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Welcome to The Encyclopedia of ArdaThe Encyclopedia of Arda is a personal project - a tribute to and a celebration of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The site is evolving into an illustrated hypertext encyclopedia of Tolkien's realms and peoples. It already contains about four thousand entries, and we're constantly adding new entries and expanding existing ones. Inside the encyclopediaThe Encyclopedia of Arda contains thousands of articles covering topics from J.R.R. Tolkien's world, some brief, some lengthy and some containing detailed essays and discussions. You'll also find a selection of interactive tools, including a chronicle to help you explore Tolkien's fictional history, and calendar to translate dates and events, a lexicon of names, a glossary of old and rare words, and much more. Context and approachThe content of the Encyclopedia is written in the same context as Tolkien himself used; he presented himself simply as a translator, rather than originator of the tales. Hence, we try to describe his world from a 'historical' rather than a literary perspective, though sometimes it's useful to explore ideas in their wider context. Where relevant, therefore, you'll also find a few references to Tolkien's life or opinions, or to real historical or mythological parallels to events in his universe. About the name ArdaArda was the name given by the Elves to their world and all it contained, and so 'Encyclopedia of Arda' seemed a peculiarly apt title for this project. Special thanksThanks to all those who've e-mailed us over the years with their suggestions, corrections, ideas and just general support. But the real Special Thanks, though, belong to the memory of J.R.R. Tolkien for his extraordinary and unparalleled creation. For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1997-2025. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Discus is a powerful, flexible DISC profile solution - find out much more in our free guide. |
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Featured EntryGollumWretched slave to the One RingThe later name for the creature originally known as Sméagol, who acquired the name 'Gollum' due to a characteristic swallowing sound he made in his throat when he was angry or frightened. He came from a people of Hobbit-kind, but he lingered for centuries beneath the Misty Mountains, and this changed him utterly, leaving him with pallid skin, webbed feet, and a large head on a long neck. His eyes shone like green lamps in the dark, and his sense of smell became acute, but he had only six teeth remaining (which he had sharpened into fangs) and a thin remnant of hair on his head. He wore nothing but rags. Gollum's long life in the tunnels beneath the Mountains gave him a peculiar gait, and he ran with his back bent over and his hands near the ground. He was sly and devious by nature, and long years spent alone had given him a strange mode of speech: he would speak in a hissing voice to himself, often calling himself 'Precious' under the influence of the Ring. |
