Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Let's Get Nerdy

    What is Rhûn Where Nori & The Stranger are Headed? – Let’s Get Nerdy!

    Ashley Victoria RobinsonBy Ashley Victoria RobinsonApril 5, 20235 Mins Read

    Amazon Studios The Rings of Power is here. We want all Spoilerites to have the best viewing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!

    We know only a few things about The Rings of Power season 2. Since I’m trying to stay away from rumour and conjecture (at least for now! Don’t worry, Spoilerites, there will be lots of time for that in future!), and I haven’t touched much on the future of Nori or The Stranger. Our little Frodo-analogue and probably-Gandalf actually let the audience know where they are headed for the events of The Rings of Power season 2: Rhûn.

    Ashley, what is Rhûn?

    Welp, this is going to be very fun to write about for you!

    Map of Rhûn by: BagginsForBilbo

    Rhûn is a referenced in the original J.R.R. Tolkien canon. It is, as is vaguely alluded to in The Rings of Power, “in the East”. What’s compelling to me about visiting “the East” of Middle-Earth is these regions are barely visited at all in any of Tolkien’s major works from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings to The Unfinished Tales. If we’re going to be breaking new ground and creating new storylines there’s fertile ground in the East. 

    Rhûn is in a region of Middle-Earth which does eventually fall under the thrall of Sauron. It’s populated by the Easterlings (who we do see, briefly, in problematic presentations in The Lord of the Rings film franchise), a people we come to see fighting in Sauron’s army during The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The major characteristic of The Easterling is they hate “the West”. Despite Mordor being to The West of Rhûn, Sauron is able to assure the Easterlings he also hates the West and fold them into his forces. During The Third Age of Middle-Earth Rhûn is known for being the base from which The Easterlings run multitude attacks on Gondor.

    Nori and The Stranger (The Rings of Power)

    Geographically, Rhûn is the entire area east of Rhovanion. It borders and extends past the Sea of Rhûn. The Sea of Rhûn is pretty unique in Middle-Earth (an among seas in general, really), being an inland sea. It’s actually not the only inland sea in Middle_earth, with the Sea of Helcar and the Red Mountains beyond. 

    It’s a bit odd for the East to be so shrouded in secret in Middle-Earth history. For example: Gandalf has never visited Rhûn, whereas Aragorn has, but Tolkien stresses Aragorn only visited Rhûn one single time. Beyond Rhûn and Helcar are other regions known as Cuiviénen and Hildórien. Both lands are considered “lost” despite being the legendary areas where “Elves and Men first awoke”.

    You can probably extrapolate that this is actually hugely important. Think of it like Babel. Fabled and lost.

    During the Third Age of Middle-Earth a race of dwarves emerge from Rhûn and eventually make their way

    Easterling (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

    into the West where they encounter Frodo Baggins, himself. Where Nori comes into it, in my mind, is this Frodo story in opposition. I can very much envision her and The Stranger crossing into Rhûn and connecting with some distant relatives of Durin’s. The dwarves of Rhûn join their Middle-Earth relatives in the War of the Dwarves and the Orcs during the Third Age of Middle-Earth, which I could also imagined reimagined for our story in The Rings of Power set during the Second Age of Middle-Earth.

    If something like this happens it keeps Nori as the focal point and the character in charge with The Stranger open to explore and understand his own identity. Would it mean something if he turned out to be Gandalf and visited a land which, per Tolkien canon, Gandalf never visited? If he is still going by “The Stranger” you could easily chalk it up to a memory issue. Otherwise, we’ll just have to make our peace with a canon divergence. 

    In past articles I have answered the question: 

      • What Are the Rings of Power?
      • What is Númenor?
      • What is the Second Age?
      • Who are the Harfoots?
      • Who is Prince Durin IV?
      • What is Khazad-dûm?
      • Who is Celebrimbor?
      • What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves?
      • Who is Elendil?
      • New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo?
      • What is Rivendell?
      • The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In!
      • What is Lindon?
      • What are the Nine Human Rings? 
      • Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers
      • New Character Pictures
      • Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
      • New Promo for The Rings of Power
      • What is Eregion?
      • Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
      • The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown
      • New EW Rings of Power Pictures
      • SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
      • Who is Isildur?
      • The Rings of Power is Here! Read the Reactions
      • Who is the Stranger?
      • Who is Queen Míriel?
      • Who is Ar-Pharazôn? 
      • What is the broken black blade?
      • What is Mordor?
      • What is Mithril?
      • What are the Silmarils?
      • What is Narsil?
      • Who founded Númenor?
      • Who is Galadriel’s Brother Finrod?
      • Rings of Power Adds 15 New Cast Members for Season 2
      • Who is Círdan?
      • Will Celeborn Appear in The Rings of Power?
      • Are Galadriel and Sauron Enemies in Book Canon?
      • Who is Narvi?
      • Jamie Bisping Cast as Viran
      • Will the Harfoots Settle The Shire?
      • What to Watch Before The Rings of Power Season 2
      • Will We See More Rings in The Rings of Power Season 2?
      • Will Lord Belzagar Appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
      • Who is Diarmid?
      • Will Ringwraiths appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
      • Will Gil-Galad Lead an Army in The Rings of Power Season 2?
      • Is the Balrog Durin’s Bane?
      • Who is Isildur’s sister Eärien?

    Dear Spoilerite,

    At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

    amazon studios Ashley V. Robinson Ashley Victoria Robinson Let's Get Nerdy Lord Of The Rings Lotr Middle Earth Nori Rhûn Rings of Power the lord of the rings The Rings of Power The Stranger tolkien What is Rhûn Where Nori & The Stranger are Headed What is Rhûn Where Nori & The Stranger are Headed? - Let's Get Nerdy!
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleFIRST LOOK: Lastman Book Three
    Next Article So You Want To Read Comics: East Coast Edition
    Ashley Victoria Robinson
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    She/her. Canadian actress. Bi Queen. Canadian co-host of Geek History Lesson. Canadian comic book writer: Witchblade, Apollo IX, Jupiter Jet series, Science! The Elements of Dark Energy, Aurora and The Eagle. Award-losing: actor, writer, podcaster. https://linktr.ee/AshleyVRobinson

    Related Posts

    Giant-Size Dark Phoenix Saga #1 Review

    Read More

    Supergirl #2 Review

    Read More

    COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?

    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    8.3
    June 17, 2025

    Giant-Size Dark Phoenix Saga #1 Review

    7.7
    June 17, 2025

    Supergirl #2 Review

    6.0
    June 16, 2025

    Runaways #1 Review

    8.0
    June 15, 2025

    The Death of the Silver Surfer #1 Review

    4.7
    June 15, 2025

    Retro Review: Master Comics #11 (February 1941)

    Patreon Support
    Major Spoilers Store
    Recent Comments
    • Derrigable on COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?
    • ZackaryTobias on COMICS PORTAL: Where Is All The Cool Merchandise?
    • Nathan on Wayne’s Comics Podcast #696: Interview with Creators from Concrete Arcanum
    • Austin Cowboy on FIRST LOOK: Conan the Barbarian #21
    • Frank on COMICS PORTAL: Batman Meets… Deadpool!?
    Subscribe to the Major Spoilers E-Mail List
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT