Hello all,

In the last issue of Other Minds, there was an essay published on the map making of Arda.

I wrote here a response about Arda map making, about some of the (few) problems I saw in it.

I propose here another map for Middle-earth, here it is.

Along with the essay, you have the map used with the essay, and a little text, entitled "the Legends of the North Sea", which is about the vision of Northerners about Utumno, Illuin and Helkar.

Eric Dubourg

If you don't mind,  I put your text from the .doc files directly as posts here so that people can more easily comment in the forums.

A Response on Mapping Arda

The last issue of Other Minds proposed a new mapping of Arda (1). The maps were made with several aims in mind :
Being very close to Tolkien’s final ideas concerning the shape of the world of Middle Earth,
Correcting the shortcomings of previous attempts of Arda map making,
Retaining as much of Pete Fenlon’s continent as possible.

It is true that some of the existent maps (1) are not fully satisfying in terms of respect of the Ambarkanta. This is the case for the ICE map, as we have nowhere something like a “Pseudo Africa” or Dark Harad peninsula or continent or the Dark Lands.

Reasons were given in the essay about the choice of the new map, and several set of maps were given for First, Second and Third Age. Though some good questions were raised in the essay, not all the responses appeared to be convincing and/or sufficient, particularly on these two very important points (and the last, of course, concluding to a new Middle-earth map) :

- Where exactly is Utumno ?
- The disappearance of the sea of Helcar throughout the Second Age,

These two elements in particular and others well developed in the essay (such as pre-Akallabêth globed or flat, the locations of Beleriand, Grey Mountains and Númenor, the general shape of Mordor  …) are very important in a discussion about the rightful map to use for Middle-earth.

1. Where to place Utumno ?

In the HOME series, several quotes can be found about Utumno.

"In the North of the world Melkor reared Ered-engrin the Iron Mountains; and they stood upon the regions of ever-lasting cold, in a great curve from East to West, but falling short of the sea upon either side. These Melkor built in the elder days as a fence to his citadel, Utumno, and this lay at the midmost of his northern realm.” (HoME 11: LQ2 with later emendations after 1958)

“But Melko fortified the North and built there the Northern Towers, which are also called the Iron Mountains, and they look southward.” (HoME 04: The Ambarkanta; 1936)

“§20 Now Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress deep under the Earth, far from the light of Illuin; and he raised great mountains above his halls. That stronghold was after called Utumno the Deep-hidden;” (HoME 10: The Gray Annals; Manuscript AAm*; 1950)

Indeed, in the Ambarkanta (map V) a great curve is clearly seen. Pete Fenlon had drawn remnants of this great curve of Ered Engrin onto his map in their right position. The Ered Engrin (or Iron Mountains) are clearly seen, from Forodwaith to Uax and Ôm.  If we look precisely on the ICE map what land is at the “midmost”, it is more or less the Barl Syrnac mountains. Considering that Utumno is more in the Barl Syrnac than in the middle of the Bay of Utum is not incompatible with the origin of the Bay, as proposed in the essay.

This meant that perhaps Utumno – or some part of it - was not entirely destroyed and perhaps is still accessible or can become again accessible, following an earthquake or mining activities lead by Dwarves or Orcs in the area. The evil of Utumno perhaps await to be revealed ?
Furthermore, a reference to the Illuin and Ormal lamps should have been made here. Though there are no or few impact with Second and Third Age maps, it has an important impact on the shape of Middle Earth on the First Age map, especially regarding Utumno and Illuin.

“One lamp they raised near to the north of Middle-earth, and it was named Illuin; and the other was raised in the south, and it was named Ormal; and the light of the Lamps of the Valar flowed out over the Earth” (Silmarillon)

“The lands of the far north were all made desolate in those days; for there Utumno was delved exceeding deep, and its pits were filled with fires and with great hosts of the servants of Melkor. But at the last the gates of Utumno were broken and the halls unroofed, and Melkor took refuge in the uttermost pit.” (Sil: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor)

“Now Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress, deep under Earth, beneath dark mountains where the beams of Illuin were cold and dim. That stronghold was named Utumno.” (Silmarillion)

If we consider the fortress of Utumno being probably near the Barl Syrnac mountains, then where should be the Illuin pillar ? When drawing the map, Pete Fenlon placed it in the Far East, near or around Urtlagga, which seems to be a strange choice, especially when we consult the Ambarkanta (map IV), and this image, where the Illuin and Ormal pillars replace the Inner Seas of Helkar and Ringil.


