Hoarwell

It began in the northern Misty Mountains west of the Rhimdath River and about 100 miles north of Rivendell. The Hoarwell flowed west past the Ettenmoors and then curved southward, skirting the western edge of the Trollshaws. Flowing under the Last Bridge on the East-West Road, it coursed southward until it was joined by the Bruinen or "Loudwater". The Hoarwell turned south-west until at Tharbad it met with the Glanduin, forming the fenland called the Swanfleet or Nîn-in-Eilph. Beyond this point the combined waters were called the Greyflood or Gwathló.

After the founding of the realm of Arnor in Second Age 3320, the Hoarwell was within its boundaries. In Third Age 861, when Arnor was divided into the splinter-kingdoms of Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur, the river was within the confines of Rhudaur.

Around Third Age 1150, the Fallohides, one of the three kinds of Hobbits, crossed over the Misty Mountains north of Rivendell, travelled down the river Hoarwell and eventually settled in Eriador. In the same year, the Stoors, another kind of Hobbits, left their homes at the bank of the river Anduin and migrated to the west, crossed the Misty Mountains over the Redhorn Pass and followed the course of the Loudwater southwards and settled in the Angle between the rivers Hoarwell and Loudwater or in Dunland.

When Angmar became powerful about Third Age 1300, some of the hobbits moved westwards over the Hoarwell and many settled at Bree.

Around Third Age 1409, the Stoors that had settled in the Angle fled westwards over the Hoarwell and southwards, because of the war with Angmar.

In May Third Age 2941, Thorin and Company crossed the Hoarwell on the Last Bridge (and later that night encountered the trolls).

On 11 October Third Age 3018, Glorfindel drove the Black Riders from the Last Bridge and left a beryl on the roadway to show that the path was safe. Two days later, after finding the elf-stone, Aragorn led the hobbits across the bridge.

The English name Hoarwell has the sense of "hoary spring". It is a combination of hoar ("greyish-white") and Old English well ("well", "spring", "stream").

The Sindarin name Mitheithel has the same meaning: "hoary spring". It is composed of mith ("pale grey") and eithel ("spring", "source").

In the 1937 version of The Hobbit the Hoarwell was described as a rushing red river coming from the mountains in front of the company. In the 1966 edition the adjective "red" was removed and the river came from the north in order to match the geography of The Lord of the Rings.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Most of the Hoarwell is open to exploration, from its sources in the Ettenmoors to its confluence with the Gwathló. Only part of it between the Ettenmoors and the Trollshaws is inaccessible.

1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 26/05/2026.