Cosmologia Terrae Mediae

Ecce breviarium cosmologiae legendarii I. R. R. Tolkieni. Omne caput, cum oporteat, nomina alternativa sequuntur, et nomina Latina plus minus aequivalentia in parenthesibus (una cum nota interrogativa si ambigatur disputeturve), et descriptio brevis.

Eru Ilúvatar est deus unicus in legendario Tolkieniano. Ipse Ainur creavit, quae creaturae spirituales sunt. Ainur et Ilúvatar mundum creaverunt cantu Ainulindalë appellatum.

• Salae Intemporales (Caelum) — Domus dei Eru Ilúvatar extra tempus sita. In eo caelo similia sunt, quod extra fines universi exstant, quodque nihil formae physicae eis est. Non nulli disputant ea finalem Hominum destinationem esse, sed etiam possibile est ea momentaria domus eis esse ante Ardae recreationem. Liquet enim fabula Adanelis Homines ad Ilúvatarem regredi; dubitatur autem, an fabula in canone enumeranda sit, licet Christophorus Tolkien quondam eam ad libri Silmarillion appendices adiungere voluerit.
• Vacuum, Avakúma, Kúma, Tenebra Exterior, Tenebra Antiqua, Tenebra Permanens — Regio abstracta et deserta e nihilo constans, quae extra Salis Intemporalis, Ardam, omnemque Eäm esse dicitur. Potest fieri, ut inter the Void, quod extra Eäm, et the Void, quod Ardam circumeat, distinguatur, sed clare non definitur. Constat nihil ullius potestatis visve intra the Void adhiberi posse. Melkor in the Void obiectus est post Bellum Irae (bellum maximi momenti contra Morgothum circa finem Primae Aetatis pugnatum), ante autem finem mundi regressurum esse fama eum habetur.
• Eä (Universum), quod nomen Eä, –äe latinizamus — Eä nomen Quenicum est universum valens, eo modo atque Ainus eum animo finxerant. Verbum ex Quenico verbo esse significante derivatum est. Eä est igitur "Mundus qui Est," contra "Mundum qui Non Est" (the World that Is et the World that Is Not). Ergo sequitur, ut omnia extra Eäm, inter quae Salis Intemporalis Eru Ilúvatar, nihil formae materialis habeant. Ainus, entes angelici e Salis Intemporalis ultra Eäm sitis orti, eam "Regnum Parvum" (the Little Kingdom) appellant, nam omnia, quae Homines videre possint, minima, cum menti Eru Ilúvatar (Dei) componantur, sint. Eä illud verbum est, quo Eru Ilúvatar universum in exsistentiam tulit.
  • Arda, Ilu — Vide Ardam. Mundus, omnibus in caelis sitis inclusis.
    • Vaiya, Ekkaia, Oceanus Circumdans, Mare Circumdans (spatium), quod nomen Vaiya, –ae latinizamus — Mare atrum quod mundum circumiit ante cataclysmum, quod extrema Secunda Aetate accidit. Vaiya adusque circum mundum fluit, ita ut mare infra et quandam aëris formam supra formet. Arda in Vaiya nare dicitur, sicut navis in mare. Ulmo, Dominus Aquarum (the Lord of Waters) in Vaiya sub radicibus Ardae incolit. Constat Vaiyam frigidissimam esse: ubi aquae eius aquas Belegaeri in partibus ad septentrionem occidentem spectantibus Terrae Mediae conveniant, glaciei chasma creari, Helcaraxë appellatum. Sol Vaiyam transit calefacitque. Videtur Naiyam post evanuisse quam Arda rotundata est, quamquam fieri possit, ut in mundi atmosphaeram conversa sit.
      • Ilmen (systema solare), quod nomen Ilmen, –inis latinizamus — Regio aëris puri luce pervasi, ante cataclysmum, quod extrema Secunda Aetate accidit. Stellae aliaque corpora caelestia hic inveniuntur. Potest fieri, ut Tolkien nomen ex ilma, verbo Finnico aër significante, traxit. Luna Ilmen transit, cumque occidit, in Chasma Ilminis (Chasm of Ilmen) se immergit.
        • Alcarinque, Morwen^[1] Silindo (Iuppiterne?)^[2]
        • Anarrima
        • Anor, Ur^[3] (Sol)^[4] Vide Solem (Terra Media).
        • Borgil (Aldebaranne?)^[5]
        • Carnil (Marsne?)^[2]
        • Eärendil, Gil-Amdir,^[6] Gil-Estel,^[7] Gil-Oresetel, Gil-Orrain (Venus)^[8]
        • Eksiqilta, Ekta- (Cinctus Orionis^?)^[9]
        • Elemmire (Mercuriusne?)^[2]
        • Helluin, Gil,^[1] Nielluin, Nierninwa (Sirius)^[10]
        • Ithil, Silmo,^[9] (Luna)^[4] Vide Lunam (Terra Media).
        • Luinil (Uranusne?)^[2]
        • Lumbar (Saturnusne?)^[2]
        • Menelvagor, Daimord,^[1] Menelmacar, Mordo,^[9] Gladiator Caeli, Taimavar, Taimondo, Telimbektar, Telimektar, Telumehtar (Orion)^[4] — Constellatio, quae Túrinum Turambarem repraesentat suumque reditum futurum ad Melkorem in Dagor Dagorath vincendum. Menelmacar formam maiorem natu, Telumehtar (quae nihilo minus in usu remansit), assecutum est, ita ut Sindarine verbum tamquam Menelvagor adsumptum sit.
        • Morwinyon (Arcturus)^[1]
        • Nenar (Neptunusne?)^[2]
        • Remmirath, Itselokte,^[9] Sithaloth,^[1] (Pleiades)^[11]
        • Soronúme
        • Telumendil
        • Til
        • Valacirca, Falx Valarum,^[12] Briar Ardens,^[13] Corona Durinis,^[4] Edegil,^[14] Otselen, Aratrum, Septem Stellae,^[15] Septem Papiliones,^[16] Falx Argentea, Timbridhil,^[17] (Ursa Maior)^[18] — Magni momenti septem stellarum constellatio ab Varda in caelum posita, ut Melkori ministrisque suis admonitio, et quae Alforum Evigilationem antecedit. Durini symbolum quoque formavit, in Moriae portis visum, et Bereni carmen rebellionis incitavit. Ut in Silmarillion dictum est, in Caelum Septentrionale (Northern Sky) ut signum Melkoris condemnati et Alforum spei plenorum statutum est. Valacirca una ex paucis constellationibus in libro commemoratis est.
        • Wilwarin (Cassiopeiane?)^[19]
        • Vista, Aër (Atmosphaera) — Vista est hic aër, quem aspiras.
          • Fanyamar, Domus Nubium — Aër superus, ubi nubes sunt.
          • Aiwenórë, Terra Avium — Aër inferus, ubi aves volant.
            • Ambar, Imbar (Terra, Tellus) — Solidus mundi humus. Terra Media una ex Ambaris continentibus est.
            • Ëar (Oceani) — Maria mundi.

