Maps of Middle-earth: The Second Age | Tolkien Explained

Covering the lands of Middle-earth during the Second Age, region by region. With Beleriand sunk into the sea, the world is changed. The elves create new realms for themselves, while the men of the First Age are given the island of Númenor by the Valar. As the Second Age begins and a new Dark Lord rises, alliances and enemies are made that will shape the world for ages to come.
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All content falls under fair use: any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner. If your artwork appears and you are not listed here, please let me know! I want to make sure all artists are credited for their amazing work.
To purchase artist work, I highly recommend checking out these amazing artists online!
Ted Nasmith - www.tednasmith...
Jerry Vanderstelt - store.vanderst...
Beleriand Map - Lamarcana (translated by Nerd of the Rings)
Hurin Finds Morwen - Ted Nasmith
Beren - Jenny Dolfen
Galadriel and Celeborn at Lake Evendim - Ted Nasmith
Lossoth - Devon Cady-Lee
Mines of Moria - JC Barquet
Sauron - Jerry Vanderstelt
Farewell to Fangorn - Luca Bonatti
Celebrimbor and Annatar - WETA
Celebrimbor and Narvi - Auta i Lome
Fangorn - Adam Burton
Helm's Deep - Chris Rahn
Scouring of the Shire - Owen William Weber
Dunlending - John Howe
Numenorean Port - Inacio Henrique
Porto Numenor - Giovanni Calore
Numenor - Issi Saeta Cabrera
Eldalonde - Matej Cadil
Annuminas - Ted Nasmith
Armenelos - Nemanja Bubalo
The Ships of the Faithful - Ted Nasmith
Oathbreakers, Why Have Ye Come? - Abe Papakhian
Orthanc in the Second Age - Ted Nasmith
Minas Tirith - Alan Lee
Osgiliath - Matej Cadil
Argonath - Elaine Dezso
Argonath - Ralph Damiani
Edoras - Bakarov
For more information on the Second Age of Middle-earth, check out:
The Lord of the Rings (appendices)
Unfinished Tales
The Silmarillion
The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad
TolkienGateway.net
The Encyclopedia of Arda
#tolkien #lordoftherings #lotronprime

[@NerdoftheRings]

Which realm of the Second Age are you MOST looking forward to seeing in the new Amazon show?

[@lordheklsmosh9490]

Numenor and early gondor!

[@hobbitassassin1]

Definately Numenor and all the ancient cities that weren't around in the late third age

[@enricooooooo]

Fornost and the battle of the fallen realm of Angmar

[@FredThePhoenix]

Numenor... by far

[@rangerofthenorth1970]

Honestly Gondor and Arnor, are my pick, early Minas Anor, Ithil.... I'm lookin foward to them because they are connected with LOTR.

[@pumpkinrick]

It’s nice to have a Tolkien haven like this. I don’t have any friends that are Tolkien fans unfortunately but thanks to you i have a place i feel i belong.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Glad to have you! And glad you are enjoying the channel!

[@Eowyn3Pride]

Preach it brother!!!🥰❤❤❤😁🍻🧙‍♂️

[@philipcallado5693]

Same. I know some LOTR fans, but none of them know much beyond the movies and maybe the Hobbit and LOTR books. I can’t really discuss anything pre 3rd age with them. 😛

[@jaapuitroepteke2750]

I know the feeling, although I haven’t read all books yet, it still feels like there aren’t a lot of people to talk with.

[@sayerslayer1854]

Welcome hehe...

[@itsatrap4986]

Where is the third age video

[@gior9204]

Yea this! Donde esta?

[@simoncooper6752]

My dear Ironfists and Stiffbeards, Blacklocks and Stonefoots... Stonefeet!

[@NerdoftheRings]

haha! Nice!

[@moeFia]

Stonefeets!!!

[@Eowyn3Pride]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@renferal5290]

It amazes me how Tolkien made this world seem so real.

[@Eowyn3Pride]

It's almost as if it existed in a lost time, after the forming of the world and just before Adam and Eve...or Earth.1 ...We could be experiencing Earth.2 right now...

[@useyourimaginasean]

Couldn't agree more. He is to this day seen as one of the best fantasy world-builders.

