Helcaraxë
| Helcaraxë | |
|---|---|
| Ice waste | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Other names | Grinding Ice, Narrow Ice |
| Location | Between Araman and northern Middle-earth |
| Type | Ice waste |
| Description | Dangerous, foggy waste with icy hills |
| History | |
| Events | Migration of the Noldor under Fingolfin |
| Gallery | Images 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]
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
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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
- ↑ Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry "Helcaraxe"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Many Meetings"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 362 (entry KARAK-)
- ↑ Helge Fauskanger, "English-Quenya Wordlist (Quettaparma Quenyanna)" at Ardalambion (accessed 25 June 2011)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part One" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 45, November 2003, p. 19
