The Atlas of Middle-earth

  Grasslands and Wastelands

  Some areas could support only stunted tree growth or none at all. The most pleasant of these lands were the tall grass prairies of Ard-galen, Lothlann, and Rohan. All of these provided rich pasturage for horses.19 The Hills of Himring, the various Downs, the Weather Hills, and the Wold were more barren, covered only with short grasses.20

  Wide expanses of land could support some stunted bushes and trees, but those that survived were usually scattered widely through the bleak landscape. Some of this wasteland occurred naturally, but more was caused by the evil power of Morgoth or Sauron. Thorny thickets replaced the pine-woods north of Dorthonion after the Battle of Sudden Flame.21 The lands of Hollin and southern Dunland, once green and fair, became wasteland when Sauron destroyed Ost-en-Edhil and Saruman turned to evil.22 Twisted birches clung to the rocks in the eastern Emyn Muil, and thorn thickets grew in the valley between the Ephel Dúath and the Morgai, thanks to the blighting east winds of Mordor.23

  VEGETATION Upper: FIRST AGE Inset: SECOND AGE Lower: THIRD AGE

  The lands closest to the evil powers were most effected, however, and there nothing grew. After the Battle of Sudden Flame, Ard-galen the “green plain” became Anfauglith the “Gasping Dust”—a barren sandy desert.24 The fertile fields of the Entwives were so blasted that not even grass grew in the Brown Lands.25 There were desolate areas at the doors of Angband, at Lonely Mountain when Smaug was present, and at the Black Gate of Mordor.26 Before the gates of the Dark Tower of Barad-dûr, however, lay the most barren land of all—a seething volcanic desert.27

  Population

  AS WITH POPULATIONS in our Primary World, Tolkien’s Free Peoples spread and retreated with the ebb and flow of time. Three dates were chosen as most important to the various tales: the First Age, during the Long Peace;1 the Second Age, for Númenor only; and the Third Age, just prior to the War of the Rings. With little data given, only relative densities have been shown.

  The First Age

  When the Noldor returned suddenly from Valinor they found most of Beleriand already occupied by people far more numerous than they:2 the Sindar and the Green-elves of Ossiriand. The Noldor therefore settled the rugged highlands north of Beleriand, beleaguering Morgoth.3 A few areas were empty: Lammoth, Ard-galen, and Lothlann; Nevrast, after Turgon’s people moved to Gondolin; rugged highlands, such as central Dorthonion; Dimbar; the Valley of Dreadful Death, where Ungoliant dwelt; marshlands; and the tangled forest Taur-im-Duinath.4 During the Long Peace, Mortal Men first appeared, and their numbers were added to those of the Elves. Many stayed east of Doriath at Estolad. Those who left settled in northeastern Dorthonion, the Forest of Brethil, and both south and north of the Ered Wethrin.5 Two other Free Peoples also lived in the western lands—Dwarves and Ents. The Dwarves mined in the eastern side of the Blue Mountains, with their two large delvings at Belegost and Nogrod.6 Although they came into Beleriand to work, their presence was transitory.7 Ents apparently walked the forests, for Treebeard’s song spoke of many of the woods,8 and Ents slew the Dwarves who killed Thingol.9

  East of the Blue Mountains Dark Elves and Ents roamed the vast forests, while Men made their way into the more open areas. As the forefathers of the Edain had migrated west, some settled along the road: east of Mirkwood, in the vale of Anduin, and in Eriador. They became the ancestors of the Rhovanion, the Wood-men, the Beornings, the Men of Dale, and the Men met by Aldarion in the Second Age.10 Men of separate origin populated the dales of the White Mountains, moved north into Dunland, and even as far as Bree.11 In some of the same areas lived the Drúedain, forefathers of the Wild Men of Druadan. A few of their people reportedly had even moved into Brethil.12 Other Men lived far to the east and south in Rhûn and Harad.13 Men had even made their way into the icy lands near the Iron Mountains. These were the Forodwaith, the “north-people.” Their descendants, the Lossoth, stayed in that cold region even after the sinking of the western lands.14