[@frankline9717]

@@useyourimaginasean What others compare? I'm genuinely asking, I want to get into more series but always feel like the worlds have almost no thought put into them

[@AlasdairGR]

It’s the product of an entire life of constant building and evolution of his languages and mythologies.

[@frankline9717]

@@AlasdairGR Exactly. I've yet to find any other authors that could compete in terms of how incredible their book/series is. I would love to read some more that's even close to Tolkien's level of writing

[@monitor-mindtheover-void6712]

Numenor deserves its own history video.

[@NerdoftheRings]

💯

[@monitor-mindtheover-void6712]

@@NerdoftheRings 👌

[@KororaPenguin]

I wonder if the fact that the Northmen lived inland contributed to their lack of a grudge against the Dunedain; it would be the coastal peoples that suffered most at the hands of the King's Men.

[@MIKERUPTION]

These Maps of Middle-earth videos are so informative and help to place the stories within the world. They make it easy to visualize and follow the interrelationships between the stories of the different ages. You are doing a great service to Tolkien demonstrating just how well he fleshed out his mythos. I feel like I'm studying the history of a real place. Great work, NotR!

[@Marcotonio]

Agreed. A common talking point I hear is how Tolkien took too long to make progress with his work and because of that he "only ever completed Lord of the Rings", but this channel is a good reminder of how deep he actually went into fleshing out his universe. There might be no full trilogies about each of these elements, but they sure dwarf the War of the Ring in terms of complexity.

[@MIKERUPTION]

@@Marcotonio Well said!

[@fcsimo]

Well said such an amazing summary for fans of Tolkien

[@greghalsey3603]

I agree. You do make it look like real history. Hmm...

[@KibyNykraft]

@@greghalsey3603 "Varyags" (in the south-east here) ,this Tolkien got from nordic-baltic medievals. The Varyagr/Varangians. Kind of comical for historians from the Baltic sea region to read/see.

[@EvenFilms]

I hope you finish this series someday! I’ve really enjoyed wrapping my mind around the story of the map,

[@kirakirakiivvi]

saaaame, i was so disappointed to learn there was no maps of the third age video

[@andreszejner]

Damn... I got hooked as well

[@carrocomlasanha]

Me too

[@TomasVaisar]

Same :/ Scrolled through the videos three times to be sure I haven't just overlooked it. Hope we will get the third episode eventually, they are great so far!

[@desac2006]

Same i search for it intensively😮

[@tonypapas9854]

Very well done. Even as someone who first read the books 35 years ago, (and re-read them since), watching top-level summaries like this is nice. There is so much detail and nuance in Tolkien's writings that sometimes you can miss the forest for the trees.

[@Stellarwiind]

Perhaps it gets easier though in the third age because there is less trees. Looking at the Silmarilion with all its extra trees...

[@zimbi1036]

Every time I watch your videos I'm amazed at how much research you do. I also love the "figures" that you move across the map. It just makes it so much more clear. Thank you so much.

[@makhfi3490]

Need maps of third age. I hope you do make it.

[@lizzies4964]

I really hope we get to see Harad quite a bit in the Amazon show. I'd love to see more oliphants because they're awesome and it's an area of Middle Earth that we haven't seen explored at all. It would also provide great context for the actions of the Haradrim in the third age, as we'll see why they felt such hatred for Numenor and eventually Gondor. Great video as always!

[@NerdoftheRings]

The relationship between Harad and Numenor would be a very interesting one to see play out in the show! I'm hoping to see Numenor in it's glory days, then slowly descend into evil. Would make for a compelling relationship between the two realms.

[@AnthonyBerkshire]

@@NerdoftheRings i just realized that Harad has to mean south because of Harlindon.

[@Chelooby]

Agreed. Seeing Harad and hopefully Rhun as well would be so great

[@teksav5248]

Umbar

[@jamavra]

What would the Haradrim look like? Mixed race people?

[@185Keith]

These videos are great refresher courses for Tolkien fans. There is so much history and so many names. I'm having moments like "oh ya...Lindon, that was a cool place". I didn't know about the names for it's northern and southern regions. Thanks for making these awesome videos.

[@Daggerfall40]

Great video as always. I always think about how cool Lindon is since it's one of the last remnants of Beleriand left on Middle Earth.

