The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Destroyed at the end of the First Age
Location
Flowing southward out of Ered Gorgoroth, and then westward to form the eastern and southern boundaries of Doriath
Source
In the eastern foothills of Ered Gorgoroth
Tributaries
Celon, and one other lesser river, unnamed, near Aros' source
Outflow
Into Sirion above that river's Fens
Pronunciation
a'ros
Meaning
'Bloody', referring to its reddish colour1

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 17 June 2015
  • Updates planned: 1

River Aros

The southern border-river of Doriath

Map of the River Aros

A river of eastern Beleriand that rose in the eastern mountains of Ered Gorgoroth, and flowed into the Sirion at Aelin-uial.


Notes

1

According to The Etymologies in volume V of The History of Middle-earth, the name Aros derived from Sindarin iaros, 'bloody', because of the distinctive reddish hue of its water. This mirrors the name of another river much farther to the east, the Carnen or Redwater. The Carnen's reddened water was due to its source in the Iron Hills (iron deposits give rise to reddish river water) and so presumably Aros' source in Ered Gorgoroth was similarly associated with deposits of iron.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 17 June 2015
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2008, 2015. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.
How do your personal strengths fit in with career matching? How can you identify them? Try a free personality test from myDISCprofile.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry