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An excellent narrative history of western Middle-Earth from the point of view of the indigenous peoples can be found in an article on Lalaith's Middle-Earth Science pages. Here I have tried to present only information pertaining to the Dunlendings in particular. The Fourth Age information is purely conjectural, and was invented by me in order to fit the storyline developed on IGN Vault's Stilted Pony board during 2000.
| Second Age | |
| First millenium | Enedwaith and Minihiriath, the 'Middle Lands' between the sea and the Misty Mountains, are inhabited by a folk who were 'as later historians recognized the kin of the Folk of Haleth'. At the time of the first Númenorean explorations, these lands were occupied by vast and almost continuous forests, except in the central region of the Great Fens. |
| c. 750-800 | Tar-Aldarion is the first Númenorean king to begin felling the great forests to provide timber for his ships. The native people of the 'Middle Lands' are at first in awe of the Númenoreans, and do not become hostile until the tree-felling has become devastating. They then attack and ambush the Númenoreans, who in turn become more ruthless in their fellings. The people of Minihiriath flee to the cape of Eryn Vorn; those of Enedwaith to the eastern mountains where afterwards was Dunland. |
| 1693-1701 | The war against Sauron. When Sauron begins a war in Eriador, the exiled peoples of Enedwaith and Minihiriath, bitter against the Númenorean conquistadors, give him their support. Sauron is defeated, but by the time the war is over most of the old forests have been destroyed. |
| Third Age | |
| 1636-7 | The Great Plague. The Dunlendings suffer less than most, since they dwell apart and have few dealings with other men. |
| 1975-2050 | The days of the Kings in Gondor come to an end and the Dunlendings cease to be subjects of Gondor; the royal road becomes unkempt and the bridge at Tharbad ruinous. |
| 2063-2460 | The people of the old Gondorian province of Calenardhon dwindle; the Dunlendings drift 'steadily and unchecked' over the Isen into the empty lands. |
| 2510 | Cirion the Steward of Gondor gives Eorl the Young and his people possession of Calenardhon, later known as Rohan, referred to by Eorl's people as 'the Mark'. |
| 2545-70 | Reign of Brego in Rohan. He drives the Dunlendings from the Wold. |
| 2570-2645 | Reign of Aldor 'the Old' in Rohan. He roots out the last of the Dunlendish people who lingered east of the Isen, and even raids their lands in Enedwaith in reprisal. |
| 2699-2718 | After the death of Aldor, the Dunlendings again begin to filter into northern Westfold, making settlements in the mountain glens west and east of Isengard and even in the southern eaves of Fangorn. Also, the command of the Gondorian fortress of Isengard passes into the hands of a family of the people, who are of mixed blood. During Deor's reign the Dunlendings become openly hostile, raiding the herds and studs of the Rohirrim in Westfold. Deor overcomes the Dunlendings, but finds Isengard held against him. He sends to Gondor for help, but they are unable to aid him. The Dunlendings remain in occupation of Isengard until after the Long Winter (2758-9), when they are starved out and capitulate to Fréaláf. |
| 2741-59 | Reign of Helm Hammerhand in Rohan. |
| 2754 | When Freca, a landowner of mixed blood whose lands lie on either side of the Adorn, asks for the hand of Helm's daughter for his son, Helm mocks him. Freca flies into a rage and reviles Helm. Helm takes Freca outside and without warning strikes him such a blow that he dies soon after. Freca's son and kin are proclaimed enemies of Rohan, and flee (probably to Dunland). |
| 2758-9 | Rohan is attacked from the east. The Dunlendings, led by Wulf son of Freca, seize their chance, and come over the Isen and down from Isengard. With them are 'enemies of Gondor' who landed at the mouths of Lefnui and Isen, probably the Corsairs of Umbar. Helm is driven back to Helms Deep, where he holds out for many months but eventually dies during the Long Winter. After winter breaks, Helm's nephew Fréaláf comes down out of Dunharrow and slays Wulf in Meduseld, regaining the royal fortress of Edoras. There are great floods during the spring of 2759; also, Gondor finally sends help to Rohan, and by year's end the Dunlendings are driven out even from Isengard. |
| 2864-2903 | Reign of Folcwine in Rohan. He 'reconquers' the West-March, the lands between the Isen and Adorn, which the Dunlendings had long occupied. |
| 2912 | Great floods devastate Enedwaith and Minihiriath. The town of Tharbad is ruined. |
| 3019 | War of the Ring. Saruman incites the Dunlendings to unite with his own Orcish forces against Rohan. During the First Battle of the Fords of Isen, Saruman's forces are victorious and Theodred, heir to the King of Rohan, is slain. There is a second battle at the fords; again the Rohirrim are defeated, and their forces are driven back to Helm's Deep. The Battle of the Hornburg then takes place. The Rohirrim and their allies defeat Saruman's forces, largely due to the help of Gandalf the Grey and the Ents. No Orcs are left alive, but many Dunlending hillmen surrender. The Rohirrim are merciful; the Dunlendings must labour to repair the evil in which they have joined, but afterwards are allowed to go back to their own land, provided they take an oath never again to pass the Fords of Isen in arms. |
| Fourth Age (purely speculative) | |
| 1-63 | Reign of King Elessar in Gondor. Elessar establishes the Reunited Kingdom, a huge empire stretching from Gondor to Arnor, and gifts Dunland to Éomer Eadig, King of Rohan. With the transfer of power, Rohirric thains rule over the Dunlendings with a strict hand, applying a system of tithes and service much harsher than anything the Dunlendings are used to. Failure to meet the exacting standards results in swift punishment, imprisonment and seizure of lands for debts that cannot be paid. This strict regime makes the Rohirrim many enemies. |
| c. 63 | Elfwine, son of Eomer, takes the throne as King of Rohan and Dunland. Edmyg leads the Dunlendings in a series of violent protests against their unwanted ruler. The rebellion is easily quashed, however, and Rohirric troops are brought in to occupy the 'seditious' province. From that time forward the region remains in a volatile state, although few Dunlendings dare challenge their oppressors openly. |
| 380 | Thunor succeeds his father Éodred as King of Rohan. A few of the old noble houses of Dunland plot to murder the newly appointed king, believing that this will throw Rohan into chaos and pave the way for Dunland to break free. The scheme is a failure; the perpetrators are captured and executed and their families outlawed. The brutal retribution taken by the Rohirrim hardens the hearts of the people of Dunland against their oppressors. |
| c. 390 | A group of Dunlending patriots begins a resistance movement. At first their numbers are small and they rely mainly on terrorist tactics, but as their numbers grow open rebellion becomes a possibility. |
| 400 | A revolt takes place in Dunland, timed to coincide with an uprising in Harondor and attacks on the Gondorian province of Ithilien, thus ensuring that Gondor cannot come to Rohan's aid. This revolt is led by a man named Rhain Bledri. |
| ... and after that? You'll just have to read the stories! | |
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Sources Second Age: Tolkien J.R.R., 1980, Unfinished Tales, Part Two, chapter IV 'The History of Galadriel and Celeborn' Third Age: Tolkien J.R.R., 1980, Unfinished Tales, Part 3, chapter V 'The Battles of the Fords of Isen' Tolkien J.R.R., 1955, Lord of the Rings, Appendices A and B Tolkien J.R.R., 1955, Lord of the Rings, Book Three, chapter 7 'Helms Deep' |
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