Arda
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's legendarium
, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings
and related material once existed. It included several seas and oceans, and the continents of Middle-earth
, the Dark Lands, and Aman
, as well as the island of Númenor
and other lands, left largely unnamed by Tolkien.
for the Children of Ilúvatar
(that is, Elves
and Men
). Arda was considered earth itself.
Because the Sun, Moon, stars, and other objects orbited the planet in the cosmology
of Middle-earth they were considered part of Arda, leading to Arda sometimes being called the 'Solar System' of Middle-earth. The term for the Earth itself, excluding these celestial bodies, was Ambar or Imbar.
Originally the Earth (Arda) was flat, the continents were surrounded by a mighty ocean
(or perhaps by space
), Ekkaia or Vaiya, the Encircling Sea, and separated by Belegaer
, called the Great Sea and the Sundering Seas. In the First Age
, the area in the northwest of Middle-earth was occupied by the country of Beleriand
, but this was destroyed during the War of Wrath
.
There was also a separate continent south and east of Middle-earth called the Dark Land. Another separate continent to the east of Middle-earth was the relatively small Land of the Sun, so called because when the world was flat the Gates of the Sun were near there, and it would be scorched.
Information regarding both was vague. To the south were the Hither Lands including Harad
, though "Harad" means "South" and while properly used for the region immediately south of Gondor
and Mordor
was often loosely used to refer to every land to the south. There were many stretches of sun-scorched desert in Near Harad, but there was supposedly a jungle beyond it which few had ever ventured to, from which the great Oliphaunts were found. Men of Far Harad are also described as being black skinned. The vast lands of the East were collectively referred to as Rhûn
, though this may have only referred to those immediately east of the Sea of Rhûn and River Running. The Easterlings
, like the Haradrim, were a diverse collection of many races. There was even less knowledge of the extreme eastern end of Middle-earth, where the land was supposed to stop at another sea. It is known that in ancient times the great chain of the Red Mountains ran north to south near here, and was roughly analogous to the Blue Mountains of the west (the world was once symmetrical at the dawn of time). The race of Elves first originated near here, though their original home of Cuiviénen no longer existed by the Third Age
. It is not known if the Red Mountains survived into the Third Age, either intact or in some reduced form (like the Blue Mountains). It is said that the Blue Wizards
went far into the east of Rhûn and beyond to stir up rebellions against Sauron
in the lands he held sway over, though the tales of these struggles never reached the west in detail.
In the Second Age
, Númenor was raised in the Great Sea for the Edain
. This island existed through most of the Second Age, but was destroyed as a result of the pride
of the Númenórean people in defying the Ban of the Valar
and sailing to Aman in the west.
After the destruction of Númenor
, Arda was made round. Aman (The Undying Lands) was taken out of the world, and could only be reached by the Elves
, following the straight road that was granted to them. As Aman was taken away from Arda, new lands and continents were created east and west of Middle-earth.
word Arda from prehistoric Elvish *gardā, Quenya regularly losing initial G and shortening long final vowels. The term basically meant "any more or less bounded or defined place, a region". Its use as a proper name for the World was due to Valarin Aþāraphelūn". This word from Valarin was said to mean appointed dwelling, referring to the Earth as the abode of the Valar and/or Elves and Men. A common noun arda "realm" turns up in Tolkien's writings on Elvish from the 1930s, but there is not yet any hint that he conceived it as a Quenya name of the world. This seems to be a later usage in the real and the imaginary timeline alike.
In real-world terms, Tolkien's inspiration for the word Arda may be certain cognates of the English word "Earth" in the other Germanic languages, specifically the Afrikaans
"Aarde" which has equivalent pronunciation and meaning, and unsurprising in use given Tolkien's South African origins. Other Germanic cognates include the Dutch
Aarde, and German
Erde, though these are not direct sources, but rather tangential linguistically. Former statement can be disputed because the language Afrikaans has its origins in the Dutch language, which implies that the origin of the word may well be directly Germanic in nature. Also similar is the Arabic word أرض arḍ which means land or earth. It may be that Tolkien conceived the Elvish word Arda as the fictional prehistoric source of such words in later Mannish languages.
is called Arda Unmarred (Quenya
, Arda Alahasta). This world was effectively destroyed by the wars of the Valar and Melkor
, and only Valinor
still resembled it in part. Arda Unmarred was a flat symmetrical world with everlasting light.
, Arda Hastaina) is the name given to the world as it is: the world after the wars of the Valar and Melkor, and the dispersing of Melkor's fëa
in the entire world. It is this world from which are formed the hröa
of the Children of Ilúvatar
, and therefore it is at times a cruel and evil world with plagues, extreme colds, heat, and other concepts which do not exist in Arda Unmarred.
