Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Talk:Entwives

2025-06-02T18:09:26Z

Drakon: /* "Here there may be Entwives" */ Reply

=="Here there may be Entwives"==

Is there any further information that can corroborate the claims made by Pip Willis about the Entwives' location, or that he is a qualified source? The best I can surmise is that he is somehow related to map-maker [[Didier Willis]], but that's a guess. Is Pip recognized as a Tolkien scholar who I'm unaware of? Either way, with all respect to Pip, I find it hard to view him as an authority on Arda's geography when he has used David Day's terribly inaccurate map of Arda in response to another Quora question [https://www.quora.com/What-lands-are-east-of-Mordor].

I guess my broader question is this: does citing this Quora post, without any further corroboration demonstrating the credibility of either the claim itself or the person making the claim, satisfy Tolkien Gateway's requirements of a reliable source? [[User:Protospace|Protospace]] 17:14, 7 June 2017 (UTC)

:I found the article at Quora noteworthy, as obviously Michael Martinez did as well. It could naturally be an elaborate hoax, and we will probably see more discussion about Willis' article in the future.--[[User:Morgan|Morgan]] 22:09, 7 June 2017 (UTC)

::I think the claim can be reported, as we have done, but we can't regard it as canon, of course. --{{User:Mith/sig}} 08:21, 17 June 2017 (UTC)
:Just discovered this old discussion by a mere accident. But for the record, re: "The best I can surmise is that he is somehow related to map-maker [[Didier Willis]], but that's a guess." -- No, this "Pip Willis" is not me (and I have not idea who that might be). Assuming it's a true name, it's a fairly common family name. I am not either related to actor Bruce Willis. Just saying ;) [[User:Drakon|Drakon]] ([[User talk:Drakon|talk]]) 18:09, 2 June 2025 (UTC)

==Defining entwives as "mates"==

The first line in the article "Entwives were the mates of the Ents." is absurdly sexist. Could you imagine seeing a dictionary define 'Men' as "the mates of women"?

The name "entwives" is gathered from Treebeard and the ents perspective who apparently missed their wives but still is a sexist reduction of their identity though that is just the word used in the common tongue and not Entish which takes a very long time to say and is hopefully more descriptive beyond them only existing as mates since they did indeed develop their own culture and habits. Elvish names for them, [[Ents|Onodrim and Onyalië]] are for all ents, male and female it seems.

I suggest the first line be changed. {{unsigned|Hebekiah}}

:I guess that term was used instead of "wives" to avoid redundance. Why don't you change it? --[[User:LorenzoCB|LorenzoCB]] ([[User talk:LorenzoCB|talk]]) 17:27, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

::I strongly disagree that the term "mate" needs to be changed. The term "mate" does not have a sexist meaning in english and is not a sexist reduction. Looking up the possible meanings of the noun "mate" in a dictionary demonstrates that easily (e.g. a perfect mate, soulmate, etc.). The text of the Entwives page provides sufficient context for the introductory sentence, which by its purpose should be short. --[[User:Akhorahil|Akhorahil]] ([[User talk:Akhorahil|talk]]) 17:57, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

Didier Willis

2024-08-22T17:44:00Z

Drakon: /* Books */ Aug. 2024 publication

__NOTOC__

'''Didier Willis''' ([[25 April]], [[1971]]), a French IT engineer, is President of Le Dragon de Brume, a non-profit Tolkien association.<ref>[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le_Dragon_de_Brume.php Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde] at [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com TolkienLibrary.com] (accessed 24 September)</ref>

Before that, he wrote several articles and studies on Arda in the French [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/e-zine e-zine] ''[[Hiswelókë]]''. Amongs other things, he has compiled the [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/ Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary] as well as the (now unmaintained) [[Dragon Flame]] application.

==Bibliography==

===Books===

*[[2011]]: ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', volume 1, botany and astronomy (editor, co-author)
*[[2014]]: ''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde'', volume 2, astronomy and geography (editor, co-author)
*[[2017]]: ''[[Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu]]'' (co-editor)
*[[2023]]: ''[[On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth]]'' (editor, main translator)
*[[2024]]: ''[[On cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth]]'' (editor, main translator, co-author)
*2024: ''A bibliography of Tolkien studies in French & English'' (editor, permanent on-line publication)

===Articles===

*Critical reviews "Tolkien, ''From Quendi and Eldar'', Appendix D" (pp. 100-2), "Tolkien, ''Etymological Notes on the Ósanwe-kenta, From The Shibboleth of Fëanor, Notes on Óre''" pp. 104-6, in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 1]], cahier d'études tolkieniennes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), L'Œil du Sphinx, [[2001]].
*Encyclopedic notices "Alphabets inventés"; "L'Anneau de Morgoth (''Morgoth’s Ring'')", pp. 26-9 and 47-50 in [[Vincent Ferré]] (ed.), ''[[Dictionnaire Tolkien]]'', Paris, CNRS, [[2012]].
*"Parole et pensée chez Tolkien : l'analogie de l'angélologie" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].
*"L'équivocité des conceptions valarine et elfique du "marrissement" d'Arda" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].

==External links==
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux Le Dragon de Brume] (French/English)
*[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] (French)

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Didier}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:French people]]
[[Category:Linguists]]
[[Category:People by name]]
[[Category:Webmasters]]

On cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth

2024-05-25T19:05:19Z

Drakon: Add new book (collection of essays) published by Le Dragon de Brume 2024

{{book
| title=On cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth
| image=
| author=[[Jean-Rodolphe Turlin]], [[Didier Willis]]
| editor=[[Didier Willis]]
| publisher=Le Dragon de Brume
| date=2024 June
| format=
| pages=164
| isbn=978-2-9539896-8-7
| series=
| precededby=
| followedby=
}}

'''On cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth''' is a small collection of essays on Middle-earth, extracted from previous volumes published by Le Dragon de Brume and translated from French into English.

The volume is available in print, but a full PDF version is also provided on the editor's website.

== Contents ==

* Turlin, J.-R. — "On the cartography of the Shire" pp. 7–74
* Willis, D. — "On Númenor and the Cottoniana" pp. 75–93
* Willis, D. — [appendix] "On Tolkien and the Cotton library" pp. 95–99
* Willis, D. — "On assembling maps from Beleriand to Rhûn" pp. 100–139
* Lefèvre, A.* — "On imagination and visualization" pp. 140–144
* Willis, D. — "On the geolocation of Middle-earth" pp. 145–156
* "On the authors & contributors" p. 157
* "Supplementary material" pp. 158–162 (illus.)

== External links ==
* [https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/on-cartography-maps-locations-in-middle-earth Official webpage]

{{title|italic}}
[[Category:French publications]]
[[Category:Scholarly books]]

Didier Willis

2024-05-25T18:57:29Z

Drakon: Add 2024 works

__NOTOC__
'''Didier Willis''' ([[25 April]], [[1971]]), a French IT engineer, is President of Le Dragon de Brume, a non-profit Tolkien association.<ref>[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le_Dragon_de_Brume.php Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde] at [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com TolkienLibrary.com] (accessed 24 September)</ref>

Before that, he wrote several articles and studies on Arda in the French [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/e-zine e-zine] ''[[Hiswelókë]]''. Amongs other things, he has compiled the [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/ Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary] as well as the (now unmaintained) [[Dragon Flame]] application.

==Bibliography==

=== Books ===

*[[2011]]: ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', volume 1, botany and astronomy (editor, co-author)
*[[2014]]: ''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde'', volume 2, astronomy and geography (editor, co-author)
*[[2017]]: ''[[Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu]]'' (co-editor)
*[[2023]]: ''[[On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth]]'' (editor, main translator)
*[[2024]]: ''[[On cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth]]'' (editor, main translator, co-author)

=== Articles ===

* Critical reviews "Tolkien, ''From Quendi and Eldar'', Appendix D" (pp. 100-2), "Tolkien, ''Etymological Notes on the Ósanwe-kenta, From The Shibboleth of Fëanor, Notes on Óre''" pp. 104-6, in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 1]], cahier d'études tolkieniennes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), L'Œil du Sphinx, [[2001]].
* Encyclopedic notices "Alphabets inventés"; "L'Anneau de Morgoth (''Morgoth’s Ring'')", pp. 26-9 and 47-50 in [[Vincent Ferré]] (ed.), ''[[Dictionnaire Tolkien]]'', Paris, CNRS, [[2012]].
* "Parole et pensée chez Tolkien : l'analogie de l'angélologie" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].
* "L'équivocité des conceptions valarine et elfique du "marrissement" d'Arda" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].

==External links==
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux Le Dragon de Brume] (French/English)
*[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] (French)

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Didier}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:French people]]
[[Category:Linguists]]
[[Category:People by name]]
[[Category:Webmasters]]

On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth

2023-11-14T21:49:21Z

Drakon: Add new book (collection of essays) published by Le Dragon de Brume 2023

{{book
| title=On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth
| image=
| editor=[[Didier Willis]]
| publisher=Le Dragon de Brume
| date=2023 November
| format=
| pages=118
| isbn=978-2-9539896-7-0
| series=
| precededby=
| followedby=
}}

'''On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth''' is a small collection of essays on Middle-earth, extracted from previous volumes published by Le Dragon de Brume and translated from French into English.

The volume is available in print, but a full PDF version is also provided on the editor's website.

== Contents ==

* On the lost tale of Mercury
* On the red star near the Hunter’s Moon
* On Elysian fields of mallos and alfirin
* On a dishevelled dryad
* On flying ships, myths and the Machine
* On the authors & contributors

== External links ==
* [https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/on-some-stars-flowers-places-in-middle-earth Official webpage]

{{title|italic}}
[[Category:French publications]]
[[Category:Scholarly books]]

Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu

2023-11-14T21:30:59Z

Drakon: Add link to JRRT's poem

{{book
| title=Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu
| image=
| editor=Romaine Casademont, [[Didier Willis]], Mahdî Brecq, [[Leo Carruthers]]
| contributors=Kris Swank, Stéphanie Loubechine, Simon Ayrinhac, Vivien Stocker, Alain Lefèvre
| illustrator=
| publisher=Le Dragon de Brume
| date=2017 december
| format=
| pages=
| isbn=978-2-9539896-5-6
| series=
| precededby=
| followedby=
}}
[[Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu]] ("Fairies, navigators & other miscellaneous in Middle-earth") is a 1-volume collection of scholarly essays in French on J.R.R. Tolkien. The collection focuses on travels in a very broad sense, with essays from French authors as well as translations from English.

== Contents ==
* '''Première partie''' — Miscellanées en Terre du Milieu : Fées, navigateurs & cartographes
** Kris Swank, ''Le dernier chant de Tom Bombadil : « Il était une fois » de J. R. R. Tolkien.''
** J.R.R. Tolkien, « ''[[Once upon a Time|Once Upon A Time]]'' »
** Kris Swank, ''Il était deux fois : réexaminer le poème “Il était une fois”.''
** Stéphanie Loubechine, ''Addendum du traducteur.''
** Alain Lefèvre, ''À propos d’une dryade déchevelée''.
** Simon Ayrinhac, ''La représentation cartographique chez J. R. R. Tolkien''.
** Alain Lefèvre, ''Imagination & visualisation''.
** Alain Lefèvre, ''Navires volants, du mythe à la Machine''.
* '''Seconde partie''' — J. R. R. Tolkien, au croisement des mythes
**Actes du colloque de Dijon, avril [[2015]], sous la direction de [[Leo Carruthers]] & Mahdî Brecq (Extraits)
**Vivien Stocker, ''Les mangeurs de charbon — Tolkien, clubs et societies''.
**Mahdî Brecq, ''Mythologie germanique et fiction : inspirations et reflets dans l’oeuvre de Tolkien''.
**[[Leo Carruthers]], ''Homme elfique, peuple elfique. Sire Gauvain et le Chevalier vert''.

== External links ==
* [https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/vol4 Official webpage] (french)

{{title|italic}}
[[Category:French publications]]
[[Category:Scholarly books]]

Didier Willis

2023-11-14T21:26:05Z

Drakon: Quite old intro

__NOTOC__
'''Didier Willis''' ([[25 April]], [[1971]]), a French IT engineer, is President of Le Dragon de Brume, a non-profit Tolkien association.<ref>[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le_Dragon_de_Brume.php Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde] at [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com TolkienLibrary.com] (accessed 24 September)</ref>

Before that, he wrote several articles and studies on Arda in the French [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/e-zine e-zine] ''[[Hiswelókë]]''. Amongs other things, he has compiled the [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/ Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary] as well as the (now unmaintained) [[Dragon Flame]] application.

==Bibliography==

=== Books ===

*[[2011]]: ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', volume 1, botany and astronomy (editor)
*[[2014]]: ''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde'', volume 2, astronomy and geography (editor)
*[[2017]]: ''[[Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu]]'' (co-editor)
*[[2023]]: ''[[On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth]]'' (editor, main translator)

=== Articles ===

* Critical reviews "Tolkien, ''From Quendi and Eldar'', Appendix D" (pp. 100-2), "Tolkien, ''Etymological Notes on the Ósanwe-kenta, From The Shibboleth of Fëanor, Notes on Óre''" pp. 104-6, in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 1]], cahier d'études tolkieniennes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), L'Œil du Sphinx, [[2001]].
* Encyclopedic notices "Alphabets inventés"; "L'Anneau de Morgoth (''Morgoth’s Ring'')", pp. 26-9 and 47-50 in [[Vincent Ferré]] (ed.), ''[[Dictionnaire Tolkien]]'', Paris, CNRS, [[2012]].
* "Parole et pensée chez Tolkien : l'analogie de l'angélologie" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].
* "L'équivocité des conceptions valarine et elfique du "marrissement" d'Arda" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].

==External links==
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux Le Dragon de Brume] (French)
*[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] (French)

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Didier}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:French people]]
[[Category:Linguists]]
[[Category:People by name]]
[[Category:Webmasters]]

Didier Willis

2023-11-14T21:17:39Z

Drakon: Add new book 2023

__NOTOC__
'''Didier Willis''' ([[25 April]], [[1971]]), a French IT engineer, is President of Le Dragon de Brume, a non-profit Tolkien association.<ref>[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le_Dragon_de_Brume.php Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde] at [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com TolkienLibrary.com] (accessed 24 September)</ref> He has written several articles and studies on Arda in the French [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/e-zine e-zine] ''[[Hiswelókë]]''.

He has compiled the [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/ Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary] as well as the [[Dragon Flame]] application.

==Bibliography==

=== Books ===

*[[2011]]: ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', volume 1, botany and astronomy (editor)
*[[2014]]: ''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde'', volume 2, astronomy and geography (editor)
*[[2017]]: ''[[Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu]]'' (co-editor)
*[[2023]]: ''[[On some stars, flowers & places in Middle-earth]]'' (editor, main translator)

=== Articles ===

* Critical reviews "Tolkien, ''From Quendi and Eldar'', Appendix D" (pp. 100-2), "Tolkien, ''Etymological Notes on the Ósanwe-kenta, From The Shibboleth of Fëanor, Notes on Óre''" pp. 104-6, in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 1]], cahier d'études tolkieniennes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), L'Œil du Sphinx, [[2001]].
* Encyclopedic notices "Alphabets inventés"; "L'Anneau de Morgoth (''Morgoth’s Ring'')", pp. 26-9 and 47-50 in [[Vincent Ferré]] (ed.), ''[[Dictionnaire Tolkien]]'', Paris, CNRS, [[2012]].
* "Parole et pensée chez Tolkien : l'analogie de l'angélologie" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].
* "L'équivocité des conceptions valarine et elfique du "marrissement" d'Arda" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J.R.R. Tolkien, l'Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].

==External links==
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux Le Dragon de Brume] (French)
*[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] (French)

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Didier}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:French people]]
[[Category:Linguists]]
[[Category:People by name]]
[[Category:Webmasters]]

Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu

2023-11-14T21:11:09Z

Drakon: Correct co-editors and contributors

{{book
| title=Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu
| image=
| editor=Romaine Casademont, [[Didier Willis]], Mahdî Brecq, [[Leo Carruthers]]
| contributors=Kris Swank, Stéphanie Loubechine, Simon Ayrinhac, Vivien Stocker, Alain Lefèvre
| illustrator=
| publisher=Le Dragon de Brume
| date=2017 december
| format=
| pages=
| isbn=978-2-9539896-5-6
| series=
| precededby=
| followedby=
}}
[[Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu]] ("Fairies, navigators & other miscellaneous in Middle-earth") is a 1-volume collection of scholarly essays in French on J.R.R. Tolkien. The collection focuses on travels in a very broad sense, with essays from French authors as well as translations from English.

== Contents ==
* '''Première partie''' — Miscellanées en Terre du Milieu : Fées, navigateurs & cartographes
** Kris Swank, ''Le dernier chant de Tom Bombadil : « Il était une fois » de J. R. R. Tolkien.''
** J.R.R. Tolkien, « ''Once Upon A Time'' »
** Kris Swank, ''Il était deux fois : réexaminer le poème “Il était une fois”.''
** Stéphanie Loubechine, ''Addendum du traducteur.''
** Alain Lefèvre, ''À propos d’une dryade déchevelée''.
** Simon Ayrinhac, ''La représentation cartographique chez J. R. R. Tolkien''.
** Alain Lefèvre, ''Imagination & visualisation''.
** Alain Lefèvre, ''Navires volants, du mythe à la Machine''.
* '''Seconde partie''' — J. R. R. Tolkien, au croisement des mythes
**Actes du colloque de Dijon, avril [[2015]], sous la direction de [[Leo Carruthers]] & Mahdî Brecq (Extraits)
**Vivien Stocker, ''Les mangeurs de charbon — Tolkien, clubs et societies''.
**Mahdî Brecq, ''Mythologie germanique et fiction : inspirations et reflets dans l’oeuvre de Tolkien''.
**[[Leo Carruthers]], ''Homme elfique, peuple elfique. Sire Gauvain et le Chevalier vert''.

== External links ==
* [https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/vol4 Official webpage] (french)

{{title|italic}}
[[Category:French publications]]
[[Category:Scholarly books]]

Hiswelókë

2021-04-09T17:24:53Z

Drakon: I can't count.

{{website
| image=
| name=Hiswelókë
| URL=https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke
| slogan=''le Dragon de Brume'' ("The Dragon of Mist")
| commercial=No
| revenue=
| type=Scholarly articles, essays and dictionary; [[wikipedia:Online magazine|e-zine]]
| language=French (main website); English, French and German (dictionary)
| licence=
| articlecount=
| registration=
| owner=[[Didier Willis]]
| creator=
| keypeople=
| launch=1997
| status=Inactive
}}
'''Hiswelókë''' ([[Quenya]] for "Dragon of Mist"), was a French-language website founded in 1997 by [[Didier Willis]] seeking to popularise scholarship of the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] through French-language articles and essays.

== History ==

In the early 1990s, ''Hisweloce'' (sic) initially debuted as an internal newsletter to the "chair of geography" of the French organization "la Fée"<ref name="fee">[https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=Activities1993France Tolkien Activities in France] and [https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/JRRT/JRRT-hunnewell.php S. Gary Hunnewell collection at Marquette] (reel 8 folder 23).</ref>, sent by regular mail to interested members. There were six short irregular issues printed between 1992 and 1994.

In 1997, the author's personal site, hosted on Geocities, included, besides personal fiction, a "Tolkien's corner" section, which later evolved into ''Hiswelókë''. In the earlier days of the website, most articles and essays were originally collected into four editions of an e-zine<ref name="Downloads">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3 Hiswelókë], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/download.php?lng=fr Téléchargements]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref>. In [[2002]], the website joined JRRVF and, hosted as a "wing" of this website, continued activities until around 2008, with articles available online independently. Aside from personal fiction, the website included articles on botany, linguistics, geography, mythology, [[wikipedia:onomastics|onomastics]] (the study of names) and reviews of other pieces of scholarly work.

In 2010, "Le Dragon de Brume" was transformed into a non-profit organization, mostly focused on publishing collections of essays<ref name="dragondebrume">[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/ Le Dragon de Brume], non-profit organization under the terms of French 1901 act (accessed [[April]], [[2021]])</ref>. The old website being definitely abandoned, some of its remaining contents were gradually transferred to Tolkiendil<ref name="tolkiendil">[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] on Tolkiendil (accessed [[April]], [[2021]])</ref>. The pages on JRRVF are scheduled to be closed in 2021, excepted the Sindarin dictionary project (which will remain on JRRVF).

