Tolkien's many books offer us examples to dispel some of the worlds great mysteries had there beginnings, albeit fantasy versions which thrill and endear. So what are your Favourites? I have a few so ill start the ball rolling. Unfinished tales gives us a clue as to how rainbows were made. In ancient days an Elf climbed a mountain. Plucked a strand of his magnificent hair from his golden head and threw it to the top of another mountain. The centre of the strand of hair was caught in Ilmarin (the high airs) and was held there, bending the strand of hair in a high arch, for his power enabled the hair to grow to great length. Of course Anar the golden's bright rays reflected against the hair and created the worlds first rainbow. Lovely isn't it.......

Yes agreed Indis.  I love the scorch marks on the Moon caused by the heats of Arien, when he gets too close to her.

Re the Music of the Ainur.  I wonder what it would sound like?  Tolkien's wonderful descriptions give a an idea that its Melodic and orchestral, beautiful and terrible at the same time.  I think Mr Howard Shaw would do a great job if he got the chance.

As far as mythic explanations I have to note Earendil. And it may be obvious enough to note on a Tolkien forum, but it is no less beautiful or enchanting for being so well known of course. Tolkien not only explains this 'star' but the 'true' history behind the name éarendel in an Old English poem (Crist).

Compare for example the Norse legend of Aurvandil, his frozen toe broken off by Thor and thrown into the sky as a star. This has its charm no doubt, but I prefer Tolkien's Earendil, who sat at the helm of his hallowed and fair vessel, glistening with the dust of gems, a Silmaril bound on his brow.

 

This is a nice thread Brego, but as a Tolkien fan I have to ask where your example above hails from. I'm referring to your description of an Elf upon a mountain plucking and throwing a golden hair to the top of another mountain, with its center being caught by Ilmarin and bent into an arch and so on, with the Sun reflecting against the hair to create the first rainbow.

I can't recall everything Tolkien ever wrote of course, but if this is from Tolkien could you direct us to it more specifically? At the moment I'm wondering if maybe you might be thinking of the Bridge of Orome from The Book of Lost Tales (which perhaps you meant instead of Unfinished Tales), since Vana's hair is involved.

But if so I think the details there are different enough to note for anyone who may not own The Book of Lost Tales.

Orome's bridge (and of course the description will be much more poetic in Tolkien's early style of prose, compared to the following somewhat simplified description): 

Orome begged a tress of Vana's hair (she is Orome's wife in this early conception) and he dipped the threads in the radiance of Kulullin, a cauldron of golden light in Valinor, and Vana wove this into a leash 'immeasurable'. Orome then cast this thong of gold on a hill in the East called Kalorme, very distant from Valinor, and by the magic of its making and the cunning of Orome's hand it stayed a golden curve, and Orome fastened the other end to a pillar in Manwe's court.

Then Orome used the bridge to travel East, and could return upon it 'ravelling' the thong as he came back, and in this way the Valar could travel to different places if they desired. The bridge glistens golden in the Sun when it is secured, and when rain moistens it the light breaks into many hues of colour: a Rainbow of course.

This idea was never mentioned again outside the very early Book of Lost Tales, but I would agree some of Tolkien's very early ideas, this one included, are quite wonderful.

Well actually you mentioned that this was in Unfinished Tales not The History of Middle-Earth which contains The Book of Lost Tales, but I don't really want to comb multiple volumes for this in any case, which is why I asked you for a more specific direction in my last post.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of Orome's Bridge?  

It turns out that there's an index reference for 'Rainbow' in The History of Middle-Earth series.

It appears in three different volumes and according to these references the only variant to Orome's Bridge appears in an isolated note:

'When the Gods close Valinor... Lorien leaves a path across the mountains called Olore Malle, and Manwe the Rainbow where he walks to survey the world. It is only visible after rain, for then it is wet.

The Book of Lost Tales, The Hiding of Valinor, note 9

Other rainbow references have to do with the term Heavenly Arch (see The Fall of Gondolin), or the Rainbow Cleft, but in any case none of these references (anyway), refer to a story of an Elven hair and so on.

I looked at every indexed 'Rainbow' reference (including Ilweran) noted in every volume of The History of Middle-Earth. So for clarity my post above briefly describes all references connected with the indexed word Rainbow, not just some I found so far (not that many in total really). 

Easier than reading twelve books

But if the Elf hair version of the rainbow is in there somewhere I would think chances are it would have been indexed and referenced like Orome's bridge, Manwe's Rainbow and so on.

I mean 'chances are' in my opinion, as I say, but the index is a quicker type of check anyway.

Thats true Glorfindel, and a lot more too.  Im still looking for the whereabouts of the rainbow story....

Beautiful word and meaning Balrogs

I've always love The Lamps and The Trees and there meaning of Light, Growth and Purity. Purity which we are lacking today under the Sun and Moon.

That's probably the reason why people want to see the light so much. By this I mean people wants to be enlighten.

While those who follow the path of light are simply content to live with what they have and make the most out of it. They do not crave more light, they accept the light they have. Again, a good example being the lamps. The good Valar were the ones working together with what little they had, it was Melkor, the evil, who desired more. More light, more power, more people etc etc

While those who follow the path of light are simply content to live with what they have and make the most out of it. They do not crave more light, they accept the light they have. Again, a good example being the lamps. The good Valar were the ones working together with what little they had, it was Melkor, the evil, who desired more. More light, more power, more people etc etc

I disagree with you on this one. I think wanting more light is better. More light equals, more knowledge, wisdom, acceptance, sharing, open minded, etc. Less light or darkness equals, selfishness, close minded, etc. The Valar wanted more light so they can share with the children. Where as Melkor wanted darkness, or atleast "dim." He didn't want others to have the light or for it to spread. He went deeper and deeper into the shadows because he didn't want to accept anybody else's "light" thinking their's are inferior.

There are many people today that lives in the dark. People who are unwilling to accept change, unwilling to accept others and their opinions, being closed minded, greed etc.

Glorfindel I agree that there is nothing wrong with wanting more. However as we read in the Silmarillion, too much pride and the want of more can lead to disaster. The best example is the sad tale of Feanor and his greedy sons, albeit driven by the Silmarils. Tolkien uses these tales as devices to teach us that there is a fine line between wanting more and ultimate greed. Lust of more is also used with the Dwarf Fathers, who's lust of gold, driven by the Dwarven Rings, led to their people's ultimate destruction.

Well put Arath. I now find the Sil addictive and go back to it often.