Equinii and Solsticsesss, m'preciousss - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 08-20-2004, 08:35 AM

Ah, many thanks, Findegil. Precisely the sort of thing I was interested in.

Your point about the difference in the two calendars is of course relevant, and thank you for pointing it out. To me there is a balance of some sort between the Terran calendar and the Middle-Earth, Shire calendars and Elven(?) calendars; Tolkien seemed to emphasize different things at different times in either of the calendars.

In addition, to be fair-- since I allowed for four slippery days regarding Easter and Christmas-- let's extend the discussion to those dates of interest that are close enough to the equinox or solstice that they beg inclusion in the discussion. (A month off won't do, in my mind.)

Regarding Rivendell and Bilbo-- I remember Bilbo going out to the riverside to watch the elves sing and dance on Midsummer's eve as especially Faerie.

Back to your points, Findegil; three major battles begun on or near midsummers... somehow, beginning a battle in the soft beauty and peace of Midsummer seems to me especially sad and horrifying. I have to give the (dratted) Feanoreans credit for waiting til MidWinter; although refugees had it harder in MidWinter.

08-20-2004, 08:35 AM	#5
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Ah, many thanks, Findegil. Precisely the sort of thing I was interested in. Your point about the difference in the two calendars is of course relevant, and thank you for pointing it out. To me there is a balance of some sort between the Terran calendar and the Middle-Earth, Shire calendars and Elven(?) calendars; Tolkien seemed to emphasize different things at different times in either of the calendars. In addition, to be fair-- since I allowed for four slippery days regarding Easter and Christmas-- let's extend the discussion to those dates of interest that are close enough to the equinox or solstice that they beg inclusion in the discussion. (A month off won't do, in my mind.) Regarding Rivendell and Bilbo-- I remember Bilbo going out to the riverside to watch the elves sing and dance on Midsummer's eve as especially Faerie. Back to your points, Findegil; three major battles begun on or near midsummers... somehow, beginning a battle in the soft beauty and peace of Midsummer seems to me especially sad and horrifying. I have to give the (dratted) Feanoreans credit for waiting til MidWinter; although refugees had it harder in MidWinter. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.