Arda:
The High Elven name for the whole world as it was conceived by Ilúuvatar, and shaped by the Valar. It included both the mortal lands of Middle-Earth and immortal realm of the Undying Lands.
Ilúuvatar:
In ‘The Silmarillion,’ the name of god, creator of the world, also called Eru, ‘the One.’ Ilúuvatar means ‘Father of All.’ In the ‘Ainulindle’ it is recorded how, when he created the angelic beings, he revealed to them the themes of creation in music. As his agents they helped to realise the vision in the making of the world.
In Tolkien’s mythology, Elves and mankind are called ‘the Children of Illúuvatar’ as they were the special and direct creations of God, not the handiwork of the demiurgic angels. Their destiny had an element of mystery to it. The Elves were to be forever tied up with the world, whereas the destiny of mortal man beyond death was to be greater.
The Valar:
In ‘The Silmarillion,’ the powers, or ‘those with power,’ who entered the world at the beginning of creation, and thus time. They are engelic beings, or Ainur, demiurgic agents of Ilúuvatar. They function as guardians and governors of the world (both the world of nature and of Elves and humankind.) The Valar take on human or Elvish appearance, lick a person dressing rather than incarnation. One of the Valar, Melkor, fell into evil, becoming known as Morgoth.
Some of the Valar were given titles in Middle-Earth:
Manwe – Lord of the Air.
Yavanna – the giver of fruits.
Tulkas – the Valiant.
Aule – the Master of Crafts.
Varda – Queen of the Stars (Elbereth)
Mandos (Núamo) – Keeper of the Houses of the Dead.
Vaire – the Weaver.
Orome – Lord of Trees.
Ulmo – Lord of Waters.
Vúana – the Ever-young.
The Ainur:
Angelic powers, 'the Holy Ones,' created before the making of the world by Ilúuvatar. Their order of being includes the Valar and the lesser powers, the Maiar. Some of their number, both of those good and turned to evil, entered the realm of the world and participate in its events. The Ainur are male and female and, though spiritual being, can take on real physical bodies.
Middle-earth:
The great continent of Middle-earth was first shaped in the most ancient days in the World of Arda. It lay to the east of the other great continent of Aman, which was most often called the Undying Lands, and which was separated from Middle-earth by Blegaer the Great Sea. At the end of the Second Age of the Sun, however, when Núumenor was destroyed, the Undying Lands were torn out of the Circles of the World. Middle-earth the mortal lands, remained, though much changed and continuing to change through the ages. It eventually evolved into Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Undying Lands:
The vast continent of Aman in the far west of Adar was most often called the Undying Lands. As this was the land of the immortal Valar, Maiar and Eldar, the name appears to be appropriate enough. It was primarily made up of two realms; Valinor, the home of the Valar and Maiar whith its capital of Valinor, and Eldamar, the home of the Vanyar, Noldor and Teleri Elves with their capital of Tirion and Alqualonde. After the change of the world the Undying Lands were taken to a place beyond mortal reckoning. Thereafter they could only be reached by sailing in the magical white ships of the Elves along the “Straight Road” that takes them out beyond the spheres of the world.
Beleriand:
Until its sinking at the beginning of the Second Age of the Sun, Beleriand was to be found west Blue Mountains in the extreme northwest of Middle-earth. All the Elder passed though Beleriand during the Great Journey, but the Teleri lingered there the longest while they awaited Ulmo the Ocean Lord to take theme to the Undying Lands. Indeed, not all departed. The Sindar or Grey Elves of Doriath and the Falas remained behind and through all the Ages of Starlight built wonderful kingdoms there. Also out of the east came another remnant people of the Teleri, the Laiquendi Elves, who settled in the riverlands of Ossiriand just east of the Blue Mountains. Later, still during the First Age of the Sun, the Noldor Elves who returned from the Undying Lands built the kingdoms of Nargothrond, Himlad, Thargelion, Dorthonian, Gondolin, Mithrim Dor-lúomin, Nevrast and East Beleriand. Besides the Elven people there were two Dwarf realms of Nogrod and Belegost, several wandering tribes of men, and finally the invading forces of the Orcs, Balrogs, Dragons and other monsters out of Morgoth’s evil kingdom of Angband. It was these terible invasions of Morgoth that eventually brought to ruin everyone of the Elven kingdoms during the War of the Jewels. This resulted in the War of Wrath, wherein the Valar themselves came to destroy Melkor, but in so doing all of Beleriand was broken apart and swallowed up by the sea.
