Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Sketch of the Mythology

2006-10-29T23:15:18Z

Warmaster:

The Sketch of the Mythology is the 'first' Version of [[The Silmarillion]] (according to Tolkien) Writen in 1926.

Origionally written as an outline to explain the background to the Alliterative 'Children of Hurin' to Tolkien's old tutor and friend R.W Reynolds, it later became the basis from which all work on the Legendarium derived.

While only 28 pages long, the narrative in the Sketch advances a great deal from [[The Book of Lost Tales]] Approaching the final form in most respects, albeit extremely condensed. It was superceeded by the [[Quenta Noldorinwa]] in 1930

Quenta Noldorinwa

2006-10-29T23:11:35Z

Warmaster:

The Quenta Noldorinwa, also known simply as The Quenta, is the 'second' version of the Silmarillion, written in 1930.

This version of the Silmarillion holds especially importance as it is the only 'complete' version of the [[Legendarium]] that Tolkien ever completed to its end. Following on from the '[[Sketch of the Mythology]]' This version of the Silmarillion also moves towards the final form of the story in almost all general terms.

However this version does differ significantly from the published Silmarillion. Most notable is that it is only about a quarter of the length of the published novel. This is largely due to Tolkien's often used method of expanding while composing. The end of the narrative differs in some respects, many names were still to be changed, and a few other narrative elements are slightly different or much more compressed, but by this stage the general history of the first age is largely complete.

Since it is the only version of the legendarium Tolkien ever completed, it also includes the last narratives of all of [[The Necklace of the Dwarves]] and of [[The Fall of Gondolin]] on which the published forms were based, albeit much changed in form in many cases.

Quenta Noldorinwa

2006-10-29T23:11:21Z

Warmaster:

The Quenta Noldorinwa, also known simply as The Quenta, is the 'second' version of the Silmarillion, written in 1930.

This version of the Silmarillion holds especially importance as it is the only 'complete' version of the [[Legendarium]] that Tolkien ever completed to its end. Following on from the [[Sketch of the Mythology]]' This version of the Silmarillion also moves towards the final form of the story in almost all general terms.

However this version does differ significantly from the published Silmarillion. Most notable is that it is only about a quarter of the length of the published novel. This is largely due to Tolkien's often used method of expanding while composing. The end of the narrative differs in some respects, many names were still to be changed, and a few other narrative elements are slightly different or much more compressed, but by this stage the general history of the first age is largely complete.

Since it is the only version of the legendarium Tolkien ever completed, it also includes the last narratives of all of [[The Necklace of the Dwarves]] and of [[The Fall of Gondolin]] on which the published forms were based, albeit much changed in form in many cases.

Quenta Noldorinwa

2006-10-29T23:10:45Z

Warmaster:

The Quenta Noldorinwa, also known simply as The Quenta, is the 'second' version of the Silmarillion, written in 1930.

This version of the Silmarillion holds especially importance as it is the only 'complete' version of the [[Legendarium]] that Tolkien ever completed to its end. Following on from '[[The Sketch of the Mythology]]' This version of the Silmarillion also moves towards the final form of the story in almost all general terms.

However this version does differ significantly from the published Silmarillion. Most notable is that it is only about a quarter of the length of the published novel. This is largely due to Tolkien's often used method of expanding while composing. The end of the narrative differs in some respects, many names were still to be changed, and a few other narrative elements are slightly different or much more compressed, but by this stage the general history of the first age is largely complete.

Since it is the only version of the legendarium Tolkien ever completed, it also includes the last narratives of all of [[The Necklace of the Dwarves]] and of [[The Fall of Gondolin]] on which the published forms were based, albeit much changed in form in many cases.

Quenta Noldorinwa

2006-10-29T23:10:07Z

Warmaster:

The Quenta Noldorinwa, also known simply as The Quenta, is the 'second' version of the Silmarillion, written in 1930.

This version of the Silmarillion holds especially importance as it is the only 'complete' version of the [[Legendarium]] that Tolkien ever completed to its end. Following on from '[[The Sketch of Mythology]]' This version of the Silmarillion also moves towards the final form of the story in almost all general terms.