  The Second Age

  On Númenor the transplanted Edain spread through their new land, and their numbers increased many times by the end of the Age. The most heavily populated area was Arandor, the “Kingsland,” which included the cities of Armenelos and Rómenna.15 The port of Andunië had also been large early in the Age, but was gradually abandoned as the Edain became estranged from the Elves.16

  There were other ports on the west shore and fisher-villages in the south, but the bulk of the island was rural, with a substantial population of farmers, shepherds, and woodsmen. Only Meneltarma, the bleak northern hills, and the marshes of the south were completely empty.17

  The Third Age

  Middle-earth’s population at the end of the Third Age was extremely sparse. The Elves had continued to sail west until those in northeastern Mirkwood, Lórien, Rivendell, and at the Grey Havens were the only ones remaining.18 The Dwarves had been driven from their homes throughout the Misty and the Grey Mountains, and were found mainly in the Blue Mountains, the Iron Hills, and at Lonely Mountain.19 The realm of Arnor had been virtually depopulated by war and plague.20 In all the vast lands of Eriador, the only apparent settlements were those in the Shire and at Bree—the area beyond was called the Lone-lands.21 In the extreme north lived the Lammoth, and west of Isengard folk still dwelt in southern Dunland, and along the coast.22

  POPULATION Upper: FIRST AGE Inset: SECOND AGE Lower: THIRD AGE

  Gondor had fared better,23 with many of its people living in the cities and throughout the lands south of the White Mountains, along the coasts, and even into the mountain vales.24 North of the mountains, the Rohirrim had settled.25 Their greatest concentrations were near Edoras and in the Westfold Vale.26 The Wold was used mainly for pasturage.27

  Men had slowly increased along the upper vales of the Anduin and near Lonely Mountain28 and apparently were still present east of Mirkwood.29 Beyond the Sea of Rhûn, and south of Mordor in Khand, Harad, and especially Umbar, lived the Easterlings and Southrons allied with Sauron.30

  After the Battle of Five Armies Ores had been “few and terrified;”31 yet only seventy-seven years later they were multiplying again.32 Saruman had raised an army,33 Dol Guldur had been reoccupied, and northwestern Mordor was filled with vast, seething hosts.34

  Languages

  IT IS APPROPRIATE that languages be the last of the subjects covered in this atlas, for philology was Tolkien’s field. Moreover, the idea of creating an entire mythology “had its origins in his taste for inventing languages . . . He had discovered that . . . he must create for the languages a ‘history’ in which they could develop.”1

  Tolkien, true to his immensely creative mind, had invented not one new language, but several. The most complete were the two forms of Elvish: Quenya, the High-elven; and Sindarin, the Grey-elven.2 There were also glimpses of several other languages that were much less developed: Silvan Elvish, Entish, Khazâd, assorted Mannish tongues, and the Black Speech.3 All the Elven-tongues were related,4 as well as those of the Edain and their kin the Northmen.5 Wholly alien to Elvish and to each other were the other languages mentioned. Differences and similarities arose from the patterns of migration. By the end of the First Age all of the original languages and dialects were present. The Second and Third Ages were periods of decreasing isolation, with the accompanying mixture of languages that eventually resulted in the Common Speech of the Third Age. Mapping languages required more than merely knowing the location of where each was in use. It also was necessary to evaluate which languages were historically related, for then the map colors and patterns could reflect the relationships between the peoples of Tolkien’s World.

  The Elves began their great western migration, but some never crossed the Blue Mountains; some stayed in Beleriand; and some continued to Valinor and later returned. The Elven-tongues reflected these three major sunderings. The Dark-elves spoke various dialects of Silvan. The Grey-elves used Sindarin. The Noldor spoke Quenya, the High Speech of the West; but after their return to Beleriand its use was abandoned exce
pt for lore and song, except possibly in Gondolin.6

