Thread: The Dunlendings
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Old 07-21-2004, 01:50 PM   #7
Tuor of Gondolin
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Pennsylvania, WtR, passed Sarn Gebir: Above the rapids (1239 miles) BtR, passed Black Rider Stopping Place (31 miles)
Posts: 1,548
Tuor of Gondolin has just left Hobbiton.
Actually, you can feel quite a bit of sympathy for the Dunlendings. After all, Eorl was given land that was presumably partially "ethnically cleansed" by Gondor previously. And the Dunlendings, or related peoples, were among those pushed around by the Numenoreans in the Second Age.
LOTR, Appendix A:
"At first the Numenoreans had come to Middle-earth as teachers and friends of lesser Men afflicted by Sauron; but now their havens became fortresses, holding wide coastlands in subjection. Atanamir and his successors levied heavy tribute, and the ships of the Numenoreans returned laden with tribute."

I've always thought the political approach of Rohan to the Dunlendings was very foolish, pushing them into adjacent, poor lands, but not driving them far away or reaching an accomadation (perhaps analagous to the World war I allies, humiliating Germany but leaving Germany's strength essentially intact).

Of course, my greatgrandparents on my mother's side were catholics from Northern Ireland, so I am inclined to empathize somewhat with the Dunlendings. And in LOTR there seems to be the hint of a Rohan/Dunland rapprochment. as there seems to be in Northern Ireland nowadays, at least in relative terms.
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