Post by Andorinha on Oct 28, 2004 23:52:09 GMT -6
So far as the Elves are concerned, I think it very likely that Cirdan would have to be acclaimed the eldest yet living in Middle-earth. At least, the eldest of whom we have any certain knowledge. There might in fact be older Elves, first generation members who wandered as Avari from Cuivienen to form some of the rustic "Wild Elf" communities that were not recorded in the histories of the West.
But Cirdan, at least in a rather late (1970s), and sometimes confusing Tolkien manuscript, receives this treatment from an aging JRRT, who admits (at 81) that his "memory is no longer retentive..." (HOME XII, Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 377):
"This [the name Cirdan] is the Sindarin for 'Shipright,' and describes his later functions in the history of the First Three Ages; but his 'proper' name, his original name among the Teleri, to whom he belonged is never used.* ... he was akin to Olwe [Thingol], ... He was thus also akin to Elwe, Olwe's elder brother..." (HOME XII PoMe, p. 385).
Cirdan is never fully assigned a generational number among the Elves, and as a kinsman to Elwe and Olwe, I suppose he could be a nephew? But I rather think Tolkien meant Cirdan to be seen as a member of the first generation, co-eval with Elwe and Olwe. Cirdan becomes, by "divine decree," tied to Middle-earth even though he wanted desperately to go to Valinor at the time of the first Elven removal.
It was Cirdan's fate to stay in Middle-earth and help, Earendil, eventually, in the construction of his magic ship Vingilot. After this great deed, which precipitated the "rehabilitation/ forgiving" of the Noldor, Cirdan would remain in Middle-earth until the Last Ship could sail. Thus, I guess, whether he liked it or not, he was destined to become the oldest Elf in Middle-earth, having to wait til all the others had gone before him into the West.
*Cirdan's original name is given in a foot note on p. 392 as "Nowe." Suspiciously familiar in its sound? Noah?
Noah (as UtNapishtim in the pre-Hebraic Babylonian traditions, and also as the Sumerian Ziusudra) is likewise associated with an enormous longevity. The original name meant "Old Man made Young Man" and referred to the renewal of life that made this man immortal. Could Tolkien have amalgamated Cirdan with Nowe (Noah) and also picked up on the concept of "oldest living" person at the same time and from the same source? If I recall my ancient studies correctly, most of the Gilgamesh cycle of epic-heroic verse was available in translation at least by the 1930s. I have no knowledge about Tolkien ever reading "Gilgamesh," but it certainly would be just the sort of text he would read.
Of course, I am always leery of such situations of "reader perceived" identifications between JRRT's characters and any person/ being found in some other work. Too often these comparisons are based on one or just a few trait resemblances and are so generally vague as to be practically meaningless. At the same time, as a quick read through the pages of Douglas A. Anderson's "Annotated Hobbit" will show, Tolkien was strongly influenced by the information that circulated about him in both his private and his academic life. Sponge-like, he absorbed images, trophes, kennings, story lines, moods, values, textures of place, etc. etc, reworked them in his mind and retailed them to us in his wonderfully consistent/ complex fashion. So much of Tolkien is rooted in the matrix of our own world culture that his Middle-earth takes on the very living flavour of reality, and always seems somehow familiar, somehow comforting, somehow true.
Tolkien re-worked the Atlantis theme from Plato; he borrowed the lofty Egyptian White Crown, put wings on it, and gave it to the Kings of Numenor and Gondor; he took the incest themes and double suicides of Kullervo from the Kalevala and made the tragic tale of Turin and his sister... And yes, a quick dash to the book shelves reveals that, as early as 1914 Arno Poebel's initial translations of "Gilgamesh" received wide acclaim throughout Europe. Given Tolkien's antiquarian interests, it would be strange indeed if he never read this prime epic. Christian scholars eagerly devoured all such material that came from the cuneiform texts, and the obvious parallels seen in the events of Ziusudra's life and those of the Biblical Noah were given a great public airing. Supposedly, having a non-Biblical source of this great antiquity (2000 BCE) mentioning a bible character, was seen as some sort of confirming proof of Biblical veracity.