== Sindarin dictionary ==

Specifically, from [[23 October|October 23]], [[1999]]<ref name="News">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/news.html News]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref> the project has included '''Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary''' which aims to create a complete [[Sindarin]] dictionary - including annotations and relevant amendments - aimed at satisfying the requirements of both serious scholars and casual fans.<ref name="About">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/about.html About]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref>

Aside from online wordlists, the project also included a downloadable [[wikipedia:XML|XML]] lexicon<ref name="github">''[https://github.com/Omikhleia/sindict A Sindarin and Noldorin dictionnary]'' in XML ([https://tei-c.org/ TEI] format)</ref>, and the (now obsolete) [[Dragon Flame]] and Hesperides freeware applications.

==External Links==
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Homepage] (French)
* [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary] (English)
{{references}}
[[Category:Linguistic websites]]

User talk:Drakon

2021-04-09T17:18:04Z

Drakon: /* Welcome et bienvenu */

{{Template:Welcome|realName=Didier Willis|name=Drakon}}

-- [[User:Mith|'''Mith''']] ([[User talk:Mith|'''Talk''']]/[[Special:Contributions/Mith|Contribs]]/[[Special:Editcount/Mith/Edits|Edits]]) 19:55, 14 March 2014 (UTC)

==Another welcome==
Great to have you here, Drakon -- most welcome! Concerning how to add a copyright notice for your own images, you can see [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map (colorized).gif|an example here]]. Any thoughts? --[[User:Morgan|Morgan]] 00:57, 20 March 2014 (UTC)

==Welcome et bienvenu==
Just in case that the dragon is called Didier Willis, there is a discussion about the map of the reunited kingdom on the reunited kingdom page that might be interesting for you and where you could help. --[[User:Akhorahil|Akhorahil]] 16:22, 9 April 2021 (UTC)
:Unfortunately I have never looked yet at that precise topic in any serious way. Interesting though... hmm, I cannot guarantee but might give it a try or discuss it with a fellow map-maker ;) [[User:Drakon|Drakon]] 17:18, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

Didier Willis

2021-04-09T16:56:30Z

Drakon: /* Bibliography */ added articles section

__NOTOC__
'''Didier Willis''' ([[25 April|April 25]], [[1971]]), a French IT engineer, is President of Le Dragon de Brume, a non-profit Tolkien association.<ref>[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le_Dragon_de_Brume.php Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde] at [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com TolkienLibrary.com] (accessed 24 September)</ref> He has written several articles and studies on Arda in the French [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/e-zine e-zine] ''[[Hiswelókë]]''.

He has compiled the [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/ Hiswelókë's Sindarin Dictionary] as well as the [[Dragon Flame]] application.

==Bibliography==

=== Books ===

*[[2011]]: ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', volume 1, botany and astronomy (editor)
*[[2014]]: ''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde'', volume 2, astronomy and geography (editor)
*[[2017]]: ''Fées, navigateurs & autres miscellanées en Terre du Milieu'' (co-editor)

=== Articles ===

* Critical reviews "Tolkien, ''From Quendi and Eldar'', Appendix D" (pp. 100-102), "Tolkien, ''Etymological Notes on the Ósanwe-kenta, From The Shibboleth of Fëanor, Notes on Óre''" p. 104-106, in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 1]], cahier d'études tolkieniennes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), L'Œil du Sphinx, [[2001]].
* Encyclopedic notices "Alphabets inventés"; "L’Anneau de Morgoth (''Morgoth’s Ring'')", pp. 26-29 and 47-50 in [[Vincent Ferré]] (ed.), ''[[Dictionnaire Tolkien]]'', Paris, CNRS, [[2012]].
* "Parole et pensée chez Tolkien : l’analogie de l’angélologie" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J. R .R. Tolkien, l’Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].
* "L’équivocité des conceptions valarine et elfique du “marrissement” d’Arda" in ''[[La Feuille de la Compagnie 3]], J. R .R. Tolkien, l’Effigie des Elfes'', [[Michaël Devaux]] (ed.), Bragelonne, December [[2014]].

==External links==
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux Le Dragon de Brume] (French)
*[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] (French)

{{references}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Didier}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:French people]]
[[Category:Linguists]]
[[Category:People by name]]
[[Category:Webmasters]]

Didier Willis

2021-04-09T13:26:11Z

Drakon: Removed sindict list (defunct), changed website links to Tolkiendil (gradual handover)

Hiswelókë

2021-04-09T13:17:36Z

Drakon: cosmetic

{{website
| image=
| name=Hiswelókë
| URL=https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke
| slogan=''le Dragon de Brume'' ("The Dragon of Mist")
| commercial=No
| revenue=
| type=Scholarly articles, essays and dictionary; [[wikipedia:Online magazine|e-zine]]
| language=French (main website); English, French and German (dictionary)
| licence=
| articlecount=
| registration=
| owner=[[Didier Willis]]
| creator=
| keypeople=
| launch=1997
| status=Inactive
}}
'''Hiswelókë''' ([[Quenya]] for "Dragon of Mist"), was a French-language website founded in 1997 by [[Didier Willis]] seeking to popularise scholarship of the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] through French-language articles and essays.

== History ==

In the early 1990s, ''Hisweloce'' (sic) initially debuted as an internal newsletter to the "chair of geography" of the French organization "la Fée"<ref name="fee">[https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=Activities1993France Tolkien Activities in France] and [https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/JRRT/JRRT-hunnewell.php S. Gary Hunnewell collection at Marquette] (reel 8 folder 23).</ref>, sent by regular mail to interested members. There were four short irregular issues printed between 1992 and 1994.

In 1997, the author's personal site, hosted on Geocities, included, besides personal fiction, a "Tolkien's corner" section, which later evolved into ''Hiswelókë''. In the earlier days of the website, most articles and essays were originally collected into four editions of an e-zine<ref name="Downloads">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3 Hiswelókë], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/download.php?lng=fr Téléchargements]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref>. In [[2002]], the website joined JRRVF and, hosted as a "wing" of this website, continued activities until around 2008, with articles available online independently. Aside from personal fiction, the website included articles on botany, linguistics, geography, mythology, [[wikipedia:onomastics|onomastics]] (the study of names) and reviews of other pieces of scholarly work.

In 2010, "Le Dragon de Brume" was transformed into a non-profit organization, mostly focused on publishing collections of essays<ref name="dragondebrume">[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/ Le Dragon de Brume], non-profit organization under the terms of French 1901 act (accessed [[April]], [[2021]])</ref>. The old website being definitely abandoned, some of its remaining contents were gradually transferred to Tolkiendil<ref name="tolkiendil">[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] on Tolkiendil (accessed [[April]], [[2021]])</ref>. The pages on JRRVF are scheduled to be closed in 2021, excepted the Sindarin dictionary project (which will remain on JRRVF).

== Sindarin dictionary ==

Specifically, from [[23 October|October 23]], [[1999]]<ref name="News">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/news.html News]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref> the project has included '''Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary''' which aims to create a complete [[Sindarin]] dictionary - including annotations and relevant amendments - aimed at satisfying the requirements of both serious scholars and casual fans.<ref name="About">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/about.html About]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref>

Aside from online wordlists, the project also included a downloadable [[wikipedia:XML|XML]] lexicon<ref name="github">''[https://github.com/Omikhleia/sindict A Sindarin and Noldorin dictionnary]'' in XML ([https://tei-c.org/ TEI] format)</ref>, and the (now obsolete) [[Dragon Flame]] and Hesperides freeware applications.

==External Links==
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Homepage] (French)
* [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary] (English)
{{references}}
[[Category:Linguistic websites]]

Hiswelókë

2021-04-09T13:03:09Z

Drakon: Added a bit of history + inactive status + gradual handover

{{website
| image=
| name=Hiswelókë
| URL=https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke
| slogan=''le Dragon de Brume'' ("The Dragon of Mist")
| commercial=No
| revenue=
| type=Scholarly articles, essays and dictionary; [[wikipedia:Online magazine|e-zine]]
| language=French (main website); English, French and German (dictionary)
| licence=
| articlecount=
| registration=
| owner=[[Didier Willis]]
| creator=
| keypeople=
| launch=1997
| status=Inactive
}}
'''Hiswelókë''' ([[Quenya]] for "Dragon of Mist"), was a French-language website founded in 1997 by [[Didier Willis]] seeking to popularise scholarship of the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] through French-language articles and essays.

== History ==

In the early 1990s, ''Hisweloce'' (sic) initially debuted as an internal newsletter to the "chair of geography" of the French organization "la Fée"<ref name="fee">[https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=Activities1993France Tolkien Activities in France] and [https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/JRRT/JRRT-hunnewell.php S. Gary Hunnewell collection at Marquette] (reel 8 folder 23).</ref>, sent by regular mail to interested members. There were four short irregular issues printed between 1992 and 1994.

In 1997, the author's personal site, hosted on Geocities, included, besides personal fiction, a "Tolkien's corner" section, which later evolved into ''Hiswelókë''. In the earlier days of the website, most articles and essays were originally collected into four editions of an e-zine<ref name="Downloads">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3 Hiswelókë], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/download.php?lng=fr Téléchargements]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref>. In [[2002]], the website joined JRRVF and, hosted as a "wing" of this website, continued activities until around 2008, with articles available online independently. Aside from personal fiction, the website included articles on botany, linguistics, geography, mythology, [[wikipedia:onomastics|onomastics]] (the study of names) and reviews of other pieces of scholarly work.

In 2010, "Le Dragon de Brume" was transformed into a non-profit organization, mostly focused on publishing collections of essays<ref name="dragondebrume">[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/ Le Dragon de Brume], non-profit organization under the terms of French 1901 act (accessed [[April]], [[2021]])</ref>. The old website being definitely abandoned, some of its remaining contents were gradually transferred to Tolkiendil<ref name="tolkiendil">[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Hiswelókë] on Tolkiendil (accessed [[April]], [[2021]])</ref>. The pages on JRRVF are scheduled to be closed in 2021, excepted the Sindarin dictionary project (which will remain on JRRVF).

== Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary ==

Specifically, from [[23 October|October 23]], [[1999]]<ref name="News">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/news.html News]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref> the project has included '''Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary''' which aims to create a complete [[Sindarin]] dictionary - including annotations and relevant amendments - aimed at satisfying the requirements of both serious scholars and casual fans.<ref name="About">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/about.html About]" (accessed [[January]] [[7 January|7]], [[2011]])</ref>

Aside from online wordlists, the project also included a downloadable [[wikipedia:XML|XML]] lexicon<ref name="github">''[https://github.com/Omikhleia/sindict A Sindarin and Noldorin dictionnary]'' in XML ([https://tei-c.org/ TEI] format)</ref>, and the (now obsolete) [[Dragon Flame]] and Hesperides freeware applications.

==External Links==
* '''[https://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/hisweloke Homepage]''' (French)
* [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary] (English)
{{references}}
[[Category:Linguistic websites]]

Dragon Flame

2021-04-08T11:08:18Z

Drakon:

'''Dragon Flame''' is a freeware application based on [[Hiswelókë|Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary]], developed by [[Didier Willis]] and Benjamin Babut. It was first released in December [[2002]]. The latest version, Dragon Flame 2.0 for Windows, was from December [[2003]], and Dragon Flame 2.0.1 for Linux from July [[2004]].

Thomas Deniau contributed a complete rewrite for Mac OS systems in [[2004]], under the name '''Hesperides'''.

Both software were distributed with their source code, under the terms of the [https://opensource.org/licenses/GPL-2.0 GNU General Public License].

It should be noted that much material has been published since then. Dragon Flame and Hesperides both embed fairly old versions of the Sindarin lexicon (respectively v0.993 from 2003 and v0.994 from 2004) and were not updated. The authors have not plan releasing new versions of these programs and do not recommend relying on them for any serious work.

==External links==
* [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Dragon Flame for Windows and Linux]
* [https://github.com/thomasdeniau/Hesperides Hesperides for Mac OS]

[[Category:Linguistic websites]]
[[fi:Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary]]

Dragon Flame

2021-04-08T11:05:52Z

Drakon: Add Hesperides for MacOS, license info, deprecated status

'''Dragon Flame''' is a freeware application based on [[Hiswelókë|Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary]], developed by [[Didier Willis]] and Benjamin Babut. It was first released in December [[2002]]. The latest version, Dragon Flame 2.0 for Windows, was from December [[2003]], and Dragon Flame 2.0.1 for Linux from July [[2004]]).

Thomas Deniau contributed a complete rewrite for Mac OS systems in [[2004]], under the name '''Hesperides'''.

Both software were distributed with their source code, under the terms of the [https://opensource.org/licenses/GPL-2.0 GNU General Public License].

It should be noted that much material has been published since then. Dragon Flame and Hesperides both embed fairly old versions of the Sindarin lexicon (respectively v0.993 from 2003 and v0.994 from 2004) and were not updated. The authors have not plan releasing new versions of these programs and do not recommend relying on them for any serious work.

==External links==
* [http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html Dragon Flame for Windows and Linux]
* [https://github.com/thomasdeniau/Hesperides Hesperides for Mac OS]

[[Category:Linguistic websites]]
[[fi:Hiswelókë's Sindarin dictionary]]

Didier Willis

2018-12-31T15:49:28Z

Drakon: /* Bibliography */ Add 2017 publications

User:Drakon

2015-11-11T14:16:23Z

Drakon:

Greetings ye all!

I'm a French Tolkien enthusiast, interested in astronomy, botany, geography, mythology and linguistics.
I might also be a [[Didier Willis|dragon]]. No one can be sure on the Internet.

Quick links (mostly as a reminder, on my TODO list...) —

'''Botany'''
*[[alfirin]] - editing done
*[[mallos]] - not yet edited
*[[lebethron]] - editing done, possibly still some work

'''Astronomy'''
*[[Borgil]] - editing done, will maybe add an illustration
*[[Soronúmë]] - editing done
*[[Stars]] - still needing work
*[[Durin's Crown]] - not yet edited

'''Geography'''
*[[Númenor]] - editing done,
**For the record, some parts (notably location of the isle) later moved to [[Elenna]] by another contributor.
*[[Beleriand]] - editing done
*Mount [[Dolmed]] - editing done
*[[Amon Ereb]] - editing done
*[[Tol Fuin]] - editing done
*Tol [[Himling]] - editing done
*[[Tol Morwen]] - editing done
*Tolkien's annotations for Pauline Baynes<ref>Handwritten annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]] on a copy of the published map, as later found loose in her own copy of the books, see ''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English). Tolkien's annotations are also confirmed by [http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2015/11/tolkiens-annotated-map-of-middle-earth-transcribed/ Blackwell Rare Books] on November 9, 2015 (twitter). Mrs Baynes used Tolkien's indications for her illustrated poster [[A Map of Middle-earth|map]].</ref>: [[Middle-earth]] (+ an illustration); [[Eryn Vorn]]; [[A Map of Middle-earth]]

'''Mythology and miscellaneous'''
*[[Circles of the World]] - editing done

{{references}}

{{user fr-N}} {{user en-3}} {{user ref}}

User:Drakon

2015-11-11T13:45:26Z

Drakon:

A Map of Middle-earth

2015-11-11T13:44:48Z

Drakon: Tolkien's handwritten annotations to Pauline Baynes

[[Image:Pauline Baynes - A Map of Middle-earth (color) 2.jpg|thumb]]
'''''A Map of Middle-earth''''' (name on map), also known as the '''Pauline Baynes Map''', is a poster-map of Northwestern [[Middle-earth]] published in [[1970]] by [[Allen and Unwin|George Allen & Unwin]].<ref name=RC/>
==Description==
Based on the [[The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age|map of Middle-earth]] first published in [[1954]], the poster-map (created in [[1969]]) was a collaboration between [[Pauline Baynes]] and [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Tolkien corrected a few errors on the original map,{{fact}} and supplied some additional place names and notes on nomenclature.<ref name=TB>{{webcite|articleurl=http://www.tolkienbooks.net/php/details.php?reference=55350|articlename=A Map of Middle-earth|website=[http://www.tolkienbooks.net/ Tolkienbooks.net]}}</ref><ref name=RC>{{HM|RC}}, pp. lxiv-lxvi</ref><ref>Handwritten annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]] on a copy of the published map, as later found loose in her own copy of the books, see ''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English). Tolkien's annotations have also been transcribed by [http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2015/11/tolkiens-annotated-map-of-middle-earth-transcribed/ Blackwell Rare Books].</ref>

"New" locations include: [[Dorwinion]], [[Eryn Vorn]], [[Edhellond]], [[Andrast]], [[Drúwaith Iaur]], [[Undeeps]], the towns [[Framsburg]], [[Edhellond]], [[Lond Daer]] and the rivers [[Glanduin]] and [[Swanfleet]] (labelled as a river). Other additions include wooded areas in Eryn Vorn, [[Enedhwaith]] and around the river [[Isen]], not indicated as such in earlier maps.

The name of the [[Grey Havens]] is labelled, but unlike in the earlier maps, their location is not indicated with an icon. [[Sarn Ford]] is labelled simply as "Ford".

==Publication history==

[[Ballantine Books]] reproduced the map on the box of a set of a three-volume edition of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (first printing 1970).<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=http://tolkien.skwishmi.com/guide/pbset.html|articlename=Ballantine and Del Rey Paperbacks|dated=|website=[http://tolkien.skwishmi.com/index.html The U.S. Tolkien Guide]|accessed=5 April 2013}}</ref>

At least 12 impressions of the trade edition poster-map (ISBN 0049120026) were issued:

*1st impression 1970
*6th impression 1974
*7th impression 1974
*8th impression 1975
*12th impression 1986 (Unwin Books; printed by Henry Stone & Son (Printers), Banbury)<ref>Printer information from the collection of [[User:Morgan/Collection|Morgan Thomsen]].</ref>

After the 7th impression, but not later than the 12th impression, a green border 17 mm high was inserted between the top and bottom edges of the map and the illustrated borders.<ref name=TB/>
==See also==
*[[There and Back Again (map)]]
{{references}}
{{maps}}

[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

Eryn Vorn

2015-11-11T13:38:57Z

Drakon: Additional source to Blackwell Rare Books' transcription

{{location
| image=[[File:Angus McBride - The Eaves of the Choil Borba (Angus McBride).png|250px]]
| name=Eryn Vorn
| type=Forest
| location=Southwestern [[Eriador]], in Minhiriath
| inhabitants=[[Men]]
| realms=[[Arnor]] [[Cardolan]] [[Reunited Kingdom]]
| description=
| othernames=
| etymology=''[[eryn]]'' + ''[[morn]]''
| events=
| references=
}}
'''Eryn Vorn''' ([[Sindarin]] for '''Blackwood'''<ref name=RClxv/>) was a wooded cape in [[Eriador]]<ref name=UT>{{UT|6d}}</ref>, and a region of dark pine trees.<ref>Handwritten annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]] on a copy of the published map, as later found loose in her own copy of the books, see ''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English). The somehow uncertain reading "pine" was also confirmed by Blackwell Rare Books on November 9, 2015 ("[http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2015/11/tolkiens-annotated-map-of-middle-earth-transcribed/ Tolkien’s annotated map of Middle-earth transcribed]"). Mrs Baynes apparently followed Tolkien's indications, as she represented the forest with pine-like trees on her illustrated poster [[A Map of Middle-earth|map]].</ref>

==History==

Located in western [[Minhiriath]], Eryn Vorn was originally part of the vast ancient treescape that covered most of north-western [[Middle-earth]]. The wood was likely named by the [[Númenóreans]] during the [[Second Age]].

During the Second Age, however, these forests were decimated by the Númenóreans in their greed for ship-building timber, before being almost completely burnt down by the forces of Sauron during the ensuing war in Eriador.<ref name=UT/>

By the latter half of the Second Age, the surviving natives of Minhiriath had retreated either north to [[Bree]], or hidden themselves in Eryn Vorn which was probably all that remained of the vast forests in Minhiriath for long years thereafter.

From {{TA|861}}, Eryn Vorn nominally formed a part of [[Cardolan]] and by the end of the Third Age, scattered woodlands had reappeared in much of the rest of Minhiriath.

