The Sun and the Moon

The next chapter in my quest of The History of Middle-earth recounts the creation of the Sun and the Moon. Christopher Tolkien noted that this was a very long tale, one in which he shortened in a couple places, that his father marked for revision.

Only star light gave illumination to the world after the death of the Two Trees. Despite this and other sorrows of the Elves Eriol still craved to hear more tales. He wished to know more of their deeds after the departure from Valinor and to know of how the Sun and Moon came to be. Lindo told Eriol that his desires would be better fulfilled by Gilfanon, of the House of the Hundred Chimneys, who happened to be visiting that night. But for the moment Lindo gladly told the tale of the Sun and Moon.

There was still much sorrow in Valinor when Sorontur, King of Eagles, returned. He brought tidings of Melko and the Noldoli. How Melko and his servants were establishing strongholds in the North and how the Noldoli completed the journey to the Great Lands. But this news brought little comfort to the Valar and remaining Eldar. Their attention was turned toward the Trees.

Manwë felt the death of the Trees was not outside Ilúvatar's design for the Valar had little heed for the lands outside of Valinor. And with the coming of Men soon light must be contrived for those outside, as well as inside, Valinor. But little light had they saved from the Two Trees and the Valar knew not how to bring them back. And much of that was wasted in trying to revive the Trees.

"'Behold,' said Manwë, 'this is now the third essay of the Gods to bring light into dark places, and both the Lamps of the North and South, and the Trees of the plain, Melko hath brought to ruin. Now in the air only hath Melko no power for ill...'" (p. 182, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume 1). Melko proceeded to tell of his plan of setting great lights in mighty ships in the air. It was decreed that the path of the lights run East and West for Melko controlled the North and Ungweliant the South.

Aulë and Varda sought to make the ships but did not succeed (this was an abbreviated portion of the original text). Manwë charged Yavanna to set her powers on the Trees and she was given one small phial of light from each Tree to aid her. "Then going she cast each phial upon its proper Tree and sang the songs of unfading growth and a song of resurrection after death and withering; and suddenly she sang no more" (p. 183, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume 1). Her power was utterly spent.

And yet (and now I am abbreviating quite a bit) the Golden Tree yielded one last fruit and now Aulë now had the resources he needed to make a ship of light. The ship was filled with the remaining golden light which was very hot and sought to rise immediately had it not been anchored with chords. The Valar named the ship Sári (sun) and the Elves Ûr (fire). Manwë called for one to steer the ship. "But a great thought came into the heart of Urwendi, and she said that she was not a dread, and begged leave to become the mistress of the Sun and to make herself ready for that office as Ilúvatar set it in her heart to do" (p. 187, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume 1).

Urwendi and her maidens bathed themselves in Tanyasalpë, the bowl of fire, and their bodies grew lucent and no clothing could cover them. Once ready they boarded the Sun and it rose higher and higher spreading it's heat and light farther than the Valar anticipated. This upset some of them as the Sun hid the stars, wilted gardens, and drove away sleep. The Valar realized another light was needed for it was the change and mingling of the Two Trees that they had so loved.

Lórien sang upon Silpion in lament of the harsh light and heat and lo!, one last flower bloomed on the Tree. At first Lórien would not let anyone touch the flower, the Rose of Silpion, as he coveted its beauty and light for himself. But the deadened branches could not support it's weight and the flower fell to the ground. Aulë fashioned another ship which the Valar named Rána, the Moon, and the Eldar Sil, the Rose.

Manwë appointed a spirit to pilot the Moonship; "...but an aged Elf with hoary locks stepped upon the Moon unseen and hid him in the Rose, and there dwells he ever since and tends that flower, and a little white turret has he builded on the Moon where often he climbs and watches the heavens, or the world beneath..." (p. 192-93, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume 1). And thus Tolkien's explanation of the folklore character the Man in the Moon. In Tolkien's earliest writings he sought to make connections to what we know or fairy tales that we know today. Another plain of thought of this talented author.

Leafing through Christopher Tolkien's commentary I realized that many of the points I highlighted in this blog post are absent or greatly reduced in The Silmarillion. While in some cases there are outright contradictions in the early and published stories. Christopher Tolkien notes that the published story seems to be almost of cliff notes version of the earlier tales, whether that was his father's intention or further detailed was never added in before his death we don't know. All the latter seems more probable since there were notes marking this particular tale for revision.