<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pile o' Bones
Posts: 21</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Feanor,Turin and the Second Prophecy of Mandos
That is indeed to what I was referring. The whole idea, as I see it, is that the Trees are rekindled, and their light is now allowed to go out across Middle-earth, rather than being confined to Valinor. This is basicly the coming of a new blissful era for Arda. To have this happen to a Valinor that's completely isolated from the rest of the Earth makes it seem almost irrelevant; nice for the Elves I suppose, but meaningless to humans and definitely not the dawn of a new era. In post LotR writings, the Dagor Dagorath (or, at any rate, the end of the world) was supposed to usher in the time of Arda Healed.
Thinking on this further, I think I'm beginning to see more of a problem with it rather than less. One other point I don't think anyone's mentioned: in the Athrabeth, Tolkien basicly establishes that the role of humans is ultimately to heal the hurts of Morgoth and thus allow the marring to be amended and Arda Healed to begin. He also establishes that Iluvatar will at some point physically inhabit Arda, and that this physical habitation will be another part of the Healing. From his point of view, he probably thought of this as a foreshadowing of Christ; and considering that he allowed that much overt Christianity into the legendarium here, he most likely meant that the messiah would return at the end of the world (Arda Marred) and help create Arda Healed. I find it hard to reconcile that with the Turin prophecy.
I do sincerely want to keep the prophecy, but I think now that there are certain problems that will have to be worked out if we are to do that.
</p>
|