-day holiday period called Yuletide. Afteryule had 30 days in total, like all months in the Shire.

Names & Etymology:
Afteryule was so-called because it began after the Yule holiday. In Bree and in the Eastfarthing, the month was called Frery, from the Old English fréorig meaning "freezing, cold."

The Quenya name for the first month of the year was Narvinyë; the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Narwain. The Elvish names mean "new sun." The word nar or naur means "fire," used in the name for the Sun - Anar (Quenya) or Anor (Sindarin). The word vinyë means "new" in Quenya; the Sindarin equivalent is gwain.
 

Solmath

The month of February in the Shire. Solmath was the second month of the year. Unlike our month of February, Solmath had 30 days, as did all months on the Shire calendar.

Names & Etymology:
Solmath was sometimes written as Somath and was usually pronounced that way. The name Solmath is derived from Solmonað - the Old English name for February. Solmonað means "mud month" from sol meaning "mud" and monað meaning "month." This is most likely a reference to the month's tendency to muddy weather. The name was the same in Bree.

The Quenya name for the month - also used in the Common Speech - was Nénimë and the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Nínui. These names both mean "watery." Again, this is most likely a reference to the month's weather.
 

Rethe

The month of March in the Shire. Rethe was the third month of the year. Like all Shire months, it had 30 days.

Names & Etymology:
The name Rethe is derived from the Old English name for March, which was Hreðe or Hreðmonað, apparently after the goddess Hreða to whom the early Anglo-Saxons performed sacrifices during this month. The name Rethe was also used in Bree.

The Quenya name - used in the Common Speech - was Súlimë, and the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Gwaeron. The Elvish names are derived from the words meaning "wind" - sûl in Quenya and gwaew in Sindarin - and are most likely a reference to the month's windy weather.
 

Astron

The month of April in the Shire. Astron was the fourth month of the year. There were 30 days in Astron.

The sixth day of Astron became a holiday in the Shire in the Fourth Age. Hobbits in the Westfarthing, particularly those living around Hobbiton Hill, celebrated and danced in the Party Field on 6 Astron. This custom may have developed because 6 Astron was Sam Gamgee's birthday, or because it was the first day of the Elves' New Year, or because the mallorn tree in the Party Field first blossomed on that day in 1420 - or possibly for all these reasons.

In the New Reckoning developed in Gondor in the Fourth Age, April became the first month of the year, but the Hobbits did not adopt the new calendar and thus it remained the fourth month in Shire Reckoning.

Names & Etymology:
The name Astron is derived from the Old English name for April, which was Eostermonað. The month was named for the goddess Eostre, who was honored with feasts during this month. The word Easter is also derived from this name.

In Bree and in the Eastfarthing, April was called Chithing. The meaning of this name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Old English cíþ meaning "seed, germ, shoot" in reference to the growth of new plants in the month of April.

The meanings of the Elvish names are also uncertain. The Quenya name was Víressë, also used in the Common Speech, and the Sindarin name was Gwirith, also used by the Dunedain. These names appear to be derived from the root wiri, which is undefined. It has been speculated that it may mean "budding" but this definition is unverified. An earlier alternate Quenya name for April was Ertuilë, which means "first spring."
 

Thrimidge

The month of May in the Shire. Thrimidge was the fifth month of the year. It had 30 days.

Names & Etymology:
Thrimidge was also written as Thrimich or, archaically, as Thrimilch. The name Thrimidge is derived from Ðrimeolce or Ðrimilcemonað - the Old English name for May. The name means "month of three milkings" because at this time of year cows produced abundant milk and had to be milked three times a day. The month was also called Thrimidge in Bree.

The Quenya name - also used in the Common Speech - was Lótessë, and the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Lothron. These names are derived from the word lótë or loth meaning "flower" in reference to the many blossoming flowers in May.
 

Forelithe

The month of June in the Shire. Forelithe was the sixth month of the year. There were 30 days in Forelithe.

Between the months of Forelithe and Afterlithe was the three-day Midsummer holiday called Lithe. In leap years, Lithe was four days long. These Lithedays were not part of either month.

Names & Etymology:
Forelithe was so called because it was before the holiday of Lithe. The name Lithe is derived from the Old English líða, which may have been the name for Midsummer. The word lithe means "mild, balmy" in relation to the weather. The Old English name for June was ærra Líða, or "before Litha."

In Bree, the month was called simply Lithe. In Quenya - also used in the Common Speech - it was Nárië, and in Sindarin - used by the Dunedain - it was Nórui. The Elvish names mean "sunny" from Anar (Quenya) or Anor (Sindarin) meaning the Sun.
 

