A general term used to refer to all the peoples of Middle-earth who had not fallen under the power of Sauron. Otherwise known as the Free Peoples, or simply the Free, the term included the Elves of Middle-earth, as well as Men (especially those of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain and of Rohan) as well as Dwarves (or at least those of Durin's Folk) and Hobbits. After the Fall of Sauron, a minstrel of Gondor made a lay of the adventures of Frodo and addressed it to all the Free Folk of the West.
With Sauron having been defeated at the close of the Third Age, we might expect that the term would have fallen out of use at this point in history. We do know, however, that Gondor and Rohan continued to war against the Sauron's old followers in the East of Middle-earth for some time. So, a distinction between the Free Folk and the servants of Sauron continued into the Fourth Age for at least several decades, even after Sauron himself had been defeated.
Indexes:
About this entry:
- Updated 15 June 2022
- Updates planned: 1
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2022. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
SHARE
