Umbar
Encyclopedia
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. The Númenóreans adopted the name, probably aware that 'Umbar' was the Quenya
word for 'fate'.
The great cape and land-locked firth of Umbar south of the Bay of Belfalas
formed a natural harbour of enclosing rock, but the "great fortress of Númenor
" (LR) within it was not built until . It was only by this time that Sauron
had dared to threaten Númenor:
Like the earlier New Haven in Enedwaith, and the later Pelargir on the Anduin
, Umbar became a base from which Númenórean influence spread over Middle-earth. It was at Umbar that the last king of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, landed in S.A. 3261, to challenge Sauron:
After the Downfall of Númenor 58 years later, Umbar remained in the hands of the Númenóreans, in essence a Realm in Exile alongside Arnor
and Gondor
. But unlike these others, Umbar had been used by the "King's Men", who had turned to the worship of Melkor in the last days of Númenor. These "King's Men", unfriendly to the Elves
and to their fellow Númenórean survivors who were allied to the Elves, became known as Black Númenóreans
.
Two Black Númenórean lords, Herumor and Fuinur, were probably from Umbar, as at the end of the Second Age
they became very powerful amongst the Haradrim, a neighbouring people. Their fate is unknown, but they likely shared Sauron's defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
The rulers of Umbar retained much influence over the Haradwaith well into the Third Age
. When not under Gondor's rule Umbar's system of government may have been a duumvirate
: Black Númenórean and later Corsair Lords are paired when mentioned. Examples of this are Herumor and Fuinur, and later Angamaitë and Sangahyando.
Gondor's power, however, eclipsed that of Umbar as the Third Age progressed, and in Gondor's King Eärnil I captured Umbar in a surprise attack, although this was "at great cost."
For the following 500 years, Umbar was an important Gondorian city, a major seaport and a strategic centre from which Gondor projected influence over the Harad. It also marked the site of the submission of Sauron to Ar-Pharazôn, and so served as a proud reminder of the might of the Dúnedain
of old:
Even the Faithful who founded Gondor and Arnor respected the column, as it was a symbol of the submission of Sauron to the might of Númenor before he corrupted them.
Many Black Númenóreans had fled Umbar from the assault of T.A. 933, to their subjects in Near Harad, but 82 years later, in an attempt to recapture it,
This 'great power' availed the Men of Harad little, however. Despite killing King Ciryandil in their attack and then besieging Umbar for 35 years, they failed to take the city. Its supply was easily maintained "because of the sea-power of Gondor". In T.A. 1050, Ciryandil's son, Hyarmendacil I,
During the Kin-strife, Umbar consistently supported Castamir the Usurper. Thus, Gondorian possession of Umbar came to an abrupt end in c. T.A. 1448. Castamir's sons, escaping from their defeat at the Crossings of Erui, fled to Umbar with many men and most of the fleet of Gondor. Under their leadership, Umbar rebelled against Gondor and became independent. Eldacar at the time had no navy, so was obliged to let Umbar go.
Castamir's descendants and their followers, the notorious Corsairs of Umbar
, quickly established themselves as a major military threat to Gondor. Alone and in alliance with the nearby Haradrim, they were a constant menace to shipping in Gondor's waters, and on many occasions attacked its coastal regions. They killed King Aldamir in battle in T.A. 1540, and in T.A. 1634 Castamir's great-grandsons Angamaitë and Sangahyando raided Pelargir, from Umbar, killing King Minardil. Gondor prepared to retaliate, but these preparations were soon halted as Gondor was soon after ravaged by the Great Plague. Vengeance, if not swift, was certainly devastating: 176 years after Minardil's death, his great-grand nephew succeeded in briefly recapturing Umbar, and even renamed himself Umbardacil. However,
Throughout the rest of The Third Age, Umbar was home to a new generation of 'Corsairs of Umbar', who must have been closely related to the Haradrim, if not even merely Haradrim themselves. These new Corsairs were cruel slavers who often raided the coasts of Belfalas and Anfalas in Gondor. In T.A. 2746, for example, Amrothos, the 15th Prince of Dol Amroth
, fell defending Dor-en-Ernil against them.
In T.A. 2758 Umbar joined a massive co-ordinated attack with Men of the Harad and even of Dunland, against Gondor and the new realm of Rohan
:
In T.A. 2885 Umbar supported the Haradrim who claimed Harondor, although this had long "been a debatable land between the Corsairs and the Kings" (LR). When Sauron declared himself openly in 2951, Umbar declared its allegiance to him, and the great monument commemorating Ar-Pharazôn's triumph at Umbar was thrown down.
