Áistan: Lifestyle
Áistan: Lifestyle and Culture
As we read in The Hobbit, Men began moving into the upper Anduin vales “from the South” in the years before the Quest of Erebor (TH 102); these Northmen were likely descended from the Eotheod, or prince Vidugavia’s ‘kingdom of Rhovanion’ from the 13th century TA, hence I use a Gothic name for this persona.
As a result of their recent migrations, I see this culture as having a strong frontier spirit. While there are villages of Men in the foothills of the Misty Mountains, I imagine those on the east side of the River closer to Mirkwood are more isolated, living in a ‘network’ of homesteads or ‘stations’, instead of proper towns.
Aistan makes his living by foraging, hunting, and some farming, and offers his services as a guide, scout, or escort to the travelers, merchants, and craftsmen who pass through the area, often in exchange for goods from other parts – Tolkien thrice depicts Beornings helping travelers journeying between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains (TH 132; FotR 256; UT 359). In addition, Aistan often barters goods he produces on his homestead—such as carved wooden spoons, birch oil, and braintanned skins.
While it may seem at first that the Anduin (which would be valley is a ‘middle of nowhere’ backwater, it is really quite well-connected to the rest of Middle-earth. The Great River itself allows for contact/trade with Gondor and possibly eastern Rohan ("...for light boats used to journey out of Wilderland down to Osgiliath, and still did so until a few years ago, when the Orcs of Mordor began to multiply.’” (FotR 438). “[Third Age] 3009: …the [Misty] Mountains and all lands eastward are becoming dangerous.” (RotK 410).
This area is also adjacent to the ‘Old Forest Road’ (properly the Men-i-Naugrim) that connects the Iron Hills/Erebor/Dale/Lake-town cultural sphere with Eriador, allowing for exchange of goods and services via dwarvish “agents”.
Another possible link to the outside world would be the wizard Radagast’s ‘home base’ at Rhosgobel (which likely would be known as Brownhay to a Westron speaker (History of Middle-Earth Volume 7 The Treason of Isengard: VIII – The Ring Goes South, Note 10).
When not traveling about on his shanks’ mares, Aistan can be found paddling his willow canoe up and down the Great River (which would be known as the 'Longflood' to a Northman), ‘prospecting’ for birchbark and other treasures washed downtream from the vales of the North. His boat is a twelve-foot currach-type, made of two full-grown cowhides, stretched over a woven framework of willows from the Gladden. It is much roomier (can hold 2 or 3 people and gear!), steadier, and lighter than this earlier dugout canoe.
As far as personal decoration goes, Aistan wears an earspool made of a fish’s vertebrae, and on fancy occasions a necklace of yellow (dwarvish) glass beads and trophy ‘Warg’ fangs. His braintanned garments are often decorated in geometric patterns with egg paints. His hand-inked tattoo symbolizes both the Sun and the cyclical seasons of the year.