A first-time reader's context for Númenor

[Beech27]

Very little, as it happens, but interesting. Consulting my electronic copy, Númenor is spoken once in the text* before Bilbo connects it explicitly to Aragorn--and it's spoken by Aragorn himself, at the end of his verbal lore appendix on Weathertop, post-The Tale of Tinúviel.

"There live still those of whom Lúthien was the foremother, and it is said that her line shall never fail. Elrond of Rivendell is of that Kin. For of Beren and Lúthien was born Dior Thingol's heir; and of him Elwing the White whom Eärendil wedded, he that sailed his ship out of the mists of the world into the seas of heaven with the Silmaril upon his brow. And of Eärendil came the Kings of Númenor, that is Westernesse."

Bilbo's line here is the second usage of the term: “He is often called that here. But I thought you knew enough Elvish at least to know dún-adan: Man of the West, Númenórean.”

There are more proper nouns here than a first-time reader could be expected to remember; and of course, they would lack even more context if we assume this is pre-Silmarillion. (Or we could just assume that they haven't read it, which is probably true for most LOTR readers--first-time or not.)

But still, I think it's fair to suggest there might be a mythic *ping* triggered here by Bilbo; and more observant readers--or those willing to turn back pages--will learn more. (And then they'll read the term several times and learn a lot more about Aragorn very, very soon.)

*It does appear in the "Note on Shire Records" part of the prologue: "Only here in the Shire were to be found extensive materials for the history of Númenor and the arising of Sauron."

 

[Ardent Crayon]

Interesting! But what about maps? In my 50th anniversary paperback there is (together with maps of Middle Earth, the Shire, Gondor and Mordor) a map of Numenore right after the table of contents. The artist’s signature is “Shelly Shapiro ‘88” so obviously it’s not the original. Was there a Numenore map in the first edition? It always puzzled me that there was this detailed depiction of a place that none of the main characters have been too, and seldom even mention, though as Beech27 suggests it does add a hint of mythic flavor and depth to the story.

 

[Kate Neville]

Interesting! But what about maps? In my 50th anniversary paperback there is (together with maps of Middle Earth, the Shire, Gondor and Mordor) a map of Numenore right after the table of contents. The artist’s signature is “Shelly Shapiro ‘88” so obviously it’s not the original. Was there a Numenore map in the first edition? It always puzzled me that there was this detailed depiction of a place that none of the main characters have been too, and seldom even mention, though as Beech27 suggests it does add a hint of mythic flavor and depth to the story.

No Nùmenor map -- I am one of the old ones who read TH and LOTR a decade before The Silmarillion was published. There was a map of the Shire in the pages of FOTR, with a fold-out map of the northeast of the world. TT had that same fold-out map; ROTK's map was a close up of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor.
But the Appendices began the Annals of the Kings with an overview of Númenor, which was tantalizingly brief. I do recall noticing a version of the name popping up in the last book of Lewis' sci-fi trilogy which I read in college, by which time I'd have read LOTR at least half-a-dozen times.

 

[dietlbomb]

I just listened to episode 115 and half of 116, and was going to mention that a first-time reader of the Fellowship of the Ring might have recognized Numenor from That Hideous Strength. I forget how much description of Numenor, its inhabitants, and its history Lewis gave us though.