Why did Frodo feel he had to leave Middle Earth at the of ROTK? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 05-03-2014, 07:25 AM

No, Aman incl. Valinor and Eressea remain within Time. All of Arda is within Time, and none "pass beyond thought and time" or enter "the Timeless Halls" save in death. The first reckoning of Time was made in Valinor based on the cycles of the Trees.

Based on Tolkien's essay 'Aman" in Morgoth's Ring, I would venture that Frodo and Bilbo (and Sam and Gimli) perforce dwelt in Eressea. This is not to say that they couldn't visit Valinor, but it would appear that a mortal couldn't endure the fully Undying Land for an extended period. Eressea was a sort of 'halfway house,' partaking somewhat of Middle-earth, and this is presumably why most of the returned Exiles and Sindar chose to live there.

In any event, Bilbo and Frodo (and Sam) would eventually die and pass out of Time "to the fate of Men beyond the world".

05-03-2014, 07:25 AM	#28
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	No, Aman incl. Valinor and Eressea remain within Time. All of Arda is within Time, and none "pass beyond thought and time" or enter "the Timeless Halls" save in death. The first reckoning of Time was made in Valinor based on the cycles of the Trees. Based on Tolkien's essay 'Aman" in Morgoth's Ring, I would venture that Frodo and Bilbo (and Sam and Gimli) perforce dwelt in Eressea. This is not to say that they couldn't visit Valinor, but it would appear that a mortal couldn't endure the fully Undying Land for an extended period. Eressea was a sort of 'halfway house,' partaking somewhat of Middle-earth, and this is presumably why most of the returned Exiles and Sindar chose to live there. In any event, Bilbo and Frodo (and Sam) would eventually die and pass out of Time "to the fate of Men beyond the world". __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.