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VIII Eldarin Traditions Concerning the “Awakening”
fn1 The Eldarin words referred to are Min, Atta (or Tata), Nel-de. The reverse is probably historical. The Three had no names until they had developed language, and were given (or took) names after they had devised numerals (or at least the first 12).
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fn2 Vanyar.
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IX Time-scales and Rates of Growth
fn1 There may have been also an element of pride in her decision; for she was a princess of the Ñoldor, who had lived in Aman itself. Eressëa seemed only a “second best”.
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fn2 It is thus possible that 241 is an error not for 341, but for 421: an even more likely error to have occurred, except that the next following entry is for 420. In that case about 2.8 [life-]years would have intervened between the births, which is even more probable.
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XI Ageing of Elves
fn1 This at Middle-earth’s 100 = 1 rate makes him 380! Or at rate 144 = 1 [makes him] 264.
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fn2 12 × 9 = 108 months therefore 9 years.
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XII Concerning the Quendi in their Mode of Life and Growth
fn1 Though they were, from their Awaking, also immediately concerned with linguistic expression – at first in especial of their delight and joy in Arda, and of their love for their spouses.
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fn2 This rate of “change” is not concerned at all with the perception of Time. The Quendi did not live or perceive or act slowly. On the contrary they perceived more swiftly and minutely, and acted more quickly than Men.
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fn3 This rate was in some individuals rather slower and might take up to 21 olmendi, or 252 löar. Concerning this difference between men and women the Eldar speak in the legend of the Awaking, which they call the Cuivienyarna, q.v. [see chap. VIII, “Eldarin Traditions Concerning the ‘Awakening’”, above].
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fn4 I.e., 24 olmendi + 24 coimendi.
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fn5 I.e., 18 olmendi + 18 coimendi.
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fn6 This is, after 36 coimendi for Elf-men, 42 for Elf-women.
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fn7 It sometimes happened that a lover failing to find a response in the “desired spouse” would remain unwed, and later, maybe long after, would fall in love again, and wed much later than usual.
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fn8 During this time Elf-women went usually into “retirement” and went abroad little.
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fn9 And of course, since Aman was limited, some things must pass away, while a perennial balance of the whole was maintained. But this was not confused with “Death”.
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fn10 That is, it is not certain that they could alter the “constitution” of any creature housing a fëa, and having its own independent centre of being, one of the same status and relation to Eru as their own being, even if of less might.
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fn11 Sometimes delayed up to 21 olmendi = 252 löar.
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XIV Calculation of the Increase of the Quendi
fn1Reckoned from the first begetting to the last birth: that is, 6 periods of gestation (9 years) + 5 intervals of an average of 36 years each (times increase: 12/24/36/48/60): 6 × 9 (= 54) + 5 ×36 (= 180) = 234 years = VY 1/90.
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fn2 Thus:
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XVII Generational Schemes
fn1 But could often be delayed to about 96.
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fn2 From first birth to last.
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fn3 From first birth to last.
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XVIII Elvish Ages & Númenórean
fn1 Puberty and full growth coincided (usually). It did not occur earlier, but might be delayed as late as 36 GY.
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fn2 There was no marked difference in sex, except that male puberty might be later.
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fn3 And men; Elves claimed that both parents gave up or used more “vigour” in begetting and conception than mortals do. For each birth a male was reckoned to give up 1 life-year, and women 2 or more.
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fn4 All these are periods of change in physical life and efficiency. They have nothing to do with rapidity of events. Thus the “resting time” of 6 years is only ¹⁄₂₄ of an Elvish life-year or about a fortnight!! But it is as effective as a 6-year rest. An Elf did not have to wait 144 years (say) before begetting a second child. Elves spent their lives with more deeds and thoughts than men, not less.
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fn5 It probably was not; it was very likely longer. In that case Celeborn must have been a descendant (not son) of Elmo and born in Beleriand.
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fn6 At least (thus = 33–34 [life-years]).
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fn7 The only way to make Celebrían effectively younger (e.g. 40 = mortal equivalent 30) would be to shift the wedding of Celeborn and Galadriel or arrange for later birth of Celebrían, but to reduce her to 40 would mean postponing the birth 8 × 144 = 1,152 years.
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fn8 But dates are confused here.
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XIX Elvish Life-cycles
fn1 By healing of the body or its complete rebuilding of one. That the Eldar were ever “reborn” is a fancy of Men. The relation of fëa and hröa made this impossible. The fëa was a gift of Eru and fitted from the beginning and forever to its particular body.
