Edain

The Edain (singular Adan, Sindarin for "man") were the descendants of the Fathers of Men, the Atanatari. These peoples entered Beleriand in the First Age and became allied with the Elves. There were three tribes of the Edain:

• The Bëorians -- Dark-haired and stout of build, they shared a common language (Taliska) with the Marachians.
• The Haladin -- Also dark-haired, but smaller in stature and very reclusive, prone to living in forests and staying out of conflict.
• The Marachians -- Later known as the House of Hador for their greatest ruler, they were tall, golden-haired, and war-like. They shared a common language with the Bëorians.

The descendants of the Bëorians and Marachians founded the island-kingdom of Númenor in the Second Age and became the pinnacle of human civilization before that land's downfall. They are the ancestors of the Dúnedain of Gondor and Arnor, the great kingdoms of the Third Age. Peoples related to the Edain who did not cross into Beleriand were the ancestors of many "Middle Men" of Middle-earth, peoples who were allied with the Númenóreans and their descendants. These included the Rohirrim, the Men of Dale, and other Northmen. The Haladin, in turn, were related to many simpler tribes of Middle-earth, such as the Dunlendings, the Men of Bree, the Men of the White Mountains (later the Dead Men of Dunharrow), and possibly the Hill-men.