Icebay of Forochel

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Icebay of Forochel
Bay
Christopher Tolkien - Icebay of Forochel.jpg
Part of the composite "The First Map" by Christopher Tolkien
General Information
LocationForochel
TypeBay
DescriptionFrozen bay partially contained by the Cape of Forochel
InhabitantsLossoth

The Icebay of Forochel was an immense body of water whose southern reach lay between the northern tips of the Blue Mountains and Misty Mountains and extended for hundreds of miles to the northeast. The mouth of the bay was in the southwest, between the Blue Mountains and the Cape of Forochel, which separated most of the bay from Belegaer.[1]

History

A long time ago before a people known as the Forodwaith, who were used to endure the bitter cold of the realm of Morgoth settled in the far north. In the Third Age a remnant of these people was known as the Lossoth or the Snowmen of Forochel. The Lossoth lived on the Cape of Forochel most of the time, but they also camped on the southern shore of the bay at the feet of the Blue Mountains.[2]

In T.A. 1974 the kingdom of Arthedain was overrun by the forces of Angmar. King Arvedui fled to the north, first to the Far Downs, then near the northern end of the Blue Mountains and finally, driven by hunger, to a camp of the Lossoth at the shore of the bay. Partly from fear and partly from pity these people fed and sheltered the king and his men. Then, in March[2] of 1975,[3] a ship from Círdan reached the Icebay to take Arvedui and his party onboard. After they set sail a storm arose which crushed the ship in the ice and the king, his men, and all the mariners perished in the sea.[2]

Other versions of the legendarium

On Christopher Tolkien's General Map of Middle-earth the label "Ice Bay of Forochel" was placed in the water in the smaller southern lobe of the bay.[4][5] When Christopher Tolkien redrew his map, he placed the label on the shore just below the smaller southern lobe of the bay and added an arrow after the label that pointed to the larger northeast part of the bay.[1] Christopher Tolkien stated that he had little doubt that the water with the label "Ice Bay of Forochel" on his original map was only a small part of the full immense Bay of Forochel.[6] The full extent of the Icebay is shown on J.R.R. Tolkien's The First Map of The Lord of the Rings and on Map IA that was redrawn by Christopher Tolkien based on this map and published in The Treason of Isengard.[7]

Portrayal in adaptations

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

The Icebay was the smaller body of water, the larger bay was not featured in the game. It contained many small islands and icebergs, including Sâri-surma, lair of the Gaunt-lord Drugoth the Death-monger. The wreckage of Arvedui's ship was located in some ice off the coast of the north-western shore. It was haunted by the shade of the king, who had cursed himself in his final moments.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", The North-kingdom and the Dúnedain, p. 1041 and footnote to the Snowmen of Forochel
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1975 p. 1086
  4. Christopher Tolkien, General Map of Middle-earth
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age" [map]
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Introduction", "The Map of Middle-earth", footnote to Cape of Forochel
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Treason of Isengard, "XV. The First Map of The Lord of the Rings", "Maps I and IA", p. 303
Icebay of Forochel
Cape of Forochel Cape of Forochel Forodwaith
Belegaer WindRose3.pngForodwaith
Ered Luin, Lindon Hills of Evendim, North Downs. Eriador Carn Dûm, Angmar, Misty Mountains