Seven Ages - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 05-23-2002, 02:25 PM

Thank you for the answers from the letters, Sharku.

I would tend to agree with burrahobbit that the the sixth age probably could be construed to have begun with Christ, though Tolkien being Catholic, I'd say he would start it with the incarnation rather than the crucifixion.

Okay: a chart just for the fish (halibut) and please correct me if I'm wrong on anything canon.

Age - - - Beginning - - - - - - - End

First - - creation of Ea - - - - Morgoth cast to the void
Second - creation of Numenor - destruction of Numenor
Third - - institution of Gondor - destruction of the Ring
Fourth - rise of men - - - - - - worldwide flood?
Fifth - - rise of indo-europeans? -ncarnation of Christ?
Sixth - - birth of Christianity? - death of middle ages in World War One
Seventh - rise of the machine - - resurgence of myth and destruction of the machine

It's only hypothetical, granted, but I'd say that the three advents I list were rather powerful.

Indo-Europeans began to spread and take over wherever they went, including the Aryans in India, the Medes/Persians in the middle east, the Greeks, the Romans, the Celts, the Germans, the Rus (also the Slavs and Balts but to less effect).

The rise and spread of Christianity to all parts of the globe, especially the domination of the western variety that led to a resurgence of technological advancement and a shrinking of the globe - and that's just the economic and technical ramifications.

The rise of industrialism and the machine. I think this was key for Tolkien. His Shire of the Hobbits is a throwback to life just before this happened in England. His writings in this regard are wistful and nostalgic. We, by comparison, have all become quite at home with machines and industry. We all have computers and internet access, obviously. So that's my analysis in very brief form. I could go on and on and on but won't bore you. Heck I wouldn't mind a good healthy debate about it all. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ May 23, 2002: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]

05-23-2002, 02:25 PM	#6
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Thank you for the answers from the letters, Sharku. I would tend to agree with burrahobbit that the the sixth age probably could be construed to have begun with Christ, though Tolkien being Catholic, I'd say he would start it with the incarnation rather than the crucifixion. Okay: a chart just for the fish (halibut) and please correct me if I'm wrong on anything canon. Age - - - Beginning - - - - - - - End First - - creation of Ea - - - - Morgoth cast to the void Second - creation of Numenor - destruction of Numenor Third - - institution of Gondor - destruction of the Ring Fourth - rise of men - - - - - - worldwide flood? Fifth - - rise of indo-europeans? -ncarnation of Christ? Sixth - - birth of Christianity? - death of middle ages in World War One Seventh - rise of the machine - - resurgence of myth and destruction of the machine It's only hypothetical, granted, but I'd say that the three advents I list were rather powerful. Indo-Europeans began to spread and take over wherever they went, including the Aryans in India, the Medes/Persians in the middle east, the Greeks, the Romans, the Celts, the Germans, the Rus (also the Slavs and Balts but to less effect). The rise and spread of Christianity to all parts of the globe, especially the domination of the western variety that led to a resurgence of technological advancement and a shrinking of the globe - and that's just the economic and technical ramifications. The rise of industrialism and the machine. I think this was key for Tolkien. His Shire of the Hobbits is a throwback to life just before this happened in England. His writings in this regard are wistful and nostalgic. We, by comparison, have all become quite at home with machines and industry. We all have computers and internet access, obviously. So that's my analysis in very brief form. I could go on and on and on but won't bore you. Heck I wouldn't mind a good healthy debate about it all. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] [ May 23, 2002: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]