Astronomical objects
in Middle-earth

By Per Lindberg

Introduction

I hope this list will be useful to those interested in the starry skies of Tolkien's Middle-earth.

Although some effort has been spent to make the list complete and accurate, the research has not been made in a scholary fashion, so there are few references to the corpus. However, a short list of sources can be found below. Comments and criticism are welcome.

Constellations

Name Lang Translated name Modern name
Menelmacar
Menelvagor 		Q
S 		Heaven-swordsman Orion
Telumehtar Q Warrior of the Sky Orion
Telimektar Q (Tulkas' son) Orion
Taimavar Q Shepherd of the Sky (orig. name?) Orion
Valacirca Q Sickle of the Valar Ursa Major
Otselen
Edegil 		Q
S 		[etymologies, OT-(OTOs, OTOK)]
[the great] seven-star (odo(g) + gil) 		Ursa Major
Wilwarin Q Butterfly Cassiopeia
Remmirath S The netted stars
[net-jewel-collective_plural] 		Pleiades
Soronúme Q Eagle-west Aquila? Lyra? (see notes)
Telumendil Q Lover of the heavens
Vault [of heaven-]lover 		(Taurus??)
Anarríma Q Red-flamed wreath ?

Stars

Name Lang Translated name Color Modern name
Morwinyon Q Glint in the Dark ? Arcturus
Borgil S [red]Hot-star Red Aldebaran (Betelgeuse?)
Helluin S Ice-blue Blue (bright) Sirius
Luinil Q Blue?-shine Blue Sirius/Vega? (not Uranus)
Nénar Q Water-? ? Sirius/Vega? (not Neptune)

Planets

Name Lang Translated name Color Modern name
Elemmíre Q Star-jewel ? Mercury
Earendil Q Sea-lover ? Venus
Carnil Q Red-shine Red Mars
Alcarinque Q Glorious ? Jupiter
Lumbar Q Shadow-home ? Saturn

The sun and the moon

Name Lang Modern name
Anar
Anor 		Q
S 		Sun
Isil
Ithil 		Q
S 		Moon

Names in the Qenya Lexicon

This early manuscipt contains several names of astronomical objects. Some of those are clearly superseded by the names listed above. The others may perhaps still be considered "in use".

Name Modern name
eksiqilta or ekta- Telimektar's swordbelt
Itselokte (the cluster of flies) the Pleiades
Ku| Crescent Moon
Mordo name of Telimektar
Nierninwa or Niellu(ne blue-bee Sirius
Nielluin Sirius [? GL? BoLT??]
*Silindo(u) a star, Juppiter [sic]
Silmo(u) the Moon (masc. in Eldarissa)
Silmarinko(o or u) the Orbéd Moon
*Morwen (daughter of the dark) Jupiter
Taimondo (or -ordo) Telimektar
Tamavar (poetic) Taimordo
*Telimektar (or Telimbektar) (Swordsman of Heaven) Orion
Til a small star near Sirius
*Ur(u|r-), Uri the Sun
U|rinki the orbed Sun, the rising and setting of the Sun
Urwen Ur

Notes

Ursa Major is also known as Durin's Crown. It was the constellation that could be seen in Kheled-zarâm, the Mirrrormere, even in daylight. It is also called The Burning Briar in three places in The Lay of Leithian (LB III). Commentary on Canto II states:

Many names have these [the seven stars] been called, but in the old days of the North both Elves and Men called them the Burning Briar, and some The Sickle of the Gods.

Q. Soronúme is presumably a compound of soron 'eagle' and núme 'going down' (L 276), meaning 'eagle of descent, swooping eagle'. If so, it is strongly reminiscent of an old byname for Lyra, Vultur cadens (Latin for 'sinking vulture'), and of Arabic al-wâki 'the swooping [eagle]' from which Vega, the name of Lyra's brightest star, is derived.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all who have contributed with material, pointers, contributions, and criticism. Special thanks goes Nils Högman and several members of the Mellonath Daeron, especially Findegil.

References

This list is compiled from many sources. Here is a list of some of them.