Sigelwara Land
Linguistic essay by J.R.R. Tolkien
Sigelwara Land is the title of an essay by J.R.R. Tolkien, in which is examined the etymology of Sigelwaran (and the more usual form Sigelhearwan) — the Old English word for Ethiopians.
Contents
Tolkien discusses the elements of the word Sigelhearwan and related forms, as found in Old English manuscripts. Sigel can mean both "sun" and "jewel", and while the meaning of hearwa is unknown, he suggests that it is connected to devils and blackness. Tolkien writes that his tentative analysis shows that:
Relation to the legendarium
In early drafts of The Lord of the Rings, anglicized names for the Haradrim in the text, were Silharrows and Harwan, which according to Christopher Tolkien are derived from the Old English name for the Aethiopians. Haradwaith has the anglicized name (Sun)Harrowland.
Tom Shippey has suggested that Tolkien's discussion of Sigelhearwan "helped to naturalise the 'Balrog' in the traditions of the North, and [...] to create (or corroborate) the image of the silmaril, that fusion of 'sun' and 'jewel' in physical form". (In Aelfwine's Old English translations, the name Silmaril is rendered phonetically as Sigelmaerels containing sigel = sun, jewel).
Publication history
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 29/05/2026.
