The Nature of Middle-Earth Quotes

“It is also reflected in the commitment to the belief that everything, even Morgoth himself, was as created good, But that due to the free will possessed by every creature with a rational mind, they could fall: as one Vala and various Maiar, and Men corporately, did; and even Manwë, had he asserted his own will and judgement over Eru’s, would likewise have fallen.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“For when Elendil took as his dwelling the North Kingdom, owing to his friendship with the Eldar, and committed the South Kingdom to his sons, they divided it so, as is said in ancient annals: “Isildur took as his own land all the region of Arnen; but Anárion took the land from Erui to Mount Mindolluin and thence westward to the North Wood” (later in Rohan called the Firien Wood), “but Gondor south of Ered Nimrais they held in common.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“a sentence referring to the ancient port called Lond Daer Enedh was omitted before the last sentence of the author’s note on UT:264; it reads: “It was the main entry for the Númenóreans in the War against Sauron (Second Age 1693–1701)” (cf.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“The “Celtic” branch of Eldarin (Telerin and Sindarin)”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Enedwaith (Middle-folk) was a region between the realm of Gondor and the slowly receding realm of Arnor (it originally included Minhiriath (Mesopotamia)).”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“The Dwarf Road, Menn-i-Naugrim had been made with great labour by the Longbeard Dwarves of Moria and their kin in the Iron Hills (Emyn Engrin) in the North-east.2 The Dwarves of Moria had made a road from their gates north along the east skirts of the Misty Mountains, over the upper course of the Gladden, and so to the lowest point at which the Anduin could be bridged, somewhat above the beginning of its sudden descent. There they built a stone-bridge from which the Dwarf Road ran, straight and due east, across the vale and through the Forest to a bridge across the Celduin (River Running) made by the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, whence it ran on over open land, north-east to their iron mines.3”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Phonetically they were acute and could pronounce learned languages well, but their voices were very deep in tone with laryngeal coloration, and they among themselves spoke in a laryngeal whisper.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Though devised by the Sindar (owing to their enmity with the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost) it is probable (and was held true by the Noldor) that the idea of runes cut in stone etc. was derived ultimately from the Dwarves who had friendship with the sons of Fëanor.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“The ancient rath had been replaced by a broad winding way, cut in the rock of the hill, that wound down without steps, and fenced on the outward edge with a low wall and carved balusters: Dúnad in Gyrth, the Descent of the Dead.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“The naming had probably come down from the early days of Gondor when the rocky hill of Amon Anor was yet uninhabited, except by a small fort on its summit reached by winding paths and rough-hewn steps. It was in those days of less importance than Minas Ithil, the centre of the Watch that was kept on the deserted land of Mordor. The chief purpose of the fort (Minas Anor) was then to guard the place of the Tombs of the Kings which were built on a long pier of rock which joined the outlier, Amon Anor, to the main mass of the great Mindolluin behind it. Thus one of the oldest of the raths of Minas Tirith must have been the steep winding way that led down to the Tombs and then along the rocky way between them: the Rath Dínen, the Silent Street, as it was called;”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“In this task at one time the Elves had the assistance of the Dwarves of Moria. For these had had alliances and friendship with the Elves of Eregion, and they were well-disposed to Lórien, where many of the survivors of Eregion had taken refuge.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“In a sense Eru moved forward the End of Arda as far as it concerned the Elves. They had fulfilled their function – and we approach the “Dominion of Men”.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“I think now that it is best that it should remain a physical landmass (America!).”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“The Númenórean men, being tall and powerful, could shoot with speed and accuracy upon foot from great long bows, whose shafts would carry to great distance (some 600 yards or more), and at lesser range were of great penetration. In later days, in the wars upon Middle-earth, it was the bows of the Númenóreans that were most greatly feared.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“and also, where there was great love between men or women and their favorite steeds, they could (or so it is said in ancient tales) summon them at need by their thought alone.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“This ban was as is told in the “Silmarillion” never fully revoked. Though after the defeat and downfall of Melkor2 and his creatures from Middle-earth a general pardon was granted to all the Exiles who would accept it, those who then left Middle-earth did not dwell actually in Valinor, but in a special region of the great Isle of Eressëa that was set aside for them. There they could visit Valinor from time to time, but could not abide there long.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Petty Dwarves: in origin, as was later known, descended from Dwarves banished for evil deeds from the great mansions of their kind.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Tenna Ambar-metta ‘Until World’s-end”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“The Dwarves had an agriculture – which in early times they practiced when isolated and unable to buy grain etc. by barter. They had invented a “plough” of some sort – which they dragged as well as steered themselves: they were tough and strong – but they did not delight in such labour of necessity.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“But when the Noldor came back they brought with them new corn – and [it] by a special grace of pity by Manwë and Varda did not fail and was still in vigour till the end of the First Age.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Waybread”: art taught by Oromë to the Three Elderwomen of the Elves.2 It was made from meal [?ground] wheat-corn (specially brought to them by Oromë). This “Western Corn”, it is said, slowly diminished in virtue on the Great Journey, owing to the dim sunlight,”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“He brought as a gift from Manwë and Varda the seed of wheat,”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“spheroid (major axis 3, minor 2) with the major axis lying West ˃ East.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“For it is recorded in the histories that Morgoth, and Sauron after him, would drive out the fëa by terror, and then feed the body and make it a beast. Or worse: he would daunt the fëa within the body and reduce it to impotence;11 and then nourish the body foully, so that it became bestial, to the horror and torment of the fëa.)”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“But what if the fëa deserts a body which is not greatly injured, or which is whole? It then, it might be thought, remains a living corporeal body, but without mind or reason; it becomes an animal (or kelva), seeking nothing more than food by which its corporeal life may be continued, and seeking it only after the manner of beasts, as it may find it by limbs and senses. This is a horrible thought. Maybe such things have indeed come to pass in Arda, where it seems that no evil or perversion of things and their nature is impossible. But it can have happened only seldom.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“(Yet none of the Eldar hold that the eating of flesh, not being the flesh of the Incarnate and hallowed by the indwelling of the fëa, is sinful or against the will of Eru.)”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Here it may be said, however, that the reappearance, at long intervals, of the person of one of the Dwarf-fathers, in the lines of their Kings – e.g. especially Durin – is not when examined probably one of re-birth, but of the preservation of the body of a former King Durin (say) to which at intervals his spirit would return.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“Those whose nature it is to end within Arda, that is to die naturally, they cannot and do not re-house, as is seen in the case of Men.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“This is said because the invitation given to the Eldar to remove to Valinor and live unendangered by Melkor was not in fact according to the design of Eru. It arose from anxiety, and it might be said from failure in trust of Eru, from anxiety and fear of Melkor, and the decision of the Eldar to accept the invitation was due to the overwhelming effect of their contact, while still in their inexperienced youth, with the bliss of Aman and the beauty and majesty of the Valar. It had disastrous consequences in diminishing the Elves of Middle-earth and so depriving Men of a large measure of the intended help and teaching of their “elder brethren”, and exposing them more dangerously to the power and deceits of Melkor. Also since it was in fact alien to the nature of the Elves to live under protection in Aman, and not (as was intended) in Middle-earth, one consequence was the revolt of the Noldor.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth

“the invitation given to the Eldar to remove to Valinor and live unendangered by Melkor was not in fact according to the design of Eru.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nature Of Middle-Earth