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Arda

2010-05-30T18:05:58Z

93.167.82.73: /* Beginnings */

{{location
| image=[[Image:Arda001.gif|350px]]
| name=Arda
| othernames=
| etymology=[[Valarin|V.]] ''[[Aþâraphelûn]]''
| type=World
| location=[[Eä]]
| inhabitants=[[Valar]], [[Maiar]], [[Elves]], [[Men]], [[Dwarves]], etc.
| realms=
| description=The World
| events=
| references=
|}}{{Pronounce|Arda.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Arda''' ([[Quenya|Q]]: "Realm", pronounced {{IPA|[ˈarda]}}) was the [[Quenya]] name for the world as a whole, containing the continental masses of [[Middle-earth]] and [[Aman]] in particular. It lay within [[Eä]] as a creation of [[Eru Ilúvatar]].

==Yo Mamma==
:''Main article: [[Years of the Lamps]]''

[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Illuin, Lamp of the Valar.jpg|thumb|left|150px|''Illuin, Lamp of the Valar'' by [[Ted Nasmith]] (actually [[Ormal]])]]
Arda was first brought into existence with the [[Music of the Ainur]], for the purpose of creating a home for the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]. Ilúvatar appointed the [[Valar]] as its masters, and they invented its geography, for at the time it was largely without feature. They gave it symmetry and form.

As for light source, the Valar decided upon [[two lamps]]. One, a blue light, was placed at the north, and it was called [[Illuin]]. The other, a golden light, was placed at the very southernmost point, and was called [[Ormal]]. [[Aulë]], craftsman of the Valar, forged two towers: [[Helcar]] and [[Ringil]], placed at the north and south respectively. The Valar chose as their own home the green isle [[Almaren]].

It was at that time that [[Melkor]] made his first attempt, spreading chaos across Arda. He destroyed the Lamps and the Towers, ruining the symmetry of the world. Continents formed: especially [[Aman]], [[Endor]], the [[Dark Land]], the [[Hither Lands]], and the [[Land of the Sun]]. So Arda was created.

==Geography==

===Before the Shifting===
[[Image:Almaren.png|thumb|Original symmetric shape of Arda with [[Almaren]] in the middle. The [[Iron Mountains]] can be seen on the North, created by [[Melkor]] to protect himself from the Valar.]]
Arda was originally flat, like a plate. Encircling the continents was [[Ekkaia]], the Encircling Sea. Farthest to the West was the great continent of [[Aman]], composed primarily of two geographical features: the [[Plain of Valinor]], and the [[Pelóri]] Mountains. [[Taniquetil]] was the highest mountain in this range, and in the world. To the east was the great sea of [[Belegaer]].

Across Belegaer, to the north, was [[Endor]], or [[Middle-earth]]. The west side of this land mass was called [[Beleriand]], the north [[Dor Daidelos]], and the east [[Palisor]]. According to [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]’s earlier maps, it was in Palisor that there was the great inland [[Sea of Helcar]], and the shores of [[Cuiviénen]]. Middle-earth was dominated by many mountain ranges and forests.

To the south of Endor, connected by the [[Straits of the World]], was the [[Hither Lands]] according to Tolkien’s earlier maps, corresponding closely with Africa.

Across the great [[East Sea]] was the [[Dark Land]], also known as the South Land. No-one lived there, [[elf]] or [[dwarf]], except for perhaps some wild men.

To the farthest east possible was the [[Land of the Sun]], with a great curved mountain range called the [[Wall of the Sun]]. In the ''[[Ambarkanta]]'' it is called the “''Dark Land of the Sun''”. Corresponding to Taniquetil was the mountain [[Kalórmë]].

===2nd Age and Beyond===

During the tumultuous [[War of Wrath]], the Valar broke and reshaped much of the world. The most prominent change was the drowning of Beleriand. Also [[Ossë]] raised [[Andor]] – a large, star-shaped isle – out of Belegaer. The world was stretched and made into the shape of a sphere. The continents shifted.

[[Image:Darrell Sweet - The Fall of Numenor.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''The Fall of Númenor'' by [[Darrell Sweet]]]]The second great change was the [[Drowning of Númenor]]. The most significant changes were that Andor sank and Aman was removed from the [[Circles of the World]] – Arda, inaccessible save by the [[Straight Way]].

