SHARE- Cities and buildings
- Fields, plains and deserts
- Forests
- Hills and mountains
- Islands and promontories
- Lands, realms and regions
- Rivers and lakes
- Seas and oceans
|
||
ContentsAlphabetical indexBrowse topicsReferenceTolkien news and resourcesSponsors and associates |
Welcome to The Encyclopedia of ArdaThe Encyclopedia of Arda is a personal project - a tribute to and a celebration of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The site is evolving into an illustrated hypertext encyclopedia of Tolkien's realms and peoples. It already contains about four thousand entries, and we're constantly adding new entries and expanding existing ones. Inside the encyclopediaThe Encyclopedia of Arda contains thousands of articles covering topics from J.R.R. Tolkien's world, some brief, some lengthy and some containing detailed essays and discussions. You'll also find a selection of interactive tools, including a chronicle to help you explore Tolkien's fictional history, and calendar to translate dates and events, a lexicon of names, a glossary of old and rare words, and much more. Context and approachThe content of the Encyclopedia is written in the same context as Tolkien himself used; he presented himself simply as a translator, rather than originator of the tales. Hence, we try to describe his world from a 'historical' rather than a literary perspective, though sometimes it's useful to explore ideas in their wider context. Where relevant, therefore, you'll also find a few references to Tolkien's life or opinions, or to real historical or mythological parallels to events in his universe. About the name ArdaArda was the name given by the Elves to their world and all it contained, and so 'Encyclopedia of Arda' seemed a peculiarly apt title for this project. Special thanksThanks to all those who've e-mailed us over the years with their suggestions, corrections, ideas and just general support. But the real Special Thanks, though, belong to the memory of J.R.R. Tolkien for his extraordinary and unparalleled creation. For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1997-2026. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Discus is a powerful, flexible DISC profile solution - find out much more in our free guide. |
Latest entries and updates
Featured EntryGreat HavenThe port city of Lond DaerThe Great Haven at the mouth of the river Gwathló dated back to the earliest Númenórean explorations of Middle-earth. It was founded by Aldarion, heir to King Tar-Meneldur, who sought to establish a haven on the shores of Middle-earth where he could repair his vessels and build new ones. The heavily forested lands around Gwathló's mouth made it an ideal place for his haven. Thus the port - originally called Vinyalondë, the 'New Haven' - came into being sometime during the period between II 806 and II 813. The haven had a turbulent history in its early times, suffering destruction by the force of the Sea, as well as invasion by the peoples of surrounding lands. Nonetheless it survived, and played an important part in the War of the Elves and Sauron, when the Númenórean admiral Ciryatur landed a force at the Great Haven that would go on to surprise and defeat Sauron at the Battle of the Gwathló. |
