Umbar

Middle-earth portal

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Umbar is a fictional place, a great haven 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 S.A. 2280. It was only by this time that Sauron 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.

('Akallabêth' ~ The Silmarillion)

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:

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.

("Akallabêth", in The Silmarillion)

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 T.A. 933 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 sea-port 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:

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.

('The Heirs of Elendil' from The Peoples of Middle-earth)

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...

('Annals of the Kings and Rulers' from Appendix A to The Lord of the Rings)

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...

('Annals of the Kings and Rulers' from Appendix A to The Lord of the Rings)

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,

...in the new evils that soon befell Gondor Umbar was again lost, and fell into the hands of the Men of the Harad.

('Annals of the Kings and Rulers' from Appendix A to The Lord of the Rings)

Throughout the rest of The Third Age, Umbar was home 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 Dol-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:

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.

('Annals of the Kings and Rulers' from Appendix A to The Lord of the Rings)

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 ships 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 map 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...

('The Istari' from Unfinished Tales)

External links

• Discussion of Umbar related issues at - http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Fr_Umbar.html