As a consequence, the remnant of the Illuin pillar should be north of the equator, and in the middle between the Blue and Red Mountains. The later Talathrant river is exactly in the middle, and where had been the sea of Helkar, consequence of the fall of the Illuin pillar. As a consequence, the Illuin pillar should be placed near or around the future region of Kykurian Kyn, and not elsewhere.
2. The disappearance of the Sea of Helkar ?

“But it is said among the Elves that it [Cuiviénen] lay far off in the east of Middle-earth, and northward, and it was a bay in the Inland Sea of Helkar; and that sea stood where aforetime the roots of the mountain of Illuin had been before Melkor overthrew it.” (Silmarillion)

The shrinking and near total disappearance of the Sea of Helkar throughout the Second Age is explained due to a general warming in climate, caused by the absence of Morgoth in the North. This explanation is correct and may appear as sufficient, though other causes, both natural and surnatural, can be found. Though, these other explanations may not be accepted by all, this may be propitious to interesting adventures.

On his atlas of Middle-earth, Karen Wynn Fonstad considered that Mordor was a tectonic result of the War of Wrath. Though in agreement with the statement of Mordor created as early as the First Age, this idea of tectonic activity (earthquakes) can be retained as another explanation of the disappearance of the Sea of Helkar.

Though Morgoth is cast into the void at the end of First Age, This is not the case for his numerous servants, who sometimes fight between each other. There can be so myriad of explanations for the Helkar Sea disappearance : subterranean earthquakes, internal fights between forces of Shadows and involving as well other peoples. Perhaps a desperate opposition between Spirits of the Sea and Dragons and Balrogs, Spirits of the Fire. Perhaps some want the Sea to be removed to facilitate the corruption of the land ? Perhaps is there a link with the Vulcano of Ulk Chey Sart ? Perhaps the shrinking of the sea is done to prevent any mortal to get access to the legendary cavern of life in Almaren ? How the Mirror of Fire came to existence and why most of Harad turned into a desert (2) ?

3. A new Middle-earth map ?

With these points in mind, it is possible to define what could be a Middle-earth map close to canon. A map close to canon has to follow two important criteria :

* The closeness with the Ambarkanta for First Age, as defined in the Ambarkanta map V,
* The closeness with the Eurasia-Africa continent of the primary world, as defined by Tolkien in his Letter to Rhona Beare (283-284).

“I built, I believe, an imaginary period, but as the location I kept my feet on my own earth. I prefer this to the modern mode which consists to look for distant planets in “space”. Though curious, these are foreign, and we can’t love it with the love of those we melt the blood. Middle-Earth is not my own invention. It is a modernization, or an alteration (New English Dictionary: a deformation) of an ancient term designing the world inhabited by Humans, oikoumene ; middle because it is vaguely figured as placed between the Encircling Seas and (in the imaginary of the North) between the ice in North and fire in South. Numerous critics seem to think that Middle-Earth is another planet !” (Letters 283-284)

So, the hypothesis of Arda being Earth in the past is confirmed (3). If we consider that Northwestern Endor is reminiscent of North Europa (though very distantly), then it can be supposed that the entire continent of Endor (the Dark Harad island or peninsula included) is reminiscent of Eurasia and Africa. We can conclude nothing about the other continents, and follow the theory of the Havens beyond the Ice-Age, as brilliantly written in the Essay “From England unto Englamar” (3).

There are some other clear references to Arda being our Earth in a long distant past :

The action of the story takes place in the North-west of ‘Middle-earth’, equivalent in latitude to the coastlands of Europe and the north shores of the Mediterranean… If Hobbiton and Rivendell are taken (as intended) to be about the latitude of Oxford, then Minas Tirith, 600 miles south, is about the latitude of Florence. The mouths of the Anduin and the ancient city of Pelargir are at the latitude of Ancient Troy (Letters : 375-376).

