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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 1997-2024. 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 EntryDead TreeThe tree that stood in the courts of Minas TirithOn the topmost tier of the city of Minas Tirith, beneath its crowning White Tower, stood a courtyard paved with white stone. Within the courtyard was a green lawn, and within that was a pool with a fountain. At the end of the Third Age, a dead and withered tree stood here, with the water of the fountain spraying its branches and dripping back into the pool. At the time of the War of the Ring, the Dead Tree had stood in the High Court of Minas Tirith for one hundred and forty-seven years, the remnant of the last White Tree of Minas Tirith. It represented a last memory of a proud tradition that could be traced back through millennia to the Two Trees of Valinor. The beginnings of this tradition dated to the Elder Days, when the Two Trees still shone in the West, and the Sun and Moon had yet to be created. One of these Trees, the White Tree Telperion, was especially beloved of the Eldar, and so the Vala Yavanna made them a living tree in its image. This White Tree was named Galathilion, and stood in the courts of the Elves' gleaming city of Tirion. Galathilion produced seedlings, and one of these was planted on the island of Tol Eressëa, a tree that was named Celeborn by the Elves. |