[@josheelkumar7489]

Still waiting for the third age map

[@orthodox-4-ever]

Waiting for third age maps :)

[@tiagosantos5653]

I love to watch your videos in the afternoon while having a nice cup of coffee... so relaxing and nostalgic, it's like travelling to my childhood home town.

[@TheDanEdwards]

One important event that I think affects interpretation of maps of Arda was the splitting of the flat world into a spherical world and an limited access land of the Valar. The maps usually shown still interpret Arda as flat, but by the time in which LOTR is set that would have been no longer true, which is why a special (hence magical) ship is needed to take Bilbo and Frodo to the now misnomered "west".

[@rsg5850]

Where is the video for maps of third age? Watched first & second age map.. Fantastic work mate

[@AnthonySchepis]

I want you to know, watching these videos has made reading/ watching Tolkien so much better than it already was. Your videos are so well made.

[@brianneville7073]

Are you going to do a maps of the third age video?

[@TheDarkHarper]

Tolkien's world is amazingly hard to visualise, but this channel did an amazing job tracking it - my man.

[@doodlebob7489]

I looked up and down for a sequel video to this for the third age and can’t find if there is one or not.

[@NerdoftheRings]

Not yet. It’s in production though!

[@RazvanVJE]

@@NerdoftheRings can't wait!

[@LieutenantTK]

Okay, after watching this, I want to see a series based on the Haradrim and the Numenoreans! Exotic places in middle earth we haven't seen on screen or in video games before! This channel is awesome - Keep it up!!

[@OdinasOyb]

Here's an idea for future map videos. At 1:18 you talk about the distance between Himling and the coast of Lindon. You could take a scale length thingy that we see on the full scale map, and apply it according to the zoom of every still image with character bubbles. That way, we can always get a feeling of how big places can get when zoomed in. I know it'd be extra work but I feel like it'd be worth it! Thanks for the great content!

[@kylesavage4525]

Congratulation for the 200k subs mate! Totally deserve it!

[@MrPhinn1]

Have you made a video of the 3rd age?

[@Rekaert]

Really great to see how far this channel has come, and how you're really churning out quality content. It's also nice to see you tying in Beleriand with the remnants of it still left in Middle Earth to provide a nice cohesive picture of how time passed. It's work like this that will hopefully consign that horrible map of Beleriand (which places it to the north of Middle Earth), finally and completely to the dust of history. Good job.

[@ProfRavenSteel]

Would love to watch a numenor series during in this decade. One guy created all of this is just unfathomable to my awestrucked mind.

[@alankelley6858]

I remember reading about the Númenorian voyages which sailed further than the map we have here. They effectively navigated to seas in the far south and east, way beyond Umbar.

[@wandereree1554]

Maps of Middle-earth: the third age please!!

[@busterizow]

Great content ! Just found out this channel a few weeks ago ! I hope the map of middle earth in the 3rd age video is coming soon !

[@kylemurphy1076]

I don't think it is this was over a year ago

[@brandonscott4808]

The Easterlings and the four Dwarven clans of the Orocani were not the only races living in Rhun. There still the Avari Elves (aka the Dark Elves).

[@rachelannandale9027]

is it not assumed that all the avari are now orcs?

[@brandonscott4808]

@@rachelannandale9027 Not all. Its mentioned in the lore that some of the Avari hid themselves away from Morgoth before, during, or after his time in the eastern lands. It's also possible that after Morgoth left the east to focus more on Beleriend, the Avari Elves could've repopulated over the ages but kept themselves hidden from other races (including their kin in the west. However, its possible that the Avari Elves could've aided the Blue Wizards, the Oracani Dwarves, and some of the good men left in Rhun (and other faraway lands) against Sauron during the Second and Third Age, but that's just my own theory.

[@rachelannandale9027]

@@brandonscott4808 great reply and a super interesting theory, thank you for taking the time to explain. Have always been fascinated by the eastern lands... I hope one day i live to see something written or on screen about the lands there.

[@brandonscott4808]

@@rachelannandale9027 I hope so to. The region of Rhun and the farther eastern lands are filled with so much mystery.

[@MelianTheMaia]

After watching the one for the First Age, I've been looking forward to this one. Thank you very much!

