The White Council

Re: Eriador in T.A 3017

Tolkien and Inklings Discussion

: : : : So, here's a question. : : If The Shire, Bree-land and the wandering rangers are the only : : indigeonus population of Eriador at the end of the Third Age : : (just before the War of the Ring), how did they survive : : (personally I think other villages must have existed) - in : : terms of economic system (Barliman paid 30 silver pennies ofr a : : pony - where's the mint, did trade come up from the South, who : : traded with who. What was the birtrate amogst the Men of Bree - : : in a thousand years, they could've swelled and filled villages : : in parts of Eriador (which fits with the 'no other men had : : settled dwellings.... line, as they were from Bree stock). : : Just thought I'd try nad get youre thoughts on the social and : : economic set up of these lonely lands. What was the political : : set up etc.

: Well, technically the Buckland was not really a part of the Shire, although obviously it was closely tied to the Shire and often spoken of as though it were part of the Shire. But you're discounting the presence of the Elves and Dwarves.

: There were 2-3 Dwarven communities in the Ered Luin, and then there were Elves in Mithlond and quite possibly in other parts of Lindon.

: The Shire-folk appear to have maintained connections with Tharbad and perhaps Dunland (why else would Sarn Ford still be in use when Saruman started sending agents to the Shire?). They also engaged in trade with Bree up until some years before the War of the Ring.

: Aragorn's people may have had several towns. We don't really know anything about them. But they were also closely associated with the Elves in and near Rivendell, and they probably also maintained contact with Tharbad until it was deserted.

: So Eriador itself may have had a dwindling population, but there were still enclaves of other peoples close by with whom the Eriadorians could still interact.

: : Dave

I find ine thing very curious - Bree was reestablished after the destruction of Arthedain by the Witch King, but why only Bree? Of all places in Arthedain (outside of the major city of Fornost and any castles), I thought the Witch Kings troops would've crushed it and razed it to the ground - Bree lay at the crossroads of the two major highways of the North - The Great East Road and the Greenway, if he wanted to destroy Arthedain forever he would have surely obliterated this location, and left a more inoocuous viallge alone..... I guess I'm saying if Bree was refounded, I would imagine a handful of other villages would have been resettled.... Dave