The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Location
A narrow land running north to south under the shadows of the Pelóri on the western shores of the Great Sea
Race
Deserted but for Ungoliant, an ancient spirit akin to the Ainur
Important peaks
Hyarmentir appears to have been on the mountain borders of Avathar
Pronunciation
a'vatharr (the final 'r' should be pronounced - 'rr' is used here to emphasise this)
Meaning
'The Shadows'

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About this entry:

  • Updated 26 February 2015
  • This entry is complete

Avathar

A dark southern land of Aman

Map of Avathar
Map of Avathar (somewhat conjectural)
Map of Avathar (somewhat conjectural)

A narrow land in the south of Aman, between the Pelóri mountains and the sea. Far from the light of the Two Trees, it was a place of dark cliffs and ravines, with a long shoreline shrouded in darkness. The name Avathar comes from ancient Quenya, meaning 'the Shadows'.

Dark as Avathar was, it was made darker by a being that occupied one its deep valleys. This was Ungoliant, a primordial creature in the shape of a monstrous spider, who spun webs to capture what little light penetrated the shadowy shoreland. It was here that Melkor found her after his escape from Valinor, and together they hatched a plot to wreak revenge for Melkor, and fulfil Ungoliant's desire for light: the destruction of the Two Trees themselves.

After Ungoliant passed out of Avathar with Melkor, she never returned. With the rising of the Sun, the darkness that shrouded the land would have been dispelled, but whether any of the people of the Undying Lands ever came there, no story tells.


Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 26 February 2015
  • This entry is complete

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