However this version does differ significantly from the published Silmarillion. Most notable is that it is only about a quarter of the length of the published novel. This is largely due to Tolkien's often used method of expanding while composing. The end of the narrative differs in some respects, many names were still to be changed, and a few other narrative elements are slightly different or much more compressed, but by this stage the general history of the first age is largely complete.

Since it is the only version of the legendarium Tolkien ever completed, it also includes the last narratives of all of [[The Necklace of the Dwarves]] and of [[The Fall of Gondolin]] on which the published forms were based, albeit much changed in form in many cases.

Akallabêth

2006-10-29T23:00:04Z

Warmaster: /* Interpretation */

[[Image:John Howe - Drowning-of-Numenor.jpeg|thumb|''Drowning of Numenor'' by [[John Howe]]]]
'''Akallabêth''' ("The Downfallen" in [[Adûnaic]]; [[Quenya]] is ''Atalantë'') is the story of the destruction of the Kingdom of [[Númenor]]. At the end of the [[First Age]] (described in detail in the ''[[Quenta Silmarillion]]''), those of [[Men]] who had been helping [[Elves]] in their fight against [[Melkor]] were given a new small continent of their own, free from the evil and sadness of [[Middle-earth]]. It was located in the middle of the [[Great Sea]], between the western shores of Middle-earth, and the eastern shores of [[Aman]], where the [[Valar]] dwelt.

As they entered Númenor, the Men were forbidden to set sail towards Aman. They gladly agreed to this, because they regarded mortality as a gift, and did not envy the Valar and Elves who could not die. For two and a half thousand years Númenor grew in might. [[Númenórean]] ships sailed the seas and established remote colonies, some of them in Middle-earth. During that time, the Elves of Middle-earth were engaged in a bitter fight with [[Morgoth]]'s former servant [[Sauron]], who had turned into a [[Dark Lord]] himself. The Elves asked for the help of the Númenórean, and they agreed. But as time went on, it became evil and rebelled against the Valar and the Elves, over the course of one thousand and a half years, desiring immortality. There was one king, the second-last, who tried to amend the evil, but it was too late. During this time, Númenor still grew more powerful.

The last king wanted control of Middle-earth, and so he attacked Sauron. Sauron's armies became afraid of the might of Númenor, and so he was captured and brought imprisoned to the Númenórean king. However Sauron exploited his power to corrupt the Númenórean king to his will. Soon he became his advisor, and much of Númenor obeyed his will and worshiped Morgoth. Sauron convinced the king to try and assail Aman for immortality, desiring to destroy Númenor with the wrath of the Valar. However as this was done, the Valar appealed to [[Eru Ilúvatar]]. Eru destroyed the Númenórean host, by crushing it under stones; however he also caused the whole of Númenor to sink under the Great Sea. Just a few men of Númenórean royal blood, uncorrupted by Sauron who came from a long line called the Faithful, had fled Númenor by ships earlier with some gifts that Men received from the Valar and the Elves in times of peace. They were led by [[Elendil]] the Tall, and his two sons: [[Isildur]] and [[Anárion]].

They set sail to Middle-earth, where the followers of Elendil established two kingdoms which were managed as Númenórean provinces: [[Gondor]] in the south, and [[Arnor]] in the North. Some of the King's Men, enemies of Elendil, established other realms in exile to the south; of these the [[Haven of Umbar]] was the chief. The culture of Númenor became the dominant culture of Middle-earth (thus, [[Westron]], a descendant of the [[Adûnaic]] language of Númenor became the [[Common Speech]]). The sadness and the shock from the loss of a whole continent lived ever in the hearts of kings of Númenórean descent. [[Arda]] was made spherical, and Aman was put beyond it, out of the reach of mortal men. Sauron, although greatly diminished and bereft of shape, escaped Númenor and return to Middle-earth once more.

== Textual History ==
The story originated with ''[[The Lost Road and Other Writings|The Lost Road]]'', an abandoned time-travel novel. The story also forms a major element in ''[[The Notion Club Papers]]'', likewise an abandoned time-travel novel. Other versions of the story include various texts called ''[[The Fall of Númenor]]'' and the version in the "Mannish Tradition," ''[[The Drowning of Anadune]]''. These texts can be found in HoME Volume IX, ''[[Sauron Defeated]]''. A highly abbreviated version of the story is found in [[Appendix A]] of The Lord of the Rings.

