The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum


Visit The *EVEN NEWER* Barrow-Downs Photo Page

Go Back   The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum > Middle-Earth Discussions > The Books
User Name
Password
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
Old 08-19-2004, 08:25 AM   #1
mark12_30
Stormdancer of Doom
 
mark12_30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars
Posts: 4,349
mark12_30 has been trapped in the Barrow!
Send a message via AIM to mark12_30 Send a message via Yahoo to mark12_30
Equinii and Solsticsesss, m'preciousss

Actually, Websters makes the plural Solstices, and numerous other sites refer to Equinoxes. (How pedestrian.) I was pondering Special Dates in Lord of the Rings while I was trying to schedule some things so that I would remember them. Associating them with Tolkien-dates seemed like a good idea. Three dates came immediately to mind: Frodo's birthday, Fellowship Departure day, and Ring Destruction Day. I noticed a few seasonal connections.

Fellowship Departure Day (from Rivendell) is Dec 25, with obvious connections to Christmas. Ring Destruction Day according to Shipley is related to the old date for Easter. So those two days could arguably hve a purely religious significance to Tolkien. However, Frodo's birthday (and Bilbo's) on Sept 22 is on or near the Autumn Equinox. Ring Destruction Day is rather near to the Spring Equinox. And Christmas is a mere four days after the Winter Solstice, mostly due to midieval Calendar-shifts if memory serves; a four-day calendar shift would explain both rather neatly.

So from the Shire to Rivendell is Frodo's Autumn; from Rivendell to Mount Doom is his Winter, followed by his Spring... what begins his summer?

Quote:
And Aragorn the King Elessar wedded Arwen Undómiel in the City of the Kings upon the day of Midsummer...
Frodo returns to Rivendell to celebrate his birthday with Bilbo (on or near the autumnal equinox) he enters Autumn again. So his trip back to the Shire takes place in Autumn, winter's chill descending.

What other equinox/solstice events come to mind? Was this a pervasive pattern for Tolkien (gardener that he was) or was it just this quest? And what seasonal things have I left out?

Estelyn started something seasonal in this thread wherein lie some interesting points; since then Shippey seems to have clarified (or authorized?) the Easter connection but not neccessarily the vernal equinox.
__________________
...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.
mark12_30 is offline   Reply With Quote
 

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:14 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.