Ing
| Ing | |
|---|---|
| Man | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Ingwë |
| Titles | King of Luthany |
| Location | Luthany possibly Tol Eressëa |
| Family | |
| Parentage | Unknown (descendant of Ermon)[1][note 1] |
| Children | Unknown (ancestor of Ælfwine) |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
Ing or Ingwë[note 2][1] was the Mannish King of Luthany, and the legendary ancestor of the Anglo-Saxons,[2] according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Following the march of the Elves of Kôr to the Great Lands to free the enslaved Gnomes, the remaining Elves waged a war with evil Men, and afterwards retreated to the land of Luthany ruled by Ing, who was friendly to them.[4]
After some time, Eärendel, fleeing from Ossë, came to Luthany and was given aid by Ing. In return for his help, Eärendel allowed Ing to drink limpë, which made him immortal.[5][note 3] Eärendel also spoke to him of Tol Eressëa, where many of the Elves of Luthany moved to. This inspired Ing, "longing for the Elves", to try to sail there; however, due to the anger of Ossë for helping Eärendel, he and all his fleet were driven east, and only Ing managed to survive.[2]
There, he became the king of the people known as the Ingwaiwar (named after him). He instructed them in many things, including the Valar and the Elves, and set their hearts toward sailing west.[2]
At some point, Ing left the Ingwaiwar, departing in a boat, and was never heard of again.[2][note 4][6]
His people, the Ingwaiwar, eventually conquered Luthany and became known as the English. However, unlike all other previous invaders, they were friendly to the Elves owing to the teachings of Ing.[1][7]
Among Ing's descendants was Ælfwine the Mariner, who travelled to Tol Eressëa, and learned the histories of the Elves.[8]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The name Ing is of unknown origin. Another name for the character was Ingwë.
Ing was also an earlier, rejected (Qenya) name for the character of Inwë, the leader of the Teleri in The Book of Lost Tales.[9]
In the Sketch of the Mythology, from c. 1926, the name Ing is described as being the Gnomish form of Ingwë, as opposed to the earlier conception of Ing being a rejected Qenya form of Inwë.[10]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Inspiration[edit | edit source]
The main inspiration behind the character was the figure of Ing in the Runic Poem, of whom it is said: "Ing was first seen by men among the East Danes, until he departed eastwards over the waves; his car sped after him."[1]
The Ingwaiwar, his followers, were probably based on the people called the Inguaeones, the ancestors of the English.[1]
Notes
- ↑ According to another text, he was the descendant of both Ermon and Elmir, the first two Men to awaken at Murmenalda.
- ↑ This is not to be confused with the character of Ingwë, King of the Vanyar in the later legendarium, nor with that of Inwë his literary predecessor. While there may be some connection between these two characters, they are not one and the same.
- ↑ In another outline, it was the Elves living in Luthany who gave Ing limpë, with Eärendel coming to Luthany after the invasion of the Rúmhoth has already taken place.
- ↑ In another note, he went to, and reached Tol Eressëa. There, it is said that one day he would lead the Elves of Tol Eressëa back to Luthany.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", pp. 304-5
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 24, p. 306
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 15, p. 301
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 18, pp. 302-3
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 23, p. 306
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 22, pp. 305-6
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outlines 20 and 21, p. 304
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", p. 309
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "I. The Cottage of Lost Play": "Notes and Commentary", p. 22
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "II. The Earliest 'Silmarillion': Commentary on the 'Sketch of the Mythology'", p. 44