Afterlithe

The month of July in the Shire. Afterlithe was the seventh month of the year. Like all months, it had 30 days.

Afterlithe began after the Midsummer holiday called Lithe. The three Lithedays (four in leap years) fell between Forelithe and Afterlithe and were not considered part of either month.

Names & Etymology:
Afterlithe was named for its occurrence after the holiday of Lithe. (See Forelithe above.) The name corresponds to the Old English name for July, æftera Líða, or "after Litha." The name in Bree was Mede, meaning "meadow" from the Old English Maedmonað, or "meadow month" - an alternate name for July.

The Quenya name - used in the Common Speech - was Cermië, and the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Cerveth. The meanings of these names are unknown.
 

Wedmath

The month of August in the Shire. Wedmath was the eighth month of the year. It had 30 days, as did all months on the Shire calendar.

Names & Etymology:
The name Wedmath is derived from the Old English Weodmonað, meaning "weed month," referring to the proliferation of weeds or grasses in this month. The same name was used in Bree.

Urimë was the Quenya name (used in the Common Speech) and Urui was the Sindarin name (used by the Dunedain). The root ur means "hot."
 

Halimath

The month of September in the Shire. Halimath was the ninth month of the year. There were 30 days in Halimath.

Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins were both born on 22 Halimath - Bilbo in 2890 and Frodo in 2968. In the Fourth Age, Frodo's birthday was celebrated as a holiday named Ringday, or Cormare. On the adjusted calendar of the New Reckoning - used in the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor - this holiday fell on the 30th day of the month, which was called Yavannie in the Common Speech. The extra day of leap year came after Ringday in the New Reckoning.

The Hobbits did not adopt the calendar of the New Reckoning, nor is there any record of celebrations in the Shire on 22 Halimath.

Names & Etymology:
The name Halimath is derived from the Old English Haligmonað, meaning "holy month." This may be a reference to harvest rituals performed in this month. The name of the month in Bree was Harvestmath, meaning "harvest month."

The Quenya name - used in the Common Speech - was Yavannië, and the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Ivanneth. These names refer to Yavanna, the Vala of growing things, whose name means "giver of fruits."
 

Winterfilth

The month of October in the Shire. Winterfilth was the tenth month of the year. Before the Hobbits adopted the King's Reckoning, their year ended after the completion of the harvest and Winterfilth was thus originally the last month of their year. The name refers to the filling or completion of the year, though in Bree it was a joke to equate "filth" with the muddy conditions in the Shire during the month of Winterfilth.

Like all months on the Shire calendar, Winterfilth had 30 days.

Names & Etymology:
Winterfilth means "winter filling," the filling or completion of the year before winter. This dates back to the time when Winterfilth was the last month of the Hobbits' year. The month was called Wintring in Bree.

The Quenya equivalent was Narquelië, which was also used in the Common Speech. The Sindarin name was Narbeleth and was used by the Dunedain. Both names mean "sun waning." The word nar means "fire" and Anar is the name of the Sun. The Quenya word quellë and the Sindarin equivalent peleth (lenited to beleth) mean "fading, waning." (Narbeleth was also the name of the season known as "fading" in the Calendar of Imladris.)
 

Blotmath

The month of November in the Shire. Blotmath was the eleventh month of the year on the Shire calendar. Blotmath had 30 days, as did all months in the Shire. On the second day of Blotmath, the Horn of the Mark was blown at sundown in Buckland to commemorate the first time Merry Brandybuck sounded the horn to rally the Hobbits to the Battle of Bywater in 3019 of the Third Age. Afterwards there would be bonfires and feasting.

Names & Etymology:
Blotmath was pronounced like "Blodmath" or "Blommath." The name Blotmath is derived from blodmonað (or blodmonath), the Old English name for November, meaning "sacrifice month." The name was apparently a reference to the sacrifices of cattle that were performed during this month in Anglo-Saxon times. (Note that there is no indication anywhere that Hobbits ever performed similar sacrifices!) Blotmath was called Blooting in Bree.

The Quenya equivalent was Hísimë, which was also used in the Common Speech. The Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Hithui. The Elvish names mean "misty" possibly in reference to the weather of that month.
 

Foreyule

The month of December in the Shire. Foreyule was the twelfth and last month of the year. There were 30 days in Foreyule, like all other months.

The Midwinter holiday of Yule came after the month of Foreyule. The two main Yuledays were not part of the month of Foreyule nor of the following month of Afteryule. The first Yuleday was the last day of the year. There was an extended holiday period called Yuletide which included the last two days of Foreyule and the first two days of Afteryule.

Names & Etymology:
Foreyule was so called because it was before the Yule holiday. This corresponds to the Old English name ærra Geola, or "before Yule." The name in Bree and the Eastfarthing was Yulemath or "Yule month."