== Interpretation ==
As the [[Quenya]] name makes obvious, this is a retelling of the story of Atlantis in the Middle-earth cadre. Though as Tolkien himself noted, the Root TALAT 'Slope, sliding' occoured in the Elvish languages back to C. 1918, well before the Numenor Legend was invented.

{{silmarillion}}

==External Links==

* [http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/num-intro.htm Westernesse], an attempt by [[Helge Kåre Fauskanger]] to show how the ''Akallabêth'' could be adapted as a prequel to [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] rather than, or in addition to, [[The Hobbit]]

[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:The Silmarillion chapters]]

Númenor

2006-10-29T22:57:14Z

Warmaster: /* Culture */

{{kingdom
| image = [[Image:Numenor Map.jpg|300px|]]
| name = Númenor
| meaning = Land of the West, Westernesse
| type = Monarchy
| hidep = yes
| headofstate = [[King of Númenor|King]] or [[Ruling Queen of Númenor|Queen]] of Númenor
| executive = [[Council of the Sceptre]]
| legislative =
| judicial =
| capital = [[Armenelos]]
| language = [[Adûnaic]]
| location = The [[Great Sea]], within sight of [[Tol Eressëa]]
| populace= [[Men]] (the races of the [[Dúnedain]] and [[Drúedain]])
| currency =
| religious = Belief in [[Eru Ilúvatar]]; [[Melkor]] worship after c. [[Second Age|II]] 3265
| holiday = ''[[Erukyermë]]'', ''[[Erulaitalë]]'', ''[[Eruhantalë]]''
| anthem =
| formed = The Westward migration of the [[Edain]] after the [[War of Wrath]]
| established = II 32
| reorganized =
| fragmented =
| dissolved = II 3319
| restored =
}}
'''Númenor''' stems from the [[Quenya]] '''''Númenórë''''': "West-land", which Tolkien translated as '''''Westernesse''''' (it was '''''Anadûnê''''' in the [[Adûnaic|Númenórean language]]).

==Geography==
Númenor was a rather large island in the middle of the Western Sea. The island itself was in the shape of a 5-point star, each point having its own unique geological and physical features. Each point, therefore, was considered a separate region of Númenor and had separate names:
*[[Forostar]] (''Northlands'')
*[[Andustar]] (''Westlands'')
*[[Hyarnustar]] (''Southwestlands'')
*[[Hyarrostar]] (''Southeastlands'')
*[[Orrostar]] ("Eastlands")
*[[Mittalmar]] (''Inlands'')

The island had a mountain in the center known as [[Meneltarma]]; it is suggested that the island itself is of volcanic origin. Meneltarma is the highest location on the entire island and was considered sacred by the Númenóreans as a shrine of God, [[Eru|Eru Ilúvatar]]. Only the [[Rulers of Númenor|Kings]] of Númenor were allowed to speak on the summit. It was said that on a clear day the 'far-sighted' might see [[Tol Eressëa]], the island east of Valinor proper which along with it comprised the Undying Lands.

Meneltarma itself was a tall mountain in the centre of the island (in the region of [[Mittalmar]]) that, when translated, means ''Pillar of the Heavens''. The lower slopes of the mountain were gentle grass-covered, however, near the summit the slopes became more vertical and could not be ascended easily. The kings later built a spiraling road to the peak, beginning at the southern tip of the mountain and winding up to the lip of the summit in the north. The summit, however, was unique in that it was flattened and somewhat depressed, and was said to be able to "contain a great multitude". It was considered the most sacred spot of Númenor, and nothing was ever built there throughout the entire history of the island.

The island itself was tilted southward and a little westward; the southern coasts were all steep sea cliffs.

==Culture==
The population of Númenor chiefly consisted of Men (the [[Edain]]) mostly decended from the [[House of Hador]]; although before the Shadow fell on the island the westernmost cities such as [[Andúnië]] contained a small population of Elves because of the frequent visits from Tol Eressëa. They were known as the Númenóreans, or rather, ''Kings among Men''.

