The Nature of Middle-earth, Page 4
J. R. R. Tolkien
On the other hand the act of procreation, being of a will and desire shared and indeed controlled by the fëa, was achieved at the speed of other conscious and willful acts of delight or of making. It was one of the acts of chief delight, in process and in memory, in an Elvish life, but its intensity alone provided its importance, not its time or length: it could not have been endured for a great length of time, without disastrous “expense”.[21]
The text ends here, about two-thirds down the page. At a later point Tolkien wrote in pencil in the bottom margin:
This will not fit the narrative in the Silmarillion. What of Maeglin?
On this matter, see the texts presented here as chaps. X, “Difficulties in Chronology”, XI, “Ageing of Elves”, and XVI, “Note on the Youth and Growth of the Quendi”.
V
NATURAL YOUTH AND GROWTH OF THE QUENDI
This text is written in black nib-pen in a rather ornate hand on the four sides of two sheets of unlined paper. It dates from c. 1959.
The text itself, until it reaches the table of mortal equivalences of Elvish ages, closely follows the beginning of the text presented here as chap. XII, “Concerning the Quendi in Their Mode of Life and Growth”, below.
Youth of the Quendi
When the Quendi were very “young in Arda” (approximately their first six generations in the first 96 Valian years of their existence) they were far more like Men (unfallen).[1] Their hröar were in great vigour, and dominant; and the delights of the body of all kinds were their chief concern. Their fëar were only beginning to wake fully and to grow and discover their powers and interests. Thus (as was indeed at first necessary, and so ordained for them) they were far more concerned with love and the begetting of children than was so later.[fn1]
It was not, however, their natural span of growth and life that was different (at least not until many ages had passed); but they used it differently. The natural life of the Quendi was to grow rapidly (for them) to puberty, and then to endure in full vigour for a great length of years, until the interests of their fëar became pre-eminent, and their hröar began to wane.
The “ages” of Quendi are usually given in terms equated with human life; but not all lengths of years had the same ageing effect upon the Quendi. The Eldar distinguished between growth and life (or life-endurance). The former was 12 times as rapid (in ageing effect) as the latter.
Now as for growth: this affected the Elvish hröa from conception until maturity (or puberty). The life-endurance rate of the Quendi was as 1 yên is to 1 löa or “sun-year”: that is, 144 : Human 1. The growth-rate was 12 times as rapid: i.e., was only in proportion 12 löar = 1 [Human] löa or sun-year. Thus from conception to birth they lay in the womb 9 löar. When born they continued to grow at the same rate, until puberty. With Elf-males this was reached at “age” 24; but with Elf-females at age 18.[fn2][2] That is for males 24 × 12 after birth, or 288 löar; for females 18 × 12 or 216 löar. In early ages this “coming of Age” was a matter of ceremony, at which an Elf’s essekilmë or personal ‘chosen-name’ was announced.[3]
But except in the first three generations the begetting of children by Elf-men did not usually follow immediately on attaining “age 24” (though “betrothal” often did, or even “marriage”). It was by degrees postponed, until soon “age 48” became regarded as the optimum age for the beginning of fatherhood, though it was often delayed until 60 (sc. 24 years of growth + 36 life-years).[4] Of course, begetting of further children could happen later than this. It could occur up to about a male age of 96 – later than this age (96) a first-begetting seldom occurred.[5]
In the case of Elf-women: marriage and child-bearing took place earlier, their first child being born before they were of age 20.[fn3][6] Later indeed some postponement was usual so that marriage at 21 was the most usual time; though any age up to 36 (18 + 18) was not uncommon.[7] In days of trouble, or of travel and unsettled life, the begetting of children was naturally avoided or postponed; and since the postponement especially of the first child-bearing or begetting prolonged the “youth” or physical vigour of the Quendi, this might occur up to a female age of about 72 (18 + 54) – but a first child-bearing seldom occurred after this age (72).[8]
These dates in early ages at any rate (with which we are concerned) were not so much matters of physical impossibility as of will or desire. As soon as they were full-grown, and with increasing rapidity after age 48 (Elf-men) and 36 (Elf-women), the fëa and its interests began to gain the upper hand. An Elf who had not become married, or at least found one desired as spouse,[9] by these dates was likely (in normal circumstances) to remain single – though, naturally, in troublous times, when lovers or spouses might be long separated, marriage might well occur much later; or childbearing be long postponed.