And also in the Lost Road, about the insertion of New Lands after the downfall of Númenor (First and Second version of the ‘Fall of Númenor) :

“§8 But Iluvatar gave power to the Gods, and they bent back the edges of Middle-earth, and they made into a globe. (…) Thus New Lands came into being beneath the Old World, and all were equally distant from the center of the round earth; and there was flood and great confusion of waters, and seas covered what was once the dry, and lands appeared where there had been deep seas.
“§12 But they came only to the lands of the New World, and found them to be as those of the Old; and they reported that the world was round.(…) And thee ships flying came also to the lands of the New World and to the East of the Old World; and they reported that the world was round.”

In the primary world, New World explicitly refers to the continents of America. But in Middle-earth, it is uncertain to identify these New Lands as an ancestor of America or some Old Lands not easily reachable before. What is sure is that, apart the main continent, there exists the Dark Lands (or Mórenorë), the remains of the Lands of the Sun.

This typescript quote, written after Fall of Númenor I and II, gives more precision about these new lands. Is this in favour of the hypothesis of New Lands being an ancestor of America ?

“Then Iluvatar cast back the Great Sea west of Middle-earth, and the Empty Land (The Burnt Land of the Sun – Christopher Tolkien emphasis) east of it, and new lands and new seas were made; and the world was diminished.” (Typescript Fall of Númenor revision of §8)

All of these elements means that, for an accurate Middle-Earth map, we have to be much closer from the Ambarkanta map for First Age, and closer to the continents of the primary world for Third Age.

According to these criteria, the map given in Other Minds plainly satisfies the first criteria, but very poorly for the second, as the continent length is too small (6.800 km long). On the contrary, the map presented in the Annex satisfies the second criteria, and in appearance only very poorly the first criteria.

To have a better look, it is better to present a globed version of it, and compare it with the general feature of the Ambarkanta. It matches, as the eastern side is wrapping around the globe making it appear smaller :






Though the insertion of the island of Hârn into Middle-Earth was not a real good idea (now fortunately reduced in size), the creation of two important inner seas was plainly justified, according to these quotes :

“They (the Númenóreans) ranged from Eressëa in the West to the shores of Middle-earth, and came even to the inner seas; and they sailed about the North and the South and glimpsed from their high prows the Gates of Morning in the East.” (People of Middle Earth 149)

"he [Morgoth] assailed the lights of Illuin and Ormal, and cast down their pillars and broke their lamps. In the overthrow of the mighty pillars lands were broken and seas arose in tumult" (Silmarillon) and "But the melting of the ice made two small inland seas, north and south of the middle of the Earth" (Ambarkanta)

The sea of Ringil (which was the southern lamp) became a great sea flowing north-eastward and joining by straits both the Western and Eastern Seas." (Shaping of Middle-earth, HoME IV)




Comments on modifications

In the old Other Hands map, there were no Dark Lands, as featured in the Ambarkanta map V. The Dark Harad peninsula was nearly closing the Bay of Ormal, which was in entire contradiction with the Ambarkanta,

Dark Harad appears now smaller, and no longer close the Bay of Ormal. It had been lined up with the Mûmakan lands. The Yellow Mountains Chain is identified as the spine that is seen on the Ambarkanta.

A new continent, the Dark Lands now appears. When compared with the Ambarkanta, a First Age map, the continent is now shattered. Some parts of it are probably now connected to the mainland (the Sakal an-Khâr peninsula), and an important archipelago appears southeast of Mûmakan.

The eastern edge of the main continent had raised up and got bigger with the cataclysmic changes on Endor, with the downfall of Númenor and appearance of “New Lands”. The East Sea is clearly seen in both the Third Age globed map and the Ambarkanta.

How would probably appear a First Age of this map ? Clearly like the Ambarkanta. The future Sakal an-Khâr lands would be placed on the northernmost part of the Dark Lands. Then Second Age would probably feature Sakal an-Khâr as an important island continent, and then in Third Age as connected to the mainland.

