Lembas: Part of a Balanced, Evil-free Diet - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Aiwendil · 09-19-2011, 08:05 PM

There's a very brief but interesting text concerning lembas - called, appropriately enough, 'Of Lembas' - in HoMe XII (it's the second of two parts in the short 'Dangweth Pengolodh').

Here it is said that lembas was not invented by the Elves, but was given to them by the Valar at the beginning of their Great Journey from Middle-Earth to Aman. It was made 'of a kind of corn which Yavanna brought forth in the fields of Aman'. This corn was later grown by the Elves in Middle-earth, but its origin in the 'Blessed Realm' would seem to at least partially explain its peculiar power. And perhaps most intriguingly, it is said here that if mortals were to eat too much of the bread they would become weary of their mortality and long for the fields of Aman. For this reason, the Valar commanded that the Elves not share it with Men except at great need.

09-19-2011, 08:05 PM	#9
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	There's a very brief but interesting text concerning lembas - called, appropriately enough, 'Of Lembas' - in HoMe XII (it's the second of two parts in the short 'Dangweth Pengolodh'). Here it is said that lembas was not invented by the Elves, but was given to them by the Valar at the beginning of their Great Journey from Middle-Earth to Aman. It was made 'of a kind of corn which Yavanna brought forth in the fields of Aman'. This corn was later grown by the Elves in Middle-earth, but its origin in the 'Blessed Realm' would seem to at least partially explain its peculiar power. And perhaps most intriguingly, it is said here that if mortals were to eat too much of the bread they would become weary of their mortality and long for the fields of Aman. For this reason, the Valar commanded that the Elves not share it with Men except at great need.