Some email-discussions already emerged concerning the essay Mapping Arda before the online-publication of OtherMinds 01. I will now use this public forum to summarize them for the broader public.

a) Where was Utumno located?

For the position of Utumno we assume a location based on a very late quote by Tolkien, which is not easily found. In fact it is a reconstruction based on hints made by Christopher Tolkien in HoME 11. The quote used for Mapping Arda is the last emendated version of a part of §105 of Tolkien's Quenta Silmarillion. In the version of 1937 it originally reads as follows:

"§105 ... In the North of the world Melko reared Ered-engrin the Iron Mountains; and they stood upon the regions of ever-lasting cold, in a great curve from East to West, but falling short of the sea upon either side. These Melko built in the elder days as a fence to his citadel, Utumno, and this lay at the western end of his northern realm." (HoME 05: Quenta Silmarillion; 1937)

During the 1950s the manuscript of the Quenta Silmarillion was highly emendated. Then it was professionally typed for two times. The first time in 1951 (LQ1), the second time in 1958 (LQ2). Of the further history of LQ2 Christopher Tolkien writes:

"A number of further changes were made to the top copy of the late typescript LQ2 ...
§105: 'at the western end' > 'at the midmost'"
(cf. HoME 11: Christopher Tolkien's commentary on the Later Quenta Silmarillion, Ch. 11 · Of Beleriand And Its Realms)

Thus the *last* version of §105 of the Quenta Silmarillion reads as follows. This might be Tolkien's absolutely last word about the position of Utumno in the Elder Days and was made after the year 1958:

"In the North of the world Melkor reared Eryd-engrin the Iron Mountains; and they stood upon the regions of ever-lasting cold, in a great curve from East to West, but falling short of the sea upon either side. These Melkor built in the elder days as a fence to his citadel, Utumno, and this lay at the midmost of his northern realm.” (HoME 11: LQ2 with last emendations after 1958)

b) Why should Utumno not be located under the mountains of Barl Syrnac?

On Ambarkanta-map-IV (HoME 04: The Ambarkanta; 1936) and Ambarkanta-map-V (1936/37) Tolkien had drawn the great curve of a mountain-chain which stretches all over the north of the continent of Middle-earth. These mountain-chain is named the Iron Mountains (Ered Engrin):

“But Melko fortified the North and built there the Northern Towers, which are also called the Iron Mountains, and they look southward.” (HoME 04: The Ambarkanta; 1936)

“§20 Now Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress deep under the Earth, far from the light of Illuin; and he raised great mountains above his halls. That stronghold was after called Utumno the Deep-hidden;” (HoME 10: The Grey Annals; Manuscript AAm*; 1950)

Pete Fenlon had drawn remnants of this great curve of Ered Engrin onto his map in their right position. You can find them in Forodwaith and east of the Bay of Utum.

On the other hand Pete Fenlon had drawn the Barl Syrnac, too. But these mountain-chain does not follow the direction of that great curve. Thus they should have been of other and later origin. We assume them to be a result of the Battle of the Powers, when the host of Valinor attacked Utumno from the West.

"§48 Melkor met the onset of the Valar in the North-west of Middle-earth, and all that region was much broken. But this first victory of the hosts of the West was swift and easy, and the servants of Melkor fled before them to Utumno. Then the Valar marched over Middle-earth, and they set a guard over Kuivienen; and thereafter the Quendi knew naught of the Great War of the Gods, save that the Earth shook and groaned beneath them, and the waters were moved; and in the North there were lights as of mighty fires. But after two years the Valar passed into the far North and began the long siege of Utumno." (HoME 10: The Annals of Aman; 1950)

Hence we propose that the Barl Syrnac are positioned along the south-western frontier of old Utumno, but not above Melkor’s first fortress itself.