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Caradhras, also called the Redhorn and Barazinbar, was one of the mightiest peaks in the Misty Mountains. A pass crossed over it and it was the most southerly point at which the Misty Mountains could be crossed.

Description[]

Caradhras was one of the Mountains of Moria, the three mountains under which the great Dwarf city of Khazad-dûm was built. It was also the only site in Middle-earth where mithril could be mined. But mining ever deeper into the roots of the mountain in search of mithril, the Dwarf miners unwittingly awakened the Balrog of Moria.[2]

Caradhras was called the Cruel by the Dwarves and had long had a bad reputation, for they thought that the mountain was sentient, and purposefully drove off and killed travelers.[1]

Redhorn Pass[]

The pass over Caradhras, known as Redhorn Pass, Redhorn Gate, and the Dimrill Stair, was the most southerly pass over the Misty Mountains. It was known to be narrow, windy, and treacherous, and many people have died on that path.

History[]

Years of the Trees[]

During the Great Journey the Nandor Elves were so daunted by the Misty Mountains that they turned back,.

Third Age[]

Much later in the Third Age, the Redhorn Pass was used by Stoors migrating from the Vales of Anduin to Eriador around TA 1150.

After the Dwarves were forced to flee Khazad-dûm, this pass was predominantly used by Elves travelling between Lothlórien and Eriador. Later in the Third Age the pass became infested with Orcs from Moria and was increasingly unsafe to use. In TA 2509, Celebrían, the wife of Elrond, passed through Redhorn Pass and was captured by Orcs.[3]

Pass of Caradhras, Cavini

"The Pass of Caradhras" by Ivan Cavini

In the Quest of the Ring, the Fellowship attempted to cross the Redhorn Pass, lying beneath the slopes of Caradhras, but were met with harsh weather and falling rocks, prompting them to turn back. Gimli attributed this to Caradhras itself, calling upon a malevolent force to stop them out of an apparent dislike of Dwarves and Elves. Gandalf however suspected that Sauron's power was at work.[1]

Caradhras

The Fellowship on the Redhorn Pass in the films

The following year, after the conclusion of the War of the Ring, Celeborn and Galadriel crossed over the pass on their return from the Crowning of King Elessar.

Etymology[]

The name Caradhras means "Red horn", and is pronounced cara-THRAS. It comes from the Sindarin words carad ("red") and ras ("horn").[4] In Khuzdûl, it is known as Barazinbar, from baraz ("red") and -inbar ("horn").

In adaptations[]

Lord of the Rings film trilogy[]

Fotr0946

The Fellowship going through the high snow banks

In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring film, the Fellowship is trying to cross Caradhras in a blizzard, Saruman utters enchantments in Quenya from the top of Orthanc in Isengard to prevent them from crossing the mountain by causing massive boulders to plummet down from the mountain and lightning to strike the mountain, sending a mass of snow cascading down and burying the Fellowship. This differs from the book, in which it is suggested that an ancient evil born from the mountain itself was sending the foul weather to hinder the group's passage; or that it could have been the work of Sauron, from afar. Gandalf himself responds to Gimli's questioning of Sauron's reach, to which Gandalf says, "It has grown long."

In popular culture[]

  • The trailer music company Two Steps From Hell made a song called "Caradhras" on one of their public albums, Archangel.
  • The Austrian black metal band Summoning made a song called "Caradhras" on their 2013 album "Old Mornings Dawn".

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Amharic ጫራድህራስ
Arabic كارادراس
Armenian Կարադհրաս
Belarusian Cyrillic Царадhрас
Bengali ক্যারাডরাস
Bosnian Karazras
Bulgarian Cyrillic Карадрас
Danish Caradhras (Røde Horn)
Chinese 卡蘭拉斯山
Georgian კარადრასი (Caradhras)

წითელრქიანა (Redhorn)

Greek Καραδράς
Gujarati કારધરસઃ
Hebrew קאראדרס
Hindi करधरस
Hungarian Vörös-fok
Kannada ಕ್ಯಾರಾಧ್ರಸ್
Kazakh Cyrillic Царадһрас
Korean 카라드라스
Kyrgyz Cyrillic Карадhрас
Macedonian Cyrillic Карадхрас
Marathi चरध्रस
Mongolian Cyrillic Карадhрас
Nepalese कराध्रास
Pashto چارادهراس
Persian کارادراس
Punjabi ਕਰਧ੍ਰਸ
Russian Карадрас
Sanskrit चरध्रस्
Serbian Kарадрас (Cyrillic) Karadras (Latin)
Sinhalese කාද්රාස්
Tajik Cyrillic Чарадҳрас
Tamil சரத்ஹ்ரஸ்
Telugu క్యారధ్రస్
Thai คาราธราส
Ukrainian Cyrillic Карадграс
Urdu کآرادہراس
Uzbek Карадҳрас (Cyrillic) Karadhras (Latin)
Yiddish קאַראַדהראַס
Places of Middle-earth and Arda

Middle-earth Locations:

Provinces/Regions:

Arnor | Dunland | Ettenmoors | Forochel | Forodwaith | Gondor | Harad | Ithilien | Khand | Lindon | Minhiriath | Mordor | Rhovanion | Rhûn | Rivendell | Rohan | The Shire

Forests & Mountains:

Amon Dîn | Amon Hen | Amon Lhaw | Caradhras | Emyn Muil | Erebor | Fangorn Forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Mirkwood | Mount Doom | Mount Gundabad | Old Forest | Orod-na-Thôn | Tower Hills | Weathertop Hill

City/Fortifications:

Angband | Barad-dûr | Bree | Caras Galadhon | Dol Guldur | Fornost Erain | Hornburg | Isengard | Minas Morgul | Minas Tirith | Last Homely House | Tower of Amon Sûl | Tower of Orthanc | Osgiliath | Umbar | Utumno

Miscellaneous:

Argonath | Astulat | Buckland | Cair Andros | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Enedwaith | Fords of Isen | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens

The rest of Arda:

Aman | Burnt Land of the Sun | Dark Land | Empty Lands | Neldoreth | New lands | Númenor | Tol Eressëa

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter III: "The Ring goes South"
  2. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, III: Durin's Folk
  3. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"
  4. Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
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