Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is an important location in Tolkien's legendarium, and is featured in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. It was established and ruled by Elrond Half-elven in the Second Age of Middle-earth (four or five thousand years before the events of The Lord of the Rings), and was protected by the powers of its lord and his elven ring Vilya.