It is probable that people remained hidden in Eryn Vorn by the [[Third Age]], for although it is clearly recorded that no permanent settlements of Men existed anywhere west of Bree by the late Third Age,<ref>{{HM|RK}}</ref> it is also said that "''a few secretive hunter-folk lived in the woods''" of Minhiriath at the time of the [[War of the Ring]]. These people we are told were afraid to cross the river [[Baranduin]] because the Elves dwelt beyond it.<ref name=UT/><ref group="note">These Elves surely are the Elves of [[Lindon]], the realm located north of the cape.</ref>

==Etymology==

''Eryn Vorn'' is [[Sindarin]] and has been given the translation "Blackwood". The name consists of ''[[eryn]]'' ("wood") and ''vorn'' ("dark"),<ref name=RClxv>{{HM|RC}}, p. lxv</ref> the latter being the [[lenition|lenited]] form of ''[[morn]]''.<ref>[[Helge Fauskanger]], "[http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/sindarin.htm Sindarin - the Noble Tongue: I. Soft Mutation]" at [http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/ Ardalambion] (accessed 8 June 2011)</ref>

The name ''Eryn Vorn'' first appeared on [[Pauline Baynes]]'s ''Map of Middle-earth'' ([[1970]]), for which [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] had supplied notes on additional names. The first printing of the map wrongly has ''Erin Voru''.<ref name=RClxv/>

==Portrayal in adaptations==

'''1982-97: ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'':'''
: Eryn Vorn, the Black Wood (called ''Choil Borba'' in the local tongue), covers the promontory of Rast Vorn (the Dark Cape). The large wood is a wild land, inhabited by [[Woses]] and evil creatures.<ref>{{ICE|8107}}</ref><ref>{{ICE|8007}}, pp. 42-43</ref>

{{references|note}}
[[Category:Capes]]
[[Category:Forests]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]

[[de:Eryn Vorn]]
[[fi:Eryn Vorn]]

User:Drakon

2015-11-11T13:35:57Z

Drakon:

Greetings ye all!

I'm a French Tolkien enthusiast, interested in astronomy, botany, geography, mythology and linguistics.
I might also be a [[Didier Willis|dragon]]. No one can be sure on the Internet.

Quick links (mostly as a reminder, on my TODO list...) —

'''Botany'''
*[[alfirin]] - editing done
*[[mallos]] - not yet edited
*[[lebethron]] - editing done, possibly still some work

'''Astronomy'''
*[[Borgil]] - editing done, will maybe add an illustration
*[[Soronúmë]] - editing done
*[[Stars]] - still needing work
*[[Durin's Crown]] - not yet edited

'''Geography'''
*[[Númenor]] - editing done,
**For the record, some parts (notably location of the isle) later moved to [[Elenna]] by another contributor.
*[[Beleriand]] - editing done
*Mount [[Dolmed]] - editing done
*[[Amon Ereb]] - editing done
*[[Tol Fuin]] - editing done
*Tol [[Himling]] - editing done
*[[Tol Morwen]] - editing done
*Tolkien's annotations for Pauline Baynes<ref>Handwritten annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]] on a copy of the published map, as later found loose in her own copy of the books, see ''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English). Tolkien's annotations are also confirmed by [http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2015/11/tolkiens-annotated-map-of-middle-earth-transcribed/ Blackwell Rare Books] on November 9, 2015 (twitter). Mrs Baynes used Tolkien's indications for her illustrated poster [[A Map of Middle-earth|map]].</ref>: [[Middle-earth]] (+ an illustration); [[Eryn Vorn]].

'''Mythology and miscellaneous'''
*[[Circles of the World]] - editing done

{{references}}

Eryn Vorn

2015-11-11T13:28:33Z

Drakon: A forest of "dark pine trees" (sourced from Tolkien's annotations to Pauline Baynes)

{{location
| image=[[File:Angus McBride - The Eaves of the Choil Borba (Angus McBride).png|250px]]
| name=Eryn Vorn
| type=Forest
| location=Southwestern [[Eriador]], in Minhiriath
| inhabitants=[[Men]]
| realms=[[Arnor]] [[Cardolan]] [[Reunited Kingdom]]
| description=
| othernames=
| etymology=''[[eryn]]'' + ''[[morn]]''
| events=
| references=
}}
'''Eryn Vorn''' ([[Sindarin]] for '''Blackwood'''<ref name=RClxv/>) was a wooded cape in [[Eriador]]<ref name=UT>{{UT|6d}}</ref>, and a region of dark pine trees.<ref>Handwritten annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]] on a copy of the published map, as later found loose in her own copy of the books, see ''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English). The somehow uncertain reading "pine" was also confirmed by Blackwell Rare Books on November 9, 2015. Mrs Baynes apparently followed Tolkien's indications, as she represented the forest with pine-like trees on her illustrated poster [[A Map of Middle-earth|map]].</ref>

==History==

Located in western [[Minhiriath]], Eryn Vorn was originally part of the vast ancient treescape that covered most of north-western [[Middle-earth]]. The wood was likely named by the [[Númenóreans]] during the [[Second Age]].

During the Second Age, however, these forests were decimated by the Númenóreans in their greed for ship-building timber, before being almost completely burnt down by the forces of Sauron during the ensuing war in Eriador.<ref name=UT/>

By the latter half of the Second Age, the surviving natives of Minhiriath had retreated either north to [[Bree]], or hidden themselves in Eryn Vorn which was probably all that remained of the vast forests in Minhiriath for long years thereafter.

From {{TA|861}}, Eryn Vorn nominally formed a part of [[Cardolan]] and by the end of the Third Age, scattered woodlands had reappeared in much of the rest of Minhiriath.

It is probable that people remained hidden in Eryn Vorn by the [[Third Age]], for although it is clearly recorded that no permanent settlements of Men existed anywhere west of Bree by the late Third Age,<ref>{{HM|RK}}</ref> it is also said that "''a few secretive hunter-folk lived in the woods''" of Minhiriath at the time of the [[War of the Ring]]. These people we are told were afraid to cross the river [[Baranduin]] because the Elves dwelt beyond it.<ref name=UT/><ref group="note">These Elves surely are the Elves of [[Lindon]], the realm located north of the cape.</ref>

==Etymology==

''Eryn Vorn'' is [[Sindarin]] and has been given the translation "Blackwood". The name consists of ''[[eryn]]'' ("wood") and ''vorn'' ("dark"),<ref name=RClxv>{{HM|RC}}, p. lxv</ref> the latter being the [[lenition|lenited]] form of ''[[morn]]''.<ref>[[Helge Fauskanger]], "[http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/sindarin.htm Sindarin - the Noble Tongue: I. Soft Mutation]" at [http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/ Ardalambion] (accessed 8 June 2011)</ref>

The name ''Eryn Vorn'' first appeared on [[Pauline Baynes]]'s ''Map of Middle-earth'' ([[1970]]), for which [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] had supplied notes on additional names. The first printing of the map wrongly has ''Erin Voru''.<ref name=RClxv/>

==Portrayal in adaptations==

'''1982-97: ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'':'''
: Eryn Vorn, the Black Wood (called ''Choil Borba'' in the local tongue), covers the promontory of Rast Vorn (the Dark Cape). The large wood is a wild land, inhabited by [[Woses]] and evil creatures.<ref>{{ICE|8107}}</ref><ref>{{ICE|8007}}, pp. 42-43</ref>

{{references|note}}
[[Category:Capes]]
[[Category:Forests]]
[[Category:Eriador]]
[[Category:Sindarin locations]]

[[de:Eryn Vorn]]
[[fi:Eryn Vorn]]

Middle-earth

2015-11-08T22:31:54Z

Drakon: /* Middle-earth and the Old World */ Missing quote

{{sources}}
{{rewrite}}
{{location
| image=[[File:Sage - Middle-earth.png|250px]]
| name=Middle-earth
| type=Continent
| location=[[Arda]], east of [[Belegaer]]
| inhabitants=[[Men]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], [[Orcs]], [[Hobbits]], [[Ents]], others
| realms= [[Rohan]], [[Gondor]], [[Mordor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rivendell]], [[Lothlórien]], others
| description=A continent set between two oceans
| othernames= [[Ennorath]], [[Endor]]
| etymology=[[Old English]] ''middanġeard''
| events=
| references=
|}}
{{quote|The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!|[[Aragorn]]<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>}}
'''Middle-earth''' ([[Quenya|Q.]] ''[[Endor]]'') was a large continent of [[Arda]], situated between [[Aman]] to the [[Uttermost West|West]] (across [[Belegaer]]), and the [[Uttermost East|Land of the Sun]] to the [[East]] (across the [[East Sea]]).

It is here that many of the epic tales of Arda were played out, for it was there where the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]] and [[Men]] came into being; and in the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth they bitterly fought the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Geography==
Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of [[Arda]]. It lays between two continents; [[Aman]], the uttermost West from which it is separated by the ocean [[Belegaer]], and the [[Land of the Sun]], at the uttermost East which the [[East Sea]] separates.
[[Image:John Howe - The Map of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth]]
The [[Westlands]] are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only which have been mapped. Of the Westlands, the western portion called '''[[Beleriand]]''' was drowned at the end of the [[First Age]] and survivors relocated to [[Lindon]] and '''[[Eriador]]''' from which it was separated by the [[Blue Mountains]]. Another region of the Westlands was ''' [[Rhovanion]]''' separated by the [[Misty Mountains]].

The southern part of the Westlands was around [[Bay of Belfalas|a large bay]], including '''[[Belfalas]]''', the area of [[Gondor]], and [[Near Harad]] (Near South).

[[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]] before their decline, dominated the Westlands during the [[Third Age]]. Huge mountain ranges like the [[Grey Mountains]] and [[White Mountains]] separated these regions.

Of the [[East]] and South of Middle-earth not much is known, other than the names of '''[[Rhûn]]''' and '''[[Khand]]''', east of '''[[Mordor]]''', and the '''[[Far Harad]]''' (Far South); but how far they extended is unknown.

In the [[Elder Days]], the East was occupied by the two large inland seas of [[Sea of Helcar|Helcar]] and [[Sea of Ringil|Ringil]] created by the demise of the [[Two Lamps]]; and of course '''[[Cuiviénen]] and [[Hildórien]]''', the cradle of [[Elves]] and [[Men]].

Another known name of the East was the '''[[Empty Lands]]'''. The eastern land-mass was encircled by ranges of mountains, the [[Red Mountains|Red]] and the [[Yellow Mountains]] which mirrored the [[Ered Luin|Blue]] and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] of the West respectively. There was also a mythical [[Last Desert]]; but its status or existence in the later years was unknown.

==History==
:''This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see [[Timeline]].''
[[File:Steven White Jr. - Early Arda.jpg|thumb|left|Early Arda]]
Arda was initially a flat, symmetric shape, until the [[Valar]] (and [[Morgoth]]) created several seas and mountains. Two seas, [[Belegaer]] to the west and the [[East Sea]], formed a central landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest shape of what would be the [[Great Lands]] of Middle-earth. Major features of that landmass were two inland seas, the [[Sea of Helcar]] and the [[Sea of Ringil]]. Around them, massive mountain chains were formed, the [[Blue Mountains|Blue]] and [[Red Mountains]] to the north, and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] and [[Yellow Mountains]] to the south. The [[Mountains of the World]] were a smaller chain in the [[East]].<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the [[Uttermost West]], leaving Morgoth and his creatures from his fortress at [[Utumno]] behind the [[Iron Mountains]]. He would also erect the [[Misty Mountains]] to hinder the Vala [[Orome]] who hunted his creatures.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Misty Mountains"</ref>
[[File:Sage - Beleriand and Eriador collage.png|thumb|Western Middle-earth with deluged Beleriand]]
During the [[First Age]] and the ages preceding, the western side of Middle-earth was called [[Beleriand]], stretching from the [[Ered Luin]] to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce [[Ered Engrin]], the Iron Mountains. Even further north was the freezing [[Dor Daidelos]]. Just southwest of the Ered Engrin was [[Hithlum]], which was separated from the coast of [[Lammoth]] and Belegaer by the [[Ered Lómin]], and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the [[Ered Wethrin]]. The woven wood of [[Doriath]] rested directly south of the [[Thangorodrim]] and [[Dorthonion]], southeast of Hithlum. To the West of Doriath were [[Taur-en-Faroth]] and the [[Falas]], while to the east were [[Nan Elmoth]] and [[Thargelion]] before reaching the [[Ered Luin]]. To the south of Doriath were first the [[Andram]], then [[Arvernien]] and the [[Bay of Balar]]. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the [[Taur-im-Duinath]] and [[Ossiriand]].

East of the Ered Luin was a land encircled by four mountain ranges: the [[Ered Luin]] to the West, the [[Ered Engrin]] to the North, the [[Misty Mountains|Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains)]] to the East, and some of the [[White Mountains]] to the South. Passing even further East, over the Hithaeglir, you would come to [[Anduin]] (the Great River) and eventually [[Palisor]], the [[Sea of Helcar|Inland Sea of Helcar]], the [[Orocarni]], and the [[East Sea]].

After the end of the First Age and the drowning of Beleriand, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of [[Eriador]], and thence [[Lindon]] and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, which stretched down south to the [[White Mountains]] and the [[Bay of Belfalas]]. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was [[Rhovanion]], which extended east to the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the vast [[Rhûn|lands]] beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forest of [[Mirkwood]], the forest of [[Fangorn Forest|Fangorn]], and the many-rivered area that would become known as [[Gondor]]. To the east was the region of [[Mordor]], encircled on three sides by mountains. To the far north of Rhovanion was the icy [[Forodwaith (lands)|Forodwaith]].

==Names==
The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent [[Endóre]] or [[Endor]] in [[Quenya]] meaning "middle land"; the [[Sindarin]] form was [[Ennor]], also used in the plural ''ennorath'' "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".

Other epithets of the continent were '''Hither Shores''' or '''[[Hither Lands]]''' contrasted to [[Aman]] beyond the sea. The [[Hobbits]] envisioned Middle-earth as the '''Wide World'''<ref>{{H|8}}</ref> and the '''Outer Lands'''<ref>{{S|Days}}</ref> or '''Great Lands''', since it was so much larger than the continent of Aman.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>.

==Inspiration==
[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created Arda, including and especially Middle-earth, for his languages [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], especially the latter as it turned out. To Tolkien, a scholar of the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word ''middanġeard''. This word was transformed in the [[Middle English]] ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd'', and the [[Old Norse]] ''Midgard''. This is English for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη (''oikoumenē'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.<ref>{{L|151}}</ref>

The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth" since it was imagined to be between the realm of the Giants below and the realm of the gods above. However in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, [[Belegaer]] and the [[East Sea]].

[[Henry Resnick]] quoted Tolkien saying that "Middle-earth is Europe".<ref>[[Tolkien Journal]] II, 2 p. 1</ref>

==Appendix==
===Terminology===
The ''continent'' of Middle-earth is the main setting of most of the stories of the [[legendarium]]. There are a few stories that take place in [[Aman]] (like some chapters of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'') and [[Númenor]] (like the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'').

In [[fandom]], the term "Middle-earth" is used to refer to Tolkien's [[secondary world]] or [[Wikipedia:fictional universe|fictional universe]] in general, including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.<ref name=wiki/>
[[File:The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|Being actually ''The Atlas of '''Arda''''']]
As a result, Middle-earth is used synonymously as "Arda" as a more recogniseable term for titles such as ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', even while its subject is beyond the scope of the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even [[Christopher Tolkien]], while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, he titled the series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'',<ref name=wiki>{{webcite|articleurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth#Usage_and_misunderstandings|articlename=Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings|website=Wikipedia}}</ref> thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the Legendarium. Wikipedia is also an example of this usage, with article names such as [[Wikipedia:Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf (Middle-earth)]] and the (somewhat erroneous) [[Wikipedia:Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda (Middle-earth)]].

The term "[[Arda]]", which refers to the whole world proper, first appeared in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''<ref name=wiki/> and is a more technical term. But the term "Arda" is sometimes appropriately used to refer to the world of Tolkien, seen in example in the names of ''[[Encyclopedia of Arda]]'' or ''[[Ardalambion]]''.

Another misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps to ''Lord of the Rings''. Actually these regions are just the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth, being the north-western portion of the continent. Actually how far Middle-earth extends to the [[East]] and the [[South]] of the map is unknown. Although [[Mordor]] is seen to the south-easter corner of the map, it doesn't mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Middle-earth"</ref> [[Karen Fonstad]] has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map V.png|early map by Tolkien]].<ref>{{HM|AME}}</ref>

===Middle-earth and the Old World===
In his earliest drafts of the [[Legendarium]], ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the mythology had more direct connections with our history: [[Littleheart]] compares the [[Fall of Gondolin]] with the fall of "[[Wikipedia:Babylon|Bablon]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nineveh|Ninwi]]" and "[[Wikipedia:Troy|Trui]]".<Ref>{{LT2|III}}</ref> The [[Mannish]] language of [[Taliska]] was based on [[Gothic]].<ref>{{PE|19}}, "The Comparative Tales", p. 22</ref> Britain was supposed to be former [[Tol Eressea]] that was driven towards the [[Great Lands]], with Ireland (the Isle of [[Iverin]]) being a part that broke from it. The main character [[Ottor Wǽfre]] was intended to be the father of legendary figures [[Hengest and Horsa]] who conquered England from the Guidlin, the [[Wikipedia:Britons (Celtic people)|Brithonin]] and the [[Wikipedia:Ancient Rome|Rumhoth]]. In a later sketch, the [[Elves]] were from the region of [[Luthany]] before it was pulled out of the mainland and became an island.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}</ref>

Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period and contains the essentials of the northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories to happen on a "remote globe in 'space'" as was the case with other contemporary fiction.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref>

As for the later legendarium, [[The Shire]] not only was conceptually based on rural England<ref>{{L|190}}</ref> but also was expressly stated to be "in this region"<ref name=L211>{{L|211}}</ref>, "the North-West of the [[Wikipedia:Old World|Old World]], east of the Sea".<ref>{{FR|Prologue}}</ref>

[[File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe_projection.png|thumb|left|Experimental projection of the Westlands over Europe]]
Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond about to the latitude of [[Oxford]], which would result to other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, [[Minas Tirith]] would fall to about the latitude of [[Wikipedia:Florence|Florence]], and [[Pelargir]] and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient [[Wikipedia:Troy|Troy]].<ref>{{L|294}}</ref> This enabled [[Andreas Moehn]] to make more correspondences, and even project the [[Westlands]] on a real map of Europe.<ref>{{webcite|website=Lalaith|articleurl=http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html|articlename=A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map|author=[[Andreas Moehn]]}}</ref>

According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]], Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]]. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]].<ref>''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes]" (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).</ref>

On the other hand, Tolkien designed his maps to accommodate the mythology, and was conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth, as understood by contemporary archaeology and historical geology.<ref>{{L|169}}</ref><ref name=L211/>

===Portrayal in adaptations===
{{stub}}
[[File:Pete Fenlon - MERP map.jpg|thumb|The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'']]
Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work -- the most prominent of which have been the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'']] and [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'']] film trilogies by [[Peter Jackson]]. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Rankin/Bass]]' adaptations of ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''. Middle-earth has also been adapted for numerous video games such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North|War in the North]]'' and tabletop role-playing games like the ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'' system by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].

Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth has been retained.

==See Also==
* [[Arda]]
* [[History of Arda]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Middle-earth| Middle-earth]]
[[de:Mittelerde]]
[[fa:سرزمین‌میانه]]
[[fi:Keski-Maa]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/terre_du_milieu]]

User:Drakon

2015-11-05T21:32:13Z

Drakon:

Middle-earth

2015-11-05T21:04:22Z

Drakon: /* Middle-earth and the Old World */ Middle-earth > the Westlands

{{sources}}
{{rewrite}}
{{location
| image=[[File:Sage - Middle-earth.png|250px]]
| name=Middle-earth
| type=Continent
| location=[[Arda]], east of [[Belegaer]]
| inhabitants=[[Men]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], [[Orcs]], [[Hobbits]], [[Ents]], others
| realms= [[Rohan]], [[Gondor]], [[Mordor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rivendell]], [[Lothlórien]], others
| description=A continent set between two oceans
| othernames= [[Ennorath]], [[Endor]]
| etymology=[[Old English]] ''middanġeard''
| events=
| references=
|}}
{{quote|The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!|[[Aragorn]]<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>}}
'''Middle-earth''' ([[Quenya|Q.]] ''[[Endor]]'') was a large continent of [[Arda]], situated between [[Aman]] to the [[Uttermost West|West]] (across [[Belegaer]]), and the [[Uttermost East|Land of the Sun]] to the [[East]] (across the [[East Sea]]).

