Dor Daedeloth

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Thangorodrim by Jonathan Guzi

Dor Daedeloth was the land of Morgoth.

Geography

Dor Daedeloth was one of the three large regions of western Middle-earth, along with Beleriand and Hithlum. It lay all around the fortress of Angband and on both sides of the Ered Engrin. Its borders were the Ered Wethrin to the west, the Ered Luin to the east, and the Dorthonion, the Pass of Sirion and the March of Maedhros to the south.

The Ered Engrin, an absolutely unclimbable chain, split the region in two separate parts. The southern part was Ard-galen, the great grassy plain north of Beleriand, later to become the desert of Anfauglith after the Dagor Bragollach had utterly burned it. The northern part was an unnamed region, cold and vast.

History

It was here, north of the mountains, that the Orcs and other creatures of Morgoth lived and bred.[1]

The march of the Noldor in early First Age was halted there, when Fëanor was mortally wounded by Balrogs. The Noldor then encircled the land (at least in the south), starting the Siege of Angband.[1]

Etymology

In the published Silmarillion, the name Dor Daedeloth is translated as "Land of the Shadow of Horror".[2] A later version of the name is Dor-Daedeloth, translated as "Land of Great Dread".[3]

Robert Foster notes that the name appears only in the chapter Of the Return of the Noldor and isn't mentioned again after the Siege of Angband.[4]

Other versions of the legendarium

Daidelos (replaced by Dor Daedeloth) was a name used for the region in early versions of the legendarium.[5]

In Tolkien's last thoughts the name was to be changed into that of Dor-na-Daerachas,[6] though this form was never used in his writings.

References