Notae

1. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1984), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Book of Lost Tales, Part One, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Appendix  — Concurrent with early versions of the mythology Tolkien developed a list of names and meanings called the Qenya Lexicon. Christopher Tolkien included extracts from this in an appendix to The Book of Lost Tales, including mentions of specific stars, planets, and constellations in the entries: Gong, Ingil, Mornië, Morwinyon, Nielluin, Silindrin, and Telimektar.
2. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1993), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., Morgoth's Ring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Index  In the introductory text for the index of Morgoth's Ring Christopher Tolkien notes several names which his father identified as planets, but speculates that this may have been passing thoughts rather than definitive conclusions.
3. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1984), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Book of Lost Tales, Part One, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Coming of the Valar 
4. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1955), The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 1987)  — Tolkien defines Anor and Durin's Crown (under 'Star') in Index IV and Menelvagor and Ithil in Appendix E.I in the entries for 'H' and 'TH' consonant sounds respectively.
5. Larsen, Kristine (2005). "A Definitive Identification of Tolkien's 'Borgil': An Astronomical and Literary Approach". Tolkien Studies (West Virginia University Press) 2: 161–170  In The Fellowship of the Ring, 'Three is Company' Tolkien indicates that Borgil is a red star which appears over the horizon after Remmirath (Pleiades) and before Menelvagor (Orion). Larsen and others note that Aldebaran is known as 'the follower' of the Pleiades and is the only major red star to fit the description.
6. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1994), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The War of the Jewels, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Later Quenta Silmarillion 
7. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Of the Voyage of Eärendil 
8. Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. (1981), The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, #297 
9. "Qenya Lexicon". Parma Eldalamberon 12  The twelfth volume of the linguistic journal Parma Eldalamberon published the complete text of Tolkien's Qenya Lexicon, including star names listed in entries that were not included in the Book of Lost Tales appendix. These additional entries can be found on pages 35, 43, 63, and 82
10. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Index  The index entries for Helluin and Wilwarin cite Sirius and Cassiopeia.
11. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954), The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 1987), Three is Company 
12. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Of the Coming of the Elves 
13. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1993), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., Morgoth's Ring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Later Quenta Silmarillion (I) 
14. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1987), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Lost Road and Other Writings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Etymologies, OT- 
15. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Of Beren and Lúthien 
16. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1984), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Book of Lost Tales, Part One, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Coming of the Elves 
17. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1985), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Lays of Beleriand, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Lay of Leithian, A.379 
18. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954), The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 1987), Strider 
19. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977), Christophorus Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Index 

Nexus externi

• The Astronomy of Middle-earth: Astronomical Motifs and Motivations in the Work of J.R.R. Tolkien, collectio commentationum a Kristine Larsen edita