Ages

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 11:48, 3 November 2021 by Cellindir (talk | contribs) (Added the later reckoning.)
History of Arda
Before the Creation
Before the Ages
Days before days
Years of the Trees (up to Y.T. 1050)
Ages of the Children of Ilúvatar
First Age (begins in Y.T. 1050
and overlaps with the Years of the Trees
up to Y.T. 1500
)
- Years of the Sun begin in F.A. 1
Second Age
- Arda made round in S.A. 3319
Third Age
Fourth Age
Later Ages (up to present day)
End of Arda
Timeline of Arda
(See: Round World version of the Silmarillion
for a later conception of Tolkien's cosmology)

Ages are large spans of Time in which the Wise and the loremasters divided the history of Arda. The division was made according to large historical events such as the overthrowing of a Dark Lord.

The Ages

First Age

The First Age saw the ascent of the Elves, Dwarves and Men and their wars against Morgoth. It ended with the War of Wrath and the drowning of Beleriand. Morgoth was captured by the Valar, ending centuries of dominion in Beleriand.[1][2]

Second Age

In the Second Age the Edain prospered in Númenor, but Sauron, a servant of Morgoth also came to dominate the Westlands. The Rings of Power were created as one of such attempts. Sauron's influence also caused the Drowning of Númenor and the Changing of the World. The Age ended with the War of the Last Alliance and the defeat of Sauron.[2][3]

Third Age

The Third Age saw the gradual fading of the Elves and also the rise of Sauron against the Númenorian kingdoms, until he was defeated during the War of the Ring. The Age ended some years later with the departure of the White Ship from Mithlond.[3][2]

Fourth Age

The Fourth Age was a time when the Elves faded while Dwarves, Men and Hobbits prospered and recovered after the fall of Sauron, until the Dominion of Men.[2]

Further future?

"For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time."
Aragorn[4]

Tolkien said in a letter written in 1958 that he believed the Ages had quickened and that it was about the end of the Sixth Age/beginning of the Seventh. However he did not explain the criteria of why the Ages should be shortened.[5]

Two years after that letter, Tolkien changed this idea and wrote that, instead, we were already in the year 1960 of the Seventh Age, indicating that this Age follows the Christian reckoning. [6]

See also

References