The Númenóreans were extremely skilled in arts and craft, with the forging of weapons and armour; but the Númenóreans were not warmongers, hence the chief art on the island became that of ship-building and sea-craft. The Númenóreans became great mariners, exploring the world in all directions save for the westward, where the Ban of the Valar was in force. They oft travelled to the shores of Middle-earth, teaching the men there the art and craft, and introduced farming as to improve their everyday lives.

The Númenóreans, too, became skilled in the art of husbandry, breeding great horses that roamed across the open plains in Mittalmar. Although the Númenóreans were a peaceful people, their weapons, armour, and horse-riding skills could not be contested anywhere else in [[Arda]], save for the [[Valar]].

==Plant life==
Númenor contained many species of plants that could be found nowhere else in [[Middle-earth]], for many of them were given to the Númenóreans from the [[Valar]] in [[Aman]]. Most important of these was the [[White Tree]] that dwelt in the King's Palace at [[Armenelos]]; it was the symbol of Men thereafter, in both Númenor, [[Arnor]], and [[Gondor]].

The other parts of Númenor contained many types of plants, many unique to each of the promontories of the island. [[Andustar]] contained great forests of beech and birch at the higher ground, and oak and elm forests are lower altitudes.

The greatest delight of the Númenóreans, however, were the flowers given to them by the [[Eldar]]. They grew mostly in the Western portion (Andustar). They are oft remembered in song and lore, and few have flowered east of Númenor.
*[[Ololairë]]
*[[Lairelossë]]
*[[Nessamelda]]
*[[Vardarianna]]
*[[Taniquelassë]]
*[[Yavannamíre]]

Because of the diversity of wildlife in Andustar, it was soon called Nisimaldar, or ''the Fragrant Trees''. Also only in Andustar could the Golden Tree be found, [[Malinornë]].

In [[Hyarrostar]] grew the tree [[Laurinquë]], which the Númenorans loved because of their flowers. They believed that it came from the Great Tree of Valinor, [[Laurelin]].

==History==
Númenor was the kingdom of the [[Dúnedain]], located on an island in the [[Belegaer|Great Sea]], between Middle-earth and [[Aman]]. The land was brought up from the sea as a gift to [[Men]]. It was also called '''''Elenna''''' ("'''Starwards'''") because the Dúnedain were led to it by the [[Star of Eärendil]], and because the island was in the shape of a five-pointed star. At the center of the island was a mountain named Meneltarma, which the Dúnedain used as a temple to [[Ilúvatar]]. The largest city and capital of Númenor was [[Armenelos]].

Númenor had only two rivers: [[Siril]] which began at Meneltarma and ended in a small delta near the city of [[Nindamos]], and the [[Nunduinë]], which reached the sea in the [[Bay of Eldanna]] near the haven [[Eldalondë]].

[[Elros]] son of [[Eärendil the Mariner|Eärendil]] was the first King of Númenor, taking the name of [[Tar-Minyatur]] ("First King"). Under his rule (year 32 to 442 of the [[Second Age]]), and those of his descendants, Men rose to become a powerful race. The first ships sailed from Númenor to Middle-earth in the year 600 of the Second Age.

The Númenóreans were forbidden by the Valar from sailing so far westward that Númenor was no longer visible, for fear that they would come upon the [[Undying Lands]], to which Men could not come. Over time the Númenóreans came to resent the Ban of the Valar and to rebel against their authority, seeking the everlasting life that they believed was begrudged them. They tried to compensate this by going eastward and colonizing large parts of Middle-earth, first in a friendly way, but later as tyrants. Soon the Númenóreans came to rule a great but terrorizing maritime empire that had no rival. Few (the "Faithful") remained loyal to the Valar and friendly to the [[Elves]].

In the year 3255 of the Second Age, the 25th king, [[Ar-Pharazôn]], sailed to Middle-earth. Seeing the might of Númenor, [[Sauron]] agreed to be the king's captive, and he was brought back to Númenor. Sauron soon became an advisor to the King and promised the Númenóreans eternal life if they worshipped [[Melkor]]. With Sauron as his advisor, Ar-Pharazôn had a 500 foot tall temple to Melkor erected, in which he offered human sacrifices to Melkor.

