The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Location
Borne by Ulmo in the seas of Arda
Origins
Made by the Maia Salmar
Race
Division
Pronunciation
ooloomoo'ri (the accented ú represented an elongated 'oo' sound, as in French lune)
Meaning
Uncertain1

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About this entry:

  • Updated 30 September 2023
  • This entry is complete

Ulumúri

The great horns of Ulmo

The horns made by the Maia Salmar out of white shell, and carried by the Vala Ulmo. Their music could instil a lifelong yearning for the sea, and Ulmo would at times play them unseen on the coasts of Middle-earth. They seem to have had other powers, too: when he appeared before Tuor off the coasts of Nevrast, Ulmo calmed a storm by playing a note on a great horn. Though that horn is not specifically associated with the Ulumúri, it did share similar powers, and it seems reasonable to assume they were one and the same. When Ulmo blew his horn, it was able to grant Tuor an unforgettable vision of the depths and expanses of the seas of Arda.


Notes

1

The meaning of the name Ulumúri is not explained, nor is its etymology by any means obvious. The initial Ulu- is probably a reference to Ulmo the bearer of the horns (indeed Ulu is recorded as an alternative name for that Vala). The final element -múri is entirely obscure; in context we might reasonably conjecture that it means 'horns' or something similar, but no such word is attested in any source. Perhaps múri was imitative of the sound made by the horns, as for example in rhumru, a Sindarin word representing the sound of horns or trumpets.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 30 September 2023
  • This entry is complete

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