Volume 10 Number 3 Article 5 1984 Invasion from Eternity: Time and Myth in Middle-earth Sally Bartlett Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation Bartlett, Sally (1984) "Invasion from Eternity: Time and Myth in Middle-earth," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 10 : No. 3 , Article 5. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol10/iss3/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mythopoeic Society at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature by an authorized editor of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To join the Mythopoeic Society go to: http://www.mythsoc.org/join.htm Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON July 31 - August 1, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien Albuquerque, New Mexico; July 29 - August 1, 2022 http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-52.htm Abstract Compares the creation story and history of Middle-earth and of our world as set forth in the Bible, and shows “how every age of Middle-earth mirrors the Christian tale through [...] creation, degeneration, sacrifice, and renewal” without descending to allegory. Additional Keywords Myth, nature of; Tolkien, J.R.R.—Christian symbolism; Tolkien, J.R.R.—Settings—Middle-earth—Creation; Sarah Beach This article is available in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol10/iss3/5 Page 18 MYTHLORE 37: Winter 2984 Invasion from Eternity T im e and M yth in M iddle-earth Sally Bartlett Myths are "lies and threfore worthless myth, so he followed the example of the an­ even though breathed through silver," C.S. cient mythic poets. Middle-earth, then is a Lewis once said before his conversion to refraction of truth. It is not -Just fiction, Christianity. It is J.R.R. Tolkien's reply for it does what all myth does; it reflects that interests us. "No," said Tolkien, "they the Mythic Fact, and therefore, has fragments are not lies," adding that man is not ulti­ of truth in it. mately a liar. He comes from Cod, and al­ though he may "pervert his thoughts into Tolkien looks at himself as a "sub­ lies," his imaginative inventions (i.e., creator" creating because he was made in the myths) originate in God. Therefore, man is image of a creator.2 Richard Purtill ex­ fulfilling God's purpose when he creates plains this view in Lord of the Elves and these stories. He is reflecting various E l d i l s : colors refracted from the. white light of truth. The pagan myths are never Just lies; Like all good stories, it [Tol­ Tolkien said, "there is always something of kien's story] echoes of others, the truth in them." After some discussion, including the greatest of all Lewis commented that Christianity is the old stories—which Tolkien believes is myth of the "dying god" all over again, to a true story--the life of which Tolkien replied: C h r i s t . 3 Yes, except that here is a real Because the life of Christ is eternity and Dying God, with a precise location history combined, any story which mirrors in history and definite historical that life must reflect all of history and a consequences. The aid myth has bit of eternity as well. G.K. Chesterton become a fact. But it still supports this statement in saying: retains the character of myth.l The only right way of telling a Tolkien's point can be seen more clearly in story is to begin at the begin­ this statement: Myth became fact through ning—at the beginning of the history in the person of Jesus Christ. We world. Therefore, all books have can, therefore, call the Christian story the to begin in the wrong place for the Mythic Fact (my term), because, for Chris­ sake of brevity.4 tians, it is fact with mythic significance. Tolkien opens his story even before the Tolkien used this principle when he beginning of the world, and thus reveals the forged Middle earth. He wanted to Create a creation of the universe. In The Silmaril- MYTHLORE 37: Winter 1984 Page 19 lion , the mythical backdrop for The Lord of and eat from the tree of the knowledge of the Rings and its prelude, The Hobbit , b o th good and evil. Consequently, not only man the eternal and historical elements are re­ but creation itself is subJect to corruption. v e a le d : The sacrifice of the Christian story occurs when Jesus, the God-man, dies to atone for There was Eru, the One, who in Arda man's sin which has become a congenital dis­ is called Iluvator; and he made the ease, passed down through the ages. Christ first, the Ainur, the Holy Ones, thereby saves humanity and the result of this that were the offspring of his victory is renewal for both the souls of men thought, and they were with him and the created universe as well. Every good before ought else was made. myth may be seen to contain these elements. The Bible, as God's chosen mythology, reveals them; that is, the Christian myth reflects truth more perfectly, because it is God te ll­ Then the voices of the Ainur, like ing people about himself. unto harps and lutes and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, Tolkien's myth, on the other hand, does like countless choirs singing with not cover such a vast expanse of history. It words began to fashion the theme of recounts only the First, Second, and Third Iluvator to a great music; and a ages of Middle-Earth; the end of history is sound arose of endless interchang­ not clearly foretold. Yet this imperfect ing melodies, woven in harmony that vision is still a myth because all the ele- passed beyond hearing into the ments-of the Christian story are present bn a depths and into heights,. and the smaller scale in each age. Tolkien provides places of the dwelling of Iluvator hints of what is to come as all good m yth h as were filled to overflowing, and the always done. Each age of Middle-earth con­ music and the echo of the music tains an example- of creation, degeneration, went out into the Void, and it was sacrifice, and renewal. n o t v o id . 5 Since all these components occur in This is the creation of a new World. There every age of this pre-Christian history and is, within this story, both a vision of eter­ because Tolkien has placed his world within nity and an account of the beginning of his­ our own, we can assume that he is unveiling a tory. Both these dimensions are necessary if systematic view of history, in which each the nature of myth is to contain an echo of mythic tale constitutes an age, and each age the nature of Christ, And Tolkien believed is a reflection of the Chosen Mythology, the that if a story is to have mythic signifi­ boundaries of which are the ends of time. cance, it must echo the true story, the life All previous and future myths, then, have a of Christ; it must deal with eternal things place in history's progression toward eter­ and unveil a history permeated with eternity. nity. This essay will now examine The Silma- The Genesis account of creation also has rillio n , pointing out each of the four maJor elements of history and eternity. The Mythic components of the Christian myth as revealed Fact or what C.S. Lewis calls the Chosen in each of the three ages of Middle-earth. Mythology (i.e., a myth told by God, Him­ self),6 sets an example of good story telling The creation component is revealed in by using eternity and history as indispensi- the first age of Arda when the Valar, Ainur ble parts of its narrative. The Biblical which Eru had sent to Earth to tend and to statement "In the beginning God created the continue his creative process, worked until heavens and the earth"7 reveals an eternity the world was circular and flat, with symmet­ that exists before creation and a history rical dimensions and temperate weather. At that begins at creation. this point, Melkor again enters the picture making war upon the Valar, and mars the sym­ Thus when Christ says, "I am the Alpha metry of the lands and waters of Arda. Thus and the Omega—the first and the last,"8 ends the Spring of Arda (p. 3 7 ) . After the Christians can find support for their view birth of the Elves, Melkor conJures lies and that Christ started history as the word of Jealousies in the minds of these First Chil­ God by speaking creation into existence and dren toward those who come later, a race that- He will be the One Whowill end history known as Men. The first folly of listening when time has run its course. In order to to lies which cause strife between races fu lfill the purpose of myth,_ both the Bible continues to work its malice until elf fights and Tolkien's tale will not only have to show with elf in the Kinslaying at Alqualonde, history's origin; they will have to reveal where the hosts of Feanor kill their own the end of history as well, and include relatives, in their willful reJection of the enough information about the period within Valar's command to remain in the Blessed history's boundaries to show a purposeful Realm.