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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. |
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Featured EntryChild of the TwilightLómion, born beneath the gloom of Nan ElmothAredhel the sister of Turgon felt constrained within her brother's Hidden City, and set out into the world beyond. In the perilous northern reaches of Beleriand, she lost her companions and found herself wandering alone in the deep darkness of the wood of Nan Elmoth. There she encountered Eöl the Dark Elf, who dwelt alone within the wood. The two wed, and Aredhel gave birth to a son. That son was born into the tree-shadowed world of Nan Elmoth, and so Aredhel named him Lómion, the Child of the Twilight. It was not until the Child of the Twilight was twelve years old that he received a name from his father (an unusual practice for the Elves, because the father usually named a child at birth). Lómion then received the name Maeglin, meaning 'Sharp Glance', and it is by this name that he became known in the histories of the First Age. |
