The nights in Lotro's Middle Earth are wonderful. Sometimes thousands of stars can be seen
during a crisp and cloudless sky. Have you ever stand still a moment and behold the splendor of the Heavens?
I did, and when you look carefully you can find a white face and three distinct starpatterns in the sky, which have a special meaning in the world of Middle Earth.
Ithil or Isil, the Moon
The most striking light in the night is Ithil, or Isil, the Moon. In the human world she is seen as a lady, and if you look carefully you can see her face.
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The Moon could be a lady or a flowerlamp, carried by Tilion |
The Elves, however, have a totally different story about the moon. According to the old verses the moon was created by Aulë, a Valar (Valars are a kind of Power, like a deity).
Aulë and his people made a vessel, to hold the radiance of the last flower of Telperion, the elder of the Two Trees of Valinor (a place where the Valar lived). Tilion, a Maia (Maias are spirits who help the Valars), was chosen to guide the vessel of the Moon at here path between the stars.
The Elves called the moon Isil, and later Ithil. A poetic name for the Moon was
The Silver Flower and Gollem called the moon just
The White Face.The Moon was valued as higher than the Sun by the Elves, because it came from the Elder Tree and because it rose first in the sky. The moon was made in memory of the Elves. The Sun on the other hand was made in memory of Men.
Menelmacar - The Swordsman of the Sky
Menelmacar is Quenyan for the 'swordsman of the sky' or 'swordsman of the heavens'. Its one of the star constellations in the heavens of Middle Earth. On a clear night you can see it low in the horizon, with three stars in the middle and four bright ones around it.
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Menelmacar, the Swordsman of the Sky (to the left) |
Menelmacar was created by Varda, just before the Awakening of the Elves, as a symbol of light and hope. It also forebodes the Last Battle prophesized at the End of Days. In the human world its most likely the constellation of Orion. If you take a moment you can see three stars close togehter, which is the belt of the swordsman. That belt is also know as a seperate constellation in Middle Earth, called Eksiqilta or Ektaqilta.
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Orion the Giant Hunter |
Orion was a huge hunter, with a belt with a sword. The three stars together, also called the three kings, are his belt. In his right hand Orion has a club to strike foes. In his left hand he has a curious shield made of a very tough hide of a giant lion.
Valacirca - The Sickle of the Valar
Valacirca, which is Quenyan for 'Sickle of the Valar' is another very famous star constellation in the heavens of Middle Earth. It was created by Varda just before the Awakening of the Elves as a warning to Melkor of his eventual downfall.
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Valacirca, just above my head! |
Valacirca was also known as the Seven Stars, the Sickle and the Wain by the Hobbits. The Dwarves called it Durin’s Crown. These seven stars formed the symbol of Durin, seen on the doors of Moria. It inspired also a song of defiance from Beren. According to the Silmarillion, it was set in the Northern Sky as a sign of doom for Melkor and a sign of hope for the Elves. The Valacirca is one of the few constellations named in the book, another significant one being Menelvagor.
According to Man, the constellation is comparable to a section of Ursa Major (the Great Bear), also known as the Big Dipper.
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According to man, Valacirca is Ursa Major |
Remmirath - the Netted Stars
Remmirath, the netted stars, is a very fine cluster of stars, close together. It can be found above and to the right of Menelmacar, the Swordsman in the Sky.
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Remmirath, the Netted Stars, right above my head. |
According to Man this dazzling tiny star cluster is called the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. Each star is a Sister and has a name. There names are Maia, Electra, Alcyone, Taygete, Asterope, Celaeno and Merope.
Six sisters are very easy to find in the sky, especially during a crisp and clear winter night. The seventh sister, Merope, is a pain for the naked eye. According to legend this sister is so shy, that she always tries to hide from your eyes.
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Man called Remmirath the Seven Sisters, or the Pleiades |
This is their story.
On an unlucky day, the seven sisters met the great hunter Orion, just by chance. The hunter fell in love with all of them and the Pleiades became the object of his pursuit. He pursued them all over the face of the Earth and the girls couldn’t get rid of this horny hunter. The sisters called for Zeus, ruler of all Gods. Zeus changed them into a flock of doves, which he set in the heavens. The sisters where shocked by the pursuit of Orion and cried a lot. When you see them low in the fall sky, the rainy season will start in the Northern Hemisphere.
Another story tells us that once seven maidens camped near the river in a region known to have many bears. One of the bears began to chase the maidens, and they knelt to pray for help, calling upon the gods. The ground was raised into the sky and to protect the maidens from the chasing bear, a Great Spirit placed them in the sky as the seven sisters, the Pleiades. The Japanese called these sisters Subaru and you can find them on vehicles with the same name.
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Durins Way in Moria, note the 7 stars above the Crown |
