An-Balkûmagân (Ad. "Ciryatan's Land"; Q. Ciryatanórë) owed its name to King Ar-Balkûmagân (Q. Tar-Ciryatan), for it was originally established in the Second Age (1904) as a colony of Númenor. Ciryamir, the original founder of the domain, was the cousin of Mûrazôr (the future Witch-king), and the father of his own successor Khôrahil (another future Úlair). Bewitched by his vile son, he committed suicide in S.A. 1918. Khôrahil ascended the throne on the first day of the next year. He subsequently conquered a vast portion of southern Middle-earth. After accepting a Ring of Power in S.A. 2000, he broadened his hold, only to run afoul of his Númenórean liege (at that time Tar-Ancalimon).
An-Balkûmagân was situated north of the Ûrîd Pharazâin and east of Tulwang, some 200 miles inland from the southern Belegaer. Mârath Kharadûnê, the "Tower of Red Sunset" (Q. Marto Carnëandúnë), served as its traditional capital.
Peoples[]
- Haradrim: Etûlians Fariyîn Nandran Sanar Sorîyan Tandi Tûladan Tûlwany
- High Men: Anbalukkhôri, Black Númenóreans
Regions and Rivers[]
Ashatur Balakhurush Curinshiban Kurryan Bay Seznebab Zajantak
Settlements and places of note[]
Abârrûkh Adûn-Tarîk Arhazûn-Tarîk Bâtan-Urîd Kadar an-Kharadûn Marath Kharadûne Mûmakil Cemetary Zadan an-Adûn
Notes[]
- Original name in MERP: Ciryatandor. It is extremely unlikely that the inhabitants of Ciryatandor used this term for their homeland due to the policy of the King's Men to suppress the elven tongues. The name Ciryatandor perhaps must be taken as a later invention of Gondorian Loremasters for this almost unknown country far to the remote south; this might also explain the form Ciryatandor (rather than Ciryatanórë) to appear in many documents, since knowledge and use of Quenya had dwindled in the late Third Age. Since Tar-Ciryatanʼs Adûnaic name was Ar-Balkûmagân, Ciryatandorʼs actual Adûnaic name might have been Thâni an-Balkûmagân or Balkûmagânzâyan. However Hands of the Healer gives an alternate name of the country as Anbalukkhôr, maybe a corrupted form from Ansith, the common speech of Far-Harad? However as an Adûnaic male name Balûkkhôr is equivalent to Quenya Ciryaher, not Ciryatan.
References[]
- The Wild Lands South and East, Gazetteer by Pete Fenlon (archived, latest available)
- MERP #3800: Far Harad the Scorched Land
- MERP #3111: Greater Harad
- MERP #8112: Hazards of the Harad Wood
- MERP #2026: Hands of the Healer
- MERP Fan Modules: Name Concordance for Shadow in the South