User:Edrastel/Sandbox

Ambarkanta Overhaul

The Ambarkanta maps refer to a set of five maps and diagrams drawn by J.R.R. Tolkien and associated with his work "Ambarkanta: The Shape of the World" (a text attributed to Rúmil). The maps were reproduced in The Shaping of Middle-earth (1986).

Diagram I

Diagram I of the Ambarkanta maps details the shape of Arda before the Changing of the World, from West to East. The great mass of land making up much of Arda is named here as Ambar, the earth. The farthest reaches of Ambar are designated Númen and Rómen, West and East. The central landmass of Ambar is here named Pelmar as well as Ambarendya and Endor. To the west and east of the central landmass is written Ear, the seas. Spanning from the west shore of the west sea to the east shore of the east sea is Vista, the lower airs. In these airs is written Aiwenore, Bird-land, and above it is Fanyamar, Cloud-home. Above Vista and all around Ambar is Ilmen, the upper airs. These can be seen to cover the lands of Aman and the Uttermost East, spanning also beneath Martalmar, the foundations of the earth in the Hidden Half of the world. Written in the span of Ilmen are its other names, Tinwë-mallë and Elenardaor. Surrounding all of Ambar is Vaiya, the Encircling Seas. Beyond Vaiya there is only Kúma and Ava-Kúma, the near and outer Void. Separating Vaiya from Kúma are the Ilurambar and Earambar, the names for the Walls of the World. At the very bottom of the page is written Ilu, the world of Arda.

Diagram II

Diagram II of the Ambarkanta maps details the shape of Arda before the Changing of the World, from North to South. Once again, Ambar is shown to consist of Endor at its upper regions and Martalmar in its lowermost depths. Vista covers Endor from the north to south, with Ilmen surrounding all of Ambar, albeit much less so in the north and south than in the west and east as shown before. Vaiya encircles all the world of Ilu, separated from Kúma by the Earambar. To the farthest reaches of either end of the world there is written Formen and Harmen, North and South.

Diagram III

Diagram III of the Ambarkanta maps details the shape of Arda after the Changing of the World. Here the entirety of Ambar is made round, consisting of the Old Lands and the New Lands. Vista becomes the lower atmospheres, while Ilmen becomes the upper atmospheres and the regions of outer space. Valinor and Eressëa are shown here to dwell within Ilmen. Beyond Ilmen there is still Vaiya, and the voids beyond it. Passing away from the curvature of the earth and into Valinor within Ilmen is the Straight Path.

Map IV

Map IV of the Ambarkanta maps details the lands of Arda after the fall of the Two Lamps and before the War for the Sake of the Elves. The waters and airs of Vaiya and Ilmen can be seen encircling the lands, with the Chasm of Ilmen separating the earth from Vaiya. In the region designated "West - Númen" lies Valinor, and the city of Valmar. The far northeast and southeast regions of Valinor are named here as Eruman and Arvalin. Along the coasts is written Westland or Westerness. In the middle of Valinor on the east coast is the city of Tún, near to the mountain of Taniqetil. Running to the north and south of Taniquentil are the Mountains of Valinor, and and on the coast of the Bay of Elfland is Eldaros (Elvenhome). A string of islands called The Enchanted Magic Isles and the Shadowy Isles lie to the east of Valinor within the Belegaer or Great West Sea.

Valinor is separated by Pelmar or Middle-earth in the east by the Straits of Ice in the south and the Helkarakse in the north. In the very northernmost regions of Middle-earth near to the Helkarakse is Falasse, the western coast of Beleriand. Running along the northern regions of Middle-earth are the Iron Mountains, barring Utumna from the rest of the world. On Beleriand's eastern borders run the Blue Mountains, mirrored on Middle-earth's eastern side across the Northlands by the Red Mountains. In the south of the Northlands between the Blue and Red Mountains lies the Sea of Helkar, and on its eastern end there is Kuivienen. In the very center of Ambar near the west of the Mid-land lies Earth-middle and Endor. East of the Mid-land are the Mountains of the Wind, the western border of Hildórien. In the Southland of Middle-earth is the Sea of Ringil, between the Grey Mountains in the west and the Yellow Mountains in the east. The southernmost point of Middle-earth is marked South and Harmen.

To the east of Middle-earth are the Lands of the Sun, called also the Eastlands or Easternesse. Separating the two continents is the East Sea, two more Straits of Ice lying at the northernmost and southernmost ends. In these lands lie the Mountains or Walls of the Sun. The farthest east point of Ambar is designated "East - Rómen"

Later

In The Lost Road and Other Writings (1987), Christopher Tolkien provided additional, redrawn versions of the regions of the furthest North in Map V, in order to "enlarge and clarify..., adding letters to make references to it plainer."

Prototype Userboxes

This user favors the Flat World Silmarillion.

{{user flatworld}}

This user favors the Round World Silmarillion.

{{user roundworld}}

This user believes Fëanor and his sons were justified in their actions.

{{user feanor good}}

Orcs ≠ Elves

This user believes Elves and Orcs are NOT the same race.

{{user orcs are not elves}}

Orcs = Elves?

This user believes Elves and Orcs could be the same race.

{{user orcs could be elves}}

This user supports Rhûn.

{{user rhun}}

This user supports Khand.

{{user khand}}

This user supports Angband.

{{user angband}}

This user believes Amrod perished at the Burning of the Ships at Losgar.

{{user amrodburned}}

This user believes Amrod did not perish at the Burning of the Ships at Losgar.

{{user amrodlived}}