Place from Tolkien's Legendarium A map of Arda before the first age courtesy of Encyclopedia of Arda
Name	Arda (The World That Is)
Description	The World
Constructed by	Ilúvatar
Realm(s)	Eä
Lord	Manwë
Type	The World
Lifespan	All time

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of fictional 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. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... A legendarium is a book or series of books consisting of a collection of legends. ... A map of Arda, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... Eru (the One), also called Ilúvatar (the Father of All), is the name in the legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien for the supreme God. ... A fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe, Middle-earth, Manwë Súlimo (from the Valarin Mânawenûz) is an Ainu, the King of the Valar, husband of Varda Elentári, brother of the Dark Lord Melkor (Morgoth), and King of Arda. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... Cover design for the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien This article is about the book by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Dark Land is a mysterious continent south of Middle-earth. ... A map of Aman, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... Númenor is a fictional location from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth and is intended to be his version of Atlantis. ...

Overview

Main article: Middle-earth

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 Ainur for the Children of Ilúvatar (that is, Elves and Men). A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eä is the Quenya language name for the universe, as a realization of the vision of the Ainur. ... The Ainulindalë is the title of the first part of The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Eru (the One), also called Ilúvatar (the Father of All), is the name in the legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien for the supreme God. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender. ...

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. The worlds oceans as seen from the South Pacific Oceans (from Okeanos, Greek for river, the ancient Greeks noticed that a strong current flowed off Gibraltar, and assumed it was a great river) cover almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth, and nearly half of the... Space has been an interest for philosophers and scientists for much of human history, and hence it is difficult to provide an uncontroversial and clear definition outside of specific defined contexts. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Vaiya, also called Ekkaia or the Encircling Sea, is the dark sea that surrounds the world of Arda before the cataclysm at the end of the Second Age. ... 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. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age began with the awakening of the Elves, and ended with the final overthrow of Morgoth by the combined armies of Valinor and Beleriand. ... A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beleriand was the region of northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. ... Combatants Host of the Valar, Edain Servants of Morgoth Commanders Eönwë, Eärendil Morgoth, Ancalagon the Black† Casualties Unknown Most balrogs, uncounted legions of Orcs In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of Wrath, or the Great Battle was the final war against Morgoth at the...

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. The Second Age is a fictional time period from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... In the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Edain were those Men (humans) who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to the Elves. ... Pride refers to a strong sense of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in the accomplishments of oneself or a person, group, or object that one identifies with. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe, Middle-earth, the Valar are the Powers of Arda who live on the Western continent of Aman. ... A map of Aman, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ...

After the destruction of Númenor, Arda was made round. Aman (The Undying Lands) was taken out of the world into an alien dimension, 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. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

South of Middle-earth was the Dark Land and east of it was the Land of the Sun. In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Dark Land is a mysterious continent south of Middle-earth. ... In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Land of the Sun is an empty land east of Middle-earth where the sun rises at dawn. ...

Tolkien stated many times that Arda was our world in a fictional ancient time, so we can interpret the known regions of Middle-earth as Europe, perhaps specifically the Mediterranean (Mediterraneus is Latin for "Middle-earth"). Tolkien stated that The Shire's geographic location roughly corresponded to the Midlands of England, while Minas Tirith in Gondor corresponded roughly to Vienna, putting Mount Doom and Mordor in the general region of Asia Minor. However, the entire continent of Middle-earth extends beyond the regions known to Gondor, far into the uncharted East and South, and Middle-earth probably encompassed all of what later became Eurasia. Information regarding both was very 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. Near Harad and Far Harad probably corresponded to North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. There were many stretches of sun-scorched desert in Near Harad, but like Africa there was supposedly a jungle beyond it which few had ever ventured to, from which the great Oliphaunts were found. Tolkien also said that the Haradrim loosely corresponded to the Berbers (though "Haradrim" refers to a group of many races, not just the one). Men of Far Harad are also described as being black skinned. The vast lands 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, ranging from Saracen-like peoples to numerous barbarian hordes from open grasslands that would later become the Russian steppe. 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). The lands of the east between the coast and the Red Mountains probably corresponded to east Asia and the Orient, specifically China and Japan. 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. It is also said that the Blue Wizards may have failed in their mission; this is interpreted several ways, either that like Saruman they set themselves up as lords of men, or that like Radagast they started to care more for the local people they were charged with protecting than Middle-earth as a whole and then refused to return. Tolkien stated that many of the "magic cults" and orders that exist today can trace their origins back to the Blue Wizards teaching local peoples of the east the magical arts. World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional realm of Middle-earth, the Shire is the region that is occupied by Hobbits. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... One rendition of the flag of Gondor Gondor is a fictional country from J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. ... Vienna (German: Wien ; Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian: Beč, Czech: Vídeň, Hungarian: Bécs, Romanian: Viena, Romani: Bech or Vidnya, Russian: Вена, Slovak: Viedeň, Slovenian: Dunaj) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... Mount Doom and Barad-dûr in Mordor, as depicted in the Peter Jackson film In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor is the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... Eurasia African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of Europe and Asia. ... Harad is a town in Saudi Arabia. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... An oliphaunt from Peter Jacksons The Two Towers; note the humans riding on it for size comparison (note also that Tolkien himself did not necessarily envision them as being this large). ... The Berbers (also called Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group indigenous to the Maghreb, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. ... Location of Rhûn in Middle-earth marked in red In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Rhûn is a large region of eastern Middle-earth. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ... The term Saracen comes from Greek sarakenoi, which is itself derived from the Arabic word شرقيين sharqiyyin (easterners). The word was used in the early centuries of the Roman Empire to describe a nomadic Arab tribe from the Sinai Desert. ... The Ered Luin or Blue Mountains, also known as Ered Lindon, is the mountain range at the far west of Eriador, in J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional world of Middle-earth. ... In the fictional works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Cuiviénen is the land where the Quendi or Elves awoke. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Blue Wizards (or the Ithryn Luin) are two notoriously mysterious characters of Middle-earth. ... Radagast the Brown is one of the five Wizards in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings and is mentioned in The Hobbit. ...