During this time, the white tree [[Nimloth of Númenor|Nimloth the Fair]], whose fate was said to be tied to the line of kings, was chopped down and burned as a sacrifice to Melkor. [[Isildur]] rescued a fruit of the tree which became the [[White Tree of Minas Tirith|White Tree]] of [[Gondor]], preserving the ancient line of trees.

[[Image:Ted_Nasmith_-_The_Ships_of_the_Faithful.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''The Ships of the Faithful'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]
Prompted by Sauron and fearing death and old age, Ar-Pharazôn built a great armada and set sail into the west to make war upon the Valar and seize the Undying Lands. Sauron remained behind. In the year 3319 of the Second Age, Ar-Pharazôn landed on Aman and marched to the city of [[Valimar]]. [[Manwë]], chief of the angelic Valar, called upon Ilúvatar, who broke and changed the world, taking Aman and Tol Eressëa from the world forever, changing the world's shape from flat to round, sinking Númenor and killing its inhabitants, including the body of Sauron who was thereby robbed of his ability to assume fair and charming forms.

[[Elendil]], son of the leader of the Faithful during the reign of Ar-Pharazôn, his sons and his followers had foreseen the disaster that was to befall Númenor, and they had set sail in nine ships before the island fell. They landed in Middle-earth, and founded the kingdoms of [[Arnor]] and Gondor.

After its fall Númenor was called '''''Atalantë''''', meaning "the Downfallen", in the Quenya language. (The similarity with Atlantis is obvious, although Tolkien described his invention of the name as a happy accident when he realised that the Quenya root meaning "fallen" could be incorporated into a name referring to Númenor.) Other names after the Downfall include '''''Mar-nu-Falmar''''' ("Land under the Waves") and '''''Akallabêth''''' ("the Downfallen" in Adûnaic).

The story of the rise and downfall of Númenor is told in the [[Akallabêth]].

'''Notes:'''
*The cartoon series Ulysses 31 includes a character called Numinor, whose name may be derivative of Númenor.

*[[C.S. Lewis]]' novel That Hideous Strength makes reference to "Numinor [sic] and the True West", which Lewis credits as a then-unpublished creation of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]. This is one of many examples of cross-overs between the novels of Lewis and Tolkien, both of whom were members of the [[Inklings]], a literary discussion group at [[Oxford University]].

'''See also:''' [[Rulers of Númenor]]

==External links==
*[http://members.ozemail.com.au/~sdgeard/hccnum.html A History and Complete Chronology of Númenor] - A detailed chronology of Númenor, its successor states and their rulers.

[[Category:Númenor]]
[[Category:Realms]]
[[Category:Islands]]

The Lost Road

2006-10-29T22:56:11Z

Warmaster:

'''The Lost Road''' is an unfinished story by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] in which he attemped to link the newly developed [[Numenor]] story of the [[Legendarium]] with the [[Elfwine]] story of [[The Silmarillion]] as it then stood. It seems likely that it was written in 1935-6.

The origional idea of the book came out of discussions that Tolkien had with [[C.S. Lewis]] who said that "There is too little of what we really like in stories" and they thus tried to write their own. C.S. Lewis took 'Space Travel' and his story emerged a few years later as "Out of the Silent Planet" Tolkien meanwhile took 'Time Travel' and wrote the Lost road.

The theme of the book is one of 'Preincarnation' That a father and son duo, sharing names that are etymologically connected with Elendil (Elf-friend) and Valandil (God-friend) Such as the pairs Elfwine/Edwin, Alboin/Audoin and the like. In the story the father son pair were to go back in time through different phases of the history of their names - in notes Tolkien lists them as 'Anglo Saxon. Irish legends. Prehistoric north. Belariand. Numenor.'

However Tolkien only wrote 4 chapters of the story. The two opening chapters, and two which take place in Numenor. It seems he abandoned it due to his interest only in the 'Numenor bits' and possibly the fact that he was working on the Silmarillion at the time.

However this was not the last time Tolkien tried to intigrate the Numenor story into a time travel frame work, as he tried a second time a decade later with [[The Notion Club Papers]]

The Lost Road

2006-10-29T22:54:10Z

Warmaster:

'''The Lost Road''' is an unfinished story by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] in which he attemped to link the newly developed [[Numenor]] story of the [[Legendarium]] with the [[Aelfwine]] story of [[The Silmarillion]] as it then stood. It seems likely that it was written in 1935-6.

