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In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Forodwaith was the name both of a large region and the people who lived there. It is the far north region of Middle-earth; it represents a loose mythical view of the Arctic region of Eurasia. In Tolkien's earliest stories connected with Middle-earth, Forodwaith had been a name he created for Vikings. Middle-earth narrative Geography Forodwaith was located in the far north of Middle-earth. The Sindarin name Forodwaith translates loosely as Northern Waste and literally as Northern Realm, and was a name for the lands north of the Iron Mountains of the First Age. Little was known of it, except that despite lying scarcely 100 leagues north of the Shire, it was an area prone to long winters and severe cold. This was due to its proximity to the Gap of Ilmen, and Morgoth's evil cold, which emanated, in ancient times, from his place of dwelling, and lingered still into the Third Age. After the War of Wrath and the breaking of the World, the Iron Mountains were mostly destroyed, and the area of Forodwaith that lay north of Eriador became known as Forochel, together with the great bay and cape that carried the same name. The Bay of Forochel was ice-bound during its long winters. The northernmost Blue Mountains stood on the south-west of the bay. Further east, the southern extent of Forodwaith was bounded by the northernmost Misty Mountains, and by the Grey Mountains and Iron Hills. The evil realm of Angmar (ca. to 1975) was based in the northernmost Misty Mountains, whence it was able to dominate a significant part of Forodwaith. The Lossoth The Men of Forodwaith were a strange folk apparently unrelated to the Edain. During the Third Age their descendants were known as the Snowmen of Forochel or Lossoth. The game developers depict the Lossoth skating and pushing sledges on ice in accordance with J.R.R. Tolkien's notations. However, new elements were introduced in the depiction of the Lossoth, namely, their ability to tame and ride to war on mammoths. In addition, many aspects of their language, culture, and appearance are derived from or inspired by that of the Finnish, Sami, and Inuit people. One of the Ringwraiths featured in the film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is referred to as "the Ringwraith of Forod", possibly a reference to the region.
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