But, I still cannot say for sure that Tolkien did read "Gilgamesh." His library contents have been catalogued by avid scholars, so it may be that among his heaps of books, JRRT had a copy of Gilgamesh. It would then be interesting to try to pin down which edition he had -- or read as a borrowed volume -- and see if its postulated impact on his thinking can be dated. In addition to the similarities already noted in their vocations (both Cirdan and Noah build vitally important, "life-saving" ships -- Vingilot and The Ark) both figures are anciently old, yet still hale, in fact both are immortal; both have direct auditory communion with divine powers; both act as helpful counselors to passing travelers; and both are specifically concerned with "revelations" that allow some enhanced understanding of the past, present, and especially the future.
Compare:
1) Tolkien's Cirdan -- "Then, it is said, he [Cirdan] stood forlorn looking out to sea, and it was night, but far away he could see a glimmer of light upon Eressea... Then he cried aloud: 'I will follow that light, alone if none will come with me...' But even as he said this he received in his heart a message, which he knew to come from the Valar, though in his mind it was remembered as a voice speaking in his own tongue [Sindarin?]. And the voice warned him not to attempt this peril... 'Abide now that time, for when it comes then will your work be of utmost worth, and it will be remembered in song for many ages after.' 'I obey,' Cirdan answered, and then... he saw (in a vision maybe) a shape like a white boat, shining above him, that sailed west through the air... As we now perceive, this was a foretelling of the ship [Vingilot]... From that night onwards, Cirdan received a foresight touching all matters of importance, beyond the measure of all other Elves upon Middle-earth." (HOME 12, Peoples of Middle-earth," p. 386)
2) Ziusudra, Sumerian "Noah" -- "We are then introduced to Ziusudra, the counterpart of the biblical Noah, who is described as a pious, a god-fearing king, constantly on the lookout for divine revelations in dreams or incantations." (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, ed James B. Pritchard, "The Deluge" pp 42-43, 1969).
In this particular comparison, Cirdan with Ziusudra-Noah, we do seem to have functional equivalences, personality equivalences, and episode equivalences. While these equivalences are not precise (they never rise to the level of allegory) they certainly are suggestive of much more than a casual resemblance. Add the name "Nowe" that Tolkien gives us for Cirdan; and the peculiarity, otherwise unexplained, that Cirdan among all the Elves was the only bearded one (see the obvious bearded face of Ziusudra-Noah) and I think we do have strong evidence that Cirdan is based (in part) on Noah.
This might be a good topic for further research, perhaps one of the Letters holds more information on this presumed rekationship between Cirdan-Nowe and Noah-Ziusudra.
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But Cirdan, at least in a rather late (1970s), and sometimes confusing Tolkien manuscript, receives this treatment from an aging JRRT, who admits (at 81) that his "memory is no longer retentive..." (HOME XII, Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 377):
"This [the name Cirdan] is the Sindarin for 'Shipright,' and describes his later functions in the history of the First Three Ages; but his 'proper' name, his original name among the Teleri, to whom he belonged is never used.* ... he was akin to Olwe [Thingol], ... He was thus also akin to Elwe, Olwe's elder brother..." (HOME XII PoMe, p. 385).
Cirdan is never fully assigned a generational number among the Elves, and as a kinsman to Elwe and Olwe, I suppose he could be a nephew? But I rather think Tolkien meant Cirdan to be seen as a member of the first generation, co-eval with Elwe and Olwe. Cirdan becomes, by "divine decree," tied to Middle-earth even though he wanted desperately to go to Valinor at the time of the first Elven removal.
It was Cirdan's fate to stay in Middle-earth and help, Earendil, eventually, in the construction of his magic ship Vingilot. After this great deed, which precipitated the "rehabilitation/ forgiving" of the Noldor, Cirdan would remain in Middle-earth until the Last Ship could sail. Thus, I guess, whether he liked it or not, he was destined to become the oldest Elf in Middle-earth, having to wait til all the others had gone before him into the West.
*Cirdan's original name is given in a foot note on p. 392 as "Nowe." Suspiciously familiar in its sound? Noah?
Noah (as UtNapishtim in the pre-Hebraic Babylonian traditions, and also as the Sumerian Ziusudra) is likewise associated with an enormous longevity. The original name meant "Old Man made Young Man" and referred to the renewal of life that made this man immortal. Could Tolkien have amalgamated Cirdan with Nowe (Noah) and also picked up on the concept of "oldest living" person at the same time and from the same source? If I recall my ancient studies correctly, most of the Gilgamesh cycle of epic-heroic verse was available in translation at least by the 1930s. I have no knowledge about Tolkien ever reading "Gilgamesh," but it certainly would be just the sort of text he would read.
