The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Location
A huge bay of the Great Sea in the far north of Middle-earth
Race
Cultures
Settlements
Mainly concentrated along the Cape of Forochel on the bay's northern coasts
Pronunciation
Forochel is pronounced 'fo'rochel' (ch as in Scots 'loch')
Meaning
Forochel means 'northern ice'
Other names

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 1 May 2023
  • This entry is complete

Bay of Forochel

The icy bay of the distant north

Map of the Bay of Forochel
The Bay of Forochel (somewhat conjectural)]1
The Bay of Forochel (somewhat conjectural)]1

A vast bay of the Great Sea in the cold northern climes of Middle-earth, often referred to as the Icebay of Forochel. A small southern part of this bay is shown on the maps that accompany The Lord of the Rings, but it seems that the Bay itself extended well beyond this, stretching far to the northeast.

Around the edges of the Bay, in earlier times, lived a people known as the Forodwaith. Their descendants were the snow-dwelling Lossoth, who aided Arvedui after he fled from the wreck of Arthedain. Ignoring their warnings, Arvedui attempted to escape across the Bay by ship, and was lost in its icy deeps.


Notes

1

The Bay of Forochel appears on the maps accompanying The Lord of the Rings, but only a small southern part of the Bay is shown there (in later editions, an arrow has been added to the label to indicate the greater extent of the full Bay). Sketch-maps showing the full, enormous Bay appear in volume VII of The History of Middle-earth, and the map shown here follows the outlines from that source as far as possible.

See also...

Elves of Lindon

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 1 May 2023
  • This entry is complete

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