Silmarillion - Chapter 11 - Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor

[Estelyn Telcontar]

In reply to your first paragraph, there are differences in the perceived genders of sun and moon in different languages. In German, for example, the sun is female and the moon male (die Sonne, der Mond). On the other hand, Lewis Carroll has the opposite in one of his (English, of course) nonsense poems - despite the fact that there is no mandatory gender of the words in English:

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:...

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun...

(The Walrus and the Carpenter)

In Arda, the sun is guided by Arien, a female Maia - perhaps that is the reason for Tolkien's choice. The moon is guided by Tilion, a male Maia. An additional factor could be the traditional "man in the moon", also used by Tolkien in some of his lighter poems.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

In reply to your first paragraph, there are differences in the perceived genders of sun and moon in different languages. In German, for example, the sun is female and the moon male (die Sonne, der Mond). On the other hand, Lewis Carroll has the opposite in one of his (English, of course) nonsense poems - despite the fact that there is no mandatory gender of the words in English:

No mandatory genders in English, but I've always had the impression that we incline toward calling the sun male and the moon female. Possibly this is because of the influence of Greek and Roman myths, with Apollo the sun-god and Diana/Artemis the moon-goddess.

Is the reversed position true of other Nordic languages, besides German--I'm especially thinking of the Scandinavians? Given that Tolkien's mythology has its origins in being a mythology for the English, in the sense of a Nordic mythology, I wonder if the Arien/Tilion choice was influenced thereby.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

An additional factor could be the traditional "man in the moon", also used by Tolkien in some of his lighter poems.

Probably this was the only real reason for it to be that way. Tolkien wrote these poems before he wrote the books, so he made the books fit the poems, in such a way that it seems that he made the poems fit the books.

He has a poem where the sun is a "she" and the moon is a "he". Why would hobbits attach these genders? Because they heard whisps of lore/legends from men and elves. And what lore could it be? The making of the Sun and the Moon. But when we read the book, it seems to be the opposite way.