The origional idea of the book came out of discussions that Tolkien had with [[C.S. Lewis]] who said that "There is too little of what we really like in stories" and they thus tried to write their own. C.S. Lewis took 'Space Travel' and his story emerged a few years later as "Out of the Silent Planet" Tolkien meanwhile took 'Time Travel' and wrote the Lost road.

The theme of the book is one of 'Preincarnation' That a father and son duo, sharing names that are etymologically connected with Elendil (Elf-friend) and Valandil (God-friend) Such as the pairs Elfwine/Edwin, Alboin/Audoin and the like. In the story the father son pair were to go back in time through different phases of the history of their names - in notes Tolkien lists them as 'Anglo Saxon. Irish legends. Prehistoric north. Belariand. Numenor.'

However Tolkien only wrote 4 chapters of the story. The two opening chapters, and two which take place in Numenor. It seems he abandoned it due to his interest only in the 'Numenor bits'

However this was not the last time Tolkien tried to intigrate the Numenor story into a time travel frame work, as he tried a second time a decade later with [[The Notion Club Papers]]

The Lost Road and Other Writings

2006-10-29T22:38:41Z

Warmaster:

[[Image:The Lost Road and Other Writings.jpg|thumb|Cover of the 1st American edition]]
At the end of 1937, [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] reluctantly set aside his work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and [[Middle-earth]] and began [[The Lord of the Rings]]. This fifth volume of [[The History of Middle-earth]] completes the examination of his writing up to that time. Later forms of The Annals of Valinor and The Annals of Beleriand had been composed, The Silmarillionwas nearing completion in a greatly amplified form, and a new Map had been made. The legend of the Downfall of Numenor had entered the work, including those central ideas: the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned 'time-travel' story The Lost Road, linking the world of Numenor and [[Middle-earth]] with the legends of many other times and peoples. Also included in this volume is The Lhammas, an essay on the complex languages and dialects of [[Middle-earth]], and an 'etymological dictionary' containing an extensive account of Elvish vocabularies.

# "The Early History of the Legend" - an introduction to the following two pieces, detailing how Tolkien's correspondence with [[C.S. Lewis]] led to the writing of ''The Lost Road''.
# ''The Fall of Númenor'' - an early draft of the ''[[Akallabêth]]''
# ''[[The Lost Road]]'' - a story that connects Tolkien's other tales to the present
# The later ''Annals of Beleriand''
# The later ''Annals of Valinor''
# The ''Ainulindalë'' - an early version of ''[[Ainulindalë|The Music of the Ainur]]''
# ''The [[Lhammas]]'' ("Account of Tongues") - an overview of the various languages of the Elves
# ''Quenta Silmarillion'' - a draft of ''[[Quenta Silmarillion|The Silmarillion]]''
# The ''Etymologies'' - a long list of words and roots, the best source on Elvish languages
# The second Silmarillion map

{{home}}

[[Category:Books|Lost Road and Other Writings]]

User:Warmaster

2006-10-29T22:37:09Z

Warmaster:

{|align=right border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4
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Hello, I am Warmaster, an inhabitant of Luthien *cough* Aka England. I have been a Tolkien fan now for about 7 years. While i started with the Hobbit (ok) then LOTR (pretty good) my real favorite parts of Middle-Earth are without a doubt those contained in the [[Silmarillion]] Which is probably my favorite book of all time. This links well to my interests - i have always been a fan of history, and of map making, and the Silmarillion got lots of both in at once. I also write my own fantasy stories, of which the Silmarillion is a far bigger influence than LOTR.

== My thoughts on the [[Legendarium]]

While the fact that Tolkien never completed the Legendarium is extremely depressing at times, the material he did 'complete' and the work he left behind unfinished are some of the most absorbing and thoughtful works i have ever read.
Especially notable is the Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth (which should have been an appendix to the Silmarillion as Tolkien intended) and other such elements from Morgoth's Ring, which shows how deep Tolkien took his world. While the extention to include Numenor and then Gondor/Dunedain kingdoms deeply enriched Middle-Earth from the concepts of the 1930s, I do honestly think that the Hobbits are, and have always been the weakest link of the Legendarium. In all, despite its unfinished state, no fantasy author since has come remotely close (nor actually even tried!) to match Tolkien's skill as a world builder.

