Person

Daeron - The loremaster of Doriath

A loremaster and minstrel to Thingol of Doriath, famed for his radical development of the cirth (runes).

Damrod - A soldier of Faramir’s Rangers

A Ranger of Ithilien, the companion of Mablung and trusted guard of Faramir.

Déorwine - A brave knight of Rohan

An important knight of the Rohirrim. He had the rank of chief of the King's knights (that is, the King's Riders, the personal bodyguard of the King of Rohan). He fell with six of his men at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields before the gates of Minas Tirith.

Dernhelm - Éowyn as a Rider of the Rohirrim

The alias taken by Éowyn when she broke the command of her uncle Théoden and rode to the Battle of the Pelennor.

Dwimmerlaik - A contemptuous title for the Lord of the Nazgûl

A title of the Lord of the Nazgûl, granted him in defiance by Éowyn in her guise as Dernhelm during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Its meaning is not completely certain, but it seems to be derived from the Old English words gedwimer ('sorcery') and líc ('corpse').

Dior - The ninth Ruling Steward of Gondor

Dior's grandfather Hador was the last truly long-lived of the Stewards, and ruled Gondor for one hundred and seventeen years. This meant that his son Barahir, and his grandson Dior both came late to the Stewardship and ruled for only a brief time. Dior was the last Steward to enjoy an untroubled rule, as his heir Denethor would see the breaking of the Watchful Peace, and the beginning of centuries of warfare.

Dori - A Dwarf of the Quest of Erebor

A Dwarf of the House of Durin, who accompanied his lord Thorin II Oakenshield on the Quest of Erebor.

Dúnadan - A title for the Númenóreans or their descendants

The singular form of Dúnedain, meaning 'Man of the West'. A title applied to Aragorn in Rivendell
,br> Durin’s Bane - The Balrog of Moria

"Moria! Moria! Wonder of the Northern world! Too deep we delved there, and woke the nameless fear." - Words of Glóin from The Lord of the Rings 2 II The Council of Elrond

When the Valar came against Morgoth at the end of the First Age, most of his servants were destroyed, but some few fled into the World and hid themselves in dark places. One such was a Balrog, probably the last of its kind in Middle-earth, that escaped into the east from the ruin of Angband and buried itself in the roots of the Misty Mountains beneath Khazad-dûm2.

In January III 3019, the Company of the Ring travelled through Moria on the Quest of Mount Doom. In Gandalf, the Balrog finally encountered a being of the same order and power as itself. As the two Maiar faced each other on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf broke the Bridge and the Balrog fell into the depths, but Gandalf too was drawn into the abyss.

Both survived the fall, and Gandalf pursued the Balrog for eight days through the deepest caverns beneath Moria. At last they came to the Endless Stair, and climbed the steps that led to the peak of Zirakzigil. There Durin's Bane fought its last battle - for two days and nights, the Balrog battled with Gandalf, but at last it was cast from the peak, and broke the mountain-side as it plunged to its doom

Dwalin - The younger brother of Balin

A Dwarf descended from the royal line of Durin's Folk, the son of Fundin and brother to Balin, whom he accompanied on the Quest of Erebor.

Dwarves - The Children of Aulë

"Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd aimênu! Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!" - The battle-cry of the Dwarves - The Lord of the Rings Appendix F I: Of Other Races: Dwarves

Unlike Elves and Men, the Dwarves are not Children of Ilúvatar; they were created by Aulë the Smith, though Ilúvatar granted them life. Aulë made seven Fathers of the Dwarves, and these slept through many ages until after the Awakening of the Elves. Almost all the Dwarves that appear in Tolkien's works were descended from the eldest of the Seven Fathers, Durin the Deathless.

Dwarves of Moria - The Longbeards of old Khazad-dûm

The Dwarves of Durin's Folk who with Durin the Deathless founded Moria, and dwelt there for long ages until the awakening of Durin's Bane

Places

Deeping Wall - The defensive wall of Helm’s Deep

"A wall, too, the men of old had made from the Hornburg to the southern cliff, barring the entrance to the gorge." - The Two Towers III 7 - Helm's Deep

The solid stone wall, some twenty feet in height, that defended the refuges of the Rohirrim at Helm's Deep. It lay beneath the castle of the Hornburg, to which it was connected by a flight of steps. In the Battle of the Hornburg, it was breached for the only time in its history by a besieging army of Orcs and Dunlendings, but they were soon driven back and defeated.

Dimrill Stair - The pass down into the Dimrill Dale

The name given to the southeastern part of the Redhorn Pass, leading down into Nanduhirion, the Dimrill Dale. It was named the Dimrill Stair because of the sequence of waterfalls that led down into the lake of Kheled-zâram.

Dome of Stars - The great hall of Osgiliath

The great dome that lay in the heart of the ancient Gondorian capital, Osgiliath, and from which that city took its name ('Fortress of Stars'). The Palantír of Osgiliath was held beneath its starred vault.

Durin's Tower - See Bridge of Khazaddum

Durin’s Tower - The tower on Celebdil’s peak

The tower that stood on the peak of Celebdil above Khazad-dûm, where Gandalf defeated Durin's Bane.

Durthang - An old castle of northern Mordor

A castle of Mordor that stood in the northern Ephel Dúath, on the slopes some miles west of the Isenmouthe.

Dwarrowdelf - The Mannish name for Khazad-dûm

'Dwarf-delving', the name in the Common Speech for the mansions of Khazad-dûm. 'Dwarrowdelf' is an anglicisation - the 'real' Westron name was Phurunargian.

Dwimordene - Galadriel’s magical wood

The name among the Rohirrim for the Elvish land of Lórien, meaning literally 'magical wood'.

Things

Durin’s Day - A Dwarvish festival of the new year

"The first day of the dwarves' New Year ... is as all should know the first day of the last moon of Autumn on the threshold of Winter." - Words of Thorin Oakenshield, from The Hobbit 3 A Short Rest

The first day of the Dwarves' year was calculated according to the last new moon of autumn (that is, the new moon that occurs within two weeks of 6 October, on a modern calendar). Not every Dwarves' new year was a Durin's Day, though: Thorin says 'We still call it Durin's Day when the last moon of Autumn and the sun are in the sky together.' (ibid). Only a Dwarvish new year where this occurs is technically a Durin's Day.





Back to the Encyclopedia of Middle Earth