"The Glorious". One of the bright new stars created for the Firstborn.
Reference: Silmarillion
(Betelgeuse?)
Borgil is a star described as red, glowing like a
jewel
of fire. It rose after full dark, after the Remmirath constellation had
arisen
and before the Menelvagor constellation (Orion).
In astronomy, Betelgeuse is a first magnitude
giant
red
star near one shoulder of Orion.
Aldeberan, another contender, is a first magnitude
red star in the eye
of Taurus, and is the brightest star in the Hyades. However, it
does not follow
Reference: "Three is Company", Fellowship of the Ring: Lord of the Rings
A red star. One of the bright new stars created for the Firstborn.
Reference: Silmarillion
"The star of Earendil shone bright in the West as
a
token that all was made ready, and as a guide over the sea; and Men
marvelled to see that silver flame in the paths of the Sun.
"Then the Edain set sail upon the deep waters,
following the Star; and the Valar laid a peace upon the sea for many
days, and sent sunlight and a sailing wind....But so bright was
Rothinzil (Numenorean Adunaic
name for Vingilot, the ship of Earendil--Varda) that even at morning
Men
could see it glimmering in the West, and in the cloudless night it
shone
alone, for no other star could stand beside it. And setting their
course
towards it the Edain came at last over leagues of sea and saw afar the
land
that was prepared for them, Andor, the Land of Gift...(Also called
Numenor--Varda)
Reference: Akallabeth, Silmarillion
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Reference: Silmarillion
see also Elves: Elemmire
(Sirius)
In astronomy, Sirius is the brightest star in the
heavens,
found in the Canis Major constellation and therefore called the Dog
Star.
This dog follows Orion.
In the Silmarillion,
Helluin is a bright star of blue fire. It is one of the bright
new stars created
for the Firstborn.
The Book of Lost Tales I includes the
earlier name
of Nielluin, the "Blue Bee" or "Bee of Azure", and plainly states that
it
is Sirius in "Commentary on 'The Tale of the Sun and Moon'".
In the text of "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon",
the
time Nielluin is seen is during "autumn or in winter burning nigh the
foot
of Telimektar son of Tulkas", Orion.
In the same text, some stars, perhaps including
Nielluin
which is in the same long paragraph, are said to be steady, translucent
lamps
instead of the more normal traveling ships.
Also called Niellúnë, Nierninwa in BoLT.
In BoLT, Nielluin was originally Ingil, the son of
Inwe
(Ingwe in the Sil). This made him heir to the throne of the elves in
Valinor.
Other names for Ingil are in BoLT's Appendix as Gilweth, Githilma. Gil
is
the star Sirius, Gil being the new name of Gilweth after he went into
the
heavens in the form of a great bee bearing honey of flame, following
Orion
(here called Daimord and Telimektar). Gil means "gleam"
according to
the commentary. Gil in Sindarin means "star" in the Silmarillion
.
Reference: "Of the Coming of the Elves", "Of
Feanor", Silmarillion
"The Tale of the Sun and Moon", Book of Lost Tales I
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A blue star. One of the bright new stars created for the Firstborn.
Reference: Silmarillion
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Reference: Silmarillion
(Arcturus)
In both of JRRT's word lists of Quenya and
"Gnomish", Morwinyon
is defined as Arcturus, according to Christopher Tolkien's commentary
on
"The Tale of the Sun and Moon" in BoLT.
Morwinyon is the Quenya word for Arcturus, according
to
the Lore Book.
In the text of BoLT 1's "The Tale of the Sun and
Moon",
Morwinyon is said to mean "the glint at dusk".
In the very early story, "The Coming of the Elves",
Morwinyon
was a star accidentally dropped by Varda as she hastened back to
Valinor,
inspired to make more stars by Aule's accidental making of the Seven
Stars/Valacirca
at her news of the coming of the Eldar, so she carried perhaps overmuch
of
the radiance of Telimpe from Aule's basin/bason. This left Morwinyon
unmoving,
blazing low in the west. Movement for it had to come at a later time
after
being refound. The story of Valacirca was changed several times,
leaving
Morwinyon's story a bit lost.
In "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", we have
another reason why Morwinyon held still in the western sky. Instead of
one of the stars that travelled in ships manned by the spirits of the
Manir and Suruli, Morwinyon may be one of those that was a lamp, since
it is in the same paragraph.
