Bruinen or Loudwater was a loud river in eastern Eriador.
Course
The river began as two streams that flowed from the western slopes of the Misty Mountains. The northern stream had its source near the High Pass. The southern stream flowed through the deep valley of Rivendell. The two streams joined a few miles southwest of Rivendell and then flowed southwest until the Loudwater flowed into the river Mitheithel. The Bruinen had only one known ford, the Ford near Rivendell.
It is certain that the southern stream was called Bruinen or Loudwater, because Frodo's room in Rivendell "looked south across the ravine of the Bruinen" and Frodo "walked along the terraces above the loud-flowing Bruinen". It is probable that the northern stream was also called the Bruinen or Loudwater, because Rivendell lay in the lands east of Loudwater and the southern stream in the valley of Rivendell flows almost straight from east to west while the northern stream makes a turn to the flow to the southwest north of Rivendell so that the valley of Rivendell lies east from this section of the northern stream before it joins the southern stream.
After the founding of the realm of Arnor in 3320, the Loudwater formed its eastern border. In T.A. 861, when Arnor was divided into the splinter-kingdoms of Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur, the river was the eastern border of Rhudaur.
In T.A. 1150 the Stoors, one of the three kinds of Hobbits, left their homes at the bank of the river Anduin and migrated to the west, crossed the Misty Mountains over the Redhorn Pass and followed the course of the Loudwater southwards and settled between Tharbad and the borders of Dunland.
When Thorin and company went to reclaim Erebor, they crossed the Bruinen after their adventure with the Trolls, before they long paused at Rivendell.
At the beginning of the War of the Ring Frodo Baggins was carried on Glorfindel's horse towards the Ford of Bruinen, with the Ringwraiths in hot pursuit. At the Ford Frodo, poisoned by a Morgul-wound, made his stand, and defied the Lord of the Nazgûl. This lured the Ringwraiths into the Bruinen, and Elrond commanded the river to form a great flood and Gandalf turned the shape of some of the waves into the form of white riders on white horses. This flood carried away the the horses and the Ringwraiths, buying the Fellowship of the Ring some time. Gandalf was convinced that the horses of the Ringwraiths had been killed in the river, but that the Ringwraiths had survived.
Artwork
