Helcaraxë: Difference between revisions

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{{location infobox
| name=Helcaraxë
| image=[[File:Katie Sheng - Helcaraxe.jpg|250px]]
| caption="Helcaraxe" by Katie Sheng
| pronun={{respell|hel|kar|ak-seh}}
| othernames=Grinding Ice, Narrow Ice
| location=Between [[Araman]] and northern [[Middle-earth]]
| type=Frozen glacial desert
| description=Dangerous, foggy waste with icy hills
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=
| created=
| destroyed=
| events=Migration of the Noldor under Fingolfin
}}
'''Helcaraxë''' (pron. [[Noldorin|N]] {{IPA|[ˌhelkaˈrakse]}}, [[Vanyarin|V]] {{IPA|[ˌxelkaˈrakse]}}, "ice fangs"<ref>{{HM|Guide}}, entry "Helcaraxe"</ref>) was the perilous icy wastes that formerly lay between [[Araman]] (a region in the north of [[Aman]]) and [[Middle-earth]] in the far north of [[Arda]].<ref>{{S|3}}</ref> Here met the [[Ekkaia|Encircling Sea]] and the [[Belegaer]], creating "''vast fogs and mists of deathly cold, and the sea-streams were filled with clashing hills of ice and the grinding of ice deep-sunken''."<ref name=S9/>
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxë.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxë'']]
At the beginning of the [[First Age]], [[Morgoth]] and [[Ungoliant]], escaping from the pursuit of the [[Valar]], fled to Middle-earth across the treacherous wastes of the Helcaraxë. Later, [[Fingolfin]] and his people also made their way into [[Beleriand]] across the Helcaraxë.<ref name=S9>{{S|9}}</ref>
Helcaraxë was also referred to as the '''Grinding Ice'''.<ref>{{S|13}}</ref><ref>{{S|15}}</ref> Another name for this region was perhaps also the '''Narrow Ice''', used by [[Bilbo Baggins]] in his poem [[Song of Eärendil]].<ref>{{FR|II1}}</ref>
==Etymology==
{{Pronounce|Helcaraxe.mp3|Ardamir}}
{{Pronounce|Helcaraxe.mp3|Ardamir}}
The perilous icy wastes that formerly lay between [[Aman]] and [[Middle-earth]] in the north of the world. [[Fingolfin]] and his people made their way into [[Middle-earth]] across the treacherous wastes of the Helcaraxë at the beginning of the [[First Age]].
In the [[The Etymologies|''Etymologies'']], the second element in ''Helkarakse'' is said to be the [[Quenya]] word ''[[karakse]]'' ("jagged hedge of spikes").<ref name=LR>{{LR|Etymologies}}, p. 362 (entry [[KARAK|KARAK-]])</ref> [[Helge Fauskanger]] has suggested that the first element (''hel-'') derives from the [[Sundocarme|root]] [[KHELEK]] ("ice").<ref>[[Helge Fauskanger]], "[http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/eng-quen.rtf English-Quenya Wordlist (Quettaparma Quenyanna)]" at [http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/ Ardalambion] (accessed 25 June 2011)</ref>
 
Also in the ''Etymologies'', [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] experimented with [[Noldorin]] translations of ''Hekarakse'': ''elcharaes'', ''helcharaes'' or ''Helcharach''.<ref name=LR/><ref>{{VT|45a}}, p. 19</ref>
 
==See also==


[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxë.jpg|thumb|left|''Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxë'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]
*[[Qerkaringa]]


{{References}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helcaraxe}}
[[Category:Pronounced articles]]
[[Category:Pronounced articles]]
[[Category:Quenya locations]]
[[Category:Regions]]
[[de:Helcaraxe]]
[[fi:Helcaraxë]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/regions/helcaraxe]]

Revision as of 11:16, 8 March 2018

Helcaraxë
Frozen glacial desert
Katie Sheng - Helcaraxe.jpg
"Helcaraxe" by Katie Sheng
General Information
Pronunciationhel-kar-ak-seh
Other namesGrinding Ice, Narrow Ice
LocationBetween Araman and northern Middle-earth
TypeFrozen glacial desert
DescriptionDangerous, foggy waste with icy hills
History
EventsMigration of the Noldor under Fingolfin
GalleryImages of Helcaraxë

Helcaraxë (pron. N [ˌhelkaˈrakse], V [ˌxelkaˈrakse], "ice fangs"[1]) was the perilous icy wastes that formerly lay between Araman (a region in the north of Aman) and Middle-earth in the far north of Arda.[2] Here met the Encircling Sea and the Belegaer, creating "vast fogs and mists of deathly cold, and the sea-streams were filled with clashing hills of ice and the grinding of ice deep-sunken."[3]

Ted Nasmith - Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxë

At the beginning of the First Age, Morgoth and Ungoliant, escaping from the pursuit of the Valar, fled to Middle-earth across the treacherous wastes of the Helcaraxë. Later, Fingolfin and his people also made their way into Beleriand across the Helcaraxë.[3]

Helcaraxë was also referred to as the Grinding Ice.[4][5] Another name for this region was perhaps also the Narrow Ice, used by Bilbo Baggins in his poem Song of Eärendil.[6]

Etymology

In the Etymologies, the second element in Helkarakse is said to be the Quenya word karakse ("jagged hedge of spikes").[7] Helge Fauskanger has suggested that the first element (hel-) derives from the root KHELEK ("ice").[8]

Also in the Etymologies, Tolkien experimented with Noldorin translations of Hekarakse: elcharaes, helcharaes or Helcharach.[7][9]

See also

References