The Númenóreans were great sailors and explorers. They may have been the ones to discover the [[Dark Land]] and the [[Land of the Sun]]. Otherwise, Tolkien tells us little about the lands beyond Aman and Middle-earth.

==Arda Marred and Arda Unmarred==

The [[Elves]] held to the concept of [[Arda Marred]] (Quenya: ''[[Arda Hastaina]]''). In the beginning, at the time of the Music of the Ainur, was [[Arda Unmarred]]. According to the idea of Arda Unmarred, the world was originally “unstained” by evil. It became Arda Marred after Melkor entered and introduced chaos. They also clung to the idea that one day the world would become [[Arda Healed]] (Quenya: ''[[Arda Envinyanta]]''). According to this belief, Arda Healed will not come about until the [[Dagor Dagorath]], the Last Battle.
yo mamma

==Other names==
Arda is the [[Quenya]] name of the World, with its atmosphere and the celestial objects. The term [[Ambar]] is roughly equivalent and it probably refers to Earth without the celestial objects. It was also called Kingdom of Earth/Arda/Manwe and Little Kingdom.

In [[Adûnaic]] the world was called [[Kamât]], [[Daira]] or [[Aban]] (as in [[Ar-Abattârik]]).

In [[Valarin]] it was [[Aþâraphelûn]] from which Arda is linguistically a derivation from.

Though not found in Tolkien's writings, the [[Sindarin]] name would likely have been '''Ardhon'''.

==Etymology==
Arda comes from [[root]] [[GAR]]/[[ƷAR]] and means "realm, region"<ref>{{HM|WJ}}, pp. 402, 413</ref>. As the name of the world, it refers to the Earth as the Kingdom of Manwe.

==Theories==
According to the measurements of [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], flat Arda's diameter was probably about 6,800 miles.

==See Also==
* [[Timeline]]
* [[:Category:Arda]]
* [[:Category:Images of Arda]]

[[Category:Arda| ]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]
[[de:Arda]]
[[fi:Arda]]

Arda

2010-05-30T18:03:55Z

93.167.82.73: /* Arda Marred and Arda Unmarred */

{{location
| image=[[Image:Arda001.gif|350px]]
| name=Arda
| othernames=
| etymology=[[Valarin|V.]] ''[[Aþâraphelûn]]''
| type=World
| location=[[Eä]]
| inhabitants=[[Valar]], [[Maiar]], [[Elves]], [[Men]], [[Dwarves]], etc.
| realms=
| description=The World
| events=
| references=
|}}{{Pronounce|Arda.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''Arda''' ([[Quenya|Q]]: "Realm", pronounced {{IPA|[ˈarda]}}) was the [[Quenya]] name for the world as a whole, containing the continental masses of [[Middle-earth]] and [[Aman]] in particular. It lay within [[Eä]] as a creation of [[Eru Ilúvatar]].

==Beginnings==
:''Main article: [[Years of the Lamps]]''

[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Illuin, Lamp of the Valar.jpg|thumb|left|150px|''Illuin, Lamp of the Valar'' by [[Ted Nasmith]] (actually [[Ormal]])]]
Arda was first brought into existence with the [[Music of the Ainur]], for the purpose of creating a home for the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]. Ilúvatar appointed the [[Valar]] as its masters, and they invented its geography, for at the time it was largely without feature. They gave it symmetry and form.

As for light source, the Valar decided upon [[two lamps]]. One, a blue light, was placed at the north, and it was called [[Illuin]]. The other, a golden light, was placed at the very southernmost point, and was called [[Ormal]]. [[Aulë]], craftsman of the Valar, forged two towers: [[Helcar]] and [[Ringil]], placed at the north and south respectively. The Valar chose as their own home the green isle [[Almaren]].

It was at that time that [[Melkor]] made his first attempt, spreading chaos across Arda. He destroyed the Lamps and the Towers, ruining the symmetry of the world. Continents formed: especially [[Aman]], [[Endor]], the [[Dark Land]], the [[Hither Lands]], and the [[Land of the Sun]]. So Arda was created.

