Arda

This article is about the fictional setting. There is also an Arda river in Bulgaria.

See Middle-earth for the main article about Tolkien's fictional universe

Originally a flat world, the continents were surrounded by a mighty ocean, Ekkaia or the Encircling Sea, and separated by Belegaer, called the Great Sea. In the First Age, the area north and west of Middle-earth was occupied by the country of Beleriand, but this was destroyed during the War of Wrath.

In the Second Age, Númenor was raised in the Great Sea for the Edain. This island existed through most of the Second Age, but was destroyed as a result of the pride of the Númenorean people in defying the Ban of the Valar and sailing to Aman in the west.

After the destruction of Númenor, Arda was made round. Aman (The Undying Lands) was taken out of the world, and could only be reached by the Elves, following the straight road that was granted to them. As Aman was taken away from Arda, new lands and continents were created.

South of Middle-earth was the Dark Land and east of it was the Land of the Sun.

Tolkien stated many times that Arda was our world in a fictional time, so we can interpret Middle-earth as Europe, perhaps specifically the Mediterranean (Mediterraneus is Latin for "Middle-earth"); the Dark Land as Africa; and the Land of the Sun as Asia and the Orient, perhaps specifically Japan (Japanese 日本 Nihon "Sun's origin"). After the fall of Númenor, Arda is made round and new lands are created west of Middle-Earth that are apparently meant to be North and South America, though none of Tolkien's mythology deals with what happens there.

Arda Unmarred

The original world as built by the Valar is called Arda Unmarred. This world was effectively destroyed by the wars of the Valar and Melkor, and only Valinor still resembled it in part. Arda Unmarred was a symmetrical world with everlasting light.

Arda Marred

Arda Marred is the name given to the world as it is: the world after the wars of the Valar and Melkor, and the dispersing of Melkor's fëa in the entire world. It is this world from which are formed the hröa of the Children of Ilúvatar, and therefore it is at times a cruel and evil world with plagues, extreme colds, heat, and other concepts which do not exist in Arda Unmarred.
Arda Marred also broke the design of Elvish immortality: in Arda Marred Elves slowly fade, until at last they are naught but wraiths. Only in Valinor was this fading delayed, which is one reason all Elves had no choice but to go to Valinor in the end. One of the special abilities of the Rings of Power was that they could delay time, and as such were used by Elrond and Galadriel to preserve their realms. After the loss of the One Ring the Elves had no choice left and therefore in the Fourth Age the last Eldar left for Valinor.

Arda Healed

Arda Healed is Arda Marred restored: it will be like Arda Unmarred but better, since it will also incorporate all the good things of Arda Marred. Arda Healed will be created after the Dagor Dagorath, when Morgoth will be slain, and the world broken. A new world will be created then, which will be Arda Healed.

See also: Timeline of Arda, Realms of Arda.

Round World version

In the late Round World version of The Silmarillion (see: The History of Middle-earth), Arda was the name of the entire Solar system, while the name for Earth was Ambar or Imbar.

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