Caradhras
Encyclopedia
In the fictional universe
of J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
, Caradhras, also called the Redhorn (the literal English
translation of the Sindarin
name), and known in the Dwarves' language
as Barazinbar, is one of the mightiest peaks in the Misty Mountains
. It stands above the Redhorn Gate, the only known surface route through the Misty Mountains between Rivendell
and the Gap of Rohan. Along with Celebdil and Fanuidhol, Caradhras is one of the three Mountains of Moria, beneath which the great Dwarf
palace of Khazad-dûm
was built. Below the snowline, Caradhras is described as having dull red slopes, "as if stained with blood", which is perhaps the origin of its name.
Caradhras is the northernmost of the three Mountains of Moria. The mithril
mines, on which Khazad-dûm's wealth was founded, were gradually extended north under Caradhras. It was here that miners
found Durin's Bane, the Balrog
of Moria
.
Caradhras has for centuries had an evil reputation, earning the sobriquet "the Cruel". Gimli
says that Caradhras bore that name before Sauron
was known in the area, and dislikes both Elves
and Dwarves.
The Redhorn Gate originally linked the former Noldor
in realm of Eregion
in the west to the Dimrill Dale
and hence the Vale of Anduin
in the east. After Eregion was destroyed in the War of the Elves and Sauron, this pass was predominantly used by Elves travelling between Lórien and Eriador
. The Hobbit
s used this pass on their migration to Eriador from the Gladden Fields
. The Redhorn Gate is notoriously treacherous, being noted especially as the site of Elrond
's wife Celebrían
's abduction by Orcs
. Later, the Nine Walkers' attempt to traverse the pass nearly ended in disaster in a snowstorm. Besides the storm itself they endured distressing noises from the wind as well as a barrage of stones and were very nearly trapped by suspiciously placed snowdrift
s. Gimli especially, as well as Boromir
and to a lesser extent Aragorn
, attributed this combination of threats to the malice of Caradhras. In the Peter Jackson
film the "fell voice" is Sauruman speaking in Sindarin
, who exhorts cruel Redhorn to strike at the Fellowship while Gandalf
pleads for Cahadras to sleep.
Caradhras is reminiscent (in form and meaning) of the Greek word χαράδρα (charadra), which means "mountain stream". Tolkien also named the mountain after Cadair Idris
, a Welsh
mountain of Snowdonia
, Welsh being a language Tolkien was fond of.
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, Caradhras, also called the Redhorn (the literal English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation of the Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
name), and known in the Dwarves' language
Khuzdul
Khuzdul is a constructed language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is one of the many fictional language set in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth...
as Barazinbar, is one of the mightiest peaks in the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. It stands above the Redhorn Gate, the only known surface route through the Misty Mountains between Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
and the Gap of Rohan. Along with Celebdil and Fanuidhol, Caradhras is one of the three Mountains of Moria, beneath which the great Dwarf
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
palace of Khazad-dûm
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
was built. Below the snowline, Caradhras is described as having dull red slopes, "as if stained with blood", which is perhaps the origin of its name.
Caradhras is the northernmost of the three Mountains of Moria. The mithril
Mithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...
mines, on which Khazad-dûm's wealth was founded, were gradually extended north under Caradhras. It was here that miners
Durin's folk
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Durin's folk, also known as the Longbeards, were the most important clan of Dwarves. Their name comes from that of their first king, Durin I "The Deathless". They were the eldest and greatest of the seven Dwarf-clans.They originally...
found Durin's Bane, the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
of Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
.
Caradhras has for centuries had an evil reputation, earning the sobriquet "the Cruel". Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
says that Caradhras bore that name before Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
was known in the area, and dislikes both Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
and Dwarves.
The Redhorn Gate originally linked the former Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
in realm of Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
in the west to the Dimrill Dale
Minor places in Middle-earth
The stories of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium contain references to numerous places. Some of these places are described below.-A:...
and hence the Vale of Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
in the east. After Eregion was destroyed in the War of the Elves and Sauron, this pass was predominantly used by Elves travelling between Lórien and Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
. The Hobbit
Hobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
s used this pass on their migration to Eriador from the Gladden Fields
Gladden Fields
The Gladden Fields is a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. In his works, the Gladden Fields are located where the Gladden river joins the Anduin....
. The Redhorn Gate is notoriously treacherous, being noted especially as the site of Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
's wife Celebrían
Celebrían
Celebrían is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. She is an Elven noblewoman, the daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel, wife of Elrond, and mother of Elrohir, Elladan and Arwen. She was called the Lady of Rivendell. Her name means "silver queen" in Sindarin.- Biography :The place and...
's abduction by Orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
. Later, the Nine Walkers' attempt to traverse the pass nearly ended in disaster in a snowstorm. Besides the storm itself they endured distressing noises from the wind as well as a barrage of stones and were very nearly trapped by suspiciously placed snowdrift
Snowdrift
A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind is slowed, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes...
s. Gimli especially, as well as Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
and to a lesser extent Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
, attributed this combination of threats to the malice of Caradhras. In the Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
film the "fell voice" is Sauruman speaking in Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
, who exhorts cruel Redhorn to strike at the Fellowship while Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
pleads for Cahadras to sleep.
Caradhras is reminiscent (in form and meaning) of the Greek word χαράδρα (charadra), which means "mountain stream". Tolkien also named the mountain after Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris
Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in Gwynedd, Wales that lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park. The peak, which is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hikers, is composed largely of Ordovician igneous rocks, with classic glacial erosion features such as...
, a Welsh
Welsh
-Wales:* Wales, a country in the United Kingdom* Welsh language* Welsh people* Culture of Wales* Welsh cuisine-See also:*Walha*Welch *Walsh *Welshy...
mountain of Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
, Welsh being a language Tolkien was fond of.