It is here that many of the epic tales of Arda were played out, for it was there where the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]] and [[Men]] came into being; and in the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth they bitterly fought the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Geography==
Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of [[Arda]]. It lays between two continents; [[Aman]], the uttermost West from which it is separated by the ocean [[Belegaer]], and the [[Land of the Sun]], at the uttermost East which the [[East Sea]] separates.
[[Image:John Howe - The Map of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth]]
The [[Westlands]] are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only which have been mapped. Of the Westlands, the western portion called '''[[Beleriand]]''' was drowned at the end of the [[First Age]] and survivors relocated to [[Lindon]] and '''[[Eriador]]''' from which it was separated by the [[Blue Mountains]]. Another region of the Westlands was ''' [[Rhovanion]]''' separated by the [[Misty Mountains]].

The southern part of the Westlands was around [[Bay of Belfalas|a large bay]], including '''[[Belfalas]]''', the area of [[Gondor]], and [[Near Harad]] (Near South).

[[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]] before their decline, dominated the Westlands during the [[Third Age]]. Huge mountain ranges like the [[Grey Mountains]] and [[White Mountains]] separated these regions.

Of the [[East]] and South of Middle-earth not much is known, other than the names of '''[[Rhûn]]''' and '''[[Khand]]''', east of '''[[Mordor]]''', and the '''[[Far Harad]]''' (Far South); but how far they extended is unknown.

In the [[Elder Days]], the East was occupied by the two large inland seas of [[Sea of Helcar|Helcar]] and [[Sea of Ringil|Ringil]] created by the demise of the [[Two Lamps]]; and of course '''[[Cuiviénen]] and [[Hildórien]]''', the cradle of [[Elves]] and [[Men]].

Another known name of the East was the '''[[Empty Lands]]'''. The eastern land-mass was encircled by ranges of mountains, the [[Red Mountains|Red]] and the [[Yellow Mountains]] which mirrored the [[Ered Luin|Blue]] and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] of the West respectively. There was also a mythical [[Last Desert]]; but its status or existence in the later years was unknown.

==History==
:''This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see [[Timeline]].''
[[File:Steven White Jr. - Early Arda.jpg|thumb|left|Early Arda]]
Arda was initially a flat, symmetric shape, until the [[Valar]] (and [[Morgoth]]) created several seas and mountains. Two seas, [[Belegaer]] to the west and the [[East Sea]], formed a central landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest shape of what would be the [[Great Lands]] of Middle-earth. Major features of that landmass were two inland seas, the [[Sea of Helcar]] and the [[Sea of Ringil]]. Around them, massive mountain chains were formed, the [[Blue Mountains|Blue]] and [[Red Mountains]] to the north, and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] and [[Yellow Mountains]] to the south. The [[Mountains of the World]] were a smaller chain in the [[East]].<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the [[Uttermost West]], leaving Morgoth and his creatures from his fortress at [[Utumno]] behind the [[Iron Mountains]]. He would also erect the [[Misty Mountains]] to hinder the Vala [[Orome]] who hunted his creatures.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Misty Mountains"</ref>
[[File:Sage - Beleriand and Eriador collage.png|thumb|Western Middle-earth with deluged Beleriand]]
During the [[First Age]] and the ages preceding, the western side of Middle-earth was called [[Beleriand]], stretching from the [[Ered Luin]] to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce [[Ered Engrin]], the Iron Mountains. Even further north was the freezing [[Dor Daidelos]]. Just southwest of the Ered Engrin was [[Hithlum]], which was separated from the coast of [[Lammoth]] and Belegaer by the [[Ered Lómin]], and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the [[Ered Wethrin]]. The woven wood of [[Doriath]] rested directly south of the [[Thangorodrim]] and [[Dorthonion]], southeast of Hithlum. To the West of Doriath were [[Taur-en-Faroth]] and the [[Falas]], while to the east were [[Nan Elmoth]] and [[Thargelion]] before reaching the [[Ered Luin]]. To the south of Doriath were first the [[Andram]], then [[Arvernien]] and the [[Bay of Balar]]. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the [[Taur-im-Duinath]] and [[Ossiriand]].

East of the Ered Luin was a land encircled by four mountain ranges: the [[Ered Luin]] to the West, the [[Ered Engrin]] to the North, the [[Misty Mountains|Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains)]] to the East, and some of the [[White Mountains]] to the South. Passing even further East, over the Hithaeglir, you would come to [[Anduin]] (the Great River) and eventually [[Palisor]], the [[Sea of Helcar|Inland Sea of Helcar]], the [[Orocarni]], and the [[East Sea]].

After the end of the First Age and the drowning of Beleriand, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of [[Eriador]], and thence [[Lindon]] and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, which stretched down south to the [[White Mountains]] and the [[Bay of Belfalas]]. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was [[Rhovanion]], which extended east to the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the vast [[Rhûn|lands]] beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forest of [[Mirkwood]], the forest of [[Fangorn Forest|Fangorn]], and the many-rivered area that would become known as [[Gondor]]. To the east was the region of [[Mordor]], encircled on three sides by mountains. To the far north of Rhovanion was the icy [[Forodwaith (lands)|Forodwaith]].

==Names==
The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent [[Endóre]] or [[Endor]] in [[Quenya]] meaning "middle land"; the [[Sindarin]] form was [[Ennor]], also used in the plural ''ennorath'' "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".

Other epithets of the continent were '''Hither Shores''' or '''[[Hither Lands]]''' contrasted to [[Aman]] beyond the sea. The [[Hobbits]] envisioned Middle-earth as the '''Wide World'''<ref>{{H|8}}</ref> and the '''Outer Lands'''<ref>{{S|Days}}</ref> or '''Great Lands''', since it was so much larger than the continent of Aman.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>.

==Inspiration==
[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created Arda, including and especially Middle-earth, for his languages [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], especially the latter as it turned out. To Tolkien, a scholar of the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word ''middanġeard''. This word was transformed in the [[Middle English]] ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd'', and the [[Old Norse]] ''Midgard''. This is English for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη (''oikoumenē'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.<ref>{{L|151}}</ref>

The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth" since it was imagined to be between the realm of the Giants below and the realm of the gods above. However in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, [[Belegaer]] and the [[East Sea]].

[[Henry Resnick]] quoted Tolkien saying that "Middle-earth is Europe".<ref>[[Tolkien Journal]] II, 2 p. 1</ref>

==Appendix==
===Terminology===
The ''continent'' of Middle-earth is the main setting of most of the stories of the [[legendarium]]. There are a few stories that take place in [[Aman]] (like some chapters of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'') and [[Númenor]] (like the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'').

In [[fandom]], the term "Middle-earth" is used to refer to Tolkien's [[secondary world]] or [[Wikipedia:fictional universe|fictional universe]] in general, including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.<ref name=wiki/>
[[File:The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|Being actually ''The Atlas of '''Arda''''']]
As a result, Middle-earth is used synonymously as "Arda" as a more recogniseable term for titles such as ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', even while its subject is beyond the scope of the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even [[Christopher Tolkien]], while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, he titled the series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'',<ref name=wiki>{{webcite|articleurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth#Usage_and_misunderstandings|articlename=Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings|website=Wikipedia}}</ref> thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the Legendarium. Wikipedia is also an example of this usage, with article names such as [[Wikipedia:Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf (Middle-earth)]] and the (somewhat erroneous) [[Wikipedia:Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda (Middle-earth)]].

The term "[[Arda]]", which refers to the whole world proper, first appeared in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''<ref name=wiki/> and is a more technical term. But the term "Arda" is sometimes appropriately used to refer to the world of Tolkien, seen in example in the names of ''[[Encyclopedia of Arda]]'' or ''[[Ardalambion]]''.

Another misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps to ''Lord of the Rings''. Actually these regions are just the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth, being the north-western portion of the continent. Actually how far Middle-earth extends to the [[East]] and the [[South]] of the map is unknown. Although [[Mordor]] is seen to the south-easter corner of the map, it doesn't mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Middle-earth"</ref> [[Karen Fonstad]] has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map V.png|early map by Tolkien]].<ref>{{HM|AME}}</ref>

===Middle-earth and the Old World===
In his earliest drafts of the [[Legendarium]], ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the mythology had more direct connections with our history: [[Littleheart]] compares the [[Fall of Gondolin]] with the fall of "[[Wikipedia:Babylon|Bablon]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nineveh|Ninwi]]" and "[[Wikipedia:Troy|Trui]]".<Ref>{{LT2|III}}</ref> The [[Mannish]] language of [[Taliska]] was based on [[Gothic]].<ref>{{PE|19}}, "The Comparative Tales", p. 22</ref> Britain was supposed to be former [[Tol Eressea]] that was driven towards the [[Great Lands]], with Ireland (the Isle of [[Iverin]]) being a part that broke from it. The main character [[Ottor Wǽfre]] was intended to be the father of legendary figures [[Hengest and Horsa]] who conquered England from the Guidlin, the [[Wikipedia:Britons (Celtic people)|Brithonin]] and the [[Wikipedia:Ancient Rome|Rumhoth]]. In a later sketch, the [[Elves]] were from the region of [[Luthany]] before it was pulled out of the mainland and became an island.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}</ref>

Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period and contains the essentials of the northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories to happen on a "remote globe in 'space'" as was the case with other contemporary fiction.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref>

As for the later legendarium, [[The Shire]] not only was conceptually based on rural England<ref>{{L|190}}</ref> but also was expressly stated to be "in this region"<ref name=L211>{{L|211}}</ref>, "the North-West of the [[Wikipedia:Old World|Old World]], east of the Sea".<ref>{{FR|Prologue}}</ref>

[[File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe_projection.png|thumb|left|Experimental projection of the Westlands over Europe]]
Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond about to the latitude of [[Oxford]], which would result to other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, [[Minas Tirith]] would fall to about the latitude of [[Wikipedia:Florence|Florence]], and [[Pelargir]] and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient [[Wikipedia:Troy|Troy]].<ref>{{L|294}}</ref> This enabled [[Andreas Moehn]] to make more correspondences, and even project the [[Westlands]] on a real map of Europe.<ref>{{webcite|website=Lalaith|articleurl=http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html|articlename=A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map|author=[[Andreas Moehn]]}}</ref>

According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]], Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]]. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]].<ref>''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes] (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).</ref>

On the other hand, Tolkien designed his maps to accomodate the mythology, and was conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth, as understood by contemporary archeology and historical geology.<ref>{{L|169}}</ref><ref name=L211/>

===Portrayal in adaptations===
{{stub}}
[[File:Pete Fenlon - MERP map.jpg|thumb|The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'']]
Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work -- the most prominent of which have been the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'']] and [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'']] film trilogies by [[Peter Jackson]]. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Rankin/Bass]]' adaptations of ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''. Middle-earth has also been adapted for numerous video games such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North|War in the North]]'' and tabletop role-playing games like the ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'' system by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].

Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth has been retained.

==See Also==
* [[Arda]]
* [[History of Arda]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Middle-earth| Middle-earth]]
[[de:Mittelerde]]
[[fa:سرزمین‌میانه]]
[[fi:Keski-Maa]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/terre_du_milieu]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-05T20:59:06Z

Drakon: /* Summary */ An important word of caution

== Summary ==
According to ''Letters'' no 294 p. 376, [[Hobbiton]] and [[Rivendell]] are approximately at the same latitude as [[Oxford]] (51-52°N), [[Minas Tirith]] at the latitude of [[wikipedia:Florence|Florence]] (43.7°N) and [[Pelargir]] and the [[Ethir Anduin|mouths]] of [[Anduin]] around the latitude of ancient [[wikipedia:Troy|Troy]] (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]] (''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]] (44.4°N). The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]] (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformations due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below therefore assumes a [[wikipedia:Lambert conformal conical projection|Lambert conformal conical projection]] for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). [[Middle-earth]] is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed ''horizontal'' lines (ignoring the Earth's curvature).

Such a reconstruction remains experimental by nature, and the exercise is limited: Hobbiton would fall in Holland, while Tolkien explicitly stated in ''Letters'' no 190 that the Shire is "based on rural England and not any other country in the world – least perhaps of any in Europe on Holland, which is topographically wholly dissimilar."

== Licensing ==
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
{{Map}}

[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

Middle-earth

2015-11-05T20:51:52Z

Drakon: /* Middle-earth and the Old World */ Illustration thumbnail

{{sources}}
{{rewrite}}
{{location
| image=[[File:Sage - Middle-earth.png|250px]]
| name=Middle-earth
| type=Continent
| location=[[Arda]], east of [[Belegaer]]
| inhabitants=[[Men]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], [[Orcs]], [[Hobbits]], [[Ents]], others
| realms= [[Rohan]], [[Gondor]], [[Mordor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rivendell]], [[Lothlórien]], others
| description=A continent set between two oceans
| othernames= [[Ennorath]], [[Endor]]
| etymology=[[Old English]] ''middanġeard''
| events=
| references=
|}}
{{quote|The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!|[[Aragorn]]<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>}}
'''Middle-earth''' ([[Quenya|Q.]] ''[[Endor]]'') was a large continent of [[Arda]], situated between [[Aman]] to the [[Uttermost West|West]] (across [[Belegaer]]), and the [[Uttermost East|Land of the Sun]] to the [[East]] (across the [[East Sea]]).

It is here that many of the epic tales of Arda were played out, for it was there where the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]] and [[Men]] came into being; and in the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth they bitterly fought the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Geography==
Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of [[Arda]]. It lays between two continents; [[Aman]], the uttermost West from which it is separated by the ocean [[Belegaer]], and the [[Land of the Sun]], at the uttermost East which the [[East Sea]] separates.
[[Image:John Howe - The Map of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth]]
The [[Westlands]] are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only which have been mapped. Of the Westlands, the western portion called '''[[Beleriand]]''' was drowned at the end of the [[First Age]] and survivors relocated to [[Lindon]] and '''[[Eriador]]''' from which it was separated by the [[Blue Mountains]]. Another region of the Westlands was ''' [[Rhovanion]]''' separated by the [[Misty Mountains]].

The southern part of the Westlands was around [[Bay of Belfalas|a large bay]], including '''[[Belfalas]]''', the area of [[Gondor]], and [[Near Harad]] (Near South).

[[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]] before their decline, dominated the Westlands during the [[Third Age]]. Huge mountain ranges like the [[Grey Mountains]] and [[White Mountains]] separated these regions.

Of the [[East]] and South of Middle-earth not much is known, other than the names of '''[[Rhûn]]''' and '''[[Khand]]''', east of '''[[Mordor]]''', and the '''[[Far Harad]]''' (Far South); but how far they extended is unknown.

In the [[Elder Days]], the East was occupied by the two large inland seas of [[Sea of Helcar|Helcar]] and [[Sea of Ringil|Ringil]] created by the demise of the [[Two Lamps]]; and of course '''[[Cuiviénen]] and [[Hildórien]]''', the cradle of [[Elves]] and [[Men]].

Another known name of the East was the '''[[Empty Lands]]'''. The eastern land-mass was encircled by ranges of mountains, the [[Red Mountains|Red]] and the [[Yellow Mountains]] which mirrored the [[Ered Luin|Blue]] and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] of the West respectively. There was also a mythical [[Last Desert]]; but its status or existence in the later years was unknown.

==History==
:''This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see [[Timeline]].''
[[File:Steven White Jr. - Early Arda.jpg|thumb|left|Early Arda]]
Arda was initially a flat, symmetric shape, until the [[Valar]] (and [[Morgoth]]) created several seas and mountains. Two seas, [[Belegaer]] to the west and the [[East Sea]], formed a central landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest shape of what would be the [[Great Lands]] of Middle-earth. Major features of that landmass were two inland seas, the [[Sea of Helcar]] and the [[Sea of Ringil]]. Around them, massive mountain chains were formed, the [[Blue Mountains|Blue]] and [[Red Mountains]] to the north, and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] and [[Yellow Mountains]] to the south. The [[Mountains of the World]] were a smaller chain in the [[East]].<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the [[Uttermost West]], leaving Morgoth and his creatures from his fortress at [[Utumno]] behind the [[Iron Mountains]]. He would also erect the [[Misty Mountains]] to hinder the Vala [[Orome]] who hunted his creatures.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Misty Mountains"</ref>
[[File:Sage - Beleriand and Eriador collage.png|thumb|Western Middle-earth with deluged Beleriand]]
During the [[First Age]] and the ages preceding, the western side of Middle-earth was called [[Beleriand]], stretching from the [[Ered Luin]] to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce [[Ered Engrin]], the Iron Mountains. Even further north was the freezing [[Dor Daidelos]]. Just southwest of the Ered Engrin was [[Hithlum]], which was separated from the coast of [[Lammoth]] and Belegaer by the [[Ered Lómin]], and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the [[Ered Wethrin]]. The woven wood of [[Doriath]] rested directly south of the [[Thangorodrim]] and [[Dorthonion]], southeast of Hithlum. To the West of Doriath were [[Taur-en-Faroth]] and the [[Falas]], while to the east were [[Nan Elmoth]] and [[Thargelion]] before reaching the [[Ered Luin]]. To the south of Doriath were first the [[Andram]], then [[Arvernien]] and the [[Bay of Balar]]. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the [[Taur-im-Duinath]] and [[Ossiriand]].

East of the Ered Luin was a land encircled by four mountain ranges: the [[Ered Luin]] to the West, the [[Ered Engrin]] to the North, the [[Misty Mountains|Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains)]] to the East, and some of the [[White Mountains]] to the South. Passing even further East, over the Hithaeglir, you would come to [[Anduin]] (the Great River) and eventually [[Palisor]], the [[Sea of Helcar|Inland Sea of Helcar]], the [[Orocarni]], and the [[East Sea]].

After the end of the First Age and the drowning of Beleriand, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of [[Eriador]], and thence [[Lindon]] and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, which stretched down south to the [[White Mountains]] and the [[Bay of Belfalas]]. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was [[Rhovanion]], which extended east to the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the vast [[Rhûn|lands]] beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forest of [[Mirkwood]], the forest of [[Fangorn Forest|Fangorn]], and the many-rivered area that would become known as [[Gondor]]. To the east was the region of [[Mordor]], encircled on three sides by mountains. To the far north of Rhovanion was the icy [[Forodwaith (lands)|Forodwaith]].

==Names==
The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent [[Endóre]] or [[Endor]] in [[Quenya]] meaning "middle land"; the [[Sindarin]] form was [[Ennor]], also used in the plural ''ennorath'' "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".

Other epithets of the continent were '''Hither Shores''' or '''[[Hither Lands]]''' contrasted to [[Aman]] beyond the sea. The [[Hobbits]] envisioned Middle-earth as the '''Wide World'''<ref>{{H|8}}</ref> and the '''Outer Lands'''<ref>{{S|Days}}</ref> or '''Great Lands''', since it was so much larger than the continent of Aman.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>.

==Inspiration==
[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created Arda, including and especially Middle-earth, for his languages [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], especially the latter as it turned out. To Tolkien, a scholar of the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word ''middanġeard''. This word was transformed in the [[Middle English]] ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd'', and the [[Old Norse]] ''Midgard''. This is English for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη (''oikoumenē'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.<ref>{{L|151}}</ref>

The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth" since it was imagined to be between the realm of the Giants below and the realm of the gods above. However in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, [[Belegaer]] and the [[East Sea]].

[[Henry Resnick]] quoted Tolkien saying that "Middle-earth is Europe".<ref>[[Tolkien Journal]] II, 2 p. 1</ref>

==Appendix==
===Terminology===
The ''continent'' of Middle-earth is the main setting of most of the stories of the [[legendarium]]. There are a few stories that take place in [[Aman]] (like some chapters of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'') and [[Númenor]] (like the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'').

