Arda is the world in which
J.R.R. Tolkien’s books are set, including
The Hobbit,
The Lord of the Rings,
The Silmarillion, and
The History of Middle Earth.
Arda was made in the
Music of the Ainur, the servants of
Iluvatar, to serve as a dwelling place for
Elves and
Men. Finally, Arda would be filled with all kinds of
species, in addition to the
mystical and
evil. Consequently, the history of this world is full of
strife,
tragedy, and
triumph. There are stories of betrayal, abandonment, and
love. The very world would be shaped by the actions of the
Children of Iluvatar: mountains would shift, rivers would overflow, and entire continents would come and go.
The primary continents of
Arda were
Aman (aka
Valinor or the
Undying Lands) and
Middle Earth. The former was inhabited by
Elves, and was kept
sacred -
few others ever came there. The latter was a melting pot of all species,
good and evil. The great battles with
Morgoth and
Sauron were fought here.
In the
Second Age of Arda, an island between Aman and Middle Earth was created as a dwelling place for
Men. This island was
Numenor, and for a time, the men were happy here. However, falling prey to their
gift of curiosity, and
corruption by
Sauron, they violated their ban and set foot on the sacred sands of
Valinor. Immediately,
Numenor was
destroyed and
Arda was “bent” – Aman was taken out of the world, and could only be reached by
Elves.
From this time on, the world was
round, and
mortals were bound to it. The single continent and
Great Sea would evolve into what the
world is today. Slowly, those
Elves still dwelling in Middle Earth would despair and
depart across the sea, never to return. The
men would come to dominate the world and Arda would lose some of its
magic.