The number of children produced by a married pair was naturally partly affected by the character of the persons concerned (mental and physical); and partly by various accidents of life. But it was also much affected by the age at which marriage began. Even in the earliest times, after the “First Elves”, more than six children was very rare, and four soon became the normal average. But six was never attained by those marrying after 48/36. In later marriages two was more usual.
For chronological purposes and comparison of Elves and Men these dates may be exhibited so:
[Elf-years]
[Mortal-years]
An Elf-child conceived was born 9 löar later. Elvish “growth” age about 9 months. Actual time: 9 years
The “growth age” of 12:1 (in comparison with mortal years) was maintained until an Elf-man reached “age 24”. Actual time: 288 years
In case of women it usually ceased at 18 though it was sometimes continued, especially in Aman, to 21. Actual time: 216 years (or 252)
At “age 48” therefore, an Elf-man was 288 löar + 24 yên (288 + 3456).[10] 3,744 years
At “age 96” therefore, an Elf-man was 288 löar + 72 yên 10,656
At “age 192” therefore, an Elf-man was 288 löar + 168 yên 24,480
At “age 21” therefore, an Elf-woman was 216 löar + 3 yên (216 + 432) 648
At “age 36” therefore, an Elf-woman was 216 löar + 18 yên 2,808
At “age 72” therefore, an Elf-woman was 216 löar + 54 yên 7,992
At “age 144” therefore, an Elf-woman was 216 löar + 126 yên 18,360
At all times, unless circumstances interfered and separation were forced upon spouses by wars or exile, the Quendi desired to dwell in company with husband or wife during the bearing of a child and its early growth. Also as a rule, they preferred to arrange their lives so as to have a consecutive “Time of the Children” in which all of their children were born – but this of course often, especially in the troubled early years, proved impossible.[11] After a birth, even if a consecutive Onnalúmë or ‘Time of Children’ was achieved, a rest was naturally always taken. This was governed by “growth-time”, and so was usually not less than 12 löar (= 1 growth-year); but it might be much more; and usually was increased progressively between each birth for consecutive series: as 12 : 24 : 36 : 48 etc.
VI
THE AWAKING OF THE QUENDI
This text, a discussion of the issues presented by the chronology of the awaking of the Quendi with respect to “The Silmarillion” as it then stood, is extant in two versions. The first version, which bears the title “The Awaking of the Quendi & position of Ingwë/Finwë/Elwë etc.”, dates (according to an explicit statement in it) from 1960, and occupies the four sides of two sheets which Tolkien has lettered α–δ. The second version, which appears to be closely contemporary, is a considerable expansion of the first. It occupies six sides of three sheets numbered by Tolkien 1–6. Both texts are written in black nib-pen and (for the most part) more-or-less clearly; and the numberings of both texts, various later notes, and the main title and two section titles of the second version, were added in red ball-point pen. I give here first the second version (B), followed by the significantly variant p
ortions of the first version (A).
TEXT B
I. Preliminary discussion
At this point: the Story has not been thought out, and the chronology, so far devised, is impossible.
The “Tale of Years” (TY) makes the Quendi awake in VY 1050; but in VY 1085 Oromë finds already a considerable people.[1] Now TY was devised with a scale VY = (about) 10 Sun-years (löar).[2] So it is plain that the Quendi must have been created from the first in large numbers (since only 350 löar have passed).
Also, since Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë were first brought to Valinor in VY 1102, at that time only 520 löar had elapsed since the Awaking.[3] No scale of Quendian “growth” or “ageing” is devised, but in Valinor events seem to show that they lived at about the rate of 1 VY = 1 year of Elvish life. This fits events in Valinor, for which it was arranged, but makes all the Eldar far too old in later narrative, unless we suppose that they remained unchanged, after maturity, for an indefinite time.
