| This article is about the fortress of Melkor. For the place in Mordor, see Udûn. |
Utumno, also named Udûn, was the first fortress of Melkor in the far north of Middle-earth, before the First Age.
Description[]
Utumno was carved very deep into the flesh of the Earth by Melkor himself. Through time, much of the subterranean domain had been cast from obsidian, fire, and ice beneath it.[1]
History[]
During the time of the Lamps, before the First Age, Melkor first dug the great Pits of Utumno deep beneath the mountains of the North. The fortress was constructed here in the Iron Mountains (over one thousand miles from the later location of Angband) where the light of the lamps did not reach.[1]
Here Melkor gathered to him all the evil powers of the World. Creatures were also bred here, such as trolls, "made in mockery of the Ents" as stated by Treebeard. Cruel spirits, phantoms, wraiths, and evil demons stalked the halls of Utumno and haunted the surrounding forests.
From Utumno, Melkor poisoned and interfered with all the Valar's work done during the Spring of Arda. Soon afterwards, Melkor and his servants waged his war and struck down the lamps, ruining the world, and forcing the Valar to move further west to the continent of Aman.[3]
Utumno endured for millennia, well into the early years of the Elves at Cuiviénen during the Years of the Trees. Taking advantage of the new arrivals, Melkor captured some of them and thus, the hideous race of Orcs was bred. Knowing that Melkor would continue to be a blight upon the world, the Valar decided to protect the Elves by ending his power in the north. Amidst the sounding of the trumpets, the Valar came out of the west, and after the Battle of the Powers Utumno was besieged and destroyed in YT 1099,[2] and Melkor was chained for about three thousand years.[4]
Etymology[]
Utumno is Quenya word for "Underworld", also known as Udûn (Sindarin for 'Hell').[5]
In other versions[]
Earlier texts referred to Utumno as the Fortress of the North[6] or Utumna.[7] Instead of breaking down the door to Utumna, Melkor let them in after being goaded by the Valar. After they captured Melkor, they piled rocks up at the entrance, blocking anything from ever entering again.
Also, its location had once been north of the Iron Mountains rather than within them.[8]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ዑቱምኖ |
| Arabic | أوتومنو |
| Armenian | ՈՒտումնո |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Bengali | ঊতুম্ন |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Chinese (Taiwan) | 烏圖姆諾 |
| Chinese (Mainland) | 乌图姆诺 |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 烏塔莫 |
| Georgian | უტუმნო |
| Greek | Ουτούμνο |
| Gujarati | ઊતુમ્નો |
| Hebrew | אוטומנו |
| Hindi | ऊतुम्नो |
| Japanese | ウトゥムノ |
| Kannada | ಊತುಮ್ನೊ |
| Kazakh | Ұтұмно (Cyrillic) Utumno (Latin) |
| Korean | 우툼노 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Marathi | ऊतुम्नो |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Nepalese | ऊतुम्नो |
| Pashto | وتومنو ? |
| Persian | اوتومنو |
| Punjabi | ਊਤੁਮ੍ਨੋ |
| Russian | Утумно |
| Sanskrit | ऊतुम्नो |
| Serbian | Утумно (Cyrillic) Utumno (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | යුටුමෝ |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Tamil | ஊதும்நொ |
| Telugu | ఊతుమ్నొ |
| Thai | อูทุมโน |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Утумно |
| Urdu | وتومنو |
| Uzbek | Утумно Cyrillic) Utumno (Latin) |
| Yiddish | וטומנאָ |
| Realms of the Dark Lords | |
|---|---|
| Years of the Trees | Utumno |
| First Age | Dor-na-Daerachas |
| Second Age | Mount Gundabad • Mordor |
| Third Age | Witch-realm of Angmar • Mordor |
| Fortresses | |
| Beleriand | Angband • Tol-in-Gaurhoth |
| Middle-earth | Barad-dûr • Black Gate • Carn Dûm • Dol Guldur • Durthang • Minas Morgul • Tower of Cirith Ungol • Towers of the Teeth |
|
Middle-earth Locations:
Provinces/Regions: Arnor | Dunland | Ettenmoors | Forochel | Forodwaith | Gondor | Harad | Ithilien | Khand | Lindon | Minhiriath | Mordor | Rhovanion | Rhûn | Rivendell | Rohan | The Shire Forests & Mountains: Amon Dîn | Amon Hen | Amon Lhaw | Caradhras | Emyn Muil | Erebor | Fangorn Forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Mirkwood | Mount Doom | Mount Gundabad | Old Forest | Orod-na-Thôn | Tower Hills | Weathertop Hill City/Fortifications: Angband | Barad-dûr | Bree | Caras Galadhon | Dol Guldur | Fornost Erain | Hornburg | Isengard | Khazad-dûm (Moria) | Minas Morgul | Minas Tirith | Last Homely House | Tower of Amon Sûl | Tower of Orthanc | Osgiliath | Umbar | Utumno Miscellaneous: Argonath | Astulat | Buckland | Cair Andros | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Enedwaith | Fords of Isen | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens The rest of Arda:
Aman | Burnt Land of the Sun | Dark Land | Empty Lands | Neldoreth | New lands | Númenor | Tol Eressëa |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Introduction"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter I: "Of the Beginning of Days"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter III: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ The Complete Guide to Middle-earth
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, chapter X: "Gilfanon's Tale: The Coming of the Mankind"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, chapter III: "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle-earth, IV: "The First Silmarillion Map"