Investigation: Northern Waste or Forodwaith - what is at the top of the Middle-earth map?
Northern Waste is basically cold polar region (Arctic tundra alike) placed on uttermost north part of Middle-earth, whereas Forodwaith (S. forod = "north" and gwaith = "people") is named after the hardy Forodwaith folk, who inhabited this part of land since 1st. Age. By the 3rd Age, last remnants of Forodwaith folk migrated near the Icebay of Forochel, theirs descendants are Lossoth.
In the first published map of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien: General Map of Middle-earth (Fig.1), Forodwaith is labelled in smaller letters next to Northern Waste, indicates as being a part of the wider Northern Waste region, if not a separate and/or smaller region.
Fig. 1: Northern part of "General Map of Middle-earth" map |
Christopher Tolkien later became sure that the two names are synonymous and in fact are reffering to one and this same region1. This mistake has ben corrected in later map known as The West of Middle-earth at the End of the Third Age (Fig. 2), where only Forodwaith has been maintained as common name for all uttermost north portion of Middle-earth (at least known North-West Middle-earth).
Mapping tips:
✅Use: Northern Waste - if
You want to have label just right with lore or Your all map is allready labeled
in Westron language (common speach of Western Lands - old English).
✅Use: Forodwaith - if You
want to have/use labels in Sindarin language or being extremely righteous with
lore.
✅Use: Northern Waste (Forodwaith) - if
You want to have main label in Westron language simultaneously translated
on Sindarin language.
❌Don't use both lebels separtelly written
in same manner (like Christopher Tolkien did at first using capitalics for
both), indicating that this two labels are pointing on two different regions of
same physiogeographical type.
My own reflection:
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Interesujący wpis. Pasjonują mnie te krainy! Dodałem Twój blog do obserwowanych na Tolkniętym. Powodzenia!
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