The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Númenor was founded in II 32, and destroyed in the Downfall II 3319
Location
The great northern promontory of the island of Númenor
Race
Division
Culture
Settlements
Important peaks
Pronunciation
foro'star
Meaning
Other names

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 24 September 2021
  • This entry is complete

Forostar

The Northlands of Númenor

Map of the Forostar
The Forostar of Númenor (slightly conjectural, in that the exact location of Ondosto is unknown)
The Forostar of Númenor (slightly conjectural, in that the exact location of Ondosto is unknown)

Regions of Númenor

The northern promontory of Númenor, a land of rocks, cliffs and high moors. It stretched some two hundred miles from its southern borders with the Mittalmar to its North Cape. The great road from Rómenna to Andúnië passed through its southern parts, at the place known as Ondosto.

The lands farther north, toward the Cape, became rockier and more mountainous. In the far north was a region around the peak of Sorontil, where the landscape fell sheer into the sea forming tremendous cliffs. This was the abode of Eagles, and also the dwelling-place of Meneldur Elentirmo, heir to Númenor's throne and a watcher of the stars, who built a great tower here to follow the movements of the heavens.


Notes

1

'Northlands' is the standard translation given by Tolkien. Though the for- element is very well established as 'north', ostar doesn't seem to literally mean 'lands'. It's possibly related to the stem os-, meaning 'round' or 'about', so that the Forostar would be one of five regions (along with the Andustar, the Orrostar and so on) surrounding the central highlands of the Mittalmar. Alternatively, ostar might refer to enclosures or homesteads within the region, making Forostar literally 'enclosed lands of the north', or the word might have some other meaning, yet to be discovered.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 24 September 2021
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1999, 2001-2002, 2021. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Your Free Personality Test, the free personality test online
What's your ideal career? Are you in the right job? Explore your options with Your Free Personality Test.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry