The Ambarkanta

Christopher Tolkien highlights the Ambarkanta in The Shaping of Middle-earth as it literally discusses the shape of Middle-earth. Interestingly it seems Rúmil, who has not appeared since the Lost Tales, is associated with this work. It is an interesting early take on Middle-earth as the opening lines indicates: "About all the World are the Ilurambar, or Walls of the World. They are as ice and glass and steel, being above all the imagination of the Children of Earth cold, transparent, and hard. They cannot be seen, nor can they be passed, save by the Door of Night" (p, 235, The Shaping of Middle-earth).

Cosmology and geography have always been my weakest points when reading Tolkien; so while this work is interesting I find it tough to digest. Thankfully Christopher Tolkien gives a little glossary of some of the cosmological terms:

• Vaiya: The Outer Sea, like water, that enfolds the World.
• Ilmen: Where the Sun, Moon, and stars reside. It is above the air.
• Vista: The air, also known as Cloudhome and Birdland since this is where clouds and birds fly
• Ambar: Earth. 
• Endor: Midmost point of Middle-earth (where the Valar first came; not the home of Ewoks--wrong cosmos)
• Kúma is the Void. 

In an addendum added much later (after the Númenórean story developed) Tolkien added this note to the Ambarkanta: "But the greatest change took place, when the First Design was destroyed, and the Earth was rounded, and severed from Valinor" (p. 240, The Shaping of Middle-earth). There are several hand drawn maps that accompany this work.