Conclusion : Proposition for a better map

Will there be only one map commonly used for Middle-earth ?
Does a new map like the Other Minds map clarify the situation, assuming that all other maps become useless ?

The response to these two question is probably NO. And if we consider the community around Other Minds only, the response is still NO, for various reasons not needed to explain thoroughly here. What is the assurance that two years later, a new map, considered as “correct” now, will still be considered as “correct” or instead “flawed” ?

The problem around the new map is that some work had been done on Ormal modules (Greater Harad, Harshandatt, Chyan Empire, Codya and Sakal an-Khâr). Changing the map now would mean for these resources an entire waste of time. All needs to be rewritten, both geography and history. There are so two possible alternatives.

Either consider the Other Minds map as “flawed” and consider the gazetteer Third Age map as accurate.

Either consider that both maps are “flawed” and try to reconciliate the two maps, so that at First Age, the Middle-earth map seems similar to the Ambarkanta, and at Third Age, near from the continents of our primary world.

Criterion                Distance East-West at c. 45°N latitude
Eurasia                c. 12.900 km
ICE continent & OM map        c. 6.800 km
Gazetteer continent             c. 11.200 km
New map proposal             c. 10.000 km

What if the Gazetteer continent was to be reduced in size ? Some attempts had been made in the past, keeping the general form of the main continent, just like this one. This would save any work done on the Ormal region, and only consider changes for First and Second Age only.



This is an example for a common map (Third Age) that features only the main continent. To reconcilate both maps, it would be needed to start from the gazetteer or OM map to obtain a similar result, to keep the good on both maps and save the work done on the Ormal modules. With still these objectives :

* The closeness with the Ambarkanta for First Age, as defined in the Ambarkanta map V,
* The closeness with the Eurasia-Africa continent of the primary world, as defined by Tolkien in his Letter to Rhona Beare (283-284).

If this would be done, then it could reconciliate the entire community on only one map, taking into account all the valuable ideas from both maps. This would clarify the situation, and not add confusion on subject of maps.

(1) There are several general maps available that depicts the entire Middle-Earth :
the ICE map designed by Pete Fenlon in 1982,
the extended Middle Earth map published by Thomas Morwinsky in Other Hands 29/30,
the map designed by Haerangil,
the map designed by Karen Wynn Fonstad in the Atlas of Middle Earth,
- the map for use with “Response Mapping Arda”, joined in the Annex.

(2) Look at the adventure “Eyes of the Blind Night” and the playing aid “The cult of Benish Armon” in OH6/7 for more ideas on that particular subject.
 
(3) For more insight about the relationships of our world and Middle Earth, see “From England to Englamar”, by Jeff J Erwin, OH20, January 1998. And also “New Middle-earth : Exploring beyond the Mountains” by Martin Baker, for a possible timeline between the Fourth Age and ours, in OH13, April 1993

Legends of the North Sea

There are numerous legends about the Northern Bay – some true, some other false, and some few to check. One of the most popular legend is the tale of the Blue Pillar. It was in a time far in the past, when the mighty and pure Ulshyans (1) did not arrive to the Bay to pacify the land from its numerous demons, nor the Khulryans (2) to exact tribute on our independent land.

Many told us that we are the inhabitants of the Bay of Ûtum. And that’s the reason why they refuse to trade with us, telling that WE are the people of cold and shadows. They call of the deep fortress of Utumno, and of the numerous undergrounds and vicinities that surface on our beautiful land. This had to be told : never this hated fortress was established in our land, nor in the distant island of Ûrheldor. It was near however, in the far mountains of Barl Syrnac, in a forgotten place. We did nothing for the Dark Hated of the Yrchians (2), who was able to corrupt so many men, including our brothers the Chey or his Servant who was able to corrupt the greedy Khulryans. But still WE are allies with the Dark !

How could that be true, while we fought so hard to annihilate the scourge of evil ? Our Sea is named Sea of Aeluinn, the Sea of White Mirrors, with from West to East the Bay of Solitude, the Bay of Havens, and the Bay of Storms, near which are living the hated Yrchians. Our Sea has another name, less often spoken, but we are proud of it and do not talk to strangers. Among us, our Sea is the Sea of Illuin, and we are the people of the Blue Pillar. We had learnt from the Elves legends of glory and beauty, including the Tale of the Two Pillars.

