Airships of Númenor

[Falconer]

Someone on one of my mailing lists posted some interesting quotes from “The Drowning of Anadûnê” (published in HoME XI, Sauron Defeated) which I had read but quite forgotten about:

For upon the Straight Road only the gods could walk, and only the ships of the Elves could journey; for being straight that road passed through the air of breath and flight and rose above it, and traversed Ilmen in which no mortal flesh can endure.

[The Númenóreans] built very high towers in those days, and their holy places were upon the tops of mountains, for they would climb, if it might be, above the mists of Middle-earth into the clearer air that doth not veil the vision of things far off.

But they achieved only ships that would sail in the air of breath. And these ships, flying, came also to the lands of the new world, and to the east of the old world; and they reported that the world was round. Therefore many abandoned the Valar and put them out of their legends. But men of Middle-earth looked up with fear and wonder seeing the Númenóreans that descended out of the sky; and they took these mariners of the air to be gods, and some of the Númenóreans were content that this should be so.

Translation: Elves had spaceships but the Númenóreans (Atlanteans) only achieved aircraft.

[Falconer]

Trying a more provocative title.

[idrahil]

That is very fascinating! Is this the only place that is mentioned? I was only aware of the Vingolot as a flying ship.

[Falconer]

I’ll keep an eye open for more. I always imagined events like Melkor attacking the Moon in a sort of mythological vein, but now I’m not so sure. The Lost Road (the original name for the Númenor tales) was meant as Tolkien’s answer to Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet, so it’s quite possible he always intended a Sci-Fi feel. I’ll have to check HoME V and do a more thorough re-reading of IX. There are lots of references back to Lewis (esp. Perelandra) in IX.

Speaking of Vingilot, check out Bilbo’s poem on the subject from FR:

A ship then new they built for him
of mithril and of elven-glass
with shining prow: no shaven oar
nor sail she bore on silver mast

[stevemitchell]

Okay, you just blew my little mind. If Melkor attacked the Moon. . .then who defended it? Wells' Selenites? Burroughs' Kalkars? Kline's Ma Gongi? Or perhaps Melkor's invaders found only. . .a black monolith?

[Falconer]

He found that’s no moon. It’s a space station!

[Zenopus]

I remember these flying ships from back when I used to scan HOME for interesting tidbits, but from Vol 5 rather than 10:

Page 12, the original outline of "The Fall of Numenor"

The old line of the lands remained as a plain of air upon which only the Gods could walk, and the Eldar who faded as Men usurped the sun. But many of the Numenore could see it or faintly see it; and tried to devise ships to sail on it. But they achieved only ships that would said in Wilwa or lower air. Whereas the Plain of the Gods cut through and traversed Ilmen [in] which even birds cannot fly, save the eagles and hawks of Manwe. But the fleets of the Numenore sailed around the world; and Men took them for gods. Some were content that this should be so.

Page 17, the first version of "The Fall of Numenor"

...And it is said that the even those of the Numenoreans of old who had the straight vision did not all comprehend this, and they tried to devise ships that would rise above the waters of the world and hold to the imagined seas. But they achieved only ships that would said in the air of breath. And these ships flying came also to the lands of the New World and to the East of the Old World; and they reported that the world was round..."

Page 22, C. Tolkien's commentary:

I believe that the story of the flying ships built by the exiled Numenoreans, found already in the preliminary draft (p. 12), is the sole introduction of aerial craft in all my father's works. No hint is given of the means by which they rose and were propelled; and the passage did not survive into the later legend

(He doesn't seem to be considering Vingilot here)

[Falconer]

I will have to go back and look at Christopher’s commentary in IX, then, which seems to prove wrong his commentary in V. Also XII which includes “The History of the Akallabêth.”

Also, in light of the evidence that dragons are mechanical constructs, it would be interesting to consider Ëarendil’s aerial battle vs. Ancalagon the Black.

Going off on a tangent: What about Elvish “tech” like Silmarilli and Palantíri? Is that what the whole fuss was about, re: the Valar and Melian teaching the Eldar SO much and making them SO much greater than the Avari? (I don’t think I really want to go too far in the “all magic is actually tech” direction, but it’s amusing to speculate.)

[idrahil]

I prefer to think of Earendil flying in a flying maritime boat fighting a classic dragon. However, all this is really cool to think of as an alternate dimension or "ancient astronuaghts" type of thing.

[Porphyre]

The Fall of Gondolin also initially had robot-dragons as troop-carriers with flame throwers ...

[Falconer]

I just linked to that.