Sauron:
Maia, Lord of the Rings. Once a Maia spirit of Aule the Smith, Sauron, meaning “the abhorred,” became the chief lieutenant of Melkor, the Dark Lord. In the Ages of Darkness, while Melkor ruled in Utumno, and in the Ages of Stars while Melkor was chained by the Valar, Sauron ruled the evil realm of Angband. During the Wars of Berleriand, Sauron served his master until Melkor was cast into the Void, at the end of the First Age of the Sun. Sauron reappeared on Middle-earth during the fifth century of the Second Ages as Annatar, “giver of gifts.” In 1500 he seduced the Elven-smiths of Eregion into forging the Rings of Power. Then he made himself Lord of The Rings by forging the One Ring. In the War of Sauron and Elves, from 1693 to 1700. Sauron laid waste to Eregion and was only stopped from annihilating the Elves by the arrival of the Núumenoreans. For the next 1500 years, Sauron built up the power of Mordor and brought the Men in the East and the South under his dominion. Finally, the Núumenoreans came to make war on him in 3262,but so great was their power that Sauron surrendered to them. Unable to beat them militarily, he managed to corrupt them. In this he was so successful that he brought about the total destruction of Núumenor. In the cataclysm, Sauron’s fair form was destroyed. Yet his spirit fled to Mordor, and with the One Ring made himself into the Dark Lord – a fearsome warrior with black armour on burnt black skin, and terrible raging eyes. However, even this form was destroyed at the end of the Second Age, after war with the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, when the One Ring was cut from his hand. Yet, because the One Ring had not been destroyed, Sauron’s spirit was able to rise again. In the year 1000 of the Third Age, he manifest himself in the form of one great, lidless Eye. It was like the eye of a huge cat, but filled with hate, wreathed with flame, and ringed in darkness. For nearly two thousand years, Sauron hid himself in Mirkwood and was known only as the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, while he sent Ringwraiths, Orcs and barbarian kings against the Dúunedain and their allies. In 2941 Sauron re-entered Mordor and began to rebuild the dark tower. Unfortunately for Sauron, this was the same year that the One Ring came into the possession of the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. Even less fortunately for Sauron, in the year 3018, just months before he launched the War of the Ring, Frodo Baggins undertook the Quest of the Ring, which resulted in the destruction of the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Once more, and finally, Sauron was swept into the shadows. Never again did his spirit arise.
Noldor:
Elves, the second group of the Elder on the westward journey from Cuiviúenen, led by Finwe. They had a thirst for knowledge and great skill in craftsmanship; symbolising high culture. Noldor means ‘knowledgeable.’ To the Noldor belonged to the family of Feanor, who became caught in the Doom of Mandos. Feandor’s creation of the Silmarils ranked with the work of the Valar. Galadriel also belonged to the Noldor.
Doom of Mandos:
Núumenor:
After the First Age of the Sun, there was a remnant of that race of Men called the Edain who allied themselves with the Elves in The Ware of The Jewels against Morgoth. As a reward for their bravery, the Valar raised a great island in the midst of the Western Sea, so these people, called the Dúunedain might have a land of their own. This was Núumenor – “Westernesse” in the language of the Men of the Middle-earth – founded in year 32 of the Second Age and the mightiest kingdom of Men in all of Arda. The Men of Núumenor were given a life span many times that of other mortals, along with greater powers of mind and body that had previously only been granted to Elves. The island of Núumenor, which was also called Andor, “land of gift” or Elenna, “land of star.” It was approximately 250 miles across at its narrowest and five hundred miles at its widest, and was divided up into six regions. At the centre was Mittalmar, the “islands”, which contained; Arandor, the “kingsland;” Armenelos, the royal city of Meneltarma; the sacred mountain, and the port of Rúomenna. Each of the five peninsulas that radiated from Mittalmar was a separate region; Forostar, the “northlands;” “Orrostar” the “eastlands;” Hyarrostar, the “southlands;” Hyarnustar, the “southwest lands” and “Andustar” the “westlands” with its major port of Andunie, meaning “sunset.” Núumenor was blessed with many beautiful forests of fragrant blossoming trees. It had many fair meadows and two major rivers; the Siril, which flowed south from the slopes of Meneltarma to the sea near the fishing town of Mindamos, and the Nunduine which flowed west to Eldalonde the green, the farthest port of Núumenor. Through the Second Ages, Núumenor was so great that the kings grew vain beyond reason. Corrupted by evil promptings of Sauron the Ring Lord, in 3319 King Ar-Pharazon dared to send a great navy against the Valar in the Undying Lands. The result was the utter destruction of Núumenor, as the sea literally swallowed up the island kingdom. This was the time that was known as the Change of The World, for not only was Núumenor obliterated, but the Undying Lands were taken out of the Spheres of the World into a dimension that is beyond the reach and the understanding of mortals. Although a part of its people escaped the cataclysm and went to Middle-earth and built kingdoms and empires there. Núumenor never rose again. For many ages legends spoke of it as a magical downfallen land beneath the sea under the names of Akallabeth, Marn-nu-Falmar and Atlante or Atlantis.
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All geographical maps of Arda were illustrated by Sally Davies and were scanned and edited by myself.
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