I agree that a once flat world and the Sun and Moon as hailing from the Two Trees was ultimately intended to be seen as reflecting Mannish distortions.
In my opinion this was Tolkien's answer to his problems. I think he realized he didn't have to rewrite the Silmarillion [Myths Transformed abandoned texts], but rather revise the textual history, or transmission of the texts, and point to 'point of view' and confusion. Bilbo wouldn't necessarily try to correct the ancient texts, even if Elrond told him the 'more correct' Western Elvish perspective in person.
But the idea of the Silmarillion as the result of Elfwine faithfully translating information from Eressean Elves was 'out' -- and transmission through Numenor and the Mannish kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor [and Bilbo] was in.
In the case of Numenor, in my opinion Tolkien's brief note about
The Drowning of Anadune [
sometime in the 1960s Tolkien wrote upon an envelope that contained the Drowning of Anadûnê]...
Quote:
Contains very old version (in Adunaic) which is good -- in so far as it is just as much different (in inclusion and omission and emphasis) as would be probable in the supposed case:
(a) Mannish tradition
(b) Elvish tradition
(c) Mixed Dúnedanic tradition
JRRT, Sauron Defeated
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... makes it a 'later text' than it really is, so to speak. Ok I realize 'which is good' isn't exactly saying that this text is now 'ratified' and ready to be published, but from my point of view why not, as I think Tolkien knew it could fit -- as it was -- right into his new scenario as it concerned the Silmarillion [note
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil on both Elvish and Numenorean sources]. And
The Drowning of Anadune throws a new light on Akallabeth, which seemingly becomes the 'mixed' tradition. Enough people only read the latter however, and thus have little reason to question its implications once they have 'a once flat world' in their heads.
The Lord of the Rings, to me, seems like a mix. Perhaps this is due to Tolkien questioning his old mythology before
The Lord of the Rings was 'fully finished'...
Quote:
'(...) Also, apparently influenced by the preference his friend Katherine Farrer expressed in the autumn of 1948 for the 'Flat World' version of the Ainulindale over the 'Round World' version, Tolkien, for a time at least, seems to have decided to retain the cosmology of the world being originally flat as it was in The Fall of Númenor. In addition, some new material needed to be added to the story of Númenor to take account of various matter introduced in The Lord of the Rings.
Christopher Tolkien thinks that a note his father wrote many years later explains how he regarded the different accounts: The Fall of Númenor relates 'Elvish tradition', The Drowning of Anadûnê 'Mannish tradition', and the Akallabêth, which draws on both of the others, 'Mixed Dúnedanic tradition' (Sauron Defeated, pp. 406-7)'.
Scull and Hammond, Reader's Guide p. 674
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Bombadil seems to speak of a flat world -- but then again, how many first time readers think so? What does Bombadil really mean if the reader doesn't have the idea of a once flat world already present to help interpret what he says?
In my opinion Treebeard seems to speak of an early age
with the Sun [when he describes the early days with the Entwives] -- although I have read at least one other interpretation that maybe he might be speaking of events after the Sun rises. There is also the poetry about Durin and the Moon already quoted, and I believe Tar-elenion used to cite something in Galadriel's song.
I could find no certain reference to the World being made round in
The Lord of the Rings, rather we have [if I recall correctly] the Change of the World, which need not refer to a flat world becoming round I think. Although there are some references -- can't remember how many at the moment -- to a seeming early time of Twilight, although one would have to look at each individually I guess.
The revision to
The Hobbit is quite notable I think, as Tolkien arguably thought that
that reference was hard to interpret in other ways than the Elves existing before the actual Sun. I'll add that in the Elvish version of the Awakening [see War of the Jewels], the Sun existed before the Elves awoke.
I'm not sure there was ever going to be two Silmarillions, but in my opinion there are two accounts of the fall of Numenor -- the 'remaining' [third] account would seem to be wholly Elvish, but it's possible this version wasn't 'necessary' as the Elvish point of view of the world as a 'hanging apple' is clear enough in the Mannish account [world was always round]. I don't think we can also adopt the early
Fall of Numenor as the Elvish account for the new scenario, at least as it is; and in any case to me, Tolkien's brief note only refers to
The Drowning of Anadune, the mannish version.
Some might say 'but the Mannish account was supposed to be garbled about certain things' and I would agree -- but not, I think, about what the Elves of the West taught the Numenoreans concerning the shape of the world -- if that was supposed to be garbled as well it would confuse things overmuch, and in any case it is not one of the purposed confusions that Christopher Tolkien refers the reader to [like confusing the Elves with the Powers].
Sorry about the rambling. Anyway, yes I agree