Arda Marred also broke the design of Elvish immortality: in Arda Marred Elves slowly fade, until at last they are naught but wraiths. Only in Valinor was this fading delayed, which is one reason all Elves had no choice but to go to Valinor in the end. One of the special abilities of the Rings of Power
was that they could delay time, and as such were used by Elrond
and Galadriel
to preserve their realms. After the loss of the One Ring
the Elves had no choice left and therefore in the Fourth Age
the last Eldar left for Valinor.
, Morgoth
will be slain, and the world broken; a new world will then be created, which will be Arda Healed (Quenya
, Arda Envinyanta). This world will resemble Arda Unmarred, but will be even better, since it will also incorporate all the good aspects of Arda Marred.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
and related material once existed. It included several seas and oceans, and the continents of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, the Dark Lands, and Aman
Aman
-External links:*...
, as well as the island of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
and other lands, left largely unnamed by Tolkien.
Overview
Arda was part of Eä, the universe of all which exists. Arda was created, together with the rest of Eä, through the Music of the AinurAinulindalë
The Ainulindalë is the first part of the fantasy work The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. In Tolkien's legendarium, the Ainur are Eä's divine beings. In Heaven, before Time, they compose a Great Music. This Music is revealed to be the template, or blueprint, commensurable with the entire history...
for the Children of Ilúvatar
Children of Ilúvatar
The Children of Ilúvatar is the name given to the two races of Elves and Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium because they were created by Ilúvatar, the One God, without the help of the Ainur....
(that is, Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
and Men
Man (Middle-earth)
The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
). Arda was considered earth itself.
Because the Sun, Moon, stars, and other objects orbited the planet in the cosmology
Middle-earth cosmology
This is an overview of the cosmology of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Each entry is followed by any alternative names, any roughly corresponding primary world name in parentheses, and a brief description...
of Middle-earth they were considered part of Arda, leading to Arda sometimes being called the 'Solar System' of Middle-earth. The term for the Earth itself, excluding these celestial bodies, was Ambar or Imbar.
Originally the Earth (Arda) was flat, the continents were surrounded by a mighty ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
(or perhaps by space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
), Ekkaia or Vaiya, the Encircling Sea, and separated by Belegaer
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
, called the Great Sea and the Sundering Seas. In the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
, the area in the northwest of Middle-earth was occupied by the country of Beleriand
Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
, but this was destroyed during the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
.
There was also a separate continent south and east of Middle-earth called the Dark Land. Another separate continent to the east of Middle-earth was the relatively small Land of the Sun, so called because when the world was flat the Gates of the Sun were near there, and it would be scorched.
Information regarding both was vague. To the south were the Hither Lands including Harad
Harad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy legendarium, Harad was the name for the immense lands south of Gondor and Mordor. Called Haradwaith from the people who lived there, it literally means "South-folk", from the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people"...
, though "Harad" means "South" and while properly used for the region immediately south of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
and Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
was often loosely used to refer to every land to the south. There were many stretches of sun-scorched desert in Near Harad, but there was supposedly a jungle beyond it which few had ever ventured to, from which the great Oliphaunts were found. Men of Far Harad are also described as being black skinned. The vast lands of the East were collectively referred to as Rhûn
Rhûn
In the fictional world of Middle-earth created by J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhûn was a large region of eastern Middle-earth. Rhûn was the name used for all lands lying east of Rhovanion, around and beyond the inland Sea of Rhûn, whence came many attacks on Gondor and its allies during the Third Age of...
, though this may have only referred to those immediately east of the Sea of Rhûn and River Running. The Easterlings
Easterlings
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....
, like the Haradrim, were a diverse collection of many races. There was even less knowledge of the extreme eastern end of Middle-earth, where the land was supposed to stop at another sea. It is known that in ancient times the great chain of the Red Mountains ran north to south near here, and was roughly analogous to the Blue Mountains of the west (the world was once symmetrical at the dawn of time). The race of Elves first originated near here, though their original home of Cuiviénen no longer existed by the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
. It is not known if the Red Mountains survived into the Third Age, either intact or in some reduced form (like the Blue Mountains). It is said that the Blue Wizards
Blue Wizards
Blue Wizards are fictional characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium.They are two of the five Wizards sent by angelic beings called the Valar to Middle-earth to aid in the struggle against Sauron...
went far into the east of Rhûn and beyond to stir up rebellions against Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
in the lands he held sway over, though the tales of these struggles never reached the west in detail.
In the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
, Númenor was raised in the Great Sea for the Edain
Edain
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Edain were men who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to the Elves....
. This island existed through most of the Second Age, but was destroyed as a result of the pride
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
of the Númenórean people in defying the Ban of the Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
and sailing to Aman in the west.
