Counting the Sun Years - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Galin · 10-29-2011, 08:16 AM

Possible stupid question alert! in suggesting a range for Maedros' travail upon the precipice, should one count a full 9.582 years between the start of VY year 1500 and Sun Year 1? Or should this not be assumed?

And with respect to the Crossing of the Ice: according to The Annals of Aman Fingolfin and the Noldor began this passage in VY 1497, and according to both The Grey Annals (GA) and The Tale of Years (both published in The War of the Jools), Fingolfin and the Noldor crossed the Straits of Ice in VY year 1500.

And in GA 1497 it is noted that Feanor landed at Drengist: 'In this same year of the Valar (but some seven years after in the later reckoning of time) Feanor came over Sea...' I assume this means that around seven Sun Years into 1497, Feanor lands in Middle-earth -- considering that the passing of the ice must have started after Feanor departed, but still within 1497. But I don't recall any notation that a new reckoning in Sun Years is begun before a full Valian Year had transpired.

Granted, it seems that if the Annals were to survive (from an external standpoint), they were to become a Numenorean compilation in any case (based on communications with the Exiles, further based on Rumil's work), working with a notion of the Sun hailing from one of the Trees, and thus a new reckoning, but still, working within this context...

... or have I muddled something important here?

10-29-2011, 08:16 AM	#1
Galin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,036	Counting the Sun Years Possible stupid question alert! in suggesting a range for Maedros' travail upon the precipice, should one count a full 9.582 years between the start of VY year 1500 and Sun Year 1? Or should this not be assumed? And with respect to the Crossing of the Ice: according to The Annals of Aman Fingolfin and the Noldor began this passage in VY 1497, and according to both The Grey Annals (GA) and The Tale of Years (both published in The War of the Jools), Fingolfin and the Noldor crossed the Straits of Ice in VY year 1500. And in GA 1497 it is noted that Feanor landed at Drengist: 'In this same year of the Valar (but some seven years after in the later reckoning of time) Feanor came over Sea...' I assume this means that around seven Sun Years into 1497, Feanor lands in Middle-earth -- considering that the passing of the ice must have started after Feanor departed, but still within 1497. But I don't recall any notation that a new reckoning in Sun Years is begun before a full Valian Year had transpired. Granted, it seems that if the Annals were to survive (from an external standpoint), they were to become a Numenorean compilation in any case (based on communications with the Exiles, further based on Rumil's work), working with a notion of the Sun hailing from one of the Trees, and thus a new reckoning, but still, working within this context... ... or have I muddled something important here?