The Quenya name - used in the Common Speech - was Ringarë, and the Sindarin name - used by the Dunedain - was Girithron. The Quenya word ring means "cold" and the Sindarin word girith means "shuddering."
 

Sources (for all months):
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 384 (Shire Calendar), 385-88, 390
The Silmarillion: "Appendix - Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names," entries for girith, hith, nar, ring, yave
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entries for KWEL, LOT(H), NAR, UR
The History of Middle-earth, vol. XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "The Calendars," p. 134-35, 139
Archives of the Tolkien Language discussion group
Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary
The Anglo-Saxon Year
Old English


Ringday

Holiday commemorating the Ring-bearer. Ringday was celebrated on Frodo's birthday of September 22 - which corresponded to the 30th of Yavannie on the calendar of the New Reckoning. In leap years, the extra day of the year was added to this holiday.

Names & Etymology:
Also called Cormare in Quenya. Cormarë means "Ringday." The word corma means "ring," derived from kor meaning "round." The word means "day."

Sources:
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 385, 390
The History of Middle-earth, vol. V, The Lost Road and Other Writings: "The Etymologies," entry for KOR


Seasons of the Year

In the Calendar of Imladris used by the Elves of Rivendell, the year was divided into six short seasons: tuile or spring, laire or summer, yavie or autumn, quelle or fading (also called lasselanta or leaf-fall), hrive or winter, and coire or stirring. Summer and winter were 72 days long and the other seasons were each 54 days.

There were also five days that were not part of any season. Mettare and yestare - the last and first days of the year - fell between stirring and spring. Between autumn and fading there were three enderi, or middle-days. The total number of days in the year was 365, except for every twelfth year when three extra middle-days were added to the year.

Other cultures including Men and Hobbits generally used only four seasons: tuile (spring), laire (summer), yavie (autumn), and hrive (winter). However, the term quelle or lasselanta was sometimes applied to the period of late autumn to early winter. These seasons did not have precisely defined lengths.

Names & Etymology:
The Quenya names for the six seasons were tuilë meaning "spring"; lairë meaning "summer"; yávië meaning "autumn, harvest"; quellë meaning "fading"; hrívë meaning "winter"; and coirë meaning "stirring." The term lasselanta or lasse-lanta - meaning "leaf-fall" - was also used for fading.

The Sindarin equivalents were ethuil or "spring"; laer or "summer"; iavas or "autumn"; firith or "fading"; rhîw or "winter"; and echuir or "stirring." The term narbeleth - or "sun-waning" - was also used for fading. (Narbeleth was also the Sindarin name for the tenth month of the year.)

Sources:
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 385-86, 389


Tuilérë

Spring holiday. Tuilere was a day between the months of March and April. It did not belong to either month. Tuilere and the autumn holiday Yaviere were added to the Revised Calendar of the Stewards' Reckoning created by Mardil in 2060 of the Third Age. The Stewards' Reckoning was used in Gondor and other places where the Common Speech was spoken, but not in the Shire.

Names & Etymology:
The name Tuilérë means "spring day" in Quenya from tuilë meaning "spring" and meaning "day."

Source:
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 385-87


Tweens

The period of a Hobbit's life between age 20 and 33. When Hobbits reached the age of 20 they were no longer children, but they did not come of age until they turned 33. Hobbits in their tweens were generally considered irresponsible and not quite grown up.

When Frodo Baggins was in his tweens he was adopted by his cousin Bilbo. Pippin Took was still in his tweens at age 28 when he accompanied Frodo on his quest.

Names & Etymology:
The word tweens is derived from between and is a play on the word teens.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "A Long-Expected Party," p. 29; "The Shadow of the Past," p. 52


Wandering Days

Migratory period of the Hobbits. Hobbits were believed to have once lived in the upper vales of the Anduin between the Misty Mountains and Greenwood the Great. They began to migrate westward after a shadow fell on Greenwood and it became known as Mirkwood.

Around the year 1050 of the Third Age, the Harfoot branch of Hobbits crossed the Misty Mountains into Eriador and came as far west as Weathertop. In 1150, the Fallohides crossed into Eriador north of Rivendell and came down the River Hoarwell. The Stoors also came to Eriador around this time, travelling down the Bruinen to the Angle or farther south to Dunland.

The Lord of the Nazgul came to Eriador around 1300 and established the realm of Angmar at the foot of the Misty Mountains. As evil things multiplied, the Hobbits moved farther west into Eriador and began to settle in ordered communities. The most important of these was at Bree.

The Stoors left the Angle around 1356 and some crossed back over the Misty Mountains to settle near the Anduin in Wilderland. It was from this group that Deagol and Smeagol were descended.

