Cædmon's Hymn

[Annunfuiniel]

then "after times"*** the Middle-earth
~~~~~~~~~~~~
**there is actually only this one verb in the whole latter part, that is in the last 5 lines
***which again is my own translation instead of "afterwards made

Woops, some misinterpretation there!
"æfter tiadæ" indeed seems to hold a verb in it, though I couldn't find it from Bright's glossary no matter how hard I tried. But in the Early Saxon (aka West Saxon) version of the poem the line goes "æfter teode" and 'teode' is somewhat close to the Old Eglish verb teohhian (tiohhian)- to arrange, appoint, direct, destine >>3pers. singular teohhode-(he) arrenged etc.
So, The Eternal Lord made heaven, and then middle-earth which He afterwards appointed as the earth for men.
Sorry about the confusion!

Okay, so that this thread won't be closed ~(for the relation to Tolkien is becoming quite vague) I'd like to refer to other instance where "Middle-Earth" is mentioned and that is of course the Elder Edda (one of JRRT "inspirators" you could say):

Áður Burs synir
bjöðum um ypptu,
þeir er Miðgarð
mæran skópu.
Sól skein sunnan
á salar steina,
þá var grund gróin
grænum lauki

And translation:

Then Bur's sons lifted
the level land,
Mithgarth the mighty
there they made;
The sun from the south
warmed the stones of earth,
And green was the ground
With growing leeks.

Well, the commentary says the 'Mithgarth' is actually "Middle Dwelling" but the connection is quite obvious - here too it marks the world (the "refuge") of men. (And Voluspo or Völuspa, the first part of the Poetic Edda from which those previous lines are, is sometimes referred to as "The Vala's Prophecy". Interesting, although here the name 'Vala' is used for the prophetess who tells the tale.)