In [[fandom]], the term "Middle-earth" is used to refer to Tolkien's [[secondary world]] or [[Wikipedia:fictional universe|fictional universe]] in general, including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.<ref name=wiki/>
[[File:The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|Being actually ''The Atlas of '''Arda''''']]
As a result, Middle-earth is used synonymously as "Arda" as a more recogniseable term for titles such as ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', even while its subject is beyond the scope of the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even [[Christopher Tolkien]], while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, he titled the series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'',<ref name=wiki>{{webcite|articleurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth#Usage_and_misunderstandings|articlename=Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings|website=Wikipedia}}</ref> thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the Legendarium. Wikipedia is also an example of this usage, with article names such as [[Wikipedia:Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf (Middle-earth)]] and the (somewhat erroneous) [[Wikipedia:Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda (Middle-earth)]].

The term "[[Arda]]", which refers to the whole world proper, first appeared in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''<ref name=wiki/> and is a more technical term. But the term "Arda" is sometimes appropriately used to refer to the world of Tolkien, seen in example in the names of ''[[Encyclopedia of Arda]]'' or ''[[Ardalambion]]''.

Another misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps to ''Lord of the Rings''. Actually these regions are just the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth, being the north-western portion of the continent. Actually how far Middle-earth extends to the [[East]] and the [[South]] of the map is unknown. Although [[Mordor]] is seen to the south-easter corner of the map, it doesn't mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Middle-earth"</ref> [[Karen Fonstad]] has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map V.png|early map by Tolkien]].<ref>{{HM|AME}}</ref>

===Middle-earth and the Old World===
In his earliest drafts of the [[Legendarium]], ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the mythology had more direct connections with our history: [[Littleheart]] compares the [[Fall of Gondolin]] with the fall of "[[Wikipedia:Babylon|Bablon]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nineveh|Ninwi]]" and "[[Wikipedia:Troy|Trui]]".<Ref>{{LT2|III}}</ref> The [[Mannish]] language of [[Taliska]] was based on [[Gothic]].<ref>{{PE|19}}, "The Comparative Tales", p. 22</ref> Britain was supposed to be former [[Tol Eressea]] that was driven towards the [[Great Lands]], with Ireland (the Isle of [[Iverin]]) being a part that broke from it. The main character [[Ottor Wǽfre]] was intended to be the father of legendary figures [[Hengest and Horsa]] who conquered England from the Guidlin, the [[Wikipedia:Britons (Celtic people)|Brithonin]] and the [[Wikipedia:Ancient Rome|Rumhoth]]. In a later sketch, the [[Elves]] were from the region of [[Luthany]] before it was pulled out of the mainland and became an island.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}</ref>

Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period and contains the essentials of the northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories to happen on a "remote globe in 'space'" as was the case with other contemporary fiction.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref>

As for the later legendarium, [[The Shire]] not only was conceptually based on rural England<ref>{{L|190}}</ref> but also was expressly stated to be "in this region"<ref name=L211>{{L|211}}</ref>, "the North-West of the [[Wikipedia:Old World|Old World]], east of the Sea".<ref>{{FR|Prologue}}</ref>

[[File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe_projection.png|thumb|left|Experimental projection of Middle-earth over Europe]]
Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond about to the latitude of [[Oxford]], which would result to other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, [[Minas Tirith]] would fall to about the latitude of [[Wikipedia:Florence|Florence]], and [[Pelargir]] and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient [[Wikipedia:Troy|Troy]].<ref>{{L|294}}</ref> This enabled [[Andreas Moehn]] to make more correspondences, and even project the [[Westlands]] on a real map of Europe.<ref>{{webcite|website=Lalaith|articleurl=http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html|articlename=A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map|author=[[Andreas Moehn]]}}</ref>

According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]], Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]]. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]].<ref>''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes] (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).</ref>

On the other hand, Tolkien designed his maps to accomodate the mythology, and was conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth, as understood by contemporary archeology and historical geology.<ref>{{L|169}}</ref><ref name=L211/>

===Portrayal in adaptations===
{{stub}}
[[File:Pete Fenlon - MERP map.jpg|thumb|The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'']]
Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work -- the most prominent of which have been the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'']] and [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'']] film trilogies by [[Peter Jackson]]. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Rankin/Bass]]' adaptations of ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''. Middle-earth has also been adapted for numerous video games such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North|War in the North]]'' and tabletop role-playing games like the ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'' system by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].

Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth has been retained.

==See Also==
* [[Arda]]
* [[History of Arda]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Middle-earth| Middle-earth]]
[[de:Mittelerde]]
[[fa:سرزمین‌میانه]]
[[fi:Keski-Maa]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/terre_du_milieu]]

Middle-earth

2015-11-05T20:45:17Z

Drakon: /* Middle-earth and the Old World */ Used bad link template

{{sources}}
{{rewrite}}
{{location
| image=[[File:Sage - Middle-earth.png|250px]]
| name=Middle-earth
| type=Continent
| location=[[Arda]], east of [[Belegaer]]
| inhabitants=[[Men]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], [[Orcs]], [[Hobbits]], [[Ents]], others
| realms= [[Rohan]], [[Gondor]], [[Mordor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rivendell]], [[Lothlórien]], others
| description=A continent set between two oceans
| othernames= [[Ennorath]], [[Endor]]
| etymology=[[Old English]] ''middanġeard''
| events=
| references=
|}}
{{quote|The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!|[[Aragorn]]<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>}}
'''Middle-earth''' ([[Quenya|Q.]] ''[[Endor]]'') was a large continent of [[Arda]], situated between [[Aman]] to the [[Uttermost West|West]] (across [[Belegaer]]), and the [[Uttermost East|Land of the Sun]] to the [[East]] (across the [[East Sea]]).

It is here that many of the epic tales of Arda were played out, for it was there where the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]] and [[Men]] came into being; and in the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth they bitterly fought the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Geography==
Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of [[Arda]]. It lays between two continents; [[Aman]], the uttermost West from which it is separated by the ocean [[Belegaer]], and the [[Land of the Sun]], at the uttermost East which the [[East Sea]] separates.
[[Image:John Howe - The Map of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth]]
The [[Westlands]] are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only which have been mapped. Of the Westlands, the western portion called '''[[Beleriand]]''' was drowned at the end of the [[First Age]] and survivors relocated to [[Lindon]] and '''[[Eriador]]''' from which it was separated by the [[Blue Mountains]]. Another region of the Westlands was ''' [[Rhovanion]]''' separated by the [[Misty Mountains]].

The southern part of the Westlands was around [[Bay of Belfalas|a large bay]], including '''[[Belfalas]]''', the area of [[Gondor]], and [[Near Harad]] (Near South).

[[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]] before their decline, dominated the Westlands during the [[Third Age]]. Huge mountain ranges like the [[Grey Mountains]] and [[White Mountains]] separated these regions.

Of the [[East]] and South of Middle-earth not much is known, other than the names of '''[[Rhûn]]''' and '''[[Khand]]''', east of '''[[Mordor]]''', and the '''[[Far Harad]]''' (Far South); but how far they extended is unknown.

In the [[Elder Days]], the East was occupied by the two large inland seas of [[Sea of Helcar|Helcar]] and [[Sea of Ringil|Ringil]] created by the demise of the [[Two Lamps]]; and of course '''[[Cuiviénen]] and [[Hildórien]]''', the cradle of [[Elves]] and [[Men]].

Another known name of the East was the '''[[Empty Lands]]'''. The eastern land-mass was encircled by ranges of mountains, the [[Red Mountains|Red]] and the [[Yellow Mountains]] which mirrored the [[Ered Luin|Blue]] and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] of the West respectively. There was also a mythical [[Last Desert]]; but its status or existence in the later years was unknown.

==History==
:''This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see [[Timeline]].''
[[File:Steven White Jr. - Early Arda.jpg|thumb|left|Early Arda]]
Arda was initially a flat, symmetric shape, until the [[Valar]] (and [[Morgoth]]) created several seas and mountains. Two seas, [[Belegaer]] to the west and the [[East Sea]], formed a central landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest shape of what would be the [[Great Lands]] of Middle-earth. Major features of that landmass were two inland seas, the [[Sea of Helcar]] and the [[Sea of Ringil]]. Around them, massive mountain chains were formed, the [[Blue Mountains|Blue]] and [[Red Mountains]] to the north, and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] and [[Yellow Mountains]] to the south. The [[Mountains of the World]] were a smaller chain in the [[East]].<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the [[Uttermost West]], leaving Morgoth and his creatures from his fortress at [[Utumno]] behind the [[Iron Mountains]]. He would also erect the [[Misty Mountains]] to hinder the Vala [[Orome]] who hunted his creatures.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Misty Mountains"</ref>
[[File:Sage - Beleriand and Eriador collage.png|thumb|Western Middle-earth with deluged Beleriand]]
During the [[First Age]] and the ages preceding, the western side of Middle-earth was called [[Beleriand]], stretching from the [[Ered Luin]] to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce [[Ered Engrin]], the Iron Mountains. Even further north was the freezing [[Dor Daidelos]]. Just southwest of the Ered Engrin was [[Hithlum]], which was separated from the coast of [[Lammoth]] and Belegaer by the [[Ered Lómin]], and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the [[Ered Wethrin]]. The woven wood of [[Doriath]] rested directly south of the [[Thangorodrim]] and [[Dorthonion]], southeast of Hithlum. To the West of Doriath were [[Taur-en-Faroth]] and the [[Falas]], while to the east were [[Nan Elmoth]] and [[Thargelion]] before reaching the [[Ered Luin]]. To the south of Doriath were first the [[Andram]], then [[Arvernien]] and the [[Bay of Balar]]. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the [[Taur-im-Duinath]] and [[Ossiriand]].

East of the Ered Luin was a land encircled by four mountain ranges: the [[Ered Luin]] to the West, the [[Ered Engrin]] to the North, the [[Misty Mountains|Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains)]] to the East, and some of the [[White Mountains]] to the South. Passing even further East, over the Hithaeglir, you would come to [[Anduin]] (the Great River) and eventually [[Palisor]], the [[Sea of Helcar|Inland Sea of Helcar]], the [[Orocarni]], and the [[East Sea]].

After the end of the First Age and the drowning of Beleriand, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of [[Eriador]], and thence [[Lindon]] and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, which stretched down south to the [[White Mountains]] and the [[Bay of Belfalas]]. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was [[Rhovanion]], which extended east to the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the vast [[Rhûn|lands]] beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forest of [[Mirkwood]], the forest of [[Fangorn Forest|Fangorn]], and the many-rivered area that would become known as [[Gondor]]. To the east was the region of [[Mordor]], encircled on three sides by mountains. To the far north of Rhovanion was the icy [[Forodwaith (lands)|Forodwaith]].

==Names==
The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent [[Endóre]] or [[Endor]] in [[Quenya]] meaning "middle land"; the [[Sindarin]] form was [[Ennor]], also used in the plural ''ennorath'' "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".

Other epithets of the continent were '''Hither Shores''' or '''[[Hither Lands]]''' contrasted to [[Aman]] beyond the sea. The [[Hobbits]] envisioned Middle-earth as the '''Wide World'''<ref>{{H|8}}</ref> and the '''Outer Lands'''<ref>{{S|Days}}</ref> or '''Great Lands''', since it was so much larger than the continent of Aman.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>.

==Inspiration==
[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created Arda, including and especially Middle-earth, for his languages [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], especially the latter as it turned out. To Tolkien, a scholar of the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word ''middanġeard''. This word was transformed in the [[Middle English]] ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd'', and the [[Old Norse]] ''Midgard''. This is English for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη (''oikoumenē'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.<ref>{{L|151}}</ref>

The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth" since it was imagined to be between the realm of the Giants below and the realm of the gods above. However in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, [[Belegaer]] and the [[East Sea]].

[[Henry Resnick]] quoted Tolkien saying that "Middle-earth is Europe".<ref>[[Tolkien Journal]] II, 2 p. 1</ref>

==Appendix==
===Terminology===
The ''continent'' of Middle-earth is the main setting of most of the stories of the [[legendarium]]. There are a few stories that take place in [[Aman]] (like some chapters of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'') and [[Númenor]] (like the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'').

In [[fandom]], the term "Middle-earth" is used to refer to Tolkien's [[secondary world]] or [[Wikipedia:fictional universe|fictional universe]] in general, including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.<ref name=wiki/>
[[File:The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|Being actually ''The Atlas of '''Arda''''']]
As a result, Middle-earth is used synonymously as "Arda" as a more recogniseable term for titles such as ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', even while its subject is beyond the scope of the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even [[Christopher Tolkien]], while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, he titled the series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'',<ref name=wiki>{{webcite|articleurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth#Usage_and_misunderstandings|articlename=Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings|website=Wikipedia}}</ref> thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the Legendarium. Wikipedia is also an example of this usage, with article names such as [[Wikipedia:Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf (Middle-earth)]] and the (somewhat erroneous) [[Wikipedia:Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda (Middle-earth)]].

The term "[[Arda]]", which refers to the whole world proper, first appeared in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''<ref name=wiki/> and is a more technical term. But the term "Arda" is sometimes appropriately used to refer to the world of Tolkien, seen in example in the names of ''[[Encyclopedia of Arda]]'' or ''[[Ardalambion]]''.

Another misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps to ''Lord of the Rings''. Actually these regions are just the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth, being the north-western portion of the continent. Actually how far Middle-earth extends to the [[East]] and the [[South]] of the map is unknown. Although [[Mordor]] is seen to the south-easter corner of the map, it doesn't mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Middle-earth"</ref> [[Karen Fonstad]] has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map V.png|early map by Tolkien]].<ref>{{HM|AME}}</ref>

===Middle-earth and the Old World===
In his earliest drafts of the [[Legendarium]], ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the mythology had more direct connections with our history: [[Littleheart]] compares the [[Fall of Gondolin]] with the fall of "[[Wikipedia:Babylon|Bablon]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nineveh|Ninwi]]" and "[[Wikipedia:Troy|Trui]]".<Ref>{{LT2|III}}</ref> The [[Mannish]] language of [[Taliska]] was based on [[Gothic]].<ref>{{PE|19}}, "The Comparative Tales", p. 22</ref> Britain was supposed to be former [[Tol Eressea]] that was driven towards the [[Great Lands]], with Ireland (the Isle of [[Iverin]]) being a part that broke from it. The main character [[Ottor Wǽfre]] was intended to be the father of legendary figures [[Hengest and Horsa]] who conquered England from the Guidlin, the [[Wikipedia:Britons (Celtic people)|Brithonin]] and the [[Wikipedia:Ancient Rome|Rumhoth]]. In a later sketch, the [[Elves]] were from the region of [[Luthany]] before it was pulled out of the mainland and became an island.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}</ref>

Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period and contains the essentials of the northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories to happen on a "remote globe in 'space'" as was the case with other contemporary fiction.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref>

As for the later legendarium, [[The Shire]] not only was conceptually based on rural England<ref>{{L|190}}</ref> but also was expressly stated to be "in this region"<ref name=L211>{{L|211}}</ref>, "the North-West of the [[Wikipedia:Old World|Old World]], east of the Sea".<ref>{{FR|Prologue}}</ref>

Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond about to the latitude of [[Oxford]], which would result to other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, [[Minas Tirith]] would fall to about the latitude of [[Wikipedia:Florence|Florence]], and [[Pelargir]] and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient [[Wikipedia:Troy|Troy]].<ref>{{L|294}}</ref> This enabled [[Andreas Moehn]] to make more correspondences, and even project the [[Westlands]] on a real map of Europe.<ref>{{webcite|website=Lalaith|articleurl=http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html|articlename=A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map|author=[[Andreas Moehn]]}}</ref>

According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]], Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]]. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]].<ref>''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings]". An analysis of the map may also be found in "[http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes] (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).</ref>

On the other hand, Tolkien designed his maps to accomodate the mythology, and was conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth, as understood by contemporary archeology and historical geology.<ref>{{L|169}}</ref><ref name=L211/>

===Portrayal in adaptations===
{{stub}}
[[File:Pete Fenlon - MERP map.jpg|thumb|The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'']]
Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work -- the most prominent of which have been the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'']] and [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'']] film trilogies by [[Peter Jackson]]. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Rankin/Bass]]' adaptations of ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''. Middle-earth has also been adapted for numerous video games such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North|War in the North]]'' and tabletop role-playing games like the ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'' system by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].

Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth has been retained.

==See Also==
* [[Arda]]
* [[History of Arda]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Middle-earth| Middle-earth]]
[[de:Mittelerde]]
[[fa:سرزمین‌میانه]]
[[fi:Keski-Maa]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/terre_du_milieu]]

Middle-earth

2015-11-05T20:41:35Z

Drakon: /* Middle-earth and the Old World */ L294 also mentions Minas Tirith and the mouths of Anduin + new correspondences in the annoted map for Pauline Baynes (The Guardian article)

{{sources}}
{{rewrite}}
{{location
| image=[[File:Sage - Middle-earth.png|250px]]
| name=Middle-earth
| type=Continent
| location=[[Arda]], east of [[Belegaer]]
| inhabitants=[[Men]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]], [[Orcs]], [[Hobbits]], [[Ents]], others
| realms= [[Rohan]], [[Gondor]], [[Mordor]], [[Arnor]], [[Rivendell]], [[Lothlórien]], others
| description=A continent set between two oceans
| othernames= [[Ennorath]], [[Endor]]
| etymology=[[Old English]] ''middanġeard''
| events=
| references=
|}}
{{quote|The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!|[[Aragorn]]<ref>{{TT|Riders}}</ref>}}
'''Middle-earth''' ([[Quenya|Q.]] ''[[Endor]]'') was a large continent of [[Arda]], situated between [[Aman]] to the [[Uttermost West|West]] (across [[Belegaer]]), and the [[Uttermost East|Land of the Sun]] to the [[East]] (across the [[East Sea]]).

It is here that many of the epic tales of Arda were played out, for it was there where the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], [[Elves]], [[Dwarves]] and [[Men]] came into being; and in the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth they bitterly fought the [[Dark Lord]]s.

==Geography==
Middle-earth is a large continent, a mass of land that occupies the central regions of [[Arda]]. It lays between two continents; [[Aman]], the uttermost West from which it is separated by the ocean [[Belegaer]], and the [[Land of the Sun]], at the uttermost East which the [[East Sea]] separates.
[[Image:John Howe - The Map of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth]]
The [[Westlands]] are the most well-known regions of the continent, and the only which have been mapped. Of the Westlands, the western portion called '''[[Beleriand]]''' was drowned at the end of the [[First Age]] and survivors relocated to [[Lindon]] and '''[[Eriador]]''' from which it was separated by the [[Blue Mountains]]. Another region of the Westlands was ''' [[Rhovanion]]''' separated by the [[Misty Mountains]].

The southern part of the Westlands was around [[Bay of Belfalas|a large bay]], including '''[[Belfalas]]''', the area of [[Gondor]], and [[Near Harad]] (Near South).

[[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]] before their decline, dominated the Westlands during the [[Third Age]]. Huge mountain ranges like the [[Grey Mountains]] and [[White Mountains]] separated these regions.

Of the [[East]] and South of Middle-earth not much is known, other than the names of '''[[Rhûn]]''' and '''[[Khand]]''', east of '''[[Mordor]]''', and the '''[[Far Harad]]''' (Far South); but how far they extended is unknown.

In the [[Elder Days]], the East was occupied by the two large inland seas of [[Sea of Helcar|Helcar]] and [[Sea of Ringil|Ringil]] created by the demise of the [[Two Lamps]]; and of course '''[[Cuiviénen]] and [[Hildórien]]''', the cradle of [[Elves]] and [[Men]].

Another known name of the East was the '''[[Empty Lands]]'''. The eastern land-mass was encircled by ranges of mountains, the [[Red Mountains|Red]] and the [[Yellow Mountains]] which mirrored the [[Ered Luin|Blue]] and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] of the West respectively. There was also a mythical [[Last Desert]]; but its status or existence in the later years was unknown.

