A few questions concerning Tolkien' works... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Sauron_the_Abhorred · 02-28-2004, 12:45 PM

As the title tells you, I have a few questions that deal with Tolkien's works and worlds.

My first questions deals with books like the Books of Lost Tales, 1 & 2. What are these. Are these the first little bits of Ea that Tolkien made up, little pieces that couldn't be included in the Silmarillion, or just another book of tales?

My second question deals with Beleriand. It was a land, I got that far, but was it changed to look like 3rd and 4th age Middle Earth, or was it part of 3rd...Age Middle-earth, just destroyed, leaving the parts mentioned in LotR. Or...what

My final question is about the Atlas of Middle-earth-Revised Edition. In it there are islands like the Dark or South Land, and pictures of sstuff like Tulkas's House, stuff like that. I looked in my Tolkien dictionary, and the Dark Land isn't talked about, and was the drawing of Tulkas's dwelling the author's or Tolkien's...?

Thank you very much fo' takin' th' tim' t' rea' thi'.

Earendilyon · 02-28-2004, 01:43 PM

Sauron, I'll try to give you some answers to your querries:

1. In the BoLT I&II the same stories as in The Silmarillion appear. The stories in the BoLT are, however, from an earlier dat than the ones in the Silm.
It was the first set-up of Tolkien's work on Middle-earth's history. The structure is also different. In the BoLT, a human named Eriol or Aelfwine arrives after many travels at Tol Eressëa and learns there all the tales about Arda from the Elves living there.

2. Beleriand was actually much more than a land, it was half a continent. It was destroyed at the end of the First Age during the Valar's War of Wrath on Morgoth. Read all about it in the Silm! Here's the map from the Silm (it's big, btw, so I'll just give the link): http://lotrmaps.middle-earth.us/maps/r3t_M147.jpg
At the right side of the map, you see the Ered Luin. You can see them also on the left in the map in the LotR.

3. I am not familiar with that Atlas, but there is an early schematic map made by Tolkien of the whole of Middle-earth in which appear lands to the South of Harad. Here's that picture:

Firefoot · 02-28-2004, 01:55 PM

Let's see, the first two questions I can answer. BoLT 1&2 are basically the writing process Tolkien went through before he got to the Sil. It has Tolkien's original conceptions of tales of the people/events in the Sil such as The Music of the Ainur, the Flight of the Noldor, Beren and Luthien, and Turin. I have 20 pages left in BoLT 2 and it makes for interesting reading, but you have to have read the Silmarillion first.

Beleriand was in the Northwest part of Middle-earth. It is where many of the events in the 1st age happen. Then in the War of Wrath most of it was drowned and you are left with the Middle-earth you have in the 2nd and 3rd ages (and 4th, etc).

Because of your second question, I am guessing that you have not read the Silmarillion. If you haven't, you really should. It will probably answer some of your questions.

Ah, Crossposts.

Findegil · 03-01-2004, 01:27 PM

I know and apreciate the Atlas of Middle-earth-Revised Edition. It is all trough the work of the autor Karen Wyn Fonstad, but is is base on her study of Tolkiens books. There are many debatable choices he had to make to draw all these maps and pictures. But you can find for nearly all of them sources within the works of JRR Tolkien.
As you can see from the sketch given by Earendilyon, which is in the origin by JRR Tolkien, these islands as you name them (continents would be more fitting) they were intorduced by Tolkien. Your Tolkien dictionary maight be outdated or restricted in its sources.

Respectfully
Findegil

02-28-2004, 12:45 PM	#1
Sauron_the_Abhorred Animated Skeleton Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ephel Duath Posts: 40	A few questions concerning Tolkien' works... As the title tells you, I have a few questions that deal with Tolkien's works and worlds. My first questions deals with books like the Books of Lost Tales, 1 & 2. What are these. Are these the first little bits of Ea that Tolkien made up, little pieces that couldn't be included in the Silmarillion, or just another book of tales? My second question deals with Beleriand. It was a land, I got that far, but was it changed to look like 3rd and 4th age Middle Earth, or was it part of 3rd...Age Middle-earth, just destroyed, leaving the parts mentioned in LotR. Or...what My final question is about the Atlas of Middle-earth-Revised Edition. In it there are islands like the Dark or South Land, and pictures of sstuff like Tulkas's House, stuff like that. I looked in my Tolkien dictionary, and the Dark Land isn't talked about, and was the drawing of Tulkas's dwelling the author's or Tolkien's...? Thank you very much fo' takin' th' tim' t' rea' thi'.

02-28-2004, 01:43 PM	#2
Earendilyon Wight Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 166	Sauron, I'll try to give you some answers to your querries: 1. In the BoLT I&II the same stories as in The Silmarillion appear. The stories in the BoLT are, however, from an earlier dat than the ones in the Silm. It was the first set-up of Tolkien's work on Middle-earth's history. The structure is also different. In the BoLT, a human named Eriol or Aelfwine arrives after many travels at Tol Eressëa and learns there all the tales about Arda from the Elves living there. 2. Beleriand was actually much more than a land, it was half a continent. It was destroyed at the end of the First Age during the Valar's War of Wrath on Morgoth. Read all about it in the Silm! Here's the map from the Silm (it's big, btw, so I'll just give the link): http://lotrmaps.middle-earth.us/maps/r3t_M147.jpg At the right side of the map, you see the Ered Luin. You can see them also on the left in the map in the LotR. 3. I am not familiar with that Atlas, but there is an early schematic map made by Tolkien of the whole of Middle-earth in which appear lands to the South of Harad. Here's that picture: __________________ "For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me." Dominus Anulorum TolkienGateway - large Tolkien encyclopedia.

02-28-2004, 01:55 PM	#3
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	Let's see, the first two questions I can answer. BoLT 1&2 are basically the writing process Tolkien went through before he got to the Sil. It has Tolkien's original conceptions of tales of the people/events in the Sil such as The Music of the Ainur, the Flight of the Noldor, Beren and Luthien, and Turin. I have 20 pages left in BoLT 2 and it makes for interesting reading, but you have to have read the Silmarillion first. Beleriand was in the Northwest part of Middle-earth. It is where many of the events in the 1st age happen. Then in the War of Wrath most of it was drowned and you are left with the Middle-earth you have in the 2nd and 3rd ages (and 4th, etc). Because of your second question, I am guessing that you have not read the Silmarillion. If you haven't, you really should. It will probably answer some of your questions. Ah, Crossposts. Last edited by Firefoot; 02-28-2004 at 04:15 PM.

03-01-2004, 01:27 PM	#4
Findegil King's Writer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,694	I know and apreciate the Atlas of Middle-earth-Revised Edition. It is all trough the work of the autor Karen Wyn Fonstad, but is is base on her study of Tolkiens books. There are many debatable choices he had to make to draw all these maps and pictures. But you can find for nearly all of them sources within the works of JRR Tolkien. As you can see from the sketch given by Earendilyon, which is in the origin by JRR Tolkien, these islands as you name them (continents would be more fitting) they were intorduced by Tolkien. Your Tolkien dictionary maight be outdated or restricted in its sources. Respectfully Findegil