These lamps were translucent, set in Ilwe or the edge of Vilna and
Middle-earth's
breathable air. They flickered and waned in the upper winds.
References:
"The Coming of the Elves", "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", Book
of
Lost Tales I
Lore Book of the High Elven Tongue
Reference: Silmarillion
(Orion)
In the Fellowship of the Ring,
Menelvagor
rises after the Remmirath and after Borgil. It is described as "the
Swordsman
of the Sky, Menelvagor with his shining belt". As it rose, Gildor and
the
other elves who were escorting the hobbits burst into song, lit a fire,
and
said it was time for speech and merriment.
In the Silmarillion,
Menelmacar is called the Swordsman of the Sky "with his shining belt,
that forebodes the Last Battle that shall be at the end of days."
Menel in Quenya elvish means
"heaven"
or "heavens" or "sky". In Quenya, mak- means slay, makil
means
sword. Makar was the Warrior Vala in the Book of Lost Tales.
Thus
it could suggest a warrior Vala in the heavens complete with sword
belt,
a threat to Melkor. The letter k in Quenya elvish was generally changed
to
a c in later work, but the c is pronounced as a k as in Celebrimbor.
Even earlier names found in the Book
of Lost Tales were Telumehtar, "warrior of the sky", and
Telimektar, the
son of Tulkas. Quenya has Telimektar, Telimbektar, Taimondo, Taimordo,
Taimavar.
Sindarin Gnomish has Telumaithar, Daimord.
References:
"Three is Company", Fellowship of the Ring: Lord of
the Rings
"
Of the Coming of the Elves", Silmarillion. Book
of Lost Tales 1.
"The Tale of the Sun and the Moon", Book of Lost Tales 1
Lorebook of the High Elven Tongue
Menelmacar
by Elatan-(Valar)
April 5, 1999
In an old story, Menelmacar was the son of Tulkas.
Reference: Book of Lost Tales #1
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(The Big Dipper, The Great Bear)
Also called the Seven Stars, Sickle
of
the Valar, Sign of Doom, the Seven Butterflies in "The Coming of the
Elves",
BoLT I. Called the Plough in BoLT 2.
The Quenya elvish word, circa,
means
sickle.
"And high in the north as a challenge to Melkor she set the crown of seven mighty stars to swing, Valacirca, the Sickle of the Valar and sign of doom."--"Of the Coming of the Elves" Silmarillion
References:
"The Coming of the Elves", Book of Lost Tales I
"Of the Coming of the Elves", Silmarillion
The Seven Butterflies: That name is from the old tale of the coming of the Elves, here it was Aule who made them but it is a beautiful name for Valacirca I think. Aule was making a silver sickle when Melkor told Aule a lie about Yavanna and he got so angry he broke the sickle with a blow and seven sparks leapt up and winged into the heavens. There Varda caught them and gave them a place as a sign of Yavanna`s honour.
Reference: Book of Lost Tales #1
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The Prophecy:
"But at the bidding of Manwe Mandos spoke, and he said: 'In this age the Children of Iluvatar shall come indeed, but they come not yet. Moreover it is doom that the Firstborn come in the darkness, and shall look first upon the stars. Great light shall be for their waning. To Varda ever shall they call at need.'The Creation:--"Of the Coming of the Elves", Quenta Silmarillion, The Silmarillion
"Then Varda went forth from the council, and she looked out from the height of Taniquetil, and beheld the darkness of Middle-earth beneath the innumerable stars, faint and far.
Then she began a great labour, greatest of all the works of the Valar since their coming into Arda.
She took the silver dews from the vats of Telperion, and therewith she made new stars and brighter against the coming of the Firstborn;
wherefore she whose name out of the deeps of time and the labours of Ea was Tintalle, the Kindler, was called after by the elves Elentari, Queen of the Stars."
Varda made new stars, brighter than her old ones.
Then she gathered many of the old, faint stars into constellations to
increase their brightness and to use as signs in the heavens.
When she ended her long labors, the light awakened
the
Firstborn of Iluvatar, the elves, by the mere of Cuivienen, "Water of
Awakening".
Their first sight was the field of stars, so that they loved the
starlight
and revered Varda above all the other Valar. The light of the stars
shone
ever after from their eyes.
Reference: "Of the Coming of the Elves", Silmarillion
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