Írensaga was a tall mountain with a series of saw-toothed peaks[1] situated within the White Mountains in Rohan.[2]
Alongside the Starkhorn and the Dwimorberg, Írensaga was part of the juncture which formed the great shelf Dunharrow was on in the valley of Harrowdale in Rohan.[2]
On March 9 of the year 3019 during the late Third Age, Írensaga was seen by Meriadoc Brandybuck when Théoden, the King of Rohan, and his riders, arrived at Dunharrow from the Hornburg after partaking in a battle there.[3]
Etymology
Írensaga is a name in Old English[4] representing a Rohanese name meaning "iron-saw" in reference to the serrated ridge atop the mountain's summit.[1] The name contains the words iren ("iron") and sagu ("saw").[5]
In other versions
In earlier drafts of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wrote Irensaga without an accent over the "I" and did not include a hyphen in the translation of the name.[6] While it is untold why Tolkien added the accent, it is possible that the first word Íren is meant to correspond with Īren ("iron") to make for a long "i" sound, rather than a short one with an unaccented iren.[7]
Translations
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Danish | Irensaga ("Den Savtakkede Jernryg") |
| Hebrew | אירנסאגה |
| Portuguese | Serraferro (Brazil) |
| Russian | Айренсага |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings", pg. 772 (entry Irensaga)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings, Vol. III: The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. III: "The Muster of Rohan", pg. 68
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years", entry for March 9, 3019
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, pg. 539
- ↑ Irensaga on The Thain's Book
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. VIII: The War of the Ring, Part Three: "Minas Tirith", V: "Many Roads lead Eastward" (2), pgs. 312-3
- ↑ Írensaga on The Encyclopedia of Arda (note 1)