There was also a separate continent south and east of Middle-earth called the Dark Land, which could correspond to Australia. 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. After the fall of Númenor, Arda was made round and new lands were created east of Middle-earth (and west too, now that the world is round and can be circumnavigated). The Lands of the Sun (dubbed Romenor by some using Sindarin) may have become the Americas, or also could have been removed to where Aman was or simply destroyed as they were desolate. In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Land of the Sun is an empty land east of Middle-earth where the sun rises at dawn. ... Númenor is a fictional location from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth and is intended to be his version of Atlantis. ... In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Land of the Sun is an empty land east of Middle-earth where the sun rises at dawn. ... Sindarin is an artificial language (or conlang) developed by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... A map of Aman, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ...

Arda Unmarred

The original world as built by the Valar is called Arda Unmarred. 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 symmetrical world with everlasting light. In J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe, Middle-earth, the Valar are the Powers of Arda who live on the Western continent of Aman. ... Morgoth Bauglir (Morgoth means The Dark Enemy, Bauglir is The Constrainer), originally named Melkor (He Who Arises in Might), is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... A fan-created map of Aman and Valinor. ...

Arda Marred

Arda Marred 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. ... In the mythology of J. R. R. Tolkiens fiction, fëa and hröa are words for soul (or spirit) and body. The plural form of fëa is fëar (pronounced []) and the plural form of hröa is hröar (pronounced []). The Children of Ilúvatar (Elves... ... In the mythology of J. R. R. Tolkiens fiction, fëa and hröa are words for soul (or spirit) and body. The plural form of fëa is fëar (pronounced []) and the plural form of hröa is hröar (pronounced []). The Children of Ilúvatar (Elves... In Tolkiens fiction, The Children of Ilúvatar refers to Elves and Men. ... The Rings of Power are fictional artifacts from J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium. ... Spoiler warning: Elrond the Half-elven (F.A. 525 - ?) is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Galadriel is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... The One Ring The One Ring, also known as The Ruling Ring or the Great Ring of Power, is an artifact from J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional Middle-earth universe. ... The Fourth Age is a fictional time period from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ...

Arda Healed

Arda Healed is Arda Marred restored: it will be like Arda Unmarred but better, since it will also incorporate all the good things of Arda Marred. Arda Healed will be created after the Dagor Dagorath, when Morgoth will be slain, and the world broken. A new world will be created then, which will be Arda Healed. The term Final Battle in this article refers to the expression used in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Morgoth Bauglir (also known as Melkor) is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth Cycle. ...

See also

• Timeline of Arda
• Realms of Arda.

This article includes several timelines relating to J. R. R. Tolkiens fiction. ... This is a list of the known realms of Arda, J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional world. ...

Name

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa, and it is interesting to note that the Afrikaans name for "Earth" is "Aarde". Aarde is pronounced Arda. See more on etymology Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia with smaller numbers of speakers in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia. ...

External links

• Arda and its history
• Encyclopedia of Arda
• Ardapedia