==History==
:''This is the geographical history. For events happening in Middle-earth, see [[Timeline]].''
[[File:Steven White Jr. - Early Arda.jpg|thumb|left|Early Arda]]
Arda was initially a flat, symmetric shape, until the [[Valar]] (and [[Morgoth]]) created several seas and mountains. Two seas, [[Belegaer]] to the west and the [[East Sea]], formed a central landmass in the centre of Arda, the earliest shape of what would be the [[Great Lands]] of Middle-earth. Major features of that landmass were two inland seas, the [[Sea of Helcar]] and the [[Sea of Ringil]]. Around them, massive mountain chains were formed, the [[Blue Mountains|Blue]] and [[Red Mountains]] to the north, and the [[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey]] and [[Yellow Mountains]] to the south. The [[Mountains of the World]] were a smaller chain in the [[East]].<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>

Eventually the Valar left the Great Lands for the [[Uttermost West]], leaving Morgoth and his creatures from his fortress at [[Utumno]] behind the [[Iron Mountains]]. He would also erect the [[Misty Mountains]] to hinder the Vala [[Orome]] who hunted his creatures.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Misty Mountains"</ref>
[[File:Sage - Beleriand and Eriador collage.png|thumb|Western Middle-earth with deluged Beleriand]]
During the [[First Age]] and the ages preceding, the western side of Middle-earth was called [[Beleriand]], stretching from the [[Ered Luin]] to the great ocean of Belegaer. On the northern edge of Beleriand were the fierce [[Ered Engrin]], the Iron Mountains. Even further north was the freezing [[Dor Daidelos]]. Just southwest of the Ered Engrin was [[Hithlum]], which was separated from the coast of [[Lammoth]] and Belegaer by the [[Ered Lómin]], and from the rest of Beleriand to the south by the [[Ered Wethrin]]. The woven wood of [[Doriath]] rested directly south of the [[Thangorodrim]] and [[Dorthonion]], southeast of Hithlum. To the West of Doriath were [[Taur-en-Faroth]] and the [[Falas]], while to the east were [[Nan Elmoth]] and [[Thargelion]] before reaching the [[Ered Luin]]. To the south of Doriath were first the [[Andram]], then [[Arvernien]] and the [[Bay of Balar]]. East of the Bay of Balar and extending ever further south into the unknown lands were the [[Taur-im-Duinath]] and [[Ossiriand]].

East of the Ered Luin was a land encircled by four mountain ranges: the [[Ered Luin]] to the West, the [[Ered Engrin]] to the North, the [[Misty Mountains|Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains)]] to the East, and some of the [[White Mountains]] to the South. Passing even further East, over the Hithaeglir, you would come to [[Anduin]] (the Great River) and eventually [[Palisor]], the [[Sea of Helcar|Inland Sea of Helcar]], the [[Orocarni]], and the [[East Sea]].

After the end of the First Age and the drowning of Beleriand, the geography east of the Ered Luin shifted. The Ered Luin themselves, now broken up and disfigured, marked the western border of [[Eriador]], and thence [[Lindon]] and Belegaer itself. Eriador, now the Westernmost part of Middle-earth, was bordered on the East by the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, which stretched down south to the [[White Mountains]] and the [[Bay of Belfalas]]. Across the Misty Mountains from Eriador was [[Rhovanion]], which extended east to the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and the vast [[Rhûn|lands]] beyond. Within Rhovanion were the great forest of [[Mirkwood]], the forest of [[Fangorn Forest|Fangorn]], and the many-rivered area that would become known as [[Gondor]]. To the east was the region of [[Mordor]], encircled on three sides by mountains. To the far north of Rhovanion was the icy [[Forodwaith (lands)|Forodwaith]].

==Names==
The peoples called Middle-earth by several names. The Elves called the continent [[Endóre]] or [[Endor]] in [[Quenya]] meaning "middle land"; the [[Sindarin]] form was [[Ennor]], also used in the plural ''ennorath'' "middle lands, lands of Middle-earth".

Other epithets of the continent were '''Hither Shores''' or '''[[Hither Lands]]''' contrasted to [[Aman]] beyond the sea. The [[Hobbits]] envisioned Middle-earth as the '''Wide World'''<ref>{{H|8}}</ref> and the '''Outer Lands'''<ref>{{S|Days}}</ref> or '''Great Lands''', since it was so much larger than the continent of Aman.<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>.

==Inspiration==
[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] created Arda, including and especially Middle-earth, for his languages [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]], especially the latter as it turned out. To Tolkien, a scholar of the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] language, Middle-earth was the English translation of the Old English word ''middanġeard''. This word was transformed in the [[Middle English]] ''midden-erd'' or ''middel-erd'', and the [[Old Norse]] ''Midgard''. This is English for what the Greeks called the οικουμένη (''oikoumenē'') or "the abiding place of men", the physical world as opposed to the unseen worlds.<ref>{{L|151}}</ref>

The ancient peoples called the world "middle-earth" since it was imagined to be between the realm of the Giants below and the realm of the gods above. However in Tolkien's cosmology the name Middle-earth refers only to a continent, which (in the First and Second Ages) is set between two seas, [[Belegaer]] and the [[East Sea]].

[[Henry Resnick]] quoted Tolkien saying that "Middle-earth is Europe".<ref>[[Tolkien Journal]] II, 2 p. 1</ref>

==Appendix==
===Terminology===
The ''continent'' of Middle-earth is the main setting of most of the stories of the [[legendarium]]. There are a few stories that take place in [[Aman]] (like some chapters of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'') and [[Númenor]] (like the ''[[Akallabêth]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'').

In [[fandom]], the term "Middle-earth" is used to refer to Tolkien's [[secondary world]] or [[Wikipedia:fictional universe|fictional universe]] in general, including its pantheon and cosmology. Tolkien himself used the term loosely at times to refer to his creation.<ref name=wiki/>
[[File:The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg|thumb|Being actually ''The Atlas of '''Arda''''']]
As a result, Middle-earth is used synonymously as "Arda" as a more recogniseable term for titles such as ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', even while its subject is beyond the scope of the strict geographical definition of the continent of Endor. Even [[Christopher Tolkien]], while publishing the early drafts and manuscripts of his father, he titled the series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'',<ref name=wiki>{{webcite|articleurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth#Usage_and_misunderstandings|articlename=Middle-earth - Usage and misunderstandings|website=Wikipedia}}</ref> thus equating the term "Middle-earth" with the Legendarium. Wikipedia is also an example of this usage, with article names such as [[Wikipedia:Elf (Middle-earth)|Elf (Middle-earth)]] and the (somewhat erroneous) [[Wikipedia:Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda (Middle-earth)]].

The term "[[Arda]]", which refers to the whole world proper, first appeared in ''[[The Silmarillion]]''<ref name=wiki/> and is a more technical term. But the term "Arda" is sometimes appropriately used to refer to the world of Tolkien, seen in example in the names of ''[[Encyclopedia of Arda]]'' or ''[[Ardalambion]]''.

Another misuse of the term is the equation of "Middle-earth" with the mapped regions, as seen in the maps to ''Lord of the Rings''. Actually these regions are just the [[Westlands]] of Middle-earth, being the north-western portion of the continent. Actually how far Middle-earth extends to the [[East]] and the [[South]] of the map is unknown. Although [[Mordor]] is seen to the south-easter corner of the map, it doesn't mean it belongs to the south-eastern Middle-earth, as there are presumably other lands to the east and south.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Middle-earth"</ref> [[Karen Fonstad]] has attempted to reconstruct the entirety of the continent, beyond the Westlands, based on an [[:File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Ambarkanta Map V.png|early map by Tolkien]].<ref>{{HM|AME}}</ref>

===Middle-earth and the Old World===
In his earliest drafts of the [[Legendarium]], ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', the mythology had more direct connections with our history: [[Littleheart]] compares the [[Fall of Gondolin]] with the fall of "[[Wikipedia:Babylon|Bablon]]", "[[Wikipedia:Nineveh|Ninwi]]" and "[[Wikipedia:Troy|Trui]]".<Ref>{{LT2|III}}</ref> The [[Mannish]] language of [[Taliska]] was based on [[Gothic]].<ref>{{PE|19}}, "The Comparative Tales", p. 22</ref> Britain was supposed to be former [[Tol Eressea]] that was driven towards the [[Great Lands]], with Ireland (the Isle of [[Iverin]]) being a part that broke from it. The main character [[Ottor Wǽfre]] was intended to be the father of legendary figures [[Hengest and Horsa]] who conquered England from the Guidlin, the [[Wikipedia:Britons (Celtic people)|Brithonin]] and the [[Wikipedia:Ancient Rome|Rumhoth]]. In a later sketch, the [[Elves]] were from the region of [[Luthany]] before it was pulled out of the mainland and became an island.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}</ref>

Tolkien envisioned his stories to take place on our world, in an imaginary historical period and contains the essentials of the northwestern Europe. He did not see his stories to happen on a "remote globe in 'space'" as was the case with other contemporary fiction.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref>

As for the later legendarium, [[The Shire]] not only was conceptually based on rural England<ref>{{L|190}}</ref> but also was expressly stated to be "in this region"<ref name=L211>{{L|211}}</ref>, "the North-West of the [[Wikipedia:Old World|Old World]], east of the Sea".<ref>{{FR|Prologue}}</ref>

Concerning the Shire, Tolkien stated that he intended it to correspond about to the latitude of [[Oxford]], which would result to other Middle-earth locations to correspond (but not necessarily equate with) real-life locations. For instance, [[Minas Tirith]] would fall to about the latitude of [[Wikipedia:Florence|Florence]], and [[Pelargir]] and the mouths of Anduin to that of ancient [[Wikipedia:Troy|Troy]].<ref>{{L|294}}</ref> This enabled [[Andreas Moehn]] to make more correspondences, and even project the [[Westlands]] on a real map of Europe.<ref>{{webcite|website=Lalaith|articleurl=http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html|articlename=A Meridional Grid on the Middle-Earth Map|author=[[Andreas Moehn]]}}</ref>

According to the annotations provided by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] to [[Pauline Baynes]], Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Ravenna|Ravenna]]. The bottom of the map is about the latitude of [[wikipedia:Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], and [[Umbar]] about that of [[wikipedia:Cyprus|Cyprus]]. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of Hobbiton, is located near [[wikipedia:Belgrade|Belgrade]].<ref>''The Guardian'', 23 October 2015, "{{webcite|website=Tolkien's annotated map of Middle-earth discovered inside copy of Lord of the Rings|articleurl=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/jrr-tolkien-middle-earth-annotated-map-blackwells-lord-of-the-rings}}". An analysis of the map may also be found in "{{webcite|website=Découverte d'une carte de la Terre du Milieu annotée par Tolkien pour Pauline Baynes|articleurl=http://www.tolkiendil.com/essais/geographie/carte_tolkien_baynes}} (in French, with deciphered annotations also being provided in English).</ref>

On the other hand, Tolkien designed his maps to accomodate the mythology, and was conscious that they did not fit the ancient Earth, as understood by contemporary archeology and historical geology.<ref>{{L|169}}</ref><ref name=L211/>

===Portrayal in adaptations===
{{stub}}
[[File:Pete Fenlon - MERP map.jpg|thumb|The whole continent of Middle-earth as envisioned in ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'']]
Middle-earth has been depicted in a variety of adaptations of Tolkien's work -- the most prominent of which have been the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'']] and [[The Hobbit (film series)|''Hobbit'']] film trilogies by [[Peter Jackson]]. Middle-earth has appeared in animation in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and [[Rankin/Bass]]' adaptations of ''[[The Hobbit (1977 film)|The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]''. Middle-earth has also been adapted for numerous video games such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North|War in the North]]'' and tabletop role-playing games like the ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]'' system by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]].

Each adaptation has made changes, subtractions, or additions to Tolkien's creation, often adding new locations, creatures, or characters. For the most part, however, the overall geography and style of Tolkien's Middle-earth has been retained.

==See Also==
* [[Arda]]
* [[History of Arda]]
{{references}}
[[Category:Middle-earth| Middle-earth]]
[[de:Mittelerde]]
[[fa:سرزمین‌میانه]]
[[fi:Keski-Maa]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/terre_du_milieu]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-04T00:10:25Z

Drakon: /* Summary */

== Summary ==
According to ''Letters'' no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes (''The Guardian'', 23 octobre 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna (44.4°N). The bottom of the map
is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of
Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformations due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below therefore assumes a Lambert conformal conical projection for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). Middle-earth is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed ''horizontal'' lines (ignoring the Earth's curvature).

== Licensing ==
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
{{Map}}

[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-03T23:45:51Z

Drakon: /* Summary */

== Summary ==
According to ''Letters'' no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes (''The Guardian'', 23 octobre 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna (44.4°N). The bottom of
is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of
Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformations due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below therefore assumes a Lambert conformal conical projection for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). Middle-earth is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed ''horizontal'' lines (ignoring the Earth's curvature).

== Licensing ==
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
{{Map}}

[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-03T23:44:00Z

Drakon: uploaded a new version of "File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png": Oops, typo in legend.

== Summary ==
According to ''Letters'' no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes (''The Guardian'', 23 octobre 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna (44.4°N). The bottom of
is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of
Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformation due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below assumes a Lambert conformal conical projection for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). Middle-earth is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed ''horizontal'' lines (ignoring the Earth's curvature).

== Licensing ==
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
{{Map}}

[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-03T23:38:44Z

Drakon: /* Summary */

== Summary ==
According to ''Letters'' no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes (''The Guardian'', 23 octobre 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna (44.4°N). The bottom of
is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of
Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformation due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below assumes a Lambert conformal conical projection for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). Middle-earth is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed ''horizontal'' lines (ignoring the Earth's curvature).

== Licensing ==
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
{{Map}}

[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-03T23:37:07Z

Drakon:

== Summary ==
According to [/i]Letters[/i] no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes ([i]The Guardian[/i], 23 octobre 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna (44.4°N). The bottom of
is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of
Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformation due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below assumes a Lambert conformal conical projection for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). Middle-earth is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed [i]horizontal[/i] lines ignoring the Earth's curvature.

== Licensing ==
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
{{Map}}

[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Middle-earth]]

File:Didier Willis - Middle-earth and Europe projection.png

2015-11-03T23:35:05Z

Drakon: According to [/i]Letters[/i] no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39

According to [/i]Letters[/i] no 294 p. 376, Hobbiton and Rivendell are approximately at the same latitude as Oxford (51-52°N), Minas Tirith at the latitude of Florence (43.7°N) and Pelargir and the mouths of Anduin around the latitude of ancien Troy (39.9°N).

According to the annotations provided by J.R.R. Tolkien to Pauline Baynes ([i]The Guardian[/i], 23 octobre 2015), Hobbiton is again approximately at the same latitude as Oxford, and Minas Tirith is about the latitude of Ravenna (44.4°N). The bottom of
is about the latitude of Jerusalem, and Umbar about that of Cyprus. Minas Tirith, being approximately 900 miles east of
Hobbiton, is located near Belgrade (20.4°E).

These pieces of information might be problematic (geodesic distances do not correspond), unless deformation due to the map projection are assumed.

The reconstructed map below assumes a Lambert conformal conical projection for Europe (standard parallels 40°N and 56°N, central meridian 12.5°E). Middle-earth is then scaled so that to have Hobbiton at 51°N and Minas Tirith at 44°N,20.4°E. The projection "errors" are represented as dashed [i]horizontal[/i] lines ignoring the Earth's curvature.

User:Drakon

2015-07-03T19:47:13Z

Drakon:

Taruithorn (Tolkien Society)

2015-06-20T08:17:00Z

Drakon: Fixed typo and links

'''Taruithorn, The Oxford Tolkien Society''' is a [[Tolkien Societies|Tolkien society]] in England.

==History==
Taruithorn was founded in 1990<ref>http://users.ox.ac.uk/~tolksoc/index.html (accessed 06-20-2015)</ref> in Oxford, England. It is both a [[Tolkien Society]] smial as well as an independent Tolkien society for students of Oxford University.

==Events==
Taruithorn events are organized around the academic term.<ref>http://users.ox.ac.uk/~tolksoc/termcard.html (accessed 06-20-2015)</ref>

==Publications==
Taruithorn publishes its magazine ''Miruvor'' on an irregular basis.<ref>https://taruithornmiruvor.wordpress.com/ (accessed 06-20-2015)</ref>

==External Links==
* [http://users.ox.ac.uk/~tolksoc/ Official Website]

{{references}}
[[Category:British organizations]]
[[Category:Smials]]
[[Category:Tolkien Societies]]

Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde

2015-05-06T19:39:03Z

Drakon: /* External links */

'''''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde''''' ("Tolkien, the shaping of a world") is a 2-volume collection of scholarly essays in French on [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. The collection focuses on botany, astronomy and geography (in a very broad sense), with essays from French authors as well as translations from English.

==Contents==

*Vol. 1, ''Botanique & Astronome'' (Botany & Astronomy), July 2011, 276 p.
**[[Didier Willis]], "Avant-propos — Tolkien et le souci du détail" (Foreword – Tolkien: an attention to details)
**Stéphanie Loubechine, "Le Saule et le Bouleau — Symbolique de l’arbre chez Tolkien" (The Willow and the Birch: Symbolic views on Tolkien’s tree)
**Alain Lefèvre, "Asphodèles et amarantes — Champs élyséens de ''mallos'' et d’''alfirin''" (Asphodels and amaranths: Elysian fields of ''mallos'' and ''alfirin'')
**Didier Willis, "Derrière les feuilles du ''lebethron'' — Variations sur le thème de l’Arbre et la Feuille" (Behind the leaves of ''lebethron'': Variations on the Tree and the Leaf)
**Lionel Pras, "Tolkien parmi les arbres" (Tolkien among trees)
**[[Kristine Larsen]], "Pour une identification définitive de Borgil — Une approche astronomique et littéraire" (A definitive identification of Tolkien’s Borgil: an astronomical and literary approach)
**Didier Willis, "La Couronne de Durin à l’épreuve de l’archéoastronomie" (The Crown of Durin put to the test of archeoastronomy)
**François Augereau & Didier Willis, "Des lettres lunaires et du nouvel an des Nains — Les Nains et le cycle métonique" (Of moon-letters and Dwarvish new year: Dwarves and the metonic cycle)
**Alain Lefèvre, "Le conte perdu de Mercure — Tuor et Idril élevés au rang d’astre" (The lost tale of Mercury: Tuor and Idril elevated to the stars)
**François Augereau, "Astres dévorés — Les éclipses chez Tolkien, motif en quatre temps" (Devoured stars: Eclipses in Tolkien’s works: a quadruple pattern)

*Vol. 2, ''Astronomie & Géographie'' (Astronomy & Geography), March 2014, 356 p.
**Kristine Larsen, "Oiseaux marins et étoiles du matin — Céyx, Alcyone et les métamorphoses d’Eärendil et Elwing" (Sea Birds and Morning Stars: Ceyx, Alcyone, and the Many Metamorphoses of Eärendil and Elwing)
**Alain Lefèvre, "L’astre rouge de la Lune du Chasseur" (The red star at the Hunter's Moon)
**Bertrand Bellet, "Les mois et les saisons en Terre du Milieu" (Months and seasons in Middle-earth)
**[[Jason Fisher]], "Aux sources des Cercles du Monde de Tolkien — Spéculations sur la ''Heimskringla'', la Vulgate et la ''mappa mundi'' de Hereford" (Sourcing Tolkien's Circles of the World: Speculations on the ''Heimskringla'', the Latin Vulgate Bible, and the Hereford ''Mappa Mundi'')
**[[Gerard Hynes]], "Sous la sombre quille de la Terre — Tolkien et la géologie" (Beneath the Earth's dark keel: Tolkien and Geology)
**Didier Willis, "Númenor et la ''Cottoniana'' — Enquête sur une île en forme d’étoile à cinq branches" (Númenor and the ''Cottoniana'': Enquiry on a five-pointed star-shaped island)
**Priscille Henon, "Dédales en Terre du Milieu" (Labyrinths in Middle-earth)
**William A. S. Sarjeant, "La géologie de la Terre du Milieu" (The geology of Middle-earth)
**Jean-Rodolphe Turlin, "La pierre des Trois Quartiers" (The Three-Farthing Stone)
**Didier Willis, "Du Beleriand aux confins de Rhûn — Collages et reconstructions cartographiques" (From Beleriand to the borders of Rhûn: collages and cartographic reconstructions)
**Jean-Rodolphe Turlin, "Une cartographie pour la Comté" (Toward a cartography of the Shire)
**Éric Flieller, "Rhosgobel, la demeure énigmatique du mystérieux Radagast" (Rhosgobel, the enigmatic home of mysterious Radagast)
**Didier Willis, "Borlas de Pen-arduin, entre berges et collines" (Borlas of Pen-arduin, in between river banks and hills)
**Didier Willis, "Lanterniers, portiers et hôteliers de Minas Tirith" (Lampwrights, porters and innkeepers of Minas Tirith)
**Damien Bador, "Des deux Carroc à la Pierre d’Erech" (Of the two Carrocks and the Stone of Erech)

==External links==

*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/home Volume 1 official webpage] (French)
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/vol2 Volume 2 official webpage] (French)
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/english Abstracts and contents] (English, work-in-progress)
*[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le-Dragon-de-Brume.php Volume 1 brief presentation] (English)
*[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1145-tolkien-le-faconnement-monde-volume-2-astronomie-Geographie.php Volume 2 brief presentation] (English)

{{references|note}}
{{title|italic}}
[[Category:French publications]]
[[Category:Scholarly books]]

Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde

2015-05-06T19:25:18Z

Drakon: Created page with "'''''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde''''' ("Tolkien, the shaping of a world") is a 2-volume collection of scholarly essays in French on J.R.R. Tolkien. The collection foc..."

'''''Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde''''' ("Tolkien, the shaping of a world") is a 2-volume collection of scholarly essays in French on [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. The collection focuses on botany, astronomy and geography (in a very broad sense), with essays from French authors as well as translations from English.

==Contents==

*Vol. 1, ''Botanique & Astronome'' (Botany & Astronomy), July 2011, 276 p.
**[[Didier Willis]], "Avant-propos — Tolkien et le souci du détail" (Foreword – Tolkien: an attention to details)
**Stéphanie Loubechine, "Le Saule et le Bouleau — Symbolique de l’arbre chez Tolkien" (The Willow and the Birch: Symbolic views on Tolkien’s tree)
**Alain Lefèvre, "Asphodèles et amarantes — Champs élyséens de ''mallos'' et d’''alfirin''" (Asphodels and amaranths: Elysian fields of ''mallos'' and ''alfirin'')
**Didier Willis, "Derrière les feuilles du ''lebethron'' — Variations sur le thème de l’Arbre et la Feuille" (Behind the leaves of ''lebethron'': Variations on the Tree and the Leaf)
**Lionel Pras, "Tolkien parmi les arbres" (Tolkien among trees)
**[[Kristine Larsen]], "Pour une identification définitive de Borgil — Une approche astronomique et littéraire" (A definitive identification of Tolkien’s Borgil: an astronomical and literary approach)
**Didier Willis, "La Couronne de Durin à l’épreuve de l’archéoastronomie" (The Crown of Durin put to the test of archeoastronomy)
**François Augereau & Didier Willis, "Des lettres lunaires et du nouvel an des Nains — Les Nains et le cycle métonique" (Of moon-letters and Dwarvish new year: Dwarves and the metonic cycle)
**Alain Lefèvre, "Le conte perdu de Mercure — Tuor et Idril élevés au rang d’astre" (The lost tale of Mercury: Tuor and Idril elevated to the stars)
**François Augereau, "Astres dévorés — Les éclipses chez Tolkien, motif en quatre temps" (Devoured stars: Eclipses in Tolkien’s works: a quadruple pattern)

*Vol. 2, ''Astronomie & Géographie'' (Astronomy & Geography), March 2014, 356 p.
**Kristine Larsen, "Oiseaux marins et étoiles du matin — Céyx, Alcyone et les métamorphoses d’Eärendil et Elwing" (Sea Birds and Morning Stars: Ceyx, Alcyone, and the Many Metamorphoses of Eärendil and Elwing)
**Alain Lefèvre, "L’astre rouge de la Lune du Chasseur" (The red star at the Hunter's Moon)
**Bertrand Bellet, "Les mois et les saisons en Terre du Milieu" (Months and seasons in Middle-earth)
**[[Jason Fisher]], "Aux sources des Cercles du Monde de Tolkien — Spéculations sur la ''Heimskringla'', la Vulgate et la ''mappa mundi'' de Hereford" (Sourcing Tolkien's Circles of the World: Speculations on the ''Heimskringla'', the Latin Vulgate Bible, and the Hereford ''Mappa Mundi'')
**[[Gerard Hynes]], "Sous la sombre quille de la Terre — Tolkien et la géologie" (Beneath the Earth's dark keel: Tolkien and Geology)
**Didier Willis, "Númenor et la ''Cottoniana'' — Enquête sur une île en forme d’étoile à cinq branches" (Númenor and the ''Cottoniana'': Enquiry on a five-pointed star-shaped island)
**Priscille Henon, "Dédales en Terre du Milieu" (Labyrinths in Middle-earth)
**William A. S. Sarjeant, "La géologie de la Terre du Milieu" (The geology of Middle-earth)
**Jean-Rodolphe Turlin, "La pierre des Trois Quartiers" (The Three-Farthing Stone)
**Didier Willis, "Du Beleriand aux confins de Rhûn — Collages et reconstructions cartographiques" (From Beleriand to the borders of Rhûn: collages and cartographic reconstructions)
**Jean-Rodolphe Turlin, "Une cartographie pour la Comté" (Toward a cartography of the Shire)
**Éric Flieller, "Rhosgobel, la demeure énigmatique du mystérieux Radagast" (Rhosgobel, the enigmatic home of mysterious Radagast)
**Didier Willis, "Borlas de Pen-arduin, entre berges et collines" (Borlas of Pen-arduin, in between river banks and hills)
**Didier Willis, "Lanterniers, portiers et hôteliers de Minas Tirith" (Lampwrights, porters and innkeepers of Minas Tirith)
**Damien Bador, "Des deux Carroc à la Pierre d’Erech" (Of the two Carrocks and the Stone of Erech)

==External links==

*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/home Volume 1 official webpage] (French)
*[https://sites.google.com/site/dragonbrumeux/vol2 Volume 2 official webpage] (French)
*[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1008-Le-Dragon-de-Brume.php Volume 1 brief presentation] (English)
*[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1145-tolkien-le-faconnement-monde-volume-2-astronomie-Geographie.php Volume 2 brief presentation] (English)

{{references|note}}
{{title|italic}}
[[Category:French publications]]
[[Category:Scholarly books]]

User:Drakon

2015-05-06T18:26:03Z

Drakon:

File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png

2015-04-05T19:13:51Z

Drakon: /* Licensing */ Clarify origin and authorization

== Summary ==
Reconstructed latitude of Numenor, based on the vines growing on the isle in Hyarnustar and the adequate climatological conditions for viticulture. The isle is correctly scaled and slightly re-oriented according to the compass rose on CJRT's map in Unfinished Tales. Longitude is not intended to be represented accurately. Sphericity of the world and the type of map projection are not taken into account.

== Licensing ==

(Colored) map from [[Didier Willis]], "Du Beleriand aux confins de Rhûn", in ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, 2014, p. 219, per author's self authorization.

{{Map}}
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Númenor]]

User:Drakon

2015-04-05T19:04:38Z

Drakon:

Elenna

2015-04-05T19:02:11Z

Drakon: /* Location */ Maybe this map can fit here.

'''Elenna''' ({{IPA|[eˈlenːa]}}) or '''Elenna-nórë''' ([[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[eˌlenːa-ˈnoːre]}}) also '''Andor''', the "Land of Gift", was a name said to mean 'Starwards',<ref>{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref> referring to the island on which the realm of [[Númenor]] was founded.<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref>

It was taken from the fact that the first [[Men]] to inhabit that island came to it by following the light of the [[Star of Eärendil]].

Generations later, owing to the Númenóreans' arrogance and blasphemy against the Valar, Elenna was deluged during the [[Changing of the World]].
==Geography==
[[File:Numenor Map.jpg|thumb|The map of Númenor]]
The island of Númenor was about 167,961 square miles,<ref>Estimation by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] in the ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> It was located in the [[Belegaer]] closer to [[Valinor]] (about 39 days) than [[Middle-earth]].

Its shape was of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features, therefore considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:

*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] (''Eastlands'')
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The area between Orrostar and Hyarrostar was the bay of [[Rómenna]], with [[Tol Uinen]] standing off its coast.

The central region of Mittalmar contained the region of [[Emerië]], a grass land with many sheep, and the sacred mountain [[Meneltarma]], standing in the very center of the island. It was the highest location on the entire island and was a holy place devoted to [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

The lower slopes of the mountain, the [[Tarmasundar]], were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiral road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north.

The only other known mountain on the island was [[Sorontil]], in Forostar.

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which formed the lake [[Nísinen]] before reaching the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the northern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.

==Etymology==
The word is actually the allative form of the [[Quenya]] word ''[[elen]]'' meaning "to (a) star". The "longer" name ''Elenna-nórë'' is glossed as "Land of the Star",<ref>{{UT|Cirion}}</ref> literally "Starwards-land". The island was named so as the [[Edain]] colonists sailed "starwards", following the [[Star of Eärendil]].

[[Robert Foster]] mistakenly identifies the word as being the "[[Wikipedia:essive case|essive]]" form of ''elen''.<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Elenna"</ref> Essive is a grammatical case that exists in [[Finnish]] (but not in Quenya), and is marked by the ending ''-na'', like the Quenya allative.

The [[Adûnaic]] name was ''[[Gimlad]]'' (cf. ''[[gimil]]'').
==Location==
[[File:Numenor location.png|thumb|The location of Númenor in Fonstad's maps, between Aman and Middle-earth; the red line shows the north-south axis]]
Tolkien never drew a map of Arda showing where exactly in Belegaer, or relative to Middle-earth the island of Númenor stood but there are some narrative hints.

While sailing for Lindon, [[Vëantur]] had to fight the north and east winds<ref>{{UT|Wife}}</ref> suggesting the the island was south of the latitude of Lindon. It is also mentioned that Vëantur was accompanied by (apparently migratory) birds in autumn and spring.<ref name="Didier">[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Mystères géographiques n°2 : La position de Númenor, Du kirinki au puffin cendré] (2000-2001). In this article, Willis suggested that the presence of those birds could indicate that the island was found south of the Tropic of Arda, but he later changed his mind.</ref>

[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|left|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]
The Downfall of Númenor, while also causing important loss in Lindon, most of all filled much of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] so that the city of [[Pelargir]] was left far inland<ref>{{HM|PM}}, p. 183.</ref>. This may suggest the island was more or less around the latitude of the Bay of Belfalas. As vineyards are attested in the eastern part of the [[Hyarnustar]], [[Didier Willis]] notes that adequate climatological conditions for viticulture are quite strict<ref>See e.g. Jones, Gregory V., "Climate Change: Observations, Projections, and General Implications for Viticulture and Wine Production" in ''Practical Winery and Vineyard'', July/August 2007, pp. 44–64.</ref> and estimates the island to be located around 40° N, indeed facing the Bay of Belfalas.<ref name="Didier2">[[Didier Willis]], ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'', vol. 2, p. 213 (map of adequate climatological zones for vines on Earth), pp. 215-220 (application to Númenor and discussion).</ref>

As for the distances, we are told simply that the island was closer to Valinor than Endor<ref name="Ak">{{S|Akallabeth}}</ref>. It was said that from Meneltarma, the keen-eyed [[Númenóreans]] could sometimes get a glimpse of [[Avallónë]];<ref name="Ak"/> the Fall of Númenor came 39 days after [[Ar-Pharazôn]] left,<ref name="Ak"/> but his actual voyage could be shorter.

[[Didier Willis]] estimates that as Vëantur could sail directly from Númenor to Lindon - not needing to find a closer coast and follow it up to his destination - the island was close enough to Lindon, with a realistic distance between 2000 to 3000 km.<ref name="Didier"/>

[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] placed the island in her Second Age maps around the latitude of the [[Bay of Belfalas]], but without giving any reasoning or calculations. It approximates the Númenórean ports of [[Vinyalondë]], [[Pelargir]] and [[Umbar]] on Middle-earth. Her map shows the distance between the Island and Eressea approximately 1700 km.<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref>

{{references}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]

Númenor

2015-04-05T18:56:28Z

Drakon: /* Location */ Erm, removed my edits, noticing previous stuff on location existed but was moved to Elenna.

{{sources}}
{{kingdom
| image = [[Image:Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name = Númenor
| meaning = Land of the West, Westernesse
| type = Monarchy
| hidep = yes
| headofstate = [[King of Númenor|King]] or [[Ruling Queen of Númenor|Ruling Queen]] of Númenor
| executive = [[Council of the Sceptre]]
| legislative = unknown
| judicial = unknown
| capital = [[Armenelos]]
| language = [[Quenya]] and [[Adûnaic]], later only [[Adûnaic]]
| location = On the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]], halfway between [[Middle-earth]] and [[Aman]]
| populace= [[Men]] (the races of the [[Dúnedain]] and [[Drúedain]])
| currency =
| religious = Belief in [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]; [[Morgoth|Melkor]] worship soon after {{SA|3262}}
| holiday = ''[[Erukyermë]]'', ''[[Erulaitalë]]'', ''[[Eruhantalë]]''
| anthem =
| formed = The Westward migration of the [[Edain]] after the [[War of Wrath]]
| established = {{SA|32}}
| reorganized =
| fragmented =
| dissolved = {{SA|3319}}
| restored =
}}
'''Númenor''' ([[Quenya|Q]]: "westland", pron. {{IPA|[ˈnuːmenor]}}) or '''[[Númenórë]]''' (pron. {{IPA|[ˌnuːmeˈnoːre]}}), known in the [[Westron|Common Speech]] as '''[[Westernesse]]''', was one of the names of the isle of [[Elenna]], which was raised from the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]] by the [[Valar]] in the beginning of the [[Second Age]]. While strictly speaking the term ''Númenor'' referred to the realm established on the island, it was more often used as a synonym of the land itself. Númenor was one of the most powerful realms of the Second Age, and its people, called [[Númenóreans]], as well as their descendants, had considerable influence on the events of the [[Third Age]].

==Geography==
{{main|Elenna}}
The island of Númenor had a shape of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features: [[Forostar]], [[Andustar]], [[Hyarnustar]], [[Hyarrostar]] and [[Orrostar]].

The central region was named [[Mittalmar]] and in its center stood the holy mountain [[Meneltarma]]

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] and [[Nunduinë]].

Cities built by the Númenóreans were [[Armenelos]], [[Andúnië]], [[Nindamos]], [[Eldalondë]] and [[Almaida]].

==History==
===Origin===
Númenor was the kingdom of the [[Dúnedain]], located on an island in the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]], between Middle-earth and [[Aman]]. The land was brought up from the sea as a gift to [[Men]]. It was also called ''Elenna'' ("Starwards") because the Dúnedain were led to it by the [[Star of Eärendil]], and because the island was in the shape of a five-pointed star.

[[Elros]] son of [[Eärendil]] was the first [[King of Númenor]], taking the name of [[Elros|Tar-Minyatur]] ("First King"). Under his rule, which took place between {{SA|32}} and {{SA|442}} and those of his descendants, Men rose to become a powerful race.

The [[Númenóreans]] were forbidden by the Valar from sailing so far westward that Númenor was no longer visible, for fear that they would come upon the [[Undying Lands]], to which Men were barred. Over time the Númenóreans came to resent the [[Ban of the Valar]] and to rebel against their authority, seeking the everlasting life that they believed was begrudged them. They tried to compensate this by going eastward and colonizing large parts of Middle-earth, first in a friendly way, beginning with [[Tar-Aldarion]]. The first ships sailed from Númenor to Middle-earth in the year {{SA|600|n}}.

The Númenóreans established several settlements in Middle-earth, such as [[Lond Daer]]. They contacted the [[Middle Men|indigenous people]], teaching them several crafts, instructed them and helped them free from the [[Shadow]]. About SA 1200 they established permanent settlements like [[Pelargir]] and [[Umbar]].

In {{SA|1700|n}} [[Tar-Minastir]] sent a fleet to help [[Gil-galad]] and together they drove [[Sauron]] back, who had dominated almost all [[Eriador]] after the [[War of the Elves and Sauron]].

===The darkness comes===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Eagles of Manwë.jpg|left|thumb|250px|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''The Eagles of Manwë'']]
Soon the Númenóreans came to become proud and discontented, irritated by the [[Ban of the Valar]]. Starting to lose the meaning of the [[Gift of Men]] and envious of immortality, they longed for [[Eldamar]] which they saw only from a distance.

About {{SA|1800|n}} they started to dominated the shores of Middle-earth and demand tribute from the lesser peoples which they had liberated and taught, and became a massive brutal maritime empire that had no rival. Fearing death, they tried to gain some immortality in riches and ornate tombs. [[Tar-Atanamir]] started to speak openly against the Valar.

In {{SA|2280|n}} Umbar was strengthened with increased numbers of colonists and from there they began to dominate [[Harad]]. Even [[Sauron]] was afraid of them and retreated from these lands.

A few of them, the [[Faithful]], remained loyal to the Valar and friendly to the Elves. The Valar displayed warnings to the Men of Westernesse in the form of huge eagles, but they paid no heed to these manifestations. The Faithful were persecuted by the majority of the population, which they called [[King's Men]], who decided to abandon the Elven customs and languages. [[Ar-Adûnakhôr]] took his regal name in [[Adûnaic]] and not in [[Quenya]].

The Faithful remained in [[Andúnië]] and the Faithful [[Lords of Andúnië]], because of their noble heritage still had some gravity in the meetings of nobles. However [[Ar-Gimilzôr]] in about 2950 forced them to remove to [[Rómenna]] and the haven was closed to the Elven visitors. [[Tar-Palantir]] briefly attempted to cast the Shadow back and reunite the people with the Elves and the Valar, but did not make it to be. He was succeeded by his nephew, a sea captain who warred against the coastal people.

That nephew was the twenty-fifth king, [[Ar-Pharazôn]], who in the year {{SA|3255|n}}, he sailed to Middle-earth. Seeing the might of Númenor, Sauron submitted to the king's authority, and he was brought back to Númenor as a hostage. By that time, however, the [[Drúedain]] of Númenor had sensed a coming darkness and all of them had abandoned the island for Middle-earth<ref>{{UT|Druedain}}</ref> Sauron soon became an adviser to the King as Tar-[[Sauron|Mairon]], and promised the Númenóreans eternal life if they worshiped [[Morgoth|Melkor]]. With Sauron as his advisor, Ar-Pharazôn had a 500-foot temple to Melkor erected, in which he offered human sacrifices to him.

During this time, the white tree [[Nimloth of Númenor|Nimloth the Fair]], whose fate was said to be tied to the line of kings, was chopped down and burned as a sacrifice to Melkor. Risking his life, [[Isildur]] rescued a fruit of the tree, preserving the ancient line of trees.

[[Image:Ted_Nasmith_-_The_Ships_of_the_Faithful.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''The Ships of the Faithful'']]
Prompted by Sauron and fearing death and old age, Ar-Pharazôn built a great armada and set sail into the west to make war upon the Valar and seize the Undying Lands. Sauron remained behind. In the year {{SA|3319|n}}, Ar-Pharazôn landed on Aman and marched to the city of [[Valimar]].

===Destruction===
{{main|Downfall of Númenor}}
[[Manwë]], chief of the Valar, called upon Ilúvatar, who broke and changed the world, taking Aman and Tol Eressëa from the world forever, changing the world's shape from flat to round. Númenor was covered by great waves and sank into the abyss, killing its inhabitants, including the body of Sauron, who was thereby robbed of his ability to assume fair and charming forms.

[[Elendil]], son of the leader of the Faithful during the reign of Ar-Pharazôn, his sons and his followers had foreseen the disaster that was to befall Númenor, and they had set sail in nine ships before the island fell. They landed in Middle-earth, and gathered the Númenorian and indigenous peoples living there, uniting them under them, as the kingdoms of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]].

After its fall Númenor was called ''Atalantë'', meaning "the Downfallen", in the [[Quenya]] language. Other names after the Downfall include ''Mar-nu-Falmar'' ("Land under the Waves") and ''[[Akallabêth]]'' ("the Downfallen" in Adûnaic).

The story of the rise and downfall of Númenor is told in ''[[Akallabêth|The Akallabêth]]''.

==Culture==
The population of Númenor chiefly consisted of [[Edain]], mostly descendants from the [[House of Hador]]; although before the Shadow fell on the island the westernmost cities such as [[Andúnië]] contained a small population of [[Elves]] because of the frequent visits from Tol Eressëa. They were known as the Númenóreans, or rather, ''Kings among Men''.

