A map of the Shadowy Seas
The Shadowy Seas was an enchanted sea that lay closest to the shores of the Undying Lands, to the east of Tol Eressëa.
According to the The Atlas of Middle-earth, the Shadowy Seas covered the coastline area of Aman in a net formation some one-thousand miles measured from north to south.[1]
History[]
After the rebellion of the Ñoldor and the rising of the Moon, the Valar decided to further shield their realm from the outside world preventing any intruders from finding Aman, especially the rebel Ñoldor from returning. They darkened the immediate sea with spells as well as lack of light and created a chain of Enchanted Isles, each of which had the power to cause any mariner braving this region to fall into an eternal sleep.[2] Throughout the centuries that followed, no ship reached the shores of Aman, until Eärendil the Mariner finally succeeded in passing through the shadows of the Shadowy Seas.[3]
Notes[]
- Tolkien may have based the sea off the impossibility of entering heaven freely.
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Afrikaans | Skaduwee Seë |
| Albanian | Hije Dete |
| Amharic | ሚስጥራዊ ባሕርዎች |
| Arabic | البحار الضبابية |
| Armenian | ստվերային ծովեր |
| Azerbaijani | Kölgəli Dənizləri |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Ценявы мо́рах |
| Bengali | ছায়াময় সমুদ্রগুলো |
| Bosnian | Tajanstvenim morima |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Сенчести морета |
| Cambodian | សមុទ្រមានម្លប់ |
| Catalan | Mars Ombrívol |
| Chinese | 影子海 |
| Croatian | Tajanstvenim Morima |
| Czech | Temné moře |
| Danish | De Skyggefulde Have |
| Dari | دریاهای سایه |
| Dutch | Schimmige zeeën |
| French | Mers Ténébreuses |
| Georgian | ჩრდილოვანი ზღვები |
| German | Schattenmeere |
| Greek | σκιερές θάλασσες |
| Gujarati | સંદિગ્ધ સીઝ |
| Hebrew | בים המעורפל |
| Hindi | छायादार समुद्रों |
| Hungarian | Sötét tengerek |
| Indonesian | Bayangan lautan |
| Italian | Mari Ombroso |
| Japanese | 小暗い海 |
| Kannada | ಶ್ಯಾಡೋ ಸೀಸ್ |
| Kazakh | Көлеңкелі теңіздер (Cyrillic) Köleñkeli teñizder (Latin) |
| Korean | 환상의 바다 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Көлөкө океандарды |
| Laotian | ທະເລທີ່ມີເງົາ |
| Latvian | Ēnainās jūrās |
| Lithuanian | Iliuzinis jūrų |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Сенки мориња |
| Malagasy | Ranomasina haizina |
| Malaysian | Bergelora laut-laut |
| Marathi | सावली समुद्र |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Сүүдэр далай |
| Nepalese | छायाली समुद्रहरू |
| Norwegian | Skyggefulle Havene |
| Pashto | سیوري بحرونه |
| Persian | دریاهای سایه |
| Polish | Cieniste morzach |
| Portuguese | Mares Sombrios |
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ੈਡੋ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ |
| Romanian | Mările Umbră |
| Russian | Теневые моря |
| Serbian | Тајновита морима (Cyrillic) Tajnovita Morima (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | අභිරහස් මුහුද |
| Slovak | Temné Korí |
| Slovenian | Senčen oceanov |
| Swahili | Bahari zenye kivuli |
| Swedish | Skuggiga Havet |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Соя дарёҳову уқёнусҳо |
| Tamil | நிழல் கடல்கள் |
| Tatar | Күләгәле диңгезләр |
| Telugu | క్రీనీడ సముద్రాలు |
| Thai | ทะเลมืดครึ้ม |
| Turkish | Gölgeli Denizler |
| Turkmen | Kölegeli Deňizler |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Тіньові морів |
| Urdu | مبہم سمندر |
| Uyghur | سايە دېڭىزلار |
| Uzbek | Соя денгизлари (Cyrillic) Soya dengizlari (Latin) |
| Venetian | Mari Ombrosi |
| Vietnamese | Biển vong linh |
| Yiddish | שאָטן סיז |
| Yoruba | Iboji òkun |
| Seas of Arda |
|---|
|
Belegaer | Eastern Sea | Ekkaia | Inner Seas | Helcar | Núrnen | Rhûn | Ringil | Shadowy Seas |
References[]
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XI: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"