Comparative Literature Commons^™

Who Maketh Morwinyon, And Menelmacar, And Remmirath, And The Inner Parts Of The South (Where The Stars Are Strange): Tolkien’S Astronomical Choices And The Books Of Job And Amos, Kristine Larsen

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien’s use of specific stars and constellations within the legendarium has been well-studied. There remain two related questions to be tackled: firstly, why did Tolkien use these specific real-world stars and constellations, and what was behind the seemingly sudden expansion of the celestial population in the legendarium in 1951? Given his well-demonstrated interest in and knowledge of astronomy, Biblical passages that describe the heavens may have piqued his interest and may have influenced his choices of astronomical references in creating Middle-earth. Popularized works published during Tolkien’s youth on the astronomy of the Old Testament may have also played a role …