Introduction to the Chronology of Middle Earth

Introduction to the Chronology of Middle-Earth

The purpose of this timeline is to provide readers

with the proper chronological order in which to embark upon the stories of Middle-Earth. In so doing, I have utilized the main official sources, those written by J. R. R. Tolkien and subsequent works published by his estate posthumously (The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, etc.,).

I have also chosen to incorporate those works written

by other authors and published just following Tolkien's death, prior to the Estate's decision to not allow other writers to contribute new stories set in Middle-Earth. While these tales are not officially sanctioned by J.R.R. Tolkien Estate Limited, neither are they in violation of copyright. More importantly, these few short tales do not contradict the vast lore created by Professor Tolkien, but instead serve to flesh out narrative elements and time-frames that Tolkien himself never got around to.

Thus, I include them here as possible historic extensions of the saga

of Middle Earth, or if the reader prefers, apocryphal additions to the body of work that comprises the legends of Elves and Man. It is my hope that one day, the Estate will officially sanction new authors to fill in the spaces Tolkien left behind with new tales set in the First, Second and Third ages of Middle-Earth.

As regards the inclusion of Tolkien's unfinished and unpublished works

on the chronology, note that very minor contradictions exist even between the published works. I have chosen those stories which contain what I consider to be only minor contradictions to the published legendarium. It is my belief that these tales represent not only important narrative elements to the whole of the mythology, but excellent works of literary form, that should not be overlooked or go unread by fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, despite possible errata such as variances of names, geography or history.

For example, the tale 'The Wanderings of Hurin',

published in Volume 11 of The History of Middle-Earth series, as with a few other short stories from this series, is an excellent and hitherto unknown episode. Yet, as it's presented exactly as Tolkien composed it, it lacks the editorial emendations that would have made it internally consistent with what is published in the brief account in The Silmarillion. Thus, some name changes and minor discrepancies exist in the narrative (which are noted by Christopher Tolkien throughout). Nevertheless, as with Tolkien's other unfinished prose tales, it is a story that should not be left unread due to such minutia.

Whatever minor continuity-errors exist pale in comparison

to the value of these formerly 'lost' stories, and until Christopher Tolkien and the Estate determine to present these stories in editorially corrected forms as part of a larger, unified Silmarillion (which at this time does not seem plausible), they should be read by all fans of Professor Tolkien and Middle-Earth.

Going Beyond...

For those who have read at least The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

and are wanting more, this timeline may prove a helpful means of discovering what is available and in what proper chronological sequence to follow it.

Bold and determined readers may decide to embark upon the entire twelve-volume 'History of Middle-Earth' series. It should be noted that this series is primarily a study of the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, particularly the numerous drafts of what eventually became the published form of The Silmarillion (initially called 'The Book of Lost Tales') which Tolkien had begun in the trenches of World War One.

There is an enormous wealth of material here, from preliminary sketches, geographical notes, linguistic studies and scores of revisions and abandoned drafts. Over the course of twelve volumes, we follow the developments of these legends including the earliest manuscripts of The Lord of the Rings (represented in volumes 6 - 9) and the later revisions and upheavals of conception of The Silmarillion up to the time of the author's death.

Christopher Tolkien has done a magnificent job of arrangement with what must have proved a most difficult task of preparing hundreds of manuscripts (many in near-illegible handwriting) chronologically, providing footnotes, cross-references and commentary on his father's ever-changing and evolving conceptions. The results demonstrate not only the absolute genius of Professor Tolkien, but provide one of the best examinations on the history and origins of a work of literary art (and in this case two works).

Nevertheless, a project of this scope is generally not for the average reader. Those avidly interested in the mechanics of the creative process and the details and minutia that went into the growth of Tolkien's legendarium will find much to enjoy here. But for others, this work may prove to be a rather dry and intellectually taxing exercise, and as a result, skip over the entire series. There are, however, many hidden gems here, uncompleted masterpieces of literary invention which have not seen publication elsewhere, and another purpose of this chronology is to highlight those stories which readers who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, but don't have the time or interest to investigate the philological roots of names, contrast different versions of manuscripts, or puzzle out geographical oddities, would enjoy and want to know about.

Tolkien was in fact embarking upon a major revision

of the earliest legends of The Silmarillion which illness and his subsequent death did not allow him to complete. His goal in these later years was to make his mythology more closely attuned to the reality of modern astronomy in terms of the order of creation of the heavenly bodies and the shape of the world, and several early sketches of this new conception were begun. As it stands then, his view of the current Silmarillion legend would likely be that the early mythology represents a corruption of the 'truth' by having been passed down the ages through men and others who mixed in their own legends with the purer histories of the Valar and Eldar.

C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy

On the Modern Age portion of the Chronology, I just want to note briefly here that in different ways, both of the works mentioned are quite far removed from Tolkien's Middle-Earth Tales.

C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy, while a fine read in and of itself, only mentions Númenor (misspelled 'Numinor' as he'd only heard the name read aloud from Tolkien and did not see it spelt until much later) in passing, and only in the final book That Hideous Strength. While these tales could peripherally be said to take place in Tolkien's milieu (albeit thousands of years later), the fact is that the mention of Numinor (and even the Eldil) are more likely winking nods from one friend to another. Nevertheless, it is presented as an imaginative possibility and interesting curiosity.

The Notion Club Papers

This Tolkien tale involves a group of teachers and intellectuals

who belong to a club (not at all dissimilar to the one Tolkien and Lewis' shared) who discover a means of time-travel and set about a chain of strange events. Note that the majority of the discussions that take place in this lengthy, though unfinished, manuscript deals with various topics related to the study of philology and other idiosyncratic concerns English Professors engrossed in ancient epics and dead languages must have had. There are some interesting discussions on the nature of science-fiction as a literary vehicle (demonstrating just how familiar Tolkien was with the subject matter) as well as the nature of dream-travel that is astoundingly reminiscent of some of H. P. Lovecraft's esoteric delving. Nevertheless, "The Notion Club Papers" would be considered rather dry for most mainstream audiences and are likely to appeal solely to the hardcore Tolkien fan. For an excellent synopsis and essay on

"The Notion Club Papers," please go here.

For a listing of essays on the author and on Middle-Earth as well as other important and recommended stories by Tolkien which do not involve his legends of Middle-Earth, please go here.