In the latest episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, we are introduced to a place called Tyrn Gorthad, also known as the Barrow-downs. This spooky, haunted graveyard is home to sinister creatures called barrow-wights. But what’s the backstory of this eerie place, and why are these murderous wights still lurking around, killing without hesitation?
If you’ve read The Lord of the Rings, you might remember that Frodo and his hobbit friends pass through the Barrow-downs on their journey to Bree. This happens right after they meet Tom Bombadil and rest at his house. After they recover, Bombadil warns them to steer clear of the Barrow-downs because of the evil spirits that roam there. However, the hobbits end up stumbling into danger, getting bewitched by a barrow-wight. Frodo, realizing their peril, calls for Bombadil’s help. Bombadil rescues them, wards off the evil, and bids them farewell. In one of the ancient tombs, the hobbits also find special blades made by the Dúnedain.
In The Rings of Power, Elrond and Galadriel’s group also finds themselves in the Barrow-downs, where they are quickly surrounded by these terrifying wights. While they manage to fend off the danger, they lose one of their party members and discover that Sauron is still hard at work, gathering dark forces from all corners of Middle-earth.
What are the Barrow-downs and Barrow-wights?
The Barrow-downs, or Tyrn Gorthad, are located east of the Shire, past the Old Forest, during the Third Age of Middle-earth. However, their history goes back much further. In the First Age, when the Edain (the first houses of Men) settled in the area, it was known by a different name. They were often attacked by the Easterlings, men who were loyal to the dark lord Morgoth. Because of this, the Edain were forced to flee the area. After Morgoth’s defeat in the War of Wrath, the Edain returned and used the land as a burial ground for the men of the North and their Dúnedain descendants.
In the Second Age, settlers from Númenor came to the Barrow-downs, and it was eventually absorbed into Elendil’s kingdom of Arnor in the North. But by the Third Age, after the kingdom of Arnor split into three smaller realms (Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur), the Barrow-downs became part of Cardolan. However, the Witch-king of Angmar (one of Sauron’s most powerful servants) invaded Arnor and sent evil spirits, known as barrow-wights, to haunt the area.
Because of these spirits, the Barrow-downs became deserted, and no kings dared to settle there again. Even thousands of years later, the area remained cursed and dangerous to anyone who entered. It’s unclear whether the barrow-wights finally disappeared after Sauron’s defeat in the War of the Ring, or if their evil presence lingers on.