Luthany

From Tolkien Gateway
Luthany
Island
General Information
Other namesAlbion
Britain/England
LocationWest of the Great Lands
TypeIsland
People and History
InhabitantsMen (including the Ingwaiwar and the Rúmhoth)
Elves
EventsFirst Faring Forth
Second Faring Forth

Luthany was located in the Great Lands, and afterwards it became the island of Great Britain, according to the early version of the legendarium in some of the outlines for the continuation of The Book of Lost Tales.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Origin[edit | edit source]

Luthany was originally connected to the Great Lands,[1] and after the First Faring Forth and the war with evil Men, the Elves that yet remained in the Great Lands moved to Luthany in large numbers, due to the fact that the King of Luthany was Ing, a Man that was friendly towards the Elves.[2]

Eärendel and Ing[edit | edit source]

At some point in time, Eärendel, fleeing from Ossë, appeared in Luthany and sought Ing's help. In return, Eärendel gave Ing limpë, a drink that turned him immortal.[note 1] He also blessed Ing's progeny, and told him of Tol Eressëa, an island to which the Elves of Luthany go to, kindling Ing's desire to sail there. Presumably due to this, Ing and many of his people embarked on a voyage to Tol Eressëa - however, due to Ossë's wrath at Ing's helping of Eärendel, they were caught up in a storm and blown eastwards. Unfortunately, only Ing survived the storm.[3]

In response to the departure of Ing, and in fear of an invasion by evil Men, the Elves of Luthany cut a channel that separated Luthany from the rest of the Great Lands, making it an island.[4]

The island of Luthany suffered seven invasions in its history, after the arrival of the Elves, each one worse for the Elves than the last one. The penultimate invasion was that of the Rúmhoth (also known as the Romans) who did not even believe that the Elves were real, prompting the departure of nearly every elf left on the island.[5]

England's origins[edit | edit source]

After 300 years,[5] however, the Ingwaiwar (people of Ing) invaded, and they were friendly to the Elves due to the teachings of Ing - and because of this, what little was left of the Elves on the island, temporarily slowed down their exodus to Tol Eressëa, many of whom learned Old English, the language of the Ingwaiwar, during that time.[6]

Some time after, a mariner called Ælfwine, a descendant of Ing, was born in Luthany. He would later manage to find a way to Tol Eressëa, and learn the histories of the Elves. In one of the outlines of the Book of Lost Tales, Ælfwine was the author of the Golden Book of Tavrobel.[7]

According to another outline, it was prophesied by the Elves that Ing would eventually lead them from Tol Eressëa back to Luthany,[5] in the Second Faring Forth.[8]

Description[edit | edit source]

Many of the places in Tol Eressëa, such as Kortirion or Tavrobel (the New), were named after older places in Luthany (such as Kortirion the Old or Tavrobel the Old).[9]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The name Luthany is in Gnomish[10], meaning "friendship".[11] Albion also appears as a name of Luthany in one of the outlines.[12]

An earlier form of the name was Lúthien (in most other texts from this time period its meaning is "friend", appearing in conjunction with Luthany = "friendship"). An alternative form, Leithian, appears written above Lúthien in one of the texts.[13]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
This article or section needs expansion and/or modification. Please help the wiki by expanding it.

In the later legendarium from the 1930 Quenta Noldorinwa, Leithien was the name of one of the islands that were formed during the destruction of Beleriand in the War of Wrath. It later became known as Britain or England.[14]

Inspiration[edit | edit source]

Luthany appears as a name of a country in a poem called The Mistress of Vision by Francis Thompson, who was an influence on Tolkien.[15]

Notes

  1. 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.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 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. 308
  2. 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 18 and 20, pp. 302/3, 304
  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", outlines 23 and 24, p. 306
  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", outline 26, p. 307
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 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
  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 19 and 20, p. 304
  7. 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 30, p. 310
  8. 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 27, p. 307
  9. 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 29 and 30, p. 310
  10. Paul Strack, "G. Luthany loc.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 14 April 2022)
  11. 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 19, p. 304
  12. 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 20, p. 304
  13. 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", note 20, pp. 329-330
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: §18 in the Q II version", p. 162
  15. 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", note 14, pp. 328-9