Coincidence?

[Inziladun]

For lack of any substantial evidence to the contrary, I'd have to consider it just happenstance.
Curiously, weren't the Stone of Erech and Elendil's tomb also black? And Orthanc as well.

*btw- like the new avvie*

[Beregond]

Interesting topic. I also don't have any facts to back up what I say, but I think meteors are the stuff of legends and stories everywhere. Their very nature, as objects seemingly sent from God out of the sky, would lend itself towards the mythic. Whether Tolkien was inspired by the Black Stone at Kaaba, or from some other legend (a Scandinavian one?) who can say? But the stone of Erech that Inziladun mentioned is more like to stone of Kaaba...

And that would be quite something if Orthanc was made of heavenly rock...what a massive meteor that would be!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Yes, indeed; it's interesting that actually all stones of some importance in LotR&co, at least the ones I can think of, were black. But as for the Black Stone hypothesis... well, I cannot say if Tolkien would be one to do that; from just what I know, I would not consider it impossible. And maybe more probable connection in the case of Erech, for example (which was a cultic site by itself). In any case, it sounds nice as an idea.

[The Might]

Oh yeah, true! Totally missed the Erech stone...

The problem is that whilst the people in the area thought it had fallen from the sky, Isildur had actually brought it from Numenor.

How it had come by to exist in Numenor is unknown, of course it also may have been a meteor, but in the case of Eol's swords we know it for sure.

Still, nice ideas!

[Beregond]

Off topic, but I have to express this: why would Isildur carry a massive rock from Numenor when surely there were more important things to transport? And then they just left it in a rather out of the way place.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Beregond

Off topic, but I have to express this: why would Isildur carry a massive rock from Numenor when surely there were more important things to transport? And then they just left it in a rather out of the way place.

You know, I've considered that myself. I wonder if it merits a new thread.

[Alfirin]

Islamic tradition isn't the only one that ascribes special powers to the metal of meteroites. There is a long tradtion in folklore, Eastern and Western which states that the metal of meterorites (called "thunderbolt iron") has varios mytical and magical properties, and weapons made of this iron are believed to have magic powers as well. In some versions of the Arthurian legends, Excalibur is made of thunderbolt iron. Since a healthy vein of western folklore runs through Tolkein's work, maybe thats where he got the idea. Of maybe he read Lord Dunsay's The King of Elfland's Daugher at some point which also features a thunderbolt iron sword.

[The Might]

Hmmm good point there Alfirin, I was not aware of that and under the circumstances of Tolkien's studies it does seem to be a lot more plausible that actually he had been considering the European legends about meteorites when he thought of Eol's story.

And yes, the black stone of Erech does intrigue as after all it was nice, black, round and shiny but it wasn't a palantir, just a stone in the end. Maybe Isildur liked shiny rocks?

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

Islamic tradition isn't the only one that ascribes special powers to the metal of meteroites. There is a long tradtion in folklore, Eastern and Western which states that the metal of meterorites (called "thunderbolt iron") has varios mytical and magical properties, and weapons made of this iron are believed to have magic powers as well. In some versions of the Arthurian legends, Excalibur is made of thunderbolt iron. Since a healthy vein of western folklore runs through Tolkein's work, maybe thats where he got the idea. Of maybe he read Lord Dunsay's The King of Elfland's Daugher at some point which also features a thunderbolt iron sword.

You beat me to this idea by a mere... three weeks, actually.
This is how I would reason it out.