“Green region”. The vast, grassy steppe-like plain north of Dorthonion and east of the Ered Wethrin. Ard-galen was the wide green plain that lay between the northern fences of Beleriand and Morgoth's fortress of Angband.

On the edge of Ard-galen, a tower was built by Fingolfin at the start of the wars against Morgoth. The tower, known as the Barad Eithel, was the chief stronghold of all the neighbouring lands, as well as Mithrim and Dor-lómin.

Ard-galen came to an abrupt end after the Battle of Sudden Flame when the region became a desert, arid and evil.
Encyclopedia entry originally written by atalante_star