  Men seemed to have no original common language, for some tongues were wholly alien. At least four distinct groups arose: kin of the Edain, kin of the Dunlendings, the Drúedain, and assorted Southrons and Easterlings.7 Men from the south worked their way into the White Mountains and beyond as far as Bree. The Men of the north settled east and west of Mirkwood and were sundered from those who continued west into Beleriand, becoming the Edain.8 While the Edain were in Beleriand they used Sindarin.9 When they settled Númenor during the Second Age, however, they gradually abandoned Elvish and instead utilized Adûnaic—the tongue of the third house (the Men of Dor-lómin), enriched with Elvish terms, although the use of Sindarin continued in Eldalondë and Andúnië until the visits of the Elves ceased.10 In the Númenórean colonies around the Bay of Belfalas, their Adûnaic language became increasingly mixed with the Southern Mannish tongues of the Men of the Mountains. So, when the Realms in Exile were established and grew in power this conglomeration of Sindarin and Northern and Southern Mannish became Westron, the “Common Speech.” It was eventually spoken throughout the ancient borders of Arnor and Gondor, even by the enemies; although some peoples retained their own languages as well.11 In addition to the Common Speech, the languages still spoken at the end of the Third Age were: Sindarin, Silvan, Entish, Rohirric, the tongues of the Dunlendings, the Drúedain (the Woses of Druadan), the Easterlings and the Southrons, the multitude of Orkish dialects (twisted from the languages of other peoples), and the Black Speech invented by Sauron.

  LANGUAGES Upper: FIRST AGE Inset: SECOND AGE Lower: THIRD AGE

  Appendix

  Notes

  For Tolkien’s works the following abbreviations have been used. Note that these refer to the Houghton Mifflin editions unless otherwise specified.

  S—The Silmarillion

  H—The Hobbit

  FR—The Fellowship of the Rings

  TT—The Two Towers

  RK—The Return of the King

  P—Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien

  UT—Unfinished Tales

  TL—Tree and Leaf

  HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH SERIES:

  I—The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

  II—The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two

  III—The Lays of Beleriand

  IV—The Shaping of Middle-earth

  V—The Lost Road

  VI—The Return of the Shadow

  VII—The Treason of Isengard

  VIII—The War of the Ring

  IX—Sauron Defeated (Typescript)

  The page numbers listed for the Houghton Mifflin editions can be converted to those for the Ballantine editions using the following formulae:

  HM PAGE SUBTRACT DIVIDE BY ADD

  FR 10 to 423 9 .818 18

  TT 15 to 352 14 .778 16

  RK 19 to 311111 18 .797 18

  RK 313 to 416 312 .781 386

  H 9 to 317 8 1.140 14

  S 15 to 365 14 .773 2

  Note: The History of Middle-earth volume IX, Sauron Defeated, was only available in a typescript copy at the time of this revision, so the pages listed will not agree with the published volume.

  FOREWORD

  (p. vii)

  1 Although an interesting tale of Númenor is included in IX.

  2 VI, 6; IX, i. One exception is VI, 86 which briefly relates the Gollum/Bilbo encounter as published until 1951.

  3 VI, 6, 7.

  4 VI, 3.

  5 RK, 363.

  INTRODUCTION

  (pp. ix-xii)

  6 TL, 19.

  7 I, 7.

  8 TL, 48.

  9 TL, 49.

  10 Resnick, 41.

  11 Carpenter, 89.

  12 Kocher, 13.

  13 S, 281.

  14 S, 253, 265.

  15 S, 187.

  16 Robinson and Sale, 6.

  17 RK, 401.

  18 IV, 243, 245.

  19 S, 17.

  20 Resnick, 41.

  21 Kilby, 51.

  22 V, 408–411; VI, 297, 300. Although the grid line, letter, and number placements on Tolkien’s maps do not quite align with each other or with the Atlas.