User:Warmaster

2006-10-29T22:36:40Z

Warmaster:

{|align=right border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=4
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Hello, I am Warmaster, an inhabitant of Luthien *cough* Aka England. I have been a Tolkien fan now for about 7 years. While i started with the Hobbit (ok) then LOTR (pretty good) my real favorite parts of Middle-Earth are without a doubt those contained in the [[Silmarillion]] Which is probably my favorite book of all time. This links well to my interests - i have always been a fan of history, and of map making, and the Silmarillion got lots of both in at once. I also write my own fantasy stories, of which the Silmarillion is a far bigger influence than LOTR.

== My thoughts on the [[Legendarium]]

While the fact that Tolkien never completed the Legendarium is extremely depressing at times, the material he did 'complete' and the work he left behind unfinished are some of the most absorbing and thoughtful works i have ever read.
Especially notable is the Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth (which should have been an appendix to the Silmarillion as Tolkien intended) and other such elements from Morgoth's Ring, which shows how deep Tolkien took his world. While the extention to include Numenor and then Gondor/Dunedain kingdoms deeply enriched Middle-Earth from the concepts of the 1930s, I do honestly think that the Hobbits are, and have always been the weakest link of the Legendarium. In all, despite its unfinished state, no fantasy author since has come remotely close (nor actually even tried!) to match Tolkien's skill as a world builder.

User:Warmaster

2006-10-29T22:36:21Z

Warmaster:

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Hello, I am Warmaster, an inhabitant of Luthien *cough* Aka England. I have been a Tolkien fan now for about 7 years. While i started with the Hobbit (ok) then LOTR (pretty good) my real favorite parts of Middle-Earth are without a doubt those contained in the [[Silmarillion]] Which is probably my favorite book of all time. This links well to my interests - i have always been a fan of history, and of map making, and the Silmarillion got lots of both in at once. I also write my own fantasy stories, of which the Silmarillion is a far bigger influence than LOTR.

== My thoughts on the [[Legendarium]]

While the fact that Tolkien never completed the Legendarium is extremely depressing at times, the material he did 'complete' and the work he left behind unfinished are some of the most absorbing and thoughtful works i have ever read.
Especially notable is the Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth (which should have been an appendix to the Silmarillion as Tolkien intended) and other such elements from Morgoth's Ring, which shows how deep Tolkien took his world. While the extention to include Numenor and then Gondor/Dunedain kingdoms deeply enriched Middle-Earth from the concepts of the 1930s, I do honestly think that the Hobbits are, and have always been the weakest link of the Legendarium. In all, despite its unfinished state, no fantasy author since has come remotely close (nor actually even tried!) to match Tolkien's skill as a world builder.

User:Warmaster

2006-10-29T22:33:12Z

Warmaster:

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Hello, I am Warmaster, an inhabitant of Luthien *cough* Aka England. I have been a Tolkien fan now for about 7 years. While i started with the Hobbit (ok) then LOTR (pretty good) my real favorite parts of Middle-Earth are without a doubt those contained in the [[Silmarillion]] Which is probably my favorite book of all time. This links well to my interests - i have always been a fan of history, and of map making, and the Silmarillion got lots of both in at once. I also write my own fantasy stories, of which the Silmarillion is a far bigger influence than LOTR.

== My thoughts on the [[Legendarium]]

While the fact that Tolkien never completed the Legendarium is extremely depressing at times, the material he did 'complete' and the work he left behind unfinished are some of the most absorbing and thoughtful works i have ever read.
Especially notable is the Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth (which should have been an appendix to the Silmarillion as Tolkien intended) and other such elements from Morgoth's Ring, which shows how deep Tolkien took his world. While the extention to include Numenor and then Gondor/Dunedain kingdoms deeply enriched Middle-Earth from the concepts of the 1930s, I do honestly think that the Hobbits are, and have always been the weakest link of the Legendarium. In all, despite its unfinished state, no fantasy author since has come remotely close (nor actually even tried!) to match Tolkien's skill as a world builder.