Umbar's fleet was largely destroyed 29 years later, when Thorongil (Aragorn
Elessar, as it later turned out), then in the service of the Steward of Gondor Ecthelion II, led a taskforce south and burned them, killing the Captain of the Haven in the process.
During the War of the Ring
, Umbar had not fully recovered from this, but could still send "fifty great ship
s and smaller vessels beyond count" to raid the coastlands of Gondor and draw off major forces from the defence of Minas Tirith
. They were once again defeated by Aragorn, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow
.
Umbar appeared on the bottom edge of the maps found in earlier editions of The Lord of the Rings, but it is absent from modern editions, which maps a slightly smaller area of Middle-earth.
In Unfinished Tales it is stated that the Númenóreans had built other havens south of Umbar, but that they were likely absorbed by the native Haradrim.
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 legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
. It was a great haven and seaport to the far south of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
in 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....
.
'Umbar' was a name—of unknown meaning—given to the area by its original inhabitants. The Númenóreans adopted the name, probably aware that 'Umbar' was the Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
word for 'fate'.
The great cape and land-locked firth of Umbar south of the Bay of Belfalas
Bay of Belfalas
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional 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...
formed a natural harbour of enclosing rock, but the "great fortress of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
" (LR) within it was not built until . It was only by this time that Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
had dared to threaten Númenor:
- ..the strength of his terror and mastery over men had grown exceedingly great, he began to assail the strong places of the Númenóreans upon the shores of the sea.
Like the earlier New Haven in Enedwaith, and the later Pelargir on the 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...
, Umbar became a base from which Númenórean influence spread over Middle-earth. It was at Umbar that the last king of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, landed in S.A. 3261, to challenge Sauron:
- The fleet came at last to that place that was called Umbar, where was the mighty haven of the Númenóreans that no hand had wrought. Empty and silent under a sickle moon was the land when the King of the Sea set foot upon the shore. For seven days he journeyed with banner and trumpet. Then he sent forth heralds, and he commanded Sauron to come before him and swear to him fealty.
After the Downfall of Númenor 58 years later, Umbar remained in the hands of the Númenóreans, in essence a Realm in Exile alongside Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. But unlike these others, Umbar had been used by the "King's Men", who had turned to the worship of Melkor in the last days of Númenor. These "King's Men", unfriendly to the Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
and to their fellow Númenórean survivors who were allied to the Elves, became known as Black Númenóreans
Black Númenóreans
In author J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Arda, the Black Númenóreans are mentioned briefly at several points in both his published and unpublished writings, as one of many peoples and races inhabiting his Middle-Earth setting....
.
Two Black Númenórean lords, Herumor and Fuinur, were probably from Umbar, as at the end of the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
they became very powerful amongst the Haradrim, a neighbouring people. Their fate is unknown, but they likely shared Sauron's defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
The rulers of Umbar retained much influence over the Haradwaith well into the Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
. When not under Gondor's rule Umbar's system of government may have been a duumvirate
Duumvirate
A duumvirate is an alliance between two equally powerful political or military leaders. The term can also be used to describe a state with two different military leaders who both declare themselves to be the sole leader of the state....
: Black Númenórean and later Corsair Lords are paired when mentioned. Examples of this are Herumor and Fuinur, and later Angamaitë and Sangahyando.
Gondor's power, however, eclipsed that of Umbar as the Third Age progressed, and in Gondor's King Eärnil I captured Umbar in a surprise attack, although this was "at great cost."
For the following 500 years, Umbar was an important Gondorian city, a major seaport and a strategic centre from which Gondor projected influence over the Harad. It also marked the site of the submission of Sauron to Ar-Pharazôn, and so served as a proud reminder of the might of the Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
of old:
- on the highest hill of the headland above the Haven they (…) set a great white pillar as a monument. It was crowned with a globe of crystal that took the rays of the Sun and of the Moon and shone like a bright star that could be seen in clear weather even on the coasts of Gondor or far out upon the western sea.
Even the Faithful who founded Gondor and Arnor respected the column, as it was a symbol of the submission of Sauron to the might of Númenor before he corrupted them.
