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Re: Religions in Middle-earth...

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  Posted by Michael Martinez on June 25, 1999 at 20:32:11
In Reply to: Re: Religions in Middle-earth... posted by Stephen Geard on June 25, 1999 at 06:52:23:



: Religion in Middle-earth is a subject I have been wanting to : write an essay on for a long time. The religion of the servants : of Morgoth is obvious enough. But what about the good-guys? Did : the Eldar actually worship the Valar? Or did they worship : Iluvatar? If so, how come they never talk about him?

Interestingly (to me, at least), religion is one topic I really don't touch on in my history book. I suppose I should mention it somewhere, but there is so little information concerning it. I think the most profound discussions are to be found in MORGOTH'S RING and in THE ROAD GOES EVER ON. I would be leery of using anything from before THE RETURN OF THE SHADOW, but would not necessarily rule out LAYS OF BELERIAND, THE SHAPING OF MIDDLE-EARTH, or THE LOST ROAD AND OTHER WRITINGS -- not without some thought and consideration.

I suppose the story about the first Elves provided in THE WAR OF THE JEWELS might also be considered in part a religious-related text. But only slighly so.

: The Numenoreans had some kind of ritual worhsip of Iluvatar. : But did they bring it to Middle-earth with them?

In one of his letters Tolkien mentioned a hallows on Mindolluin where, apparently, the Gondorian kings offered something similar to the first fruits offered by the Kings of Numenor. Aragorn re-established this practice. There is no indication of whether such a custom was practised in Arnor (or where it would have been celebrated).

Maybe I would place it in a special hill of Emyn Uial or the North Downs. I don't know.

Parma Endorion: Essays on Middle-earth, Revised Edition



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