Battles in the North

[Rhugga II]

Let's talk about the Battles in the North (Mar 11-30, TA 3019).

There are many things to consider. I have been looking at Karen Wynn Fonstad's The Atlas of MIddle Earth and RotK "Tale of the Years" and I am wondering if anyone knows of any other cannon sources.

This has always fascinated me and I am looking into it to a great degree at the present time. Several things have recently struck me about these battles.

First, Fonstad posits that the route taken by the Easterlings was from Northeast of the Sea of Rhun (East of Dorwinion) over the River Carnen and straight on to Dale. This route is appealing for several reasons because it allows the Enemy's army to bypass the Iron Hills and any of the remaining Men of Rhovanion living between Mirkwood and the River Celduin. They also seemed to have bypassed the recently-rebuilt Esgaroth. This all seems to make sense, but it raises a few questions, especially about the Siege of Erebor which lasted nearly a fortnight. For one, what was the role of the Men of Esgaroth in the Battle of Dale and the Siege? Also, why did Thranduil not turn his attention to the Easterling forces during the fifteen days following his victory under the trees in Mirkwood? Are we to assume that after the Battle of the Five Armies, he fell into his old xenophobic ways? Or, was he too busy marching to meet Celeborn in the middle of Greenwood, over twenty days later?

Just one more item. What about troop movements. I am looking from some good information on the speed of Sauron's forces. Fonstad lumps the three earliest battles together and says that "Simultaneous with the departure from Mordor on March 10, these northern troops sallied forth against their appointed targets." This is clearly incorrect. The Morgul host issued forth on Mar 10 and the Pelennor was overrun on Mar 13. That means it takes, in Tolkien's world, three days for an army to travel 50 miles. Of the larger force from Morannon, we know not when it left, but we do know that it captured Cair Andros on Mar 10. This makes perfect sense since it is a full 50 miles from there to Pelennor.

What am I getting at? The Northern Allies would have been far more forewarned of their enemy's advance. It is a good 120 miles from Dul Guldur to the banks of the Anduin at the borders of Lorien and that is just the beginning of this kind of thing.

Sorry to be lengthy, but I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about the "Battles in the North."