Earendil as Venus and the Dome of Stars - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Olorin_TLA · 05-10-2004, 05:35 PM

Hi, I was just thinking, what are the views of the Dome of Stars (HoMe X) here, and the result (if it's adopted) that all stellar bodies were created in the same ancient era? What would this mean for Earendil, which in LotR is specifically reffered to as a star? Would it continue to be Venus, or simply a (now gone) Silmarill flying in the heavens, or is the Revised Silmarillion going with a 'Flat World' cosmology? Thanks.

Aiwendil · 05-11-2004, 12:32 PM

Good question.

It was decided toward the beginning of the project that this would be a flat earth cosmology Silmarillion. The notes in MT outlining the change to a round earth cosmology were deemed unworkable (that is, implementing them would require a great deal of creative re-writing of the ealier material.

Various proposals for a round earth version have been made, though. And I don't think it was ever made entirely clear whether we are saying that Arda is truly flat or merely that in the Numenorean "Silmarillion" tradition it is said to be flat.

In any case, though, this does mean that we don't have to worry about the Earendil as Venus problem - which is in my mind the biggest flaw in the MT round earth cosmology.

05-10-2004, 05:35 PM	#1
Olorin_TLA Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Gardens of Lórien, Valinor. Posts: 420	Earendil as Venus and the Dome of Stars Hi, I was just thinking, what are the views of the Dome of Stars (HoMe X) here, and the result (if it's adopted) that all stellar bodies were created in the same ancient era? What would this mean for Earendil, which in LotR is specifically reffered to as a star? Would it continue to be Venus, or simply a (now gone) Silmarill flying in the heavens, or is the Revised Silmarillion going with a 'Flat World' cosmology? Thanks. __________________ "For I am Olórin! And Olórin means me!" ELENDIL! - Join "Forth Tolkiengas!"

05-11-2004, 12:32 PM	#2
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	Good question. It was decided toward the beginning of the project that this would be a flat earth cosmology Silmarillion. The notes in MT outlining the change to a round earth cosmology were deemed unworkable (that is, implementing them would require a great deal of creative re-writing of the ealier material. Various proposals for a round earth version have been made, though. And I don't think it was ever made entirely clear whether we are saying that Arda is truly flat or merely that in the Numenorean "Silmarillion" tradition it is said to be flat. In any case, though, this does mean that we don't have to worry about the Earendil as Venus problem - which is in my mind the biggest flaw in the MT round earth cosmology.