Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 116
Comment on the current state of Númenor lore:
Comment on the current state of Númenor lore:
- The name of Númenor has only spoken in reference to the Beren and Lúthien story by Aragorn on Weathertop. It is also spoken about in the prologue about Hobbits, prior to the story.
- The importance of this passage is to show the connection between Aragorn’s own people and Lúthien’s descendants and implies that this line is set aside and blessed.
- It also connects Elrond’s lineage to his own, implying that they are both on equal footing.
- The mention of Eärendil links his journey to the history of the kings of Númenor, too. The next time that Númenor is mentioned is just before Bilbo delivers his poem on Eärendil.
- Gandalf has mentioned them using the term “Men of the West” and the “kings from over the Sea” and Frodo referred to them as the “people of the old kings”.
- Frodo speaks from the point of view of the people who were in Middle-earth who saw the Numenoreans arrive and take over as kings, and the Hobbits’ reverent memories of them later.
- The vague vision of the Numenoreans in the house of Tom Bombadil is only clear in retrospect.
- The context of the Numenoreans we get is as a secret remnant of the Elder Days among us.
- Aragorn will reference both his role as Strider and as the Dúnedan many times during the story.
- Note: There is an echo of older notions of things like the kings of Britain coming from Troy via Rome. This is an example of Tolkien fictionally attributing these vague older legends to an unclear memory of something that is explained through his legendarium, such as the return of the kings from Númenor. He does this again in the “Notion Club Papers” in Sauron Defeated.
- While Elrond is teasing Bilbo about the upcoming critique of his poem, it seems as though Bilbo expects it be honest and thorough having been in Rivendell for 17 years and is prepared for it.
- Note: Tolkien’s own experience of criticism among the Inklings would suggest that he would expect such a critique and anything else would be viewed as disingenuous.
- Elrond and company intend to be kind in their delivery, while being honest in the critique. We will see this when they respond in their brief exchange after the delivery.
- However, the delivery jokes in exaggerating of the seriousness and gravity of their judgement.
- Bilbo is aware that the delivery of this poem to this audience is important, especially as it is a poem about Eärendil, Elrond’s own father, and he is taking his performance seriously.
- The Elves would now be familiar with Bilbo’s style, but it would still be of interest for the Elves in seeing their own tales and poems translated by a hobbit and into Westron and hobbit meters.
- The only mortals that perhaps had attempted adaptations of Elvish material before would have been the Dúnedain, who would have used Elvish languages and styles.
- Elvish poetry is fundamentally alien to mortal, and especially Westron, poetry. Any translations from Elvish are being filtered through a mortal point of view, such as Bilbo’s hobbit tastes.
- Even when we have seen Elvish poetry heard, it was translated in the heads of the hobbits into a hobbit meter and style which they could understand, such as with Gildor’s folk.
- Note: A real-world parallel is the experience of the loss between native poetry in the native language by a native speaker, and what happens in attempting to translate it. This would be even more extreme between Elves and Hobbits, which is an even more fundamental divide.
- Bilbo is unrelenting in his hobbitry toward Strider, even when Strider doesn’t reciprocate it. However, we know that Strider and Bilbo are friends based on previous references.
- Bilbo jokingly makes the finishing of the poem as urgent business, while minimizing Strider’s business. Strider enjoys and goes along with the joke and doesn’t contradict him.
- Strider is not deaf or hostile to Bilbo’s hobbitry, but it’s just not part of his style. Strider has a kingly forbearance, but he doesn’t hold himself aloof from the hobbits, especially Bilbo.
- Note: This is a typical response by hobbits to the serious business of the Wise, as we have seen with Pippin and Gandalf earlier. They are irrepressible, though not thoughtless.
- What was Elladan and Elrohir’s business? The most probable is that they had been searching for signs of the Ringwraiths and were now reporting on their findings.
- Bilbo most likely is less interested in Strider’s contributions to the poem than for his willing ear and friendly feedback as a test run before performing it in front of the company.
- Strider, as a mortal, would be one of the few for whom Bilbo’s kind of mortal poetry would not be strange, and as one of the Dúnedain would be a middle ground between Hobbits and Elves.
- Strider is also a translator of Elvish poetry into Westron, as he would have Elvish training, along with Bilbo and Sam, though he is sensitive to the appropriate subject matter for the Hall of Fire.
- Note: The “tralalalally” poem in The Hobbit is an attempt to capture the alien nature of Elvish poetry to the ears of mortal, though in fairy tale context.
- Note: One can only speculate on the training that Aragorn received in Rivendell and its sources, as he would likely have received instruction by both Elrond and his mother, Gilraen.