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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. |
Latest entries and updates
Featured EntryGreat FensThe central wetlands of western Middle-earthAt one time, the western lands that would later be known as Minhiriath and Enedwaith were covered by a dense forest. There was almost no break the canopy of this ancient woodland, except for a stretch along the borders between the two regions, where the trees gave way to a wide wetland. Here the rivers Mitheithel and Glanduin ran down from the Misty Mountains and joined to form the wide river that would later be named Gwathló. Together these rivers formed a stretch of marsh known as the Great Fens. In the later Second Age, the Númenóreans came to Middle-earth and began to fell the great forests. So widespread was their labour that they left Minhiriath and Enedwaith almost treeless, but the Great Fens in the central region remained. The river Gwathló proved ideal for transporting lumber to the coast, and so the Númenóreans established a settlement near the place where the rivers met. To accomplish this, they drained and managed the wetlands sufficiently to establish the town of Tharbad, with its famous Bridge crossing the upper Gwathló. |
