Bay of Belfalas
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's fiction
al universe of Middle-earth
, the Bay of Belfalas was a large southern bay in the Great Sea
.
The Bay of Belfalas was the remainder of the eastern edge of the Great Gulf that had divided Beleriand
from the Lands to the South in the First Age
. After the end of the War of Wrath
a large section of western Middle-earth was drowned, and with the new coastline the Bay of Belfalas extended from Andrast to the Mouths of Anduin
, and then south past Umbar
to the unknown southern shores. The Bay of Belfalas was an important inlet for incoming ships. It served as a passageway for Corsairs coming from the Havens of Umbar in the South.
Most of the Rivers of Gondor flowed into the Bay of Belfalas, and it had many smaller bays and capes. The mouths of the Anduin and the Rivers Lefnui, Blackroot, Ciril, Ringló, Gilrain (which was joined by the River Serni), and Harnen all emptied into the Bay of Belfalas.
The Bay was named for the region of Belfalas , and in it lay the rocky island of Tolfalas at the mouths of the Anduin.
It probably corresponds to the Mediterranean Sea
in the real world, because of the culture, commerce, and warm climate.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al universe of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
, the Bay of Belfalas was a large southern bay in the Great Sea
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
.
The Bay of Belfalas was the remainder of the eastern edge of the Great Gulf that had divided Beleriand
Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
from the Lands to the South in the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
. After the end of the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
a large section of western Middle-earth was drowned, and with the new coastline the Bay of Belfalas extended from Andrast to the Mouths of Anduin
Anduin
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...
, and then south past Umbar
Umbar
Umbar is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. It was a great haven and seaport to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth.'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants...
to the unknown southern shores. The Bay of Belfalas was an important inlet for incoming ships. It served as a passageway for Corsairs coming from the Havens of Umbar in the South.
Most of the Rivers of Gondor flowed into the Bay of Belfalas, and it had many smaller bays and capes. The mouths of the Anduin and the Rivers Lefnui, Blackroot, Ciril, Ringló, Gilrain (which was joined by the River Serni), and Harnen all emptied into the Bay of Belfalas.
The Bay was named for the region of Belfalas , and in it lay the rocky island of Tolfalas at the mouths of the Anduin.
It probably corresponds to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
in the real world, because of the culture, commerce, and warm climate.