After the destruction of Númenor
Akallabêth
Akallabêth is the fourth part of the fantasy work The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is relatively short, consisting of about thirty pages.-Synopsis:...
, Arda was made round. Aman (The Undying Lands) was taken out of the world, and could only be reached by the Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
, following the straight road that was granted to them. As Aman was taken away from Arda, new lands and continents were created east and west of Middle-earth.
Etymology
Tolkien derived the QuenyaQuenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
word Arda from prehistoric Elvish *gardā, Quenya regularly losing initial G and shortening long final vowels. The term basically meant "any more or less bounded or defined place, a region". Its use as a proper name for the World was due to Valarin Aþāraphelūn". This word from Valarin was said to mean appointed dwelling, referring to the Earth as the abode of the Valar and/or Elves and Men. A common noun arda "realm" turns up in Tolkien's writings on Elvish from the 1930s, but there is not yet any hint that he conceived it as a Quenya name of the world. This seems to be a later usage in the real and the imaginary timeline alike.
In real-world terms, Tolkien's inspiration for the word Arda may be certain cognates of the English word "Earth" in the other Germanic languages, specifically the Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
"Aarde" which has equivalent pronunciation and meaning, and unsurprising in use given Tolkien's South African origins. Other Germanic cognates include the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
Aarde, and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Erde, though these are not direct sources, but rather tangential linguistically. Former statement can be disputed because the language Afrikaans has its origins in the Dutch language, which implies that the origin of the word may well be directly Germanic in nature. Also similar is the Arabic word أرض arḍ which means land or earth. It may be that Tolkien conceived the Elvish word Arda as the fictional prehistoric source of such words in later Mannish languages.
Arda Unmarred
The original world as built by the ValarVala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
is called Arda Unmarred (Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
, Arda Alahasta). This world was effectively destroyed by the wars of the Valar and Melkor
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
, and only Valinor
Valinor
Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...
still resembled it in part. Arda Unmarred was a flat symmetrical world with everlasting light.
Arda Marred
Arda Marred (QuenyaQuenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
, Arda Hastaina) is the name given to the world as it is: the world after the wars of the Valar and Melkor, and the dispersing of Melkor's fëa
Fëa and hröa
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, fëa and hröa are words for "soul" and "body". The plural form of fëa is fëar and the plural form of hröa is hröar...
in the entire world. It is this world from which are formed the hröa
Fëa and hröa
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, fëa and hröa are words for "soul" and "body". The plural form of fëa is fëar and the plural form of hröa is hröar...
of the Children of Ilúvatar
Children of Ilúvatar
The Children of Ilúvatar is the name given to the two races of Elves and Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium because they were created by Ilúvatar, the One God, without the help of the Ainur....
, and therefore it is at times a cruel and evil world with plagues, extreme colds, heat, and other concepts which do not exist in Arda Unmarred.
Arda Marred also broke the design of Elvish immortality: in Arda Marred Elves slowly fade, until at last they are naught but wraiths. Only in Valinor was this fading delayed, which is one reason all Elves had no choice but to go to Valinor in the end. One of the special abilities of the Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
was that they could delay time, and as such were used by Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
and Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
to preserve their realms. After the loss of the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
the Elves had no choice left and therefore in the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
the last Eldar left for Valinor.
Arda Healed
After the Dagor DagorathDagor Dagorath
The Dagor Dagorath is a fictional battle described in the legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. As Tolkien's works were conceived as a fictional "forgotten history" of the world, the Dagor Dagorath represents the coming End of the World, and is often referred to as simply "The End"...
, Morgoth
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
will be slain, and the world broken; a new world will then be created, which will be Arda Healed (Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
, Arda Envinyanta). This world will resemble Arda Unmarred, but will be even better, since it will also incorporate all the good aspects of Arda Marred.
See also
- Gift of MenGift of MenThe Gift of Men in Middle-earth refers to a gift of Ilúvatar to his Younger Children, which remains a source of some confusion for Tolkien enthusiasts. The concept includes both mortality and free will...
- Middle-earth cosmologyMiddle-earth cosmologyThis is an overview of the cosmology of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Each entry is followed by any alternative names, any roughly corresponding primary world name in parentheses, and a brief description...
- Minor places in ArdaMinor places in ArdaThe stories of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium contain references to numerous places. Some of these are described below.-C:The stories of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium contain references to numerous places. Some of these are described below.-A:Almaren: An island in the...
- Realms of ArdaRealms of ArdaThis is a list of the known realms of Arda in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Major locations within realms, if any, are listed under each. Dates given in brackets refer to the fictional timeline of Arda.-Realms of the Dwarves:...
- Timeline of ArdaTimeline of ArdaThis article includes several chronologies relating to J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.-Events outside of time:*Eru Ilúvatar makes the Timeless Halls and the race of the Ainur....