Of course, I am always leery of such situations of "reader perceived" identifications between JRRT's characters and any person/ being found in some other work. Too often these comparisons are based on one or just a few trait resemblances and are so generally vague as to be practically meaningless. At the same time, as a quick read through the pages of Douglas A. Anderson's "Annotated Hobbit" will show, Tolkien was strongly influenced by the information that circulated about him in both his private and his academic life. Sponge-like, he absorbed images, trophes, kennings, story lines, moods, values, textures of place, etc. etc, reworked them in his mind and retailed them to us in his wonderfully consistent/ complex fashion. So much of Tolkien is rooted in the matrix of our own world culture that his Middle-earth takes on the very living flavour of reality, and always seems somehow familiar, somehow comforting, somehow true.
Tolkien re-worked the Atlantis theme from Plato; he borrowed the lofty Egyptian White Crown, put wings on it, and gave it to the Kings of Numenor and Gondor; he took the incest themes and double suicides of Kullervo from the Kalevala and made the tragic tale of Turin and his sister... And yes, a quick dash to the book shelves reveals that, as early as 1914 Arno Poebel's initial translations of "Gilgamesh" received wide acclaim throughout Europe. Given Tolkien's antiquarian interests, it would be strange indeed if he never read this prime epic. Christian scholars eagerly devoured all such material that came from the cuneiform texts, and the obvious parallels seen in the events of Ziusudra's life and those of the Biblical Noah were given a great public airing. Supposedly, having a non-Biblical source of this great antiquity (2000 BCE) mentioning a bible character, was seen as some sort of confirming proof of Biblical veracity.
But, I still cannot say for sure that Tolkien did read "Gilgamesh." His library contents have been catalogued by avid scholars, so it may be that among his heaps of books, JRRT had a copy of Gilgamesh. It would then be interesting to try to pin down which edition he had -- or read as a borrowed volume -- and see if its postulated impact on his thinking can be dated. In addition to the similarities already noted in their vocations (both Cirdan and Noah build vitally important, "life-saving" ships -- Vingilot and The Ark) both figures are anciently old, yet still hale, in fact both are immortal; both have direct auditory communion with divine powers; both act as helpful counselors to passing travelers; and both are specifically concerned with "revelations" that allow some enhanced understanding of the past, present, and especially the future.
Compare:
1) Tolkien's Cirdan -- "Then, it is said, he [Cirdan] stood forlorn looking out to sea, and it was night, but far away he could see a glimmer of light upon Eressea... Then he cried aloud: 'I will follow that light, alone if none will come with me...' But even as he said this he received in his heart a message, which he knew to come from the Valar, though in his mind it was remembered as a voice speaking in his own tongue [Sindarin?]. And the voice warned him not to attempt this peril... 'Abide now that time, for when it comes then will your work be of utmost worth, and it will be remembered in song for many ages after.' 'I obey,' Cirdan answered, and then... he saw (in a vision maybe) a shape like a white boat, shining above him, that sailed west through the air... As we now perceive, this was a foretelling of the ship [Vingilot]... From that night onwards, Cirdan received a foresight touching all matters of importance, beyond the measure of all other Elves upon Middle-earth." (HOME 12, Peoples of Middle-earth," p. 386)
2) Ziusudra, Sumerian "Noah" -- "We are then introduced to Ziusudra, the counterpart of the biblical Noah, who is described as a pious, a god-fearing king, constantly on the lookout for divine revelations in dreams or incantations." (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, ed James B. Pritchard, "The Deluge" pp 42-43, 1969).
In this particular comparison, Cirdan with Ziusudra-Noah, we do seem to have functional equivalences, personality equivalences, and episode equivalences. While these equivalences are not precise (they never rise to the level of allegory) they certainly are suggestive of much more than a casual resemblance. Add the name "Nowe" that Tolkien gives us for Cirdan; and the peculiarity, otherwise unexplained, that Cirdan among all the Elves was the only bearded one (see the obvious bearded face of Ziusudra-Noah) and I think we do have strong evidence that Cirdan is based (in part) on Noah.
This might be a good topic for further research, perhaps one of the Letters holds more information on this presumed rekationship between Cirdan-Nowe and Noah-Ziusudra.
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