==Geography==

===Before the Shifting===
[[Image:Almaren.png|thumb|Original symmetric shape of Arda with [[Almaren]] in the middle. The [[Iron Mountains]] can be seen on the North, created by [[Melkor]] to protect himself from the Valar.]]
Arda was originally flat, like a plate. Encircling the continents was [[Ekkaia]], the Encircling Sea. Farthest to the West was the great continent of [[Aman]], composed primarily of two geographical features: the [[Plain of Valinor]], and the [[Pelóri]] Mountains. [[Taniquetil]] was the highest mountain in this range, and in the world. To the east was the great sea of [[Belegaer]].

Across Belegaer, to the north, was [[Endor]], or [[Middle-earth]]. The west side of this land mass was called [[Beleriand]], the north [[Dor Daidelos]], and the east [[Palisor]]. According to [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]’s earlier maps, it was in Palisor that there was the great inland [[Sea of Helcar]], and the shores of [[Cuiviénen]]. Middle-earth was dominated by many mountain ranges and forests.

To the south of Endor, connected by the [[Straits of the World]], was the [[Hither Lands]] according to Tolkien’s earlier maps, corresponding closely with Africa.

Across the great [[East Sea]] was the [[Dark Land]], also known as the South Land. No-one lived there, [[elf]] or [[dwarf]], except for perhaps some wild men.

To the farthest east possible was the [[Land of the Sun]], with a great curved mountain range called the [[Wall of the Sun]]. In the ''[[Ambarkanta]]'' it is called the “''Dark Land of the Sun''”. Corresponding to Taniquetil was the mountain [[Kalórmë]].

===2nd Age and Beyond===

During the tumultuous [[War of Wrath]], the Valar broke and reshaped much of the world. The most prominent change was the drowning of Beleriand. Also [[Ossë]] raised [[Andor]] – a large, star-shaped isle – out of Belegaer. The world was stretched and made into the shape of a sphere. The continents shifted.

[[Image:Darrell Sweet - The Fall of Numenor.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''The Fall of Númenor'' by [[Darrell Sweet]]]]The second great change was the [[Drowning of Númenor]]. The most significant changes were that Andor sank and Aman was removed from the [[Circles of the World]] – Arda, inaccessible save by the [[Straight Way]].

The Númenóreans were great sailors and explorers. They may have been the ones to discover the [[Dark Land]] and the [[Land of the Sun]]. Otherwise, Tolkien tells us little about the lands beyond Aman and Middle-earth.

==Arda Marred and Arda Unmarred==

The [[Elves]] held to the concept of [[Arda Marred]] (Quenya: ''[[Arda Hastaina]]''). In the beginning, at the time of the Music of the Ainur, was [[Arda Unmarred]]. According to the idea of Arda Unmarred, the world was originally “unstained” by evil. It became Arda Marred after Melkor entered and introduced chaos. They also clung to the idea that one day the world would become [[Arda Healed]] (Quenya: ''[[Arda Envinyanta]]''). According to this belief, Arda Healed will not come about until the [[Dagor Dagorath]], the Last Battle.
yo mamma

==Other names==
Arda is the [[Quenya]] name of the World, with its atmosphere and the celestial objects. The term [[Ambar]] is roughly equivalent and it probably refers to Earth without the celestial objects. It was also called Kingdom of Earth/Arda/Manwe and Little Kingdom.

In [[Adûnaic]] the world was called [[Kamât]], [[Daira]] or [[Aban]] (as in [[Ar-Abattârik]]).

In [[Valarin]] it was [[Aþâraphelûn]] from which Arda is linguistically a derivation from.

Though not found in Tolkien's writings, the [[Sindarin]] name would likely have been '''Ardhon'''.

==Etymology==
Arda comes from [[root]] [[GAR]]/[[ƷAR]] and means "realm, region"<ref>{{HM|WJ}}, pp. 402, 413</ref>. As the name of the world, it refers to the Earth as the Kingdom of Manwe.

==Theories==
According to the measurements of [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], flat Arda's diameter was probably about 6,800 miles.

==See Also==
* [[Timeline]]
* [[:Category:Arda]]
* [[:Category:Images of Arda]]

[[Category:Arda| ]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]
[[de:Arda]]
[[fi:Arda]]