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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 1997-2025. 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. |
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Featured EntryHigh HayThe great fence that ran between Buckland and the Old ForestThe Shire-hobbits crossed the river Brandywine and settled its eastern banks in the year III 2340 (or 740 by the Shire-reckoning; that is, about seven centuries before the War of the Ring). There they founded Buckland, a narrow stretch of land running between the Brandywine to the west and the trees of the Old Forest to the east. These early Bucklanders soon discovered that the trees of the forest to the east were far from ordinary. They could move at times, and whisper to one another, and they held a deep hatred for the Hobbits who had settled on the edge of their domain. To protect themselves from the forest, the Bucklanders planted a great Hedge that ran from the northern end of their land to its southern tip, a distance of some twenty miles. This was the High Hay (a hay being an old word for a boundary fence or hedge), though it was more commonly referred to simply as 'the Hedge'. The High Hay began in the north near the Brandywine Bridge, and there the Bucklanders made a guarded gate on the road, the North-gate of Buckland. From this gate, the Hedge ran eastward and southward, passing around the villages of Newbury and Crickhollow, before turning to run directly toward the south. It eventually reached the banks of the Brandywine again at a place that came to be known as Haysend. |