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fn2They were not “immortal” in eternity.
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PART TWO: BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT
Introduction
fn1 The Thomistic nature of Tolkien’s metaphysics has been most fully deline ated – though without reference to the materials in this book – by Jonathan S. McIntosh in his important monograph, The Flame Imperishable: Tolkien, St. Thomas, and the Metaphysics of Faërie (Angelico Press, 2018).
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III Eldarin Hands, Fingers, and Numerals
fn1 Shoulder-high or higher. The raising added emphasis.
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fn2 So that a hand was never held up in this way in greeting or welcome. In such a case the hand would be raised with palm backwards, and for emphasis with waving of the fingers towards the signaller. In casual greeting in passing, when no further speech was desired, the hand was held edge forward, with or without movement of the fingers.
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fn3 Necessarily from their point of view, since the Eldar made no distinction between the hands and their operations: see further below on Left and Right. The gesture of Halbarad was with the right hand.
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fn4 A “nursery” or instructional substitution for the older word Gmc. tehs-, tehswa- (I.E. deks- as in Latin dexter), which was preserved only in Gothic and OHG, except precariously in place names such as the island Texel: in which the meaning may have been ‘south’. This use of ‘right’ as south is found in Sanskrit, and is usual in Keltic; but is secondary and due to reckoning the compass points from a position facing East (the rising sun). The I.E. deks- stem was probably in fact connected with the stem dek- ‘right, proper, good, fitting’, familiar in English borrowings from Latin: decent, decorous, etc.
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fn5 But w
riting was a special case. For economy and clarity it was desirable that each letter should have a standard form. Fëanor had devised his tengwar with shapes more convenient to the right hand, and these were regarded as the “correct” forms; consequently the tengwar were normally written from the left with the right hand, especially in books and public documents. If written with the left (as often in letters or private records) the tengwar were reversed, and were correct in a mirror. In the “runes”, of later and more elaborate forms and arrangement, reversal was made significant, and there was no difference in convenience for either hand. They were written (or cut) in either direction, or alternating.
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fn6 Much later, but before the end of the Common Eldarin period, the Eldar, leaving behind the primitive beginnings with the hand, devised a counting in sixes and twelves which they used in all more elaborate reckonings; but in daily and colloquial use many of the decimal terms remained in use.
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fn7 nette meant ‘girl approaching the adult’ (in her “teens”: the growth of Elvish children after birth was little if at all slower than that of the children of Men). The Common Eldarin stem (wen-ed) wendē ‘maiden’ applied to all stages up to the fully adult (until marriage).
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fn8 The actually recorded names of thumb and index-finger have, however, no connexion with the numerals for one, two.
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fn9 Such a connexion is seen in the case of 3 and 8; while 5 is certainly related to the words for ‘finger’.
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fn10 Reputed to be the greatest of the Lambeñgolmor (linguistic loremasters) before the end of the Elder Days, both by talent and opportunity, since he himself had known Quenya (Vanyarin and Noldorin) and Telerin and preserved in a memory remarkable even among the Eldar the works (especially on etymology) of the earlier loremasters (including Fëanor); but also had as an Exile been able to learn Sindarin in its varieties, and Nandorin, and had some acquaintance with Khuzdûl in its archaic form as used in the habitations of the Dwarves in Ered Lindon.
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IV Hair
fn1 That is, Finarfin, father of Finrod Felagund.
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V Beards
fn1 When I came to think of it, in my own imagination, beards were not found among Hobbits (as stated in text); nor among the Eldar (not stated). All male Dwarves had them. The wizards had them, though Radagast (not stated) had only short, curling, light brown hair on his chin. Men normally had them when full-grown, hence Eomer, Theoden and all others named. But not Denethor, Boromir, Faramir, Aragorn, Isildur, or other Númenórean chieftains.
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fn2 Who had the law been changed in her time would have become queen, and Elendil would probably have been King of Númenor.
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fn3 Notably Húrin is not one of these names, but being in origin the name of the most renowned in legend of the House of Hador (from whom on the male side the Kings were descended) it was reckoned of equal worth. Why after Mardil Voronwë the Quenya names were abandoned is not clear; but it was probably simply a part of the ritual “humility” of the Ruling Stewards, like their never sitting on the throne, having no crown or sceptre, and banner without device, and holding office only “in the name of the King until he shall return”. I say “ritual”, because it was impossible that any King should return, unless he were a descendant of Elendil from Isildur not Anárion. But from Pelendur onwards the Ruling Stewards were determined not to receive any such claimant, but to remain supreme rulers of Gondor. It may anyway be observed that though Quenya names were not used, those used were probably all the names of renowned heroes in the royal lines of old as recorded in legend. Some may come from tales now lost; but Húrin, Túrin, Hador, Barahir, Dior, Denethor, Orodreth, Ecthelion, Egalmoth, Beren are from legends recorded.
