Walls of Night

From Tolkien Gateway

The Walls of the Night were the outer walls of the world beyond Ekkaia that surrounded Arda as its boundaries in the Elder Days.

In the North and South, Ekkaia was narrower and the Walls were closer to the north and south lands of Arda.

In East and West, Ekkaia was wider and the distance from the land was greater; the Door of Night was an opening in the west. The Gates of Morning are also mentioned, but it is not known if these were an equivalent eastern opening on the same Walls.[1]

Presumably Melkor fled through the Walls after he retreated from the First War. During the Spring of Arda, he came over the Walls of Night into the north of Middle-earth, and secretly built Utumno.[2]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

Originally, they were called the Wall of Things, and conceived as "the walls of terrestrial cities, or gardens - walls with a top: a "ring-fence".[3] In the Ambarkanta they're called Ilurambar, and they're as a shell that fence Vaiya and the world from the Void that are totally impervious and their only opening is the Door of Night.

See also[edit | edit source]

References

Middle-earth Cosmology
 Constellations  Anarríma · Durin's Crown · Menelmacar · Remmirath · Soronúmë · Telumendil · Valacirca · Wilwarin
Stars  Alcarinquë · Borgil · Carnil · Elemmírë · Helluin · Luinil · Lumbar · Morwinyon · Nénar · Star of Eärendil · Til 
The Airs  Aiwenórë · Fanyamar · Ilmen · Menel · Vaiya · Veil of Arda · Vista
Narsilion  Arien · Moon (Isil, Ithil, Rána) · Sun (Anar, Anor, Vása) · Tilion
See also  Abyss · Arda · Circles of the World · · Timeless Halls · Two Lamps · Two Trees · Void