Quote:
Originally Posted by Pitchwife
As for seasons, I'd think there can't have been any in Aman during the age of the Trees - at least if we stick to the old, 'classic' Silmarillion cosmology and assume that the Sun didn't exist before the death of the Trees (strangely, this would mean there can have been no seasons in Middle-Earth, either, at that time!). The blossoming and fading periods of the Trees seem to have been pretty regular, at least Tolkien doesn't tell us anything about seasonal variations as far as I've been able to discover (having consulted HoME X in the meantime). After the death of the Trees and the making of Sun and Moon it seems probable that Aman would have been subject to seasonal change like the rest of the world, and being caused by the same Sun, their seasons would be of the same length as ours.
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Well, that's an interesting question - whether seasons did exist or not before the Sun and Moon. Remember, plants and trees did grow even in M-E earlier than Sun and Moon have been made, Yavanna had put down the seeds and they started to grow. One has to remember that it was not the light that helped the plants to grow, obviously we have to forget the photosynthesis and all the things which we are accustomed to.
So, what was happening to the trees in M-E without light? They just grew, kept growing, and eventually, when they were old enough, they died. All right, one can imagine that. But what then? Did they happen to grow any fruit, seeds, whatever, without light? Now that is one question. I would think it possible. But the images of blossoming trees in the darkness are really weird, are they - well, but on the other hand, it seems very Elvish, doesn't it?
But if so, were also the trees dropping their leaves in autumn? And anyway, if we accept the premise, then you see, you had to have seasons, even without the Sun and Moon. No contradiction in the Star Ages of M-E.
And even beside the trees, what about short-living plants? Those which last only one year, for example? Were they just there forever, and only with the coming of the Sun and the Moon they changed into one-year plants? Isn't it also possible that they grew, for example for one year, and then withered, because of let's say some of their "inner timing", not dependant upon Sun or such things?
Because, you see what happens if you say that they did not: you make the Sun and Moon the things that caused the plants to wither fast and grow fast. Not sure if that's the right thing to claim.
Also, how comes the plants, in this state, would be immortal, whereas the animals would probably age normally?
It would be the best if anybody could provide any quotes concerning this topic - but at least for myself, I can't think of anything.