What was the actual End?
 

In a lot of Tolkien's writings, and in a lot of writings about Tokien's writings, there is reference to 'The End.' By this I mean the real End. For example, someone said that 'even after the Ring was destroyed, there was still a shapeless shadow of evil lurking until The End' and somewhere in the Silmarillion it says about the awakening of Elves that these creatures would be immortal, and not die, unless being slain or of grief, and would live until The End. (that's not the exact quote, sorry). I was just wondering if anyone actually knows what The End was. What happened, are there any writings of it? Opinions appreaciated, thanks for reading!

Dagor Dagorath, the final battle, will take place. Manwë will defeat Morgoth and Arda will be unmade.

After 'the End':

About what *exactly* happens in that last battle, I won't say. I think you should read it. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ October 17, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]

This site has one version of The End. As Legalos says, read it - especially the third last paragraph --and note who has the starring role. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[ October 17, 2002: Message edited by: Turambar ]

I can give you a few things that will happen. The sun will crash into the world, and Morgoth shall decend. The men who were enchanted around the enchanted isles shall awake. The silmirils shall come forth from the sky, from the sea, and from the earth, and their light shall rekindle the trees. The elves will be old, and wise, and they will be very unlike they are now, being at last old. And the armies of the Valar will fight the armies of morgoth, and the Maia shall fight Maia, and man shall fight man, and the spirits that the elves have become shall fight the wraths and spirits of Morgoth. Morgoth will return as a beast of power. He shall be faced with Fionwe and Turin, and at the hands of Turin's black sword he shall perish. But the world will reach its end, and the lifespans of the elves also, and they will die, the death that they have long envied of men.

And all things on Arda shall perish, save the Valar and the Maia, and the souls of men shall be gathered in the halls of Eru, and there they shall make a great music. And each shall see in the song themselves, and how their actions changed the world, and made it better and furthered the beauty of Creation. And Eru will see that all he has created enhanced the glory of himself, and seeing that the new song is enhances, he shall give it being. And the world will be made anew.

Feel free to chalange me on any part of that, it is a mishmash of old legends, discarded stories, and combinations of storys based on assumptions. But I think it gives a pretty good account of what will happen.

Turambar, you've lost your starring role in later rewriting, as well as Alkalagon the Black did. As for the real end, it's simple:

and they lived happily ever after

Oh yes, Helen...I like that end the best! (But of course, Túrin's idea of living happily ever after would have to start with some heady vindication followed by being counted among the gods!) [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

LOL at "Helen". [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Ack, typo! I'm sorry...I'd change it but you already caught it...you nasty man. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Sorry -- I wasn't really giving you guff for a minor typo -- it's just that H-I has been here forever and it looked funny to see him called. "Helen". The face that launched a thousand Vingilots . . . [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

I'd heard of the Dagor Dragollach but I never knew that's what happened. I'm amazed! Is the story reliable? And did JRRT tell people about it or was it found out after his death?

The tale woven by Galorme is, as was said, a combination of versions of the Dagor Dagorath crafted by Tolkien at various times. Some have suggested that JRRT abandoned the idea completely in favor of Middle Earth becoming our world after the departure of the Elves. Others say that the concept of a Battle to End All Battles is consistent not only with Judeo-Christian beliefs but the beliefs of other religons and that even though Middle Earth becomes Earth, that Tolkien still held to the idea as woven into present day myths.

oh, I made a mistake, the real end must read as follows:

and they all lived happily ever after

never mind, Diamond 18 [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Dagor Dagorath, sorry.

So what does that tell us about the fate of Men, if Turin appears again?

Thanks for the link Turumbar! I'd never read that before. Turin is my favorite character so I liked the ending.
To answer Eomer, it still doesn't tell us anything about the fate of men, since Turin is considered a God (that's so cool, go Turin!!). The reading says "But of men in that day the prophesy speaks not...".
Maybe our fate and destiny is up to us, since Turin conquered doom.

I guess we threw out the read-it-yourself concept.

I think, especially with something like this, it is best for the person to read Tolkien's version to experience it the way it was intended to be experienced.