Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale.
The Season 2 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power flips the chessboard in Middle-earth for all players, especially the Elves. The fall of Eregion is a heavy blow for them and a huge win for Sauron (Charlie Vickers), but there seems to be a silver lining even in this darkest of hours. In their retreat, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) leads the Elves to a sanctuary, a beautiful valley on the western side of the Misty Mountains. If this place feels familiar to viewers, it’s because it is — they are in the valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it’s known by another name, Rivendell, and its appearance in the finale hints it may be a key location in Season 3.
Elrond Discovers Rivendell While Retreating From the Battle in Eregion
The Fall of Eregion is one of the saddest moments in Middle-earth history. Celebrimbor’s (Charles Edwards) realm was a place where Elvish culture was celebrated for its beauty, and the bonds of friendship with other races were strengthened, like with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. In The Rings of Power, the great battle that starts in Episode 7, “Doomed to Die,” is led by Adar’s (Sam Hazeldine) forces from Mordor, while Sauron manipulates both sides to his own benefit and, eventually, comes out on top, with a new army and Eregion razed.
In the books, however, things are a little different. Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), for example, doesn’t take part in the battle and stays in Lindon. Instead, he sends Elrond with an Elven host to fight Sauron’s forces — Sauron himself is there to claim the Rings of Power from Celebrimbor, including the three Elven Rings. However, the Dark Lord’s forces are so numerous, they actually keep Elrond from ever reaching Eregion, driving him north, instead. That’s when he ends up in Imladris. Eregion’s defenses are led by Celeborn, who is Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) in The Rings of Power, and they are also forced north. Like in the series, most survivors of the Sack of Eregion find their way to Imladris, too, and Elrond makes it his own stronghold.
“Imladris” is a Sindarin word that translates directly to “Rivendell” in the common tongue — “riven” meaning “split apart,” and “dell,” meaning a small valley among the trees. This is the perfect description, because Rivendell really is a small valley that splits a section of the Misty Mountains. It’s a lush, secluded location that’s difficult to access, but with plenty of resources and cover. There’s nowhere better to establish one’s domain, and Elrond wisely takes advantage of it.
Elrond Makes Rivendell a Safe Haven for the Free Peoples of Middle-earth
In the Second Age, Rivendell becomes so important that it even takes Lindon’s place as the epicenter of Elven decision-making, with most of the strategical, political, and military meetings taking place there. Gil-galad even secretly entrusts Elrond with Vilya, his Ring of Power, likely aware that Lindon is an easier target. Centuries later (in the books, at least), it’s in Rivendell that Gil-galad and Elendil (Lloyd Owen) form the Last Alliance of Elves and Men to defeat Sauron, too. With The Rings of Power picking up its pace toward an all-out war against Sauron in Season 3, Imladris is certainly bound to play a key role in the future of the series.
More than that, though, Elrond turns Rivendell into a safe haven for all those who seek refuge in Middle-earth. Eventually, it becomes known as “the Last Homely House East of the Sea,” reflecting its status as a place of rest, counsel, and healing, far removed from the perils of the road, before travelers venture into the wide and dangerous lands of Eriador and, then, reach the sea. In The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, both Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) take note of the idyllic landscape and peaceful atmosphere that permeates Rivendell, where the beauty of nature combines with the Elves’ grace.
After the fall of Elendil’s realm of Arnor in the Third Age, Rivendell also plays an important role in keeping the legacy of Númenor alive. All that is left of it are the Dunedáin, who try to keep the peace in Eriador by forming the Rangers of the North. Elrond himself is related to Elendil through his brother, Elros Half-Elven, and fosters many members of Elendil’s line over the millennia, including Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).
By the end of the Season 2 finale, Elrond has changed his mind about the Elven Rings of Power, something that reflects the role they play in consolidating Rivendell as this refuge. Vilya is associated with air and the power to preserve and heal, and Elrond uses it to shield Rivendell from external threats, as well as to create and expand its natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere. When the One Ring is destroyed, Vilya’s power fades, lifting the protection over Rivendell. It’s one of the things that prompt the Elves to leave Middle-earth for Valinor.
Rivendell Is Based on a Real-Life Location in Switzerland
One of the most interesting things about Rivendell is that it’s based on a real-world location. In one of his letters, J.R.R. Tolkien talks about his trip to Switzerland in 1911, when he was 19 years old and went hiking in the Lauterbrunnen valley and other locations in the German part of Switzerland. He mentions how it influenced him to create Rivendell as a tree-laden, pine-scented sanctuary. The tranquility and beauty of Lauterbrunnen, along with its remoteness, align well with the qualities of Rivendell, making it a fitting model for the Elven haven.
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video.
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