The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Known as the 'Hill of Awe' from the beginning of the Third Age
Location
The westernmost of the Beacons of Gondor, in the Wood of Anwar on Gondor's border with Rohan
Race
Division
Culture
Settlements
One of the Beacons of Gondor was maintained on the summit of the hill
Source
The Mering Stream rose in the Firien-dale on the southern flanks of the hill
Meaning
A reference to the sense of awe engendered by the hidden hallow on the hill
Other names
Amon Anwar, Eilenaer, Halifirien, Hill of Anwar, Holy Mount; at one time called Fornarthan, 'North Beacon'

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About this entry:

  • Updated 14 July 2025
  • This entry is complete

Hill of Awe

The Halifirien on the borders of Rohan

Map of the Hill of Awe

A hill that stood on a spur of the northern White Mountains, around whose feet grew the Firien Wood. In ancient times, before even the foundation of Gondor, the hill had gone by the name Eilenaer. After the War of the Last Alliance, the hill stood near the centre of the great nation of Gondor, and was known by the Gondorians as Amon Anwar, the Hill of Awe. Long afterwards, when the Rohirrim settled in the northern lands of Gondor, the reordering of that land's boundaries meant that the hill now lay on the border between the two countries. The Rohirrim called it the holy mountain, which in their tongue was Halifirien, the name by which it is probably best known.

The reason for the names 'Hill of Awe' or 'holy mountain' was not generally known to the people of the time. Both names derived from the fact that the hill was the place where Isildur had secretly buried his father Elendil, who lay in a hidden mound near the hill's summit throughout most of the Third Age. Only at the time of the foundation of Rohan was the Tomb of Elendil revealed, when Steward Cirion chose that place to swear his Oath to Eorl.


Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 14 July 2025
  • This entry is complete

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