In 1601, a large group of Hobbits led by Marcho and Blanco left Bree and relocated west of the Brandywine River. They were granted permission to settle the lands beyond as far as the Far Downs by King Argeleb II. The Stoors from Dunland joined them in 1630. This land was called the Shire and it became the permanent homeland of the Hobbits for the rest of the Third Age and beyond.

Sources:
The Fellowship of the Ring: "Prologue - Concerning Hobbits," p. 11-13
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 366-67
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Letter #214


Watchful Peace

Period in the Third Age when Sauron was in hiding. The Watchful Peace lasted from 2063 to 2460. Before that time, Sauron had been secretly living in Dol Guldur in Mirkwood, and from there he had directed numerous attacks against Gondor and Arnor. In 2060, Gandalf and others of the Wise began to suspect that the evil presence in Dol Guldur was Sauron. Gandalf went to Dol Guldur to investigate in 2063 and Sauron fled into the East.

During the Watchful Peace, Gondor was free from attacks by Sauron's minions. The Nazgul remained quiet in Minas Morgul. The Dunedain of the North also had peace for a time.

Over the course of four centuries, Gondor's defenses began to relax. The forts along the Anduin guarding Gondor's eastern front were neglected. In the west, garrisons were no longer maintained at Isengard and Aglarond - two strongholds guarding the Gap between the Misty Mountains and the White Mountains.

Sauron returned to Dol Guldur in 2460 and the Watchful Peace ended. Evil creatures had already begun to trouble the north, while attacks on Gondor resumed soon afterwards. In 2475, Ithilien was invaded by Uruks from Mordor. Around 2480, Orcs repopulated Moria and other strongholds in the Misty Mountains. In 2510, Men from Rhun called the Balchoth took advantage of the lightly guarded forts along the Anduin and crossed the river en masse. Only the coming of the Eotheod led by Eorl helped Gondor defeat the Balchoth in the Battle of the Field of Celebrant.

Despite that victory, Gondor remained under constant threat from the end of the Watchful Peace until Sauron was finally defeated in 3019.

Names & Etymology:
Although this period was called the Watchful Peace, it seems that Gondor's watchfulness actually declined during this time.

Sources:
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The North-kingdom and the Dunedain," p. 323; "The Stewards," p. 333
Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings: "The Tale of Years," p. 368
Unfinished Tales: "Cirion and Eorl," p. 296; "The Battles of the Fords of Isen," p. 370-71


Yáviérë

Autumn holiday. Yaviere was a day between the months of September and October. It was not considered part of either month. Yaviere and the spring holiday Tuilere were added to the Revised Calendar of the Stewards' Reckoning created by Mardil in 2060 of the Third Age. The Stewards' Reckoning was used in Gondor and other places where the Common Speech was spoken, but not in the Shire.

Names & Etymology:
The name Yáviérë means "autumn day" in Quenya from yávië meaning "autumn" and meaning "day."

Source:
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 385-87


Yule

Midwinter holiday in the Shire. Yule consisted of two days called 1 Yule and 2 Yule. The last day of the year was 1 Yule and the first day of the next year was 2 Yule. The Yuledays fell between the months called Foreyule and Afteryule and were not part of either month. 1 Yule was always on a Friday and 2 Yule fell on Saturday.

Yule was one of the two chief holidays in the Shire - the other being the midsummer holiday called Lithe. The Yule celebrations lasted six days in total, including two days before and two days after the Yuledays. This six-day period was called Yuletide. It was a time of feasting and merriment.

After the War of the Ring, it was feared that the Yule feasts would be rather meager due to shortages of provisions in the Shire. But large stores of food and beer were found in the tunnels of Michel Delving and in the quarries at Scary and in other places, so the Yuledays were a time of great cheer.

The Elves did not have a celebration at midwinter. It appears that the Rohirrim maintained the custom of celebrating the midwinter holiday as their ancestors the Northmen had done. The name of the holiday in Rohan is not known but it was most likely similar to "Yule."

Names & Etymology:
The word Yule is currently used to refer to Christmas, but it was originally a midwinter holiday around the time of the solstice that marked the beginning of a new year. Like the Shire Calendar, the Old English calendar had months called Ærra Geola - meaning "before Yule" - and Æfterra Geola - or "after Yule." The precise meaing of geola is uncertain, but it may be related to the word "wheel," implying the turning of the year.

Sources:
The Return of the King: "The Grey Havens," p. 302
Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings: "The House of Eorl," p. 347
Appendix D of The Lord of the Rings: "The Calendars," p. 384, 387, 388
"Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings," entry for Yule


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