[@rubencontreras9288]

Love how detail these videos are. Keep up good work

[@hubertskrzypek6860]

Geographic videos of Middle-Earth are so cool, thanks dude !

[@Annatar5289]

You forgot to make a 3rd map video. love these, do the third age mate :D

[@reecepip4857]

Question: does anyone live on those islands you mentioned in the beginning of the video? Would be cool to imagine remnants of first age men clans, elves or even evil forces living on those islands but separate for the goings on of middle earth. Great video as always!

[@bobo577]

It’s likely those islands don’t have anyone there. If Maedhros’ fortress on Tol Himling survived, there might be some Noldor there as head canon but it’s likely that it was destroyed years prior and was deserted.

[@gallygrovle2160]

it's incredible how inspired the location names are by Welsh. love to hear it, and excellent pronunciation by yourself :)

[@eacalvert]

Yay another another awesome video! Ty all for the hard work

[@amalka_ari]

Where's "Maps of Middle-earth: The Third Age" video??? 🤔

[@GarretGarlinger]

Another awesome one! I love how much you talked about the dwarf history! I would love a video on that more!

[@jdrogl4219]

you deserve more likes Sir! Thankyou so much!

[@dwalker420]

Thank you so much! I love your Middle-Earth geography videos, by far the most educational content! 👑

[@chanonnaluta7958]

Really great videos and an excellent idea. If only you mentioned that with the Downfall of Numenor the south coast has also been affected greatly. Especially Pelargir and the surrounding area. It had in its early days been a city only a few miles away from the coast, but after the Downfall of Númenor the coast along the Bay of Belfalas had retreated a great distance and the city was left far inland. Just for that, I give the video 9 out of 10 :)

[@MitchellPSmith-hl9fu]

Where is the third age video?

[@peterga3658]

the last few days 15 +- ? its when i started watching the rings of power making me almost to bleach my eyes and making me think of the hobbit again i hadnt watch it extended version so i went back to watch it again and i loved it this time .. any time i started getting into LOTR deep now i have watch soo many of your videos and started with the books too

[@markomalizani7751]

This series is truly excelent sir, thank you very much for it, all the best, may God bless you and yours

[@hobbitassassin1]

It'll be awesome if Amazon explained who the other Nazgul were! Probably wont be canon but would be great filler

[@NerdoftheRings]

I think they will. It's too compelling of a premise to not take advantage of!

[@grokeffer6226]

I'm guessing they will, based on some of the actors chosen.

[@dodang_9147]

@@NerdoftheRings I wonder if they will ever make lord of the ring games centered around second and first age.

[@calebporter9738]

Who needs fillet!?? There is so much to cover as it is!

[@hobbitassassin1]

@@calebporter9738 its filler mate not fillet

[@k0rppi259]

Lake Evendim is english. Even meaning evening, dim meaning not bright. It's translated rather directly from Nenuial, it's elvish name, which means Lake of twilight (Nen = lake, aduial = twilight).

[@KingBobXVI]

"Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots..." Stone _FEET!_

[@kevinkeegan4817]

I'd love to see a Fall of Numinor movie.

[@max007096]

Just superb! Is there a video planned on the maps of 3rd age? Thank you !

[@patdud]

Was a video for the third age ever released? love the channel!

[@MasGinstiC]

Sadly not! :(

[@ChiaraSiasat]

Amazing video, it always makes me wonder what would have happened if many of the lands lost in the 2nd age had survived into the 3rd age.

[@nickobergshow]

Excited for the Third Age map video!

[@landrysaathoff2418]

All of it! There is SO much I want them to show!

[@VaderPopsVicodin10]

Looking for your Third Age one.. can't find it.

[@vashstampede7933]

I am such a fan of your videos about Middle Earth and its history and people....Can you make us a video of those heroes from the race of men who killed the dragons of Morgoth?

[@JagoBridgland]

Such a fan of your work

[@6n1ck]

Can't wait for the third installment of this series Nerd. Great job!

[@camdaman1621]

This series is great man I love it!

[@NoeMontie]

More I learn about middle-earth, more I understand why tolkien becomes this mount fuji.

[@willisthehy]

You need to made one for the third age

[@TheEyez187]

12:20 - Anyone else curious about the (further) Southern and Eastern lands and shores?

[@lyinginertia]

yo drop that part 3!