Many Black Númenóreans had fled Umbar from the assault of T.A. 933, to their subjects in Near Harad, but 82 years later, in an attempt to recapture it,
- the Men of the Harad, led by the lords that had been driven from Umbar, came up with great power against that stronghold...
This 'great power' availed the Men of Harad little, however. Despite killing King Ciryandil in their attack and then besieging Umbar for 35 years, they failed to take the city. Its supply was easily maintained "because of the sea-power of Gondor". In T.A. 1050, Ciryandil's son, Hyarmendacil I,
- came down from the north by sea and by land, and crossing the River Harnen his armies utterly defeated the Men of the Harad...
During the Kin-strife, Umbar consistently supported Castamir the Usurper. Thus, Gondorian possession of Umbar came to an abrupt end in c. T.A. 1448. Castamir's sons, escaping from their defeat at the Crossings of Erui, fled to Umbar with many men and most of the fleet of Gondor. Under their leadership, Umbar rebelled against Gondor and became independent. Eldacar at the time had no navy, so was obliged to let Umbar go.
Castamir's descendants and their followers, the notorious Corsairs of Umbar
Corsairs of Umbar
The Corsairs of Umbar were a fleet of Men of Umbar in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, allied to Sauron in his war against Gondor.-Literature:...
, quickly established themselves as a major military threat to Gondor. Alone and in alliance with the nearby Haradrim, they were a constant menace to shipping in Gondor's waters, and on many occasions attacked its coastal regions. They killed King Aldamir in battle in T.A. 1540, and in T.A. 1634 Castamir's great-grandsons Angamaitë and Sangahyando raided Pelargir, from Umbar, killing King Minardil. Gondor prepared to retaliate, but these preparations were soon halted as Gondor was soon after ravaged by the Great Plague. Vengeance, if not swift, was certainly devastating: 176 years after Minardil's death, his great-grand nephew succeeded in briefly recapturing Umbar, and even renamed himself Umbardacil. However,
- ...in the new evils that soon befell Gondor Umbar was again lost, and fell into the hands of the Men of the Harad.
Throughout the rest of The Third Age, Umbar was home to a new generation of 'Corsairs of Umbar', who must have been closely related to the Haradrim, if not even merely Haradrim themselves. These new Corsairs were cruel slavers who often raided the coasts of Belfalas and Anfalas in Gondor. In T.A. 2746, for example, Amrothos, the 15th Prince of Dol Amroth
Dol Amroth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Dol Amroth was a hill along the coast of Gondor, on a peninsula on the Bay of Belfalas; and also the city that grew up there, mainly in the Third Age as the seat of the principality of the same name. The Prince of Dol Amroth was one of the principal subjects of...
, fell defending Dor-en-Ernil against them.
In T.A. 2758 Umbar joined a massive co-ordinated attack with Men of the Harad and even of Dunland, against Gondor and the new realm of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
:
- Three great fleets, long prepared, came up from Umbar and the Harad, and assailed the coasts of Gondor in great force; and the enemy made many landings, even as far north as the mouth of the Isen.
In T.A. 2885 Umbar supported the Haradrim who claimed Harondor, although this had long "been a debatable land between the Corsairs and the Kings" (LR). When Sauron declared himself openly in 2951, Umbar declared its allegiance to him, and the great monument commemorating Ar-Pharazôn's triumph at Umbar was thrown down.
Umbar's fleet was largely destroyed 29 years later, when Thorongil (Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
Elessar, as it later turned out), then in the service of the Steward of Gondor Ecthelion II, led a taskforce south and burned them, killing the Captain of the Haven in the process.
During the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
, Umbar had not fully recovered from this, but could still send "fifty great ship
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
s and smaller vessels beyond count" to raid the coastlands of Gondor and draw off major forces from the defence of Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
. They were once again defeated by Aragorn, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow
Dead Men of Dunharrow
The Dead Men of Dunharrow are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
.
Umbar appeared on the bottom edge of the maps found in earlier editions of The Lord of the Rings, but it is absent from modern editions, which maps a slightly smaller area of Middle-earth.
In Unfinished Tales it is stated that the Númenóreans had built other havens south of Umbar, but that they were likely absorbed by the native Haradrim.
- ...although before its downfall Men of Númenor had explored the coasts of Middle-earth far southward, their settlements beyond Umbar had been absorbed...
External links
- Discussion of Umbar related issues at - http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Fr_Umbar.html