Baranduin

From Ardaquenta

Information

Etymology

'duin' - 'river' - Sindarin

Brandywine (hobbits' name for the river) - a corruption of the original name, and its waters were brown in colour like brandy.

The Baranduin and the Shire

The hobbit brothers Marcho and Blanco (from Bree) crossed the Brandywine (as it was called by the Breefolk) in 1601 T.A.to settle the new land between the river and the Far Downs, with the blessing of King Argaleb of Arnor, who ruled then at Fornost. This they called the Shire, and Shire Reckoning began with the crossing of the Baranduin.

In 2340 T.A., Gordenhad Oldbuck crossed the river again, this time from the Shire across to the land between the Baranduin and the Old Forest. This he called Buckland, and renamed his family the Brandybucks in honour of the river. The Brandybucks were said to have enjoyed boating on the river, most unusually for the normally water-fearing hobbits. Frodo Baggins' parents, Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck, drowned in the Baranduin on such a boat trip in 2981 T.A.

The Baranduin froze in the Long Winter of 2911 T.A., and white wolves invaded the Shire over the ice.

The Baranduin was wide, and the only bridge was the Bridge of Stonebows or Brandywine Bridge (with the handy Bridge Inn nearby). The Brandybucks used Buckleberry Ferry, 20 miles south of the Bridge, to cross to Buckland, and further south the river could be crossed at Sarn Ford.

The Brandywine Bridge was also the meeting place of King Elessar and Mayor Samwise Gamgeein the year 15 of the Fourth Age.