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VI Descriptions of Characters
fn1 Incidentally: Aragorn is provided with a staff, much more suitable for Gandalf, though Aragorn is never described as using one.
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fn2 He speaks slightingly of the archers of Rohan (II 137) in the battle of the Hornburg, in which he was the companion of Aragorn and Eomer in the hottest of the fighting. He was in the vanguard of the Army of the West.
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VII Mind-Pictures
fn1 In the L.R. a notable example is provided by the Istari who appeared among Elves and Men in the likeness of old Men.
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fn2 Cf. Q indo ‘mind’ and √em ‘depict, portray’. A quanta emma or quantemma was a ‘facsimile’, a complete detailed visual reproduction (by any means) of a visible thing.
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fn3 Of old. The matter of corrupted or malicious elvish beings is elsewhere considered. According to the Elves these were mainly disembodied Elves, who had met with some mortal damage, but rebelled against the summons to their spirits to go to their place of Awaiting. Those who so rebelled were mostly those who had been slain in the course of some wrong-doing. Thus they wandered as “houseless” elf-souls, invisible except in the form of indemmar that they could induce in others, and filled often with malice and envy of the “living”, whether elvish or human.
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VIII Knowledge and Memory
fn1 Melkor alone seeks to dominate or coerce minds, and for this uses fear: this is one of the greatest wrongs that he commits.
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fn2 Thus an Elf may stand “asleep” with eyes wakeful, and yet hardly breathe, and with his ears closed to all sound.
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fn3 Though it is more aware and controlled than in Men, and is usually fully remembered (if the fëa so desires).
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IX Ósanwe-kenta
fn1 Here níra (‘will’ as a potential or faculty) since the minimum requirement is that this faculty shall not be exerted in denial; action or an act of will is nirme; as sanwe ‘thought’ or ‘a thought’ is the action or an act of sáma.
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fn2 It may be occupied with thinking and inattentive to other things; it may be “turned towards Eru”; it may be engaged in “thought-converse” with a third mind. Pengolodh says: “Only great minds can converse with more than one other at the same time; several may confer, but then at one time only one is imparting, while the others receive”.
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fn3 No mind can, however, be closed against Eru, either against His inspection or against His message. The latter it may not heed, but it cannot say it did not receive it.
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fn4 Pengolodh adds: “Some say that Manwë, by a special grace to the King, could still in a measure perceive Eru; others more probably, that he remained nearest to Eru, and Eru was most ready to hear and answer him”.
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fn5 Pengolodh here evidently refers to Sauron in particular, from whose arising he fled at last from Middle-earth. But the first destruction of the bodily form of Sauron was recorded in the histories of the Elder Days, in the Lay of Leithian.
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fn6 Pengolodh here elaborates (though it is not necessary for his argument) this matter of “foresight”. No mind, he asserts, knows what is not in it. All that it has experienced is in it, though in the case of the Incarnate, dependent upon the instruments of the hröa, some things may be “forgotten”, not immediately available for recollection. But no part of the “future” is there, for the mind cannot see it or have seen it: that is, a mind placed in time. Such a mind can learn of the future only from another mind which has seen it. But that means only from Eru ultimately, or mediately from s
ome mind that has seen in Eru some part of His purpose (such as the Ainur who are now the Valar in Eä). An Incarnate can thus only know anything of the future, by instruction derived from the Valar, or by a revelation coming direct from Eru. But any mind, whether of the Valar or of the Incarnate, may deduce by reason what will or may come to pass. This is not foresight, not though it may be clearer in terms and indeed even more accurate than glimpses of foresight. Not even if it is formed into visions seen in dream, which is a means whereby “foresight” also is frequently presented to the mind.
Minds that have great knowledge of the past, the present, and the nature of Eä may predict with great accuracy, and the nearer the future the clearer (saving always the freedom of Eru). Much therefore of what is called “foresight” in careless speech is only the deduction of the wise; and if it be received, as warning or instruction, from the Valar, it may be only deduction of the wiser, though it may sometimes be “foresight” at second hand.
The Nature of Middle-earth Page 36
