Q: Is There a Source for the Tale of the Two Trees?
ANSWER: J.R.R. Tolkien most likely had some sort of combination of myths or legends in mind when he devised the tale of the Two Trees, although he clearly made up many details to flesh out the story of the trees that gave light to the land of the Valar. In The Silmarillion, the Valar created two lamps (Illuin and Ormal) to give light to the world they had made to be the abode of the Children of Ilúvatar; Melkor, jealous of the Valar and coveting the world for himself, overthrew the lamps and cast the world into darkness. The Valar then withdrew to the uttermost western lands of the world, on the continent of Aman, where they established a land for themselves and their companions the Maiar.
Yavanna, the “earth-mother”, sang for the Valar and the Two Trees (Telperion the Silver and Laurelin the Gold) took seed and came to life. The trees shone with brilliant light and each waxed and waned throughout the day. Twice each day there was a mingling of the lights of the trees when they were both at equal strength and the Valar used this cycle to measure time in Aman.
After the Elves awoke the Valar fought a dreadful war against Melkor and his followers, seizing control over Middle-earth and taking Melkor prisoner. After Melkor had been judged and sentenced to serve three ages of the world in prison the Valar invited the Elves to come live with them in Aman. Only some of the Elves accepted the summons and their first sundering occurred, dividing them into the Elves of the east (the Avari or “Unwilling”) and the Elves of the west (the Eldar or “People of the Stars”). The Eldar became divided on their westward journey to Aman, but eventually the Vanyar and the Noldor reached the Uttermost West and settled there.
Fëanor, eldest of the children of Finwë, King of the Noldor, became the greatest of the Eldar in crafts and lore. He captured the light of the Two Trees in three jewels, the Silmarils, which the Valar hallowed and which became the greatest treasures of the Elves. When Melkor was released from prison he became jealous and vengeful of the Elves, realizing that the Valar had overthrow him for their sake. He sowed dissension among the Noldor and arranged for Fëanor to violate the peace of Valinor by drawing his sword upon his younger brother Fingolfin in front the king and many other Noldor.
Although Fëanor was punished the Valar soon realized that the discontent of the Noldor was due to Melkor’s lies, but he had already fled to escape punishment. In the wild lands of Avathar, a southern region of Aman that lay east of the Mountains of Valinor, Melkor made a pact with Ungoliant, an ancient creature (possibly one of the Maiar) who hated light, to destroy the Two Trees. After Ungoliant drained the trees of all their life, she and Melkor made their way north to the fortress of Formenos, where Fëanor had withdrawn to serve out his 12-year sentence of exile. There Melkor and Ungoliant found Finwë with few guards. They slew him and took the Silmarils, as well as many other treasures of the Noldor, and returned to Middle-earth.
The Valar hoped to revive the trees with the light of the Silmarils, but Melkor’s theft and Fëanor’s obstinance prevented the Valar from restoring the trees to life. As the last rays of light left the trees Yavanna sang another song and each tree gave birth to one leaf. The Valar took the silver leaf of Telperion and made the Moon from it. The Maia Tilion, one of the followers of the Vala Oromë, was assigned the task of guiding the Moon over the world, and of guarding the Moon against Melkor’s attacks. The Valar took the golden leaf of Laurelin and made the Sun from it. The Maia Arien (one of the few fire-spirits who did not follow Melkor) was given the task of guiding the Sun over the world, and of defending it against Melkor’s attacks.
This myth is extremely popular among J.R.R. Tolkien’s readers and there is really nothing like it in any of the various mythologies he is known to have studied, although many mythologies speak of various gods driving or sailing the vessels of the Sun and Moon across the sky. Some scholars have noted that in Egyptian mythology the vessel of the Sun is taken through the underworld each night to begin its journey across the sky again every morning; in the Silmarillion myths, Aulë’s servants take the vessel of the Sun by hidden passages under the world from the Gates of Night in the east to the outermost sea, which lies just to the west of Aman.
In Norse mythology the Sun is associated with two goddesses, mother and daughter, and the Moon is associated with a god, Nefr, who has other names. The Sun and Moon are also sailed or driven across the sky by these gods and they are at times attacked by gods of darkness.
In Persian myth or folklore there is a legend of two cypress trees, the Trees of the Sun and Moon, that are said to have been planted by Zoroaster himself. Alexander the Great, hearing of these trees, visited them when he conquered Persia. He asked the oracle of the trees what his future would be. The oracle told him that he would go on to conquer India but that he would then die soon afterward. In some versions of the legend the trees themselves speak to Alexander. According to Marco Polo, the Khalif Motawakkil had one of the trees cut down in the 9th Century CE (when the tree was said to be 1450 years old) and sent to Baghdad. The Khalif was subsequently murdered by his own guards (Cf. The Book of Ser by Marco Polo, the Venetian).
Although there is no direct connection between J.R.R. Tolkien and Marco Polo, it seems highly likely he would have been aware of Marco Polo’s book. Tolkien did in fact visit Venice several times, and he identified Venice with Gondor, one of the last repositories of ancient lore in Middle-earth. The Tale of the Two Trees was supposedly preserved in Gondor through the Thain’s Book, the copy of the Red Book of Westmarch that was given to Aragorn, and other sources.
UPDATE: 2013-08-31 It appears that the legend of Alexander and the two trees of the Sun and Moon is preserved in the Middle English poem “Kyng Alisaunder”, which medieval literature and Tolkien scholar Dr. Jane Chance (among others) told me Tolkien knew quite well. I think this makes a strong case for connecting Tolkien’s myth with the Alexandrian story.
See also:
- And Now … for the Rest of the Poem
- Were Battles in Lord of the Rings Inspired by Any Historical Events?
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