Timeline/genealogies of the TFTE

[Huinesoron]

Oh noooo, don't ask me. A consistent timeline is a very involved project - look how many revisions we've done to the "Final Timeline" already! And every step is a decision - which sources do you accept, and how should they link together?

Just one example: the "arising and fall of Men" (NoME VI.B) is said to take place 10 Valian Years (1440 sun-years) after the Finding of the Quendi, 90 VY after the Awakening of the Quendi, and after the Captivity of Melkor begins. But in later sources the Awakening and Finding of the Quendi are only 14 Valian Years apart. Should the "arising and fall" still be 10 VY later, or should it be scaled accordingly (to about 1.5 VY after the Finding)? And is the "arising and fall of Men" the same event as the "awakening of Men", or - as in the slightly earlier VI.A - does the Fall take place after Melkor is captured, and the Awakening of Men before?

For the Final Timeline, I've resolved that one to my own satisfaction; but that doesn't mean the Project would agree, and any change in one date can move any number of others around. Don't even get me started on how to handle birth-dates when the whole growth pattern of the Eldar has completely changed multiple times.

(I will say, though, that the Final Timeline - while listing "sun-years" to keep a continuous count - doesn't make any reference to the Sun and Moon, so is just as valid for a flat world as a round one.)

hS