The actual dates of the TY need not be regarded, since (being on the wrong scale) they will have to be revised. But, since a mass-creation of the Quendi is poor narrative and mythology, some sort of “legend” of the arising of the Elves and of their increase and fortunes must be devised, and evidently a much longer time than 350 löar must elapse between the “Awaking” and the “Finding”, and much longer also than 480 löar (VY 1085 to VY 1133) between the “Finding” and the arrival of the Ñoldor in Valinor.[4] The whole matter of the “Great March” must be considered.
But: increasing the length of time between the “Awaking” and the “Finding” (which is useful in allowing more time for Melkor to interfere with them) must inevitably lay some blame on the Valar. As is probably just.[5]
The Valar had, of course, no precise knowledge of the time of that “Awaking”. Not if – as seems essential – the Vision (subsequent to the Music) stopped short of the actual “Coming of the Children”.[6] The Ainur were vouchsafed a Vision of the Children, but not of their exact place in the sequence. Later Eru deliberately did not inform Manwë of the approach of the time: for He did not intend them to be dominated, and the function of the Valar was to prepare and govern the place of their habitation. Even so the Valar should have kept better watch, and not have allowed Melkor peace in which to establish himself. They were, of course, very anxious, but neglected the matter until they feared to ruin Arda in a war, which would involve the Children in misery or destruction. (One may object that this could not be – but all the operations of Melkor, to those now in Time, appeared to be in defiance of Eru, and to have power to upset or spoil the design; so that if these were permitted by Eru (or could not be hindered!) there was no knowing how far they would proceed.)
It seems clear that the rescue of the Quendi must be secret (as far as possible), and before the assault upon Utumno – otherwise this very peril would have occurred. The Great March must occur behind a screen of investment, and before any violent assault had begun!
But Melkor had, of course, since he largely controlled Middle-earth, and had hosts of spies and servants, soon discovered the Quendi, and he had time to frighten them, fill their minds with dark imaginings and fears, beside (probably) capturing some of them, and even corrupting or seducing some – hence the taint in some degree of “the Shadow” which lay even upon the Eldar.[7]
With regard to Men: see under Sauron: Arising and Fall of Men.[8] The arising and fall took place during the “Captivity of Melkor”, and was achieved not by Melkor in person, but by Sauron. It occurred about 100 VY after the “Awaking of the Quendi”, sc. 14,400 löar later. In that case if Men arose in VY 1100, it would explain the “neglect” of the Valar, since they had now done their duty and removed Melkor. If the End of Valian reckoning with the Death of the Trees occurred in VY 1495 (as in TY and so far assumed), by 310 in Beleriand Men would have existed 395 VY + 310 löar = 57,190 years (löar).[9] Which is adequate (if not scientifically long enough).
The TY is here quite impossible. It makes Men first awake with the first Rising of the Sun, which is VY 1500, after which dates are given in löar.[10] But the first Men appear in Beleriand – already partly civilized, deeply sundered in appearance and language, and leaving a long history behind them – and many other varieties of “unrepentant” Men, in the East – in SY 310. All that in 310 years![11]
To take any date to begin with: Let Quendi awake in VY 1000. Then some date before the Arising of Men would be best, but not very long (in Elvish terms) before, for the Finding. At that time, though fairly numerous (? some thousands), they had not spread far abroad –? fear of Melkor, Sauron, &c.; and do not seem ever to have met Men (though they had almost certainly heard lies about them from emissaries of Melkor).