  23 Webster, 480.

  24 UT, 285.

  25 Noel, Mythology, 45; Howes, 14.

  26 V, 25.

  The First Age

  THE SPRING OF ARDA AND THE ELDER DAYS

  (pp. 1-3)

  1 S, 35.

  2 S, 35, 49.

  3 S, 118.

  4 S, 118.

  5 S, 36.

  6 S, 35–37.

  7 IV, 149. The archipelagos change several times (IV, 257).

  8 FR, 247.

  9 S, 37.

  10 S, 37.

  11 Accounts of the history of Utumno and Angband are contradictory (IV, 259, 260).

  12 S, 54.

  13 S, 48, 49.

  14 S, 49; IV, 249, 251.

  15 S, 51.

  16 IV, 251.

  17 IV, 258.

  18 IV, 259.

  19 S, 51.

  20 FR, 141, 278; TT, 71, 72.

  21 S, 54

  22 S, 94

  23 S, 54

  24 S, 57

  25 S, 59. Although originally it was envisioned as standing much farther offshore (I, 84, 120).

  26 S, 102.

  27 S, 103.

  28 S, 104.

  29 VII, 302.

  30 V, 408–411.

  31 S, 96.

  32 S, 119.

  33 S, 215.

  34 S, 122.

  35 S, 121.

  36 S, 120.

  37 S, 120.

  38 S, 123.

  39 S, 123.

  VALINOR

  (p. 6)

  1 S, 74.

  2 S, 73.

  3 S, 80.

  4 S, 59.

  5 S, 86.

  6 S, 74; I, 82.

  7 S, 74.

  8 I 73–76.

  9 S, 38.

  10 S, 251.

  11 S, 39, 48

  12 S, 71.

  13 S, 74.

  14 S, 28; I, 77.

  15 S, 28.

  16 S, 36; I, 73.

  17 S, 61; I, 25.

  18 S, 59.

  19 S, 70.

  20 S, 82, 83.

  21 S, 61.

  22 S, 260.

  BELERIAND AND THE LANDS TO THE NORTH

  (pp. 9-11)

  1 S, 109.

  2 S, 118.

  3 S, 36.

  4 S, 118.

  5 S, 96.

  6 S, 107, 190.

  7 P, 36.

  8 S, 100, 108.

  9 S, 107.

  10 S, 191.

  11 S, 111.

  12 S, Map; IV, 221; V, 408–411.

  13 S, 96; V, 272.

  14 V, 271, 409, 412.

  15 V, 270, 271.

  16 S, 80.

  17 S, 109.

  18 S, 115.

  19 S, 151.

  20 S, 81.

  21 S, 118.

  22 1, 70.

  23 S, 179.

  24 P, 36.

  25 IV, 101.

  26 S, 116.

  27 V, 270, 271

  28 S, 80.

  29 S, 112.

  30 S, 207

  31 S, 51.

  32 S, 119.

  33 S, 118

  34 S, 164

  35 S, 123.

  36 Bodman.

  37 S, 155.

  38 S, 119.

  39 Chorley, 192; Meland; Monkhouse, 312.

  40 S, 155.

  41 S, 119.

  42 UT, 43.

  43 UT, 68.

  44 IV, 230.

  45 S, 119; IV, 216. Based on the coast of Cornwall (IV, 214).

  46 S, 220, 221.

  47 S, 185.

  48 S, 203.

  49 Refer to Atlas, p. 20.

  50 S, 122.

  51 S, 122.

  52 Lobeck, 148.

  53 Chorley, 116.

  54 S, 92. VII, 302 showed Belegost in this southern location, a
nd IV, 220 indicated two alternate Dwarf-road routes; so the southern placement was shown in spite of IV, 232 and 335 which explained the editorial change on S, Map placing the cities further north.

  55 S, 124.

  56 S, 140.

  THE GREAT MARCH

  (pp. 16-1)

  1 S, 51.

  2 S, 52 53.

  3 S, 53.

  4 S, 54.

  5 S, 54.

  6 S, 57.

  7 S, 54, 55.

  8 Foster, 358.

  9 S, 94.

  10 H, 178; Foster, 458.

  11 FR, 357.

  12 S, 94.

  13 S, 96.

  14 1, 118.

  15 I, 134.

  16 S. 55.

  17 S, 57, 58.

  18 S, 91.

  19 S, 59.

  20 S, 61.

  THE FLIGHT OF THE NOLDOR

  (p. 18)

  1 S, 75.

  2 S, 83–85.