The Númenóreans were extremely skilled in arts and craft, with the forging of weapons and armour; but the Númenóreans were not warmongers, hence the chief art on the island became that of ship-building and sea-craft. The Númenóreans became great mariners, exploring the world in all directions save for the westward, where the [[Ban of the Valar]] was in force. They often traveled to the shores of Middle-earth, teaching the men there the art and craft, and introduced farming as to improve their everyday lives.

The Númenóreans, too, became skilled in the art of husbandry, breeding great horses that roamed across the open plains in Mittalmar. Although they were a peaceful people, their weapons, armour, and horse-riding skills could not be contested anywhere else in [[Arda]], save for the [[Valar]].

There also was a small number of [[Drúedain]] living in Númenor, who, considered as Edain, accompanied their friends of the [[House of Haleth]] to Númenor. They were only few in number and dreaded the sea. They became uneasy when [[Tar-Aldarion]] started his great travels and urged him not to go, seeing the mischief to come. They did not succeed and one after another they took ships towards Middle-earth, saying, that "the Great Isle no longer feels sure under our feet, and we wish to return tho the lands whence we came". The last of them left when Sauron was brought to Númenor.

==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,

==Etymology==

''Númenor'' is a shortened form of the name ''Númenórë''. The name is a compound of [[númen|''nūme-n'']] "going down" (from the [[Sundocarme|root]] √ndū, nū), sunset, West, and [[nóre|''nōre'']] "land, country".<ref>{{L|227}}</ref><ref>{{webcite|author=[[Carl F. Hostetter]]|articleurl=http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/lambengolmor/conversations/messages/1144 |articlename=Holograph MS of Letter 227, correcting published etymology of "Númenor" (#1144)|dated=15 December 2013|website=Lambe|accessed=15 December 2013}}</ref>

==Inspiration==
Númenor is the retelling of the [[Atlantis]] mythos in Tolkien's legendarium. Notably, he referred to a recurring "Atlantis dream" he had. The connection is more evident in the name ''[[Atalantë]]'', another epithet of the Island which in [[Quenya]] means "the downfallen" (note that in Greek, ''Atlantis'' is related to [[Wikipedia:Atlas|Atlas]]; therefore ''Atalantë'' has no direct connection).

[[wikipedia:Plato|Plato]], the ancient Greek philosopher, recounted the myth of Atlantis. According to him, Atlantis was in the middle of the ocean in the West (cf. [[Belegaer|Great Sea]]), its people were more advanced than those of the known world (cf. [[Kings of Men]]) but were corrupted by arrogance; the continent was destroyed by the gods and survivors created colonies, as in Egypt (cf. [[Realms in Exile]]). Also according to Plato the center of Atlantis was occupied by a high mountain-palace (cf. [[Meneltarma]]) around which a city of three circles was build, quite different from the star-shaped island of Númenor. Another element with both common and different points between the two stories, is that Númenor sunk when the fleet was attacking the West, while Atlantis sunk during a sea-battle with the Athenians, in the east.

Some parts of Númenor's history seem to have been inspired not only from Plato but also from researchers and occultists whose theories were widespread during Tolkien's time.

Ignatius Loyola Donnelly and Edgar Cayce were the most famous authors regarding Atlantis and mentioned events and concepts that Plato never did. One of those "original" elements told by modern authors and mystics was a civil war between two factions of Atlanteans (good and evil)<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_race#The_civilization_of_Atlantis</ref> which reminds of the persecution of the [[Elf-friends]] by the [[King's Men]].

According to those theories, remnants of Atlantean civilization survived by colonists or survivors in Egypt (and in Pre-Columbian America), which mirrors the [[Realms in Exile]] founded by the Faithful; furthermore Tolkien once equated the Gondorians with the Egyptian civilization.<ref>{{L|211}}</ref>

==Uses outside the legendarium==

[[C.S. Lewis]]' novel ''That Hideous Strength'' makes reference to "Numinor [sic] and the True West", which Lewis credits as a then-unpublished creation of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. This is one of many examples of cross-overs between the novels of Lewis and Tolkien, both of whom were members of the [[Inklings]], a literary discussion group at [[Oxford University]].

==See also==
* [[King of Númenor]]
* [[Númenóreans]]

==External links==
*[http://sdgeard.customer.netspace.net.au/hccnum.html A History and Complete Chronology of Númenor] - A detailed chronology of Númenor, its successor states and their rulers.
*[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Article] concerning the position of Numenor.

{{references}}
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]]
* ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Akallabêth]]
* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[A Description of the Island of Númenor]]
* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor]]
* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife]]
* ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Tale of Years of the Second Age]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Numenor}}
[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor| ]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]

[[de:Númenor]]
[[fi:Númenor]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/eaux/iles/numenor]]

User:Drakon

2015-04-05T17:37:13Z

Drakon:

File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png

2015-04-05T17:35:36Z

Drakon: /* Summary */

== Summary ==
Reconstructed latitude of Numenor, based on the vines growing on the isle in Hyarnustar and the adequate climatological conditions for viticulture. The isle is correctly scaled and slightly re-oriented according to the compass rose on CJRT's map in Unfinished Tales. Longitude is not intended to be represented accurately. Sphericity of the world and the type of map projection are not taken into account.

== Licensing ==
{{Map}}
{{GFDL-self|Drakon}}
[[Category:Images by Didier Willis]]
[[Category:Maps of Númenor]]

File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png

2015-04-05T17:33:25Z

Drakon:

Númenor

2015-04-05T17:29:58Z

Drakon: /* Location */ Add a map (which could be improved...)

{{sources}}
{{kingdom
| image = [[Image:Numenor Map.jpg|250px]]
| name = Númenor
| meaning = Land of the West, Westernesse
| type = Monarchy
| hidep = yes
| headofstate = [[King of Númenor|King]] or [[Ruling Queen of Númenor|Ruling Queen]] of Númenor
| executive = [[Council of the Sceptre]]
| legislative = unknown
| judicial = unknown
| capital = [[Armenelos]]
| language = [[Quenya]] and [[Adûnaic]], later only [[Adûnaic]]
| location = On the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]], halfway between [[Middle-earth]] and [[Aman]]
| populace= [[Men]] (the races of the [[Dúnedain]] and [[Drúedain]])
| currency =
| religious = Belief in [[Ilúvatar|Eru Ilúvatar]]; [[Morgoth|Melkor]] worship soon after {{SA|3262}}
| holiday = ''[[Erukyermë]]'', ''[[Erulaitalë]]'', ''[[Eruhantalë]]''
| anthem =
| formed = The Westward migration of the [[Edain]] after the [[War of Wrath]]
| established = {{SA|32}}
| reorganized =
| fragmented =
| dissolved = {{SA|3319}}
| restored =
}}
'''Númenor''' ([[Quenya|Q]]: "westland", pron. {{IPA|[ˈnuːmenor]}}) or '''[[Númenórë]]''' (pron. {{IPA|[ˌnuːmeˈnoːre]}}), known in the [[Westron|Common Speech]] as '''[[Westernesse]]''', was one of the names of the isle of [[Elenna]], which was raised from the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]] by the [[Valar]] in the beginning of the [[Second Age]]. While strictly speaking the term ''Númenor'' referred to the realm established on the island, it was more often used as a synonym of the land itself. Númenor was one of the most powerful realms of the Second Age, and its people, called [[Númenóreans]], as well as their descendants, had considerable influence on the events of the [[Third Age]].

==Geography==
{{main|Elenna}}
The island of Númenor had a shape of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features: [[Forostar]], [[Andustar]], [[Hyarnustar]], [[Hyarrostar]] and [[Orrostar]].

The central region was named [[Mittalmar]] and in its center stood the holy mountain [[Meneltarma]]

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] and [[Nunduinë]].

Cities built by the Númenóreans were [[Armenelos]], [[Andúnië]], [[Nindamos]], [[Eldalondë]] and [[Almaida]].

==History==
===Origin===
Númenor was the kingdom of the [[Dúnedain]], located on an island in the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]], between Middle-earth and [[Aman]]. The land was brought up from the sea as a gift to [[Men]]. It was also called ''Elenna'' ("Starwards") because the Dúnedain were led to it by the [[Star of Eärendil]], and because the island was in the shape of a five-pointed star.

[[Elros]] son of [[Eärendil]] was the first [[King of Númenor]], taking the name of [[Elros|Tar-Minyatur]] ("First King"). Under his rule, which took place between {{SA|32}} and {{SA|442}} and those of his descendants, Men rose to become a powerful race.

The [[Númenóreans]] were forbidden by the Valar from sailing so far westward that Númenor was no longer visible, for fear that they would come upon the [[Undying Lands]], to which Men were barred. Over time the Númenóreans came to resent the [[Ban of the Valar]] and to rebel against their authority, seeking the everlasting life that they believed was begrudged them. They tried to compensate this by going eastward and colonizing large parts of Middle-earth, first in a friendly way, beginning with [[Tar-Aldarion]]. The first ships sailed from Númenor to Middle-earth in the year {{SA|600|n}}.

The Númenóreans established several settlements in Middle-earth, such as [[Lond Daer]]. They contacted the [[Middle Men|indigenous people]], teaching them several crafts, instructed them and helped them free from the [[Shadow]]. About SA 1200 they established permanent settlements like [[Pelargir]] and [[Umbar]].

In {{SA|1700|n}} [[Tar-Minastir]] sent a fleet to help [[Gil-galad]] and together they drove [[Sauron]] back, who had dominated almost all [[Eriador]] after the [[War of the Elves and Sauron]].

===The darkness comes===
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Eagles of Manwë.jpg|left|thumb|250px|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''The Eagles of Manwë'']]
Soon the Númenóreans came to become proud and discontented, irritated by the [[Ban of the Valar]]. Starting to lose the meaning of the [[Gift of Men]] and envious of immortality, they longed for [[Eldamar]] which they saw only from a distance.

About {{SA|1800|n}} they started to dominated the shores of Middle-earth and demand tribute from the lesser peoples which they had liberated and taught, and became a massive brutal maritime empire that had no rival. Fearing death, they tried to gain some immortality in riches and ornate tombs. [[Tar-Atanamir]] started to speak openly against the Valar.

In {{SA|2280|n}} Umbar was strengthened with increased numbers of colonists and from there they began to dominate [[Harad]]. Even [[Sauron]] was afraid of them and retreated from these lands.

A few of them, the [[Faithful]], remained loyal to the Valar and friendly to the Elves. The Valar displayed warnings to the Men of Westernesse in the form of huge eagles, but they paid no heed to these manifestations. The Faithful were persecuted by the majority of the population, which they called [[King's Men]], who decided to abandon the Elven customs and languages. [[Ar-Adûnakhôr]] took his regal name in [[Adûnaic]] and not in [[Quenya]].

The Faithful remained in [[Andúnië]] and the Faithful [[Lords of Andúnië]], because of their noble heritage still had some gravity in the meetings of nobles. However [[Ar-Gimilzôr]] in about 2950 forced them to remove to [[Rómenna]] and the haven was closed to the Elven visitors. [[Tar-Palantir]] briefly attempted to cast the Shadow back and reunite the people with the Elves and the Valar, but did not make it to be. He was succeeded by his nephew, a sea captain who warred against the coastal people.

That nephew was the twenty-fifth king, [[Ar-Pharazôn]], who in the year {{SA|3255|n}}, he sailed to Middle-earth. Seeing the might of Númenor, Sauron submitted to the king's authority, and he was brought back to Númenor as a hostage. By that time, however, the [[Drúedain]] of Númenor had sensed a coming darkness and all of them had abandoned the island for Middle-earth<ref>{{UT|Druedain}}</ref> Sauron soon became an adviser to the King as Tar-[[Sauron|Mairon]], and promised the Númenóreans eternal life if they worshiped [[Morgoth|Melkor]]. With Sauron as his advisor, Ar-Pharazôn had a 500-foot temple to Melkor erected, in which he offered human sacrifices to him.

During this time, the white tree [[Nimloth of Númenor|Nimloth the Fair]], whose fate was said to be tied to the line of kings, was chopped down and burned as a sacrifice to Melkor. Risking his life, [[Isildur]] rescued a fruit of the tree, preserving the ancient line of trees.

[[Image:Ted_Nasmith_-_The_Ships_of_the_Faithful.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''The Ships of the Faithful'']]
Prompted by Sauron and fearing death and old age, Ar-Pharazôn built a great armada and set sail into the west to make war upon the Valar and seize the Undying Lands. Sauron remained behind. In the year {{SA|3319|n}}, Ar-Pharazôn landed on Aman and marched to the city of [[Valimar]].

===Destruction===
{{main|Downfall of Númenor}}
[[Manwë]], chief of the Valar, called upon Ilúvatar, who broke and changed the world, taking Aman and Tol Eressëa from the world forever, changing the world's shape from flat to round. Númenor was covered by great waves and sank into the abyss, killing its inhabitants, including the body of Sauron, who was thereby robbed of his ability to assume fair and charming forms.

[[Elendil]], son of the leader of the Faithful during the reign of Ar-Pharazôn, his sons and his followers had foreseen the disaster that was to befall Númenor, and they had set sail in nine ships before the island fell. They landed in Middle-earth, and gathered the Númenorian and indigenous peoples living there, uniting them under them, as the kingdoms of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]].

After its fall Númenor was called ''Atalantë'', meaning "the Downfallen", in the [[Quenya]] language. Other names after the Downfall include ''Mar-nu-Falmar'' ("Land under the Waves") and ''[[Akallabêth]]'' ("the Downfallen" in Adûnaic).

The story of the rise and downfall of Númenor is told in ''[[Akallabêth|The Akallabêth]]''.

==Culture==
The population of Númenor chiefly consisted of [[Edain]], mostly descendants from the [[House of Hador]]; although before the Shadow fell on the island the westernmost cities such as [[Andúnië]] contained a small population of [[Elves]] because of the frequent visits from Tol Eressëa. They were known as the Númenóreans, or rather, ''Kings among Men''.

The Númenóreans were extremely skilled in arts and craft, with the forging of weapons and armour; but the Númenóreans were not warmongers, hence the chief art on the island became that of ship-building and sea-craft. The Númenóreans became great mariners, exploring the world in all directions save for the westward, where the [[Ban of the Valar]] was in force. They often traveled to the shores of Middle-earth, teaching the men there the art and craft, and introduced farming as to improve their everyday lives.

The Númenóreans, too, became skilled in the art of husbandry, breeding great horses that roamed across the open plains in Mittalmar. Although they were a peaceful people, their weapons, armour, and horse-riding skills could not be contested anywhere else in [[Arda]], save for the [[Valar]].

There also was a small number of [[Drúedain]] living in Númenor, who, considered as Edain, accompanied their friends of the [[House of Haleth]] to Númenor. They were only few in number and dreaded the sea. They became uneasy when [[Tar-Aldarion]] started his great travels and urged him not to go, seeing the mischief to come. They did not succeed and one after another they took ships towards Middle-earth, saying, that "the Great Isle no longer feels sure under our feet, and we wish to return tho the lands whence we came". The last of them left when Sauron was brought to Númenor.

==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree of Númenor|White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]. A [[White Tree of Gondor|seedling]] from it was later planted in in the [[Court of the Fountain (Minas Tirith)|Court of the Fountain]] in [[Minas Tirith]], [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. Andustar contained great forests of [[Beeches|beech]] and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes. The eastern part of Hyarnustar, being warm and fertile, had great vineyards.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the trees given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion, Andustar. They are often remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Oiolairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamírë]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, that region was soon called [[Nisimaldar]], or the [[Fragrant Trees]]. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In Hyarrostar grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenóreans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor,

==Etymology==

''Númenor'' is a shortened form of the name ''Númenórë''. The name is a compound of [[númen|''nūme-n'']] "going down" (from the [[Sundocarme|root]] √ndū, nū), sunset, West, and [[nóre|''nōre'']] "land, country".<ref>{{L|227}}</ref><ref>{{webcite|author=[[Carl F. Hostetter]]|articleurl=http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/lambengolmor/conversations/messages/1144 |articlename=Holograph MS of Letter 227, correcting published etymology of "Númenor" (#1144)|dated=15 December 2013|website=Lambe|accessed=15 December 2013}}</ref>

==Location==

[[File:Didier Willis - Numenor recontructed latitude.png|thumb|left|Reconstructed latitude of Númenor]]
The location of Númenor is not provided explicitly in the published texts.

In her atlas, [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] seems to place Númenor quite far south to Umbar, making it somehow facing the southern continent<ref>[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref> - but since the spherical world is projected on a flat map (with distances and angles obviously distorted on a such a full scale map), her exact idea of the location of Númenor remains uncertain.

[[Vëantur]], discussing with [[Aldarion]], expressed his wish to return to Middle-earth where he had met Círdan; in passing, he said he would have to "ride to Great Sean and face the North wind and the East", possibly implying the island to be located to the south-west of the lands inhabited by the Elves of Lindon.<ref>{{UT|Numenor}} p. 174.</ref> The later destruction of the island caused great changes to the coasts of Middle-earth, in Lindon but also more notably to the Bay of Belfalas, which got so filled with earth that the haven-city of [[Pelargir]], formerly close to the sea, was left far inland.<ref>{{HM|PM}} p. 183.</ref>

[[Didier Willis]] speculated a latitude comparable to that of the Bay of Belfalas, basing his deductions on the vines growing on the isle in Hyarnustar and the adequate climatological conditions for viticulture.<ref>Willis, Didier (editor), ''[[Tolkien, le façonnement d'un monde]]'' (2014), vol. 2, pp. 197-230.</ref>

==Inspiration==
Númenor is the retelling of the [[Atlantis]] mythos in Tolkien's legendarium. Notably, he referred to a recurring "Atlantis dream" he had. The connection is more evident in the name ''[[Atalantë]]'', another epithet of the Island which in [[Quenya]] means "the downfallen" (note that in Greek, ''Atlantis'' is related to [[Wikipedia:Atlas|Atlas]]; therefore ''Atalantë'' has no direct connection).

[[wikipedia:Plato|Plato]], the ancient Greek philosopher, recounted the myth of Atlantis. According to him, Atlantis was in the middle of the ocean in the West (cf. [[Belegaer|Great Sea]]), its people were more advanced than those of the known world (cf. [[Kings of Men]]) but were corrupted by arrogance; the continent was destroyed by the gods and survivors created colonies, as in Egypt (cf. [[Realms in Exile]]). Also according to Plato the center of Atlantis was occupied by a high mountain-palace (cf. [[Meneltarma]]) around which a city of three circles was build, quite different from the star-shaped island of Númenor. Another element with both common and different points between the two stories, is that Númenor sunk when the fleet was attacking the West, while Atlantis sunk during a sea-battle with the Athenians, in the east.

Some parts of Númenor's history seem to have been inspired not only from Plato but also from researchers and occultists whose theories were widespread during Tolkien's time.

Ignatius Loyola Donnelly and Edgar Cayce were the most famous authors regarding Atlantis and mentioned events and concepts that Plato never did. One of those "original" elements told by modern authors and mystics was a civil war between two factions of Atlanteans (good and evil)<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_race#The_civilization_of_Atlantis</ref> which reminds of the persecution of the [[Elf-friends]] by the [[King's Men]].

According to those theories, remnants of Atlantean civilization survived by colonists or survivors in Egypt (and in Pre-Columbian America), which mirrors the [[Realms in Exile]] founded by the Faithful; furthermore Tolkien once equated the Gondorians with the Egyptian civilization.<ref>{{L|211}}</ref>

==Uses outside the legendarium==

[[C.S. Lewis]]' novel ''That Hideous Strength'' makes reference to "Numinor [sic] and the True West", which Lewis credits as a then-unpublished creation of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. This is one of many examples of cross-overs between the novels of Lewis and Tolkien, both of whom were members of the [[Inklings]], a literary discussion group at [[Oxford University]].

==See also==
* [[King of Númenor]]
* [[Númenóreans]]

==External links==
*[http://sdgeard.customer.netspace.net.au/hccnum.html A History and Complete Chronology of Númenor] - A detailed chronology of Númenor, its successor states and their rulers.
*[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=38 Article] concerning the position of Numenor.

{{references}}
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]]
* ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Akallabêth]]
* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[A Description of the Island of Númenor]]
* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor]]
* ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife]]
* ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Tale of Years of the Second Age]]

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[[Category:Islands]]
[[Category:Númenor| ]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]

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