Though, we are aware that there had few chances that the Pillar was erected on our land, but it is a dream of all Ulshyans to both live in a land where the Pillar now is and where it was in a very long past. We believe that it was erected by the Mighty Valar in or near Kykurian Kyn. One day, Kykurian Kyn will be ours, and we will pacify that land, and impose peace to the barbarians. We have no doubt that the Pillar is in Ûrheldor, for the land is surprisingly temperate. Some have already discovered some remains of the Pillar, and now these remains are valuable treasures in the Palace of Pûrepûrla.

How it arrived there we have no real idea and even the Elves of Thûrlornar, so sages did not know either. The Pillar fell through the treachery of the Dark Hated. Thus was created the Sea of Helkar. The same arrived in the South, with the fall of Ormal and the creation of the Ringil Sea. Of the Ormal pillar we have no knowledge, but perhaps our Chyan brothers have.

When we arrived at the end of First Age led by our first King Uvaxshtra, the Sea of Helkar still existed, and a river – whom we called Talathrant (Ul “River of the Middle”) connected the Inner Sea and the Sea of Aeliunn, later called by us Sea of Illuin. Probably through this river the remains of the pillar went from Kykurian Kyn to Ûrheldor.

The disappearance of the Sea of Helkar during the Second Age is our second popular tale, for it engaged the destiny and freedom of our people. In the West, it was told that the disappearance of the Sea of Helkar was caused by the disappearance of the Dark Hated of the North and by a general warming in climate. It was true, but as always represented only a part of the Truth.

Among the followers of the Dark Hated, several of his winged minions survived, and elected to go in the central plains of Middle-earth, where soon they entered in violent conflict between each other. This very long period was known as the War of Dragons (SA 599 - 650). Some of our Kings were remembered as Dragon Killers, as one or two Dragons tried to assault our land and force us to venerate them as Gods. Ilkaraymar was killed in SA 623 by Vindafarnah I, a King of Legend. It was long believed that all Dragons killed each other, until the advent of Kal-N'Zar, the Pale God, probably a Dragon in disguise, and the building of the Fortress of Ilpar-Karam for the Living Volcano (another name of Kal-N’Zar).

It was believed that an important Battle of Powers occurred in Central Middle-earth, between the Spirits of Fire (perhaps helped by the Dragons) and the Spirits of Water (helped by Elves living near the Sea of Helkar) for the control of the land. It led to the disappearance of the Sea throughout the Second Age and the turning into desert of most of the Harad territory – later known as the Mirror of Fire. It was believed that the Site of Awakening of the Gods and its primeval waters were utterly destroyed and or poisoned by the Spirits of Fire, and this caused the entire annihilation of both Spirits. In that process, the entire land became tainted with the Evil, thus leading to the domination of Evil Men (like the Chey or Variag) and the uncontested rule of the Living Volcano. Our sacred mission is to purify Central Middle-earth from the corruption, and find back the source of the primeval waters, which could be able to end the maledictions over the land.
(1)Khulryans and Yrchians are the local Ulshyan names for Númenóreans and Orcs.
(2)More will be told about the Ulshyans in the upcoming module “The Ulshyan Confederacy”, set in the Northern Sea of Illuin.

Previously Other Minds Magazine Portal Administrator wrote:

- Where exactly is Utumno ?
- The disappearance of the sea of Helcar throughout the Second Age,

These two elements in particular and others well developed in the essay (such as pre-Akallabêth globed or flat, the locations of Beleriand, Grey Mountains and Númenor, the general shape of Mordor  …) are very important in a discussion about the rightful map to use for Middle-earth.

1. Where to place Utumno ?

I believe Dr. Morwinsky addressed some of these questions in his
presentation and follow up Q&A at MerpCon III. You may want to view the video at http://www.merpcon.org  as part of
your research work and information on these topics.


This should be an interesting discussion to follow. I look forward to it.
Cheers!
-Hawke