Region
Rhûn
The far eastern lands beyond the inland Sea of Rhun, home of the Easterlings who served Sauron
Rhun means east, and on the map that is nearly all it means. The region covers everything beyond the eastern edge of Rhovanion: the country east of Mirkwood and the River Running, around and past the great inland Sea of Rhun, and on into blank space that Tolkien deliberately left vague. The northern shore of the sea is bordered by Dorwinion, a warm land famous for the heady wine that the Wood-elves of Mirkwood import, the same wine that puts Thranduil's butler and chief of the guard to sleep in The Hobbit and lets Bilbo take the cellar keys.
The peoples of Rhun are called Easterlings, a term that covers many different nations across thousands of years rather than one kingdom. The pattern begins in the First Age, when Men out of the east came into Beleriand and some of them betrayed the Elves at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. In the Second Age the Men of the east were among the first to fall under Sauron's rule, and three of the nine Rings of Power went to their kings.
The Third Age history of Gondor is largely a history of invasions from this direction. In TA 1248 Romendacil II defeated Easterlings and built the Argonath to mark his frontier. In TA 1856 the Wainriders killed King Narmacil II at the Battle of the Plains and destroyed the Kingdom of Rhovanion, and in TA 1944 they were finally broken by Earnil II in the Battle of the Camp. The Balchoth came in TA 2510 and were defeated at the Field of Celebrant, a battle that brought the Eotheod south and created Rohan.
In The Lord of the Rings the Easterlings serve Sauron again. They fight at the Black Gate and on the Pelennor, and a separate army out of Rhun attacks Dale and Erebor in March TA 3019, killing King Brand and King Dain. After the war Aragorn as King Elessar campaigns in the east, and Tolkien notes that he brought the Easterling lands to peace.
On the map this region is worth looking at for what it does not show. The Sea of Rhun and Dorwinion are the last named places, and everything beyond them is deliberately unmapped, the edge of the known world for the people of the West.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Rhun on the Middle-earth map?
Rhun is the far east of the map, beyond Mirkwood and the River Running. Its main feature is the inland Sea of Rhun, and most maps show nothing beyond it.
Who lives in Rhun?
The Easterlings, a general name for many peoples of the east. They served Sauron in every age and invaded Gondor and Rhovanion repeatedly through the Third Age.
What is Dorwinion?
A warm land near the northwest shore of the Sea of Rhun, known for its strong wine. Thranduil's Wood-elves imported it, and it is the drink that puts the guards to sleep in The Hobbit.