Rivendell

Rivendell
J. R. R. Tolkien's painting of Rivendell
J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium location
Other name(s)	Imladris Karningul Last Homely House East of the Sea
Type	Refuge of the Elves Hidden Refuge
Ruler	Elrond
Location	eastern Eriador: a western valley of the Misty Mountains, north of Eregion and south-east of Rhudaur
Lifespan	S.A. 1697 - Fourth Age
Founder	Elrond

Rivendell is an Elven realm in Middle-earth, a fictional world created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is an important location in Tolkien's legendarium, and is featured in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. It was established and ruled by Elrond Half-elven in the Second Age of Middle-earth (four or five thousand years before the events of The Lord of the Rings), and was protected by the powers of its lord and his elven ring Vilya.

Elrond lived in Rivendell with his family — his wife Celebrían (until she departed for Valinor), their sons Elladan and Elrohir, and their daughter Arwen — as well as a sizeable number of other Elves, both Noldor and Sindar. In addition to the family of Elrond, notable Elves who lived in Rivendell included Glorfindel, Gildor, and Erestor. In some writings, featured in Unfinished Tales, Galadriel and Celeborn also lived in Rivendell for a time before they became rulers of Lothlórien.

Rivendell is a direct translation or calque into English of the Sindarin name Imladris, both meaning "deep valley of the cleft". The name Rivendell is formed by two English elements: "riven" (split, cloven) and "dell" (valley), making the whole word purport "deeply cloven valley". Imladris was also rendered "Karningul" in Westron, the "Common Tongue" of Middle-Earth represented as English in the text of The Lord of the Rings. It is also referred to as The Last Homely House, alluding to the elves' old cities, in Beleriand and Aman, and the wilderness (Rhovanion) that lies east of the Misty Mountains.