The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Numenor, Westward Movement, and Lust for Immortality

Aiwendil · 01-19-2005, 10:22 AM

There are two ways to discuss the issue of west versus east: intra-Legendarium and extra-Legendarium.

Within the Legendarium, the reason for the special significance of the west is simple: it was in the west that the Valar chose to make their home after the destruction of the Lamps and Almaren. One could, I suppose, try to find some special reason for their choice of the west - but the texts give the impression that it was chosen not for some deeply significant reason. Perhaps they could just as easily have settled in the east, but needing to choose one place they chose the west. Or perhaps it so happened that the breaking of the lands that occurred during their wars with Melkor left a more suitable continent in the west.

After this, west quite naturally becomes the holy or sacred direction and east of course becomes the domain of Melkor. The Elves travelled west with the goal of reaching Valinor, and the various sunderings of the Elves therefore reflect their decisicions concerning how Valinor; some are willing to suffer whatever hardships are necessary to reach it, some will stay behind only for the sake of their beloved king, some have little or no desire to undertake the journey at all. It also happens (quite naturally) that the further west the Elves go the more contact they have with the Valar - and thus the more 'cultured' they become. A similar thing happens with Men. The Edain are the ones that chose to reject Morgoth (if you consider the Tale of Adanel) and follow the sun. Of course, the sun travels from east to west because the Valar dwell in the west. The men that come into Beleriand encounter the Noldor and Sindar, and their culture is enhanced. And it is these same western men that are given the island of Numenor, between Middle-earth and the land of the Valar.

It's quite another thing to ask why Tolkien chose west. I can offer no hard evidence here, but I have always thought it had to do with the sea. Tolkien clearly loved the sea - that much comes through very strongly in the Legendarium. And from a European perspective, west is naturally associated with the sea (just as to someone like me, who lives on the east coast of the U.S., east is the direction of the sea). If the sea is in the west (as it must be, for the familiar areas of Middle-earth are supposed to be ancient Europe) then one must associate the sea-longing that is such a powerful theme in the mythology with the west.

01-19-2005, 10:22 AM	#5
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	There are two ways to discuss the issue of west versus east: intra-Legendarium and extra-Legendarium. Within the Legendarium, the reason for the special significance of the west is simple: it was in the west that the Valar chose to make their home after the destruction of the Lamps and Almaren. One could, I suppose, try to find some special reason for their choice of the west - but the texts give the impression that it was chosen not for some deeply significant reason. Perhaps they could just as easily have settled in the east, but needing to choose one place they chose the west. Or perhaps it so happened that the breaking of the lands that occurred during their wars with Melkor left a more suitable continent in the west. After this, west quite naturally becomes the holy or sacred direction and east of course becomes the domain of Melkor. The Elves travelled west with the goal of reaching Valinor, and the various sunderings of the Elves therefore reflect their decisicions concerning how Valinor; some are willing to suffer whatever hardships are necessary to reach it, some will stay behind only for the sake of their beloved king, some have little or no desire to undertake the journey at all. It also happens (quite naturally) that the further west the Elves go the more contact they have with the Valar - and thus the more 'cultured' they become. A similar thing happens with Men. The Edain are the ones that chose to reject Morgoth (if you consider the Tale of Adanel) and follow the sun. Of course, the sun travels from east to west because the Valar dwell in the west. The men that come into Beleriand encounter the Noldor and Sindar, and their culture is enhanced. And it is these same western men that are given the island of Numenor, between Middle-earth and the land of the Valar. It's quite another thing to ask why Tolkien chose west. I can offer no hard evidence here, but I have always thought it had to do with the sea. Tolkien clearly loved the sea - that much comes through very strongly in the Legendarium. And from a European perspective, west is naturally associated with the sea (just as to someone like me, who lives on the east coast of the U.S., east is the direction of the sea). If the sea is in the west (as it must be, for the familiar areas of Middle-earth are supposed to be ancient Europe) then one must associate the sea-longing that is such a powerful theme in the mythology with the west.