The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Associated with Minas Anor (later Minas Tirith), and so likely built at about the same time, before the end of the Second Age;1 survived into the Fourth Age
Location
On Anduin as it flowed southward past Minas Tirith and the Pelennor Fields
Race
Division
Culture
Settlements
Associated with Minas Tirith (formerly known as Minas Anor)
Pronunciation
ha'rrlond ('rr' indicates that the 'r' sound should be distinctly pronounced)
Meaning
'Southern haven'
Note
The Harlond in Gondor is not to be confused with another 'southern haven' of the same name; the Harlond on the south side of the Gulf of Lhûn, far to the north of Gondor

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About this entry:

  • Updated 16 September 2020
  • This entry is complete

Harlond

The port of Minas Tirith

Map of Harlond, the port of Minas Tirith

The port and docks of the city of Minas Tirith, built on a bend in the River Anduin, and used by river traffic from the southern regions of Gondor. It lay some four miles to the southeast of the city, protected by the defences of the great wall known as the Rammas Echor.2 The docks were so placed that there was a clear view of the southern river for many leagues, allowing defenders to see approaching ships long before they arrived at port.

During the War of the Ring, it was at the Harlond that Aragorn landed with his fleet of captured Corsair vessels, reinforcing the beleaguered defenders of Minas Tirith. After the victory in the Battle of the Pelennor, the Harlond continued to be busy, as more ships from the southern lands carried new troops to Minas Tirith.


Notes

1

We have no specific information about the building of the Harlond, but it seems reasonable to date it to approximately the same time as Minas Anor, the city it originally would have served.

In theory, though, the Harlond might have predated Minas Anor by some time. We know that the Númenóreans had established Pelargir on Anduin much earlier, in II 2350 (predating Minas Anor by about a thousand years), and so the Harlond might originally have been another minor port built on the Great River at about the same time. On this line of reasoning, Anárion would have chosen to build his city where he did because of the convenient pre-existing port, rather than building the port to service Minas Anor. On the whole, this seems a less likely possibility, but lacking more detailed information, it would not be impossible.

2

Exactly how the docks related to the wall is not entirely clear. The text of The Lord of the Rings (The Return of the King V 1) tells us that the wall ran along the edge of the river at this point, and that the Harlond was 'beneath' it. In his extended index, Tolkien also states that the Harlond was 'within' the wall. Of course the docks and quays on the river must themselves have been outside the wall, so presumably some kind of gateway led from the landings into the port itself, though the exact arrangement is nowhere described.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 16 September 2020
  • This entry is complete

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