Chronology of Arda's Light-forms by Anérea

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Fanwork Notes

Created for Tolkien Meta Week, inspired by The Secret Gate matryoshka challenge prompts. (See end notes for prompt details.)

I started making more detailed illustrations but soon realised they needed to be simpler to appear at such a small size on the infographic, so I've added the larger illustrations after the timeline. 

Fanwork Information

Description:

An illustrated infographic timeline of the various sources of illumination of Arda from its creation to the sun.

Major Characters:

Major Relationships:

Genre:

Type: Graphic/Banner/Icon

Challenges: Jubilee, Secret Gate, Tolkien Meta Week

Rating: General

Warnings:

Posted on 13 February 2025 Updated on 13 February 2025

Arda's illumination through the Ages

Timeline listing various lights of Arda with illustrations and quotes

Chapter End Notes

While working on my 3D cross-section of Arda and its various atmospheres, I pondered how I might present it with all the varying sources of illumination it's had through the ages as well. A few months later and I'm still pondering whether it's possible without being confusing. 

But when I received the first of the seven matryoshka prompts I immediately thought of the Valar entering Arda and finding it all dark, and so the concept of turning my idea into a timeline came into being. The prompts are:

  1. Noir. Your character must enter a dark setting. (The Valar enter Arda at the beginning when it is yet unformed.)
  2. The Whodunit. Something happens. No one knows why or who did it. (The days of Gloaming in BoLT. It's just there and nowhere is it explained what it is or where it comes from. Also, while it's not mentioned in the published Silm, it doesn't say it's not there, so I like the idea that it's there.)
  3. Prime Suspects. A character is confronted with multiple possibilities. (Various forms of light in the early years, including Varda's first stars, the gloaming, and the fires from the first war.)
  4. Hint Hint. A hint is dropped or missed or possibly picked up. Add something to your fanwork to do with a hint. (Yavanna hints to Aule to make the lamps.)
  5. Beyond the Call of Duty. A character goes above and beyond. (Melkor. Really, everything he does is above and beyond, but in this instance it's smashing the lamps.)
  6. Cold Trail. A character sets out somewhere that doesn't end up going much of anywhere at all. (While Melkor heads to the icy wastes where he delves Utumno, the rest sail for the western landmass, which at that time is completely undeveloped.)
  7. The Culprit. Fingers are pointed. (Fingers pointed at Melkor and Ungoliant when they destroy the two trees, leading to the creation of the sun and moon.)
All quotes are from The Silmarillion, except for the one about the Gloaming which is from Book of Lost Tales Vol I
 

Illustrations:

Eru sets the Flame Imperishable at the heart of the World

Therefore I say: Eä! Let these things Be! And I will send forth into the Void the Flame Imperishable, and it shall be at the heart of the World, and the World shall Be; and those of you that will may go down into it.’ And suddenly the Ainur saw afar off a light, as it were a cloud with a living heart of flame; and they knew that this was no vision only, but that Ilúvatar had made a new thing: Eä, the World that Is.

~ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter I "Of the Beginning of Days"

Arda with the Imperishable Flame at its heart

Varda kindles the first innumerable stars in the deeps of Eä

Middle-earth lay in a twilight beneath the stars that Varda had wrought in the ages forgotten of her labours in Eä ...

~ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter III "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

A few stars in a dark sky

Lomendánar, the days of Gloaming

Those were the days of Gloaming (Lomendanar), for light there was, silver and golden, but it was not gathered together but flowed and quivered in uneven streams about the airs, or at times fell gently to the earth in glittering rain and ran like water on the ground; and at that time Varda in her playing had set but a few stars within the sky.

~ Book of Lost Tales Vol 1, Chapter III "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor"

Streams of light in the air and pools of light in a dark landscape

Arda burns in the First War with Melkor

It is told among the wise that the First War began before Arda was fullshaped, and ere yet there was anything that grew or walked upon earth; and for long Melkor had the upper hand. [...] when the fires were subdued or buried beneath the primeval hills, there was need of light 

~ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter I "Of the Beginning of Days"

Dark landscape covered in flames

Varda's second starkindling

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 Eä was Tintallë, the Kindler, was called after by the Elves Elentári, Queen of the Stars. Carnil and Luinil, Nénar and Lumbar, Alcarinquë and Elemmírë she wrought in that time, and many other of the ancient stars she gathered together and set as signs in the heavens of Arda: Wilwarin, Telumendil, Soronúmë, and Anarríma; and Menelmacar with his shining belt, that forebodes the Last Battle that shall be at the end of days. 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.
It is told that even as Varda ended her labours, and they were long, when first Menelmacar strode up the sky and the blue fire of Helluin flickered in the mists above the borders of the world, in that hour the Children of the Earth awoke, the Firstborn of Ilúvatar.

~ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter III "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

Stars and a galaxy in a dark sky

Chapter End Notes

To be continued with illustrations of the Lamps, Trees, and the Sun and Moon...

:|:

Illustrations are in various combinations of ink, pearlescent pigment, watercolour and Inktense on watercolour paper.

If you notice any inaccuracies or things I've left out or have any suggestions, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

Comments on Chronology of Arda's Light-forms

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Anérea has requested the following types of constructive criticism on this fanwork: Accuracy. All constructive criticism must follow our diplomacy guidelines.

This is brilliant (pun intended!) and very cool interpretation of the challenge! (It's one of the things, as a challenge mod, that I like best about them is seeing all the ways people interpret them that I would have never even considered.)

Thanks Dawn! I really enjoyed this challenge, and I was taken by surprise too. Just before you sent the prompts I'd been thinking, on a totally unrelated subject, about the Valar being confuddled when they discovered that the vision of Arda had been just that and there was nothing when they arrived. The darkness prompt led to the next and onwards on a little adventure through HoMe. In the end I found Silm quotes for all but one, but it's such fun how different, previously unnoticed things in canon suddenly jump out when looked with a different purpose in mind.

Thank you Wisteria. 

It's very interesting how each light comes from the previous one — except for the light from Melkor's fires (which I'd  never really noticed before doing research for this!) and Varda's stars. Although, cometo thinkof it, she may have been responsible for the mystery shimmering streams of light in the Gloaming, since light was her delight and domain. And although Yavanna sings up the Trees, it's said that when the Valar established Valinor they "gathered great store of light" which may be a remnant from BoLT where it's described in great detail how the spilled light from the lamps was gathered and brought to Valinor and placed in the holes dug for the trees. So it seems to me that she Sang into creation the "vessels" for the Light (like Aulë made the lamps), but not the light itself, in which case it's still from the same original source.