[@vanc9536]

Where is the map for third age?

[@yonny1835]

Where is the map of the third age??

[@rickiebobbyify]

I looooove these! And the maps! And the moving portraits! And the clarity of your voice! This is going to prove useful as Amazon's take on the Second Age is getting closer. Yay!

[@herr_der_spiele]

Wonderful Video - great work👍

[@mahimbhat6223]

Hello sir, when will you be uploading the 3rd age map? We are eagerly waiting 😅

[@NerdoftheRings]

It’s about time, I suppose. I think I’ll pencil that in for a couple weeks from now! 😁

[@auggie7018]

@@NerdoftheRings yay! I'll be there for it :)

[@truthlesslouw]

This was awesome, can't wait for the third age video

[@seanpoage3643]

Great video! Where is the Maps of Middle-Earth The Third Age?

[@MrMarvellousMark]

The thing I appreciate most about Nerd of the Rings is that he uploaded almost daily ( rare thing now a days ) . Wonderful job! Keep it up !

[@yildizmeltem]

Hello ! Thank you for a great video ! I can't find the maps of the third age though. Will you make one?

[@marionbaggins]

So, this would help us for the LOTR on Prime, Awesome!!! I am happy when learning About the Second Age, because in my History of Middle Earth it is the Age I need to learn more about!!!

[@thestormsofwar]

I'm starting to believe this really happened in our history, I'll start looking for elves when I'm in public

[@davidvosspoor4694]

too late. They've all sailed away to Valinor by now.

[@jadenchen8921]

Things get dicey for Sauron lots of times in the Second Age

[@NerdoftheRings]

Indeed! The guy gets into a lot of trouble!

[@Eastern1]

1M hardcore fans of Tolkien, now that's interesting.

[@anurag6992]

Where is the video on the third age please make it

[@encisonico]

Amazing video on the first and second ages. As a new fan of your channel,..... when is the third age video dropping!!? I need to learn more!!

[@iraklikavelashvili1593]

Great episode. Thank you!

[@WhoIsCalli]

I’ve always struggled with piecing together the different ages maps. Your videos help wonders. Thanks so much

[@wildfire9280]

Some fun facts: Galadriel and Celeborn didn’t live near Lake Nenuial all alone. The Hills of Evendim surrounding the lakebed were home to Middle Men closely related to Bëorians (with some ties to Hadorians). As one of the few Middle Men to not fear the Eldar, they had very good relations with Númenóreans and became a key part of Arnor after its establishment. Longbeards of Khazad-dum also participated in covering the retreat of the Noldor during the War of the Elves and Sauron, and for this Sauron would endlessly rouse orcs to assail them.

[@cloudsanddoubt]

There is amazing artwork in this clip as well :)

[@jackdecker7954]

Can we see the numenor lore? That be sick.

[@tiffles3890]

Man I didn't know before today that the place where Hurin eventually found his wife, was still above the waters.

[@skytrailer2563]

I would like to learn more on Gondalin

[@helmyromkeny1440]

Where is the Third Age video?

[@lemarseillais1383]

amazing job !

[@kuttlock]

So did the 3rd age maps video ever get posted? I dont see it in any of the playlists lol

[@RandomVidsforthought]

It's in production

[@thomaslinville1508]

Waiting for the Third Age video!

[@woodworkingphoto8083]

I love your videos!

[@coreygipson7533]

We need maps of the third age! If the video exists someone point me in the direction, Please. So many videos to look thru. Appreciate all the content. Read the hobbit in 8th grade and Rings of Power for some reason has me jumping into the history more so it’s appreciated

[@FaizanMunirKhanRajput]

Was the third age video never made?

[@andrewnguni2336]

I love losing my self in tolkien's world...I feel free n peaceful

[@dutchmilk]

Maybe the silence to the mountain might have something to do with eagle the size of a bus flying over your head..

[@gustavakerman2566]

Númenor should be a lesson in why you always befriend the OP/admins on a server (and stay on their good side). Help the gods, and the gods help you. Betray them and suffer the consequences (Númenor did sink after all)

[@nathanruggles]

Is there a video of Maps of the Third Age on it's way?

[@bryanjenks3444]

Is there a 3rd Age Maps of Middle Earth Video??