The “Finding” should evidently be about VY 1090, or 90 VYs after the “Awaking” (12,960 löar): this would give them time, even at Elvish rates, for multiplication from small beginnings. Also, which is important, time to invent the beginnings of the Primitive Quendian language: to discover something about Arda, and of their own powers and talents.[12] (Language we must suppose was a specifically Elvish gift, not possessed by the Valar even until they found the Quendi; a gift of Eru inherent in their nature, so that from their Awaking they immediately began to try to communicate in speech with one another.[13] Men had a similar gift, but less marked and less skilled, as they were less skilled in all artistic matter: language being the primary art; hence their ruder tongues were much improved by contact, later, with Quendi; and the general similarity – apart from loan-words – of Western speeches of Men with Quendian.)[14]
Quendi, it must be assumed, had from the beginning a natural rate of “growth” and “life”, which was not in the early ages much altered anywhere: thus from the beginning we can reckon with a 12 : 1 rate (as compared with Men) of “growth”, and a subsequent 144 : 1, or Valian, rate of “ageing”.
Their first generation, or “First Elves”, awoke at the time of first maturity – see later Legend;[15] and they began at once to increase with great rapidity in the first three generations, though this afterwards slowed down.
The Quendi never “fell” in the sense that Men did.[16] Being “tainted” with the Shadow (as perhaps even the Valar in some degree were, with all things in “Arda Marred”) they could do wrong. But they never rejected Eru, or worshipped Melkor (or Sauron) either individually,[fn1] or in groups, or as a whole people. Their lives, therefore, came under no general curse or diminishment, and their “life-span”, coextensive with the remainder of the life of Arda, was unaltered – except only insofar as, with the very ageing of Arda itself, their primitive vigour of body steadily waned. But the “waning” does not yet appreciably affect the periods dealt with in the Silmarillion.
The “lives” of the Quendi cannot be supposed to be affected by living in Middle-earth “under the Sun” – NOT IF as now seems certain the Sun is made part of the original structure of Arda, and not devised only after the Death of the Trees – since they were devised to live in Middle-earth and “under the Sun”.[17] Any alteration (if any!) would occur under the “artificial” conditions of Aman. But since the Quendian rate of “ageing” was already that of the Valar (144 : 1) the alteration would only concern the growth rate (12 : 1) : this might well be slowed to 36 : 1 or 72 : 1 or even 144 : 1.[18]
When therefore Oromë found the Quendi in, say, VY 1090, the increase can be approximately calculated. According to the “legend” and the theory set out below: the Quendi in about VY 1100 would have numbered over 32,000.[19] This is probably adequate IF we allow the begetting of Children on the Great March: as shown also in what follows.
By “what follows” Tolkien means the subsequent texts in the “Time and Ageing” bundle.
II. Note on Angband and Utumno[20]
In the Tale of Years Morgoth has insufficient time for the building and organization of Angband. He thus escapes in VY 1495 and only 20 löar later (VY 1497) is already assailing Beleriand (before the making of the Sun!).[fn2][21]
The latter is greatly to be preferred. A fort far West and not far from the Sea would be a natural strategic device by Melkor for preventing the Valar coming in force against him, or for delaying their advance if they tried to assail him.
This is the probable story ☞. As soon as he discovered the Quendi (if not indeed far sooner, and well before the time of their awaking, which Melkor guessed more shrewdly than the Valar) Melkor constructed Angband. One of its chief functions was not only to defend the Western Shores, but to shroud them. The prime function of (originally volcanic) Thangorodrim was to produce smokes, vapours, and darkness. All the Northwest shores were covered and the Sun largely excluded for hundreds of years before Melkor was made captive. Sauron had a chief part in this; and when the Valar at last came to Middle-earth he (under Melkor’s orders) made a strong feint of resistance, while Melkor retreated and gathered nearly all his forces in Utumno. (Thus passage of the Quendi was made feasible.) Angband was in the event very largely destroyed – though the Valar, passing on to Utumno, which was apparently the real centre of Melkor’s power – made no attempt to demolish it completely. But when Melkor feigned submission to Manwë, Sauron was ordered to reconstruct it (as secretly as possible: therefore largely in extending its underground mansions) against Melkor’s escape and return. There were no more fumes until Melkor returned: but when he did in 1495, Angband was almost ready. Melkor then made it his chief seat of power, for strategic reasons, and because of the coming of the Eldar. Had he been successful he would perhaps have returned to Utumno, but not until the Eldar were vanquished or destroyed.
