Timeline of Arda

Arda.Tengwar.svg The History of Arda
Valian Years

Years of the Lamps
Years of the Trees
Years of the Sun
Ages of the Children of Ilúvatar

First Age
Second Age
Third Age
Fourth Age and later
Final Battle
Timeline of Arda

This article includes several chronologies relating to J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.

Contents

Events outside of time

Arda events

Before the making of the Sun dates are given in Valian Years and not all events can be precisely dated. In such cases events are given in chronological order between known dates. The actual beginning of the Valian reckoning have been the creation of the Two Trees of Valinor, but for consistency, previous dates will also be given in Valian Years.

All entries are derived from The Annals of Aman (see references) unless otherwise noted.

Valian years

Years of the Lamps

Years of the Trees

In some cases, after V.Y. 4580, exact chronological order cannot be determined and the placement of undated entries is estimated.

First Age

During the Years of the Trees the First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar begins, at the Awakening of the Elves.

Years of the Sun in the First Age

From this time on years are of normal length. Events from Valinor during the Years of the Sun cannot be accurately dated. All entries are derived from The Grey Annals (see references) unless otherwise noted. The dating begins anew at 1, although these years are still held to be part of the First Age.

From this point the entries are derived from The Tale of Years of the First Age (see references) unless otherwise noted.

Second Age

The Second Age was 3441 years long. All entries are derived from Appendix B (see references) unless otherwise noted.

Third Age

The Third Age was 3,021 years long. All entries are derived from Appendix B (see references) unless otherwise noted.

Note on Shire Reckoning: Year 1601 of the Third Age, in which the Shire was founded, is year 1 of the Shire Reckoning. Thus, Third Age years can be converted into their Shire equivalents by deducting 1600.

"The Great Years"

All entries are derived from Appendix B (see references) unless otherwise noted.

3018
3019
3020-21

Fourth Age

— length uncertain. All entries are derived from Appendix B (see references) unless otherwise noted.

In the reckoning of Gondor, the Fourth Age began on March 25, T.A. 3021. Since most of the following events were dated according to the Shire-reckoning, their years in the Fourth Age cannot be stated with certainty. Some events may have occurred in the following year of the Fourth Age.

Battles

First Age

Years of the Trees

Years of the Sun

See also Battles of Beleriand.

Second Age

Third Age

War of the Ring

Other conflicts during the War of the Ring

End of the world

Other timelines of interest

References

  1. ↑ Tale of Adanel (Tolkien, J. R. R. (1993), Christopher Tolkien, ed., Morgoth's Ring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0-395-68092-1 )
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Tolkien, J. R. R. (1994), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The War of the Jewels, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, p. 225–9, ISBN 0-395-71041-3 
  3. ↑ The dates of the entering of the Second and Third Houses are given as 312 and 313 respectively in the Later Quenta Silmarillion, but as (?312/313) and 314 in later notes. (The War of the Jewels, pp. 227, 234)
  4. ↑ The date of the entering to Brethil is only once given (in Grey Annals, The War of the Jewels p. 50), as 422; but according to later sources Haleth, who is stated to had led them there, died in 420. (ibid. p. 228, 237)
  5. ↑ The War of the Jewels: "The new genealogies of the Edain", p. 229–38.
  6. ↑ The taking of Tol Sirion is given under the year 455 in the Grey Annals (The War of the Jewels p. 54). The statement in The Silmarillion (Ch. 18) that it occurred "nearly two years" after the Dagor Bragollach derives from earlier texts without changes and represents rejected chronology: see The War of the Jewels, p. 125.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Tolkien, J. R. R. (1980), Christopher Tolkien, ed., Unfinished Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Narn i Hîn Húrin, ISBN 0-395-29917-9 
  8. ↑ The statements in The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin that Túrin had dwelt in Doriath for nine years by this time derive from the early Quenta Silmarillion (The Lost Road, p. 320–2), and are contradicted by both earlier and later texts (e.g. The Grey Annals, pp. 79–80).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 The War of the Jewels: "The Wanderings of Húrin", p. 257, gives a plot-synopsis for the Narn i Chîn Húrin, written several years later than the concluding chapters of the story itself; the published Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin are based on the latter.
  10. ↑ The death of Thingol is placed under the year 503 in The Tale of Years, but according to the story introduced into The Silmarillion by Christopher Tolkien it should have rather occurred immediately after the reforging of Nauglamír, while the Sack of Doriath remained in the following year.
  11. ↑ Silmariën was definitely the eldest child of Tar-Elendil, and her birthdate is given several times as S.A. 521. In the Tale of Years, the entry of Silmariën's birthdate is given as 548, a date that goes back to the first drafts of that text (see Silmariën's article for details).
  12. ↑ In the Tale of years, it says in S.A. 2251 "Tar-Atanamir takes the sceptre", however, Atanamir died in 2221. 2221 is itself an emendation of 2251, and the former (2221) appears in the later tables, while the latter (2251) in the earlier tables: therefore 2251 (properly 2221) should have read "Death of Tar-Atanamir. Tar-Ancalimon takes the sceptre."
  13. ↑ In one table (probably an earlier draft) of the Kings of Gondor, Castamir's birthdate is given at T.A. 1159, however this is clearly impossible: Eldacar was born in 1255, and they are in the same generation, so 1259 is more correct.
  14. ↑ The date of Sam's birth in "The Longfather-Tree of Master Samwise" (Appendix C) is S.R. 1380 (equivalent to T.A. 2980), however, "The Tale of Years" (Appendix B) gives it as T.A. 2983, which is changed to T.A. 2980 in 2005 edition. In S.R. 1476, Sam is said to have been ninety-six years old, so 2980 is more correct than 2983. Also, the birth year of his sister, Marigold, is given S.R. 1383 (T.A. 2893), and it is most unlikely that they were born in the same year. In the Fellowship of the Ring, Merry and Pippin is said to be younger than both Sam and Frodo, so Sam's birth year must be in T.A. 2980, since Merry was born in T.A. 2982.
  15. ↑ Lalia (b. S.R. 1283) only appears in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Pearl is the older sister of Pippin. See Took clan.

General references

  • The Annals of Aman: J. R. R. Tolkien (1993). Christopher Tolkien (ed.). ed.. Morgoth's Ring. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 47-138. ISBN 0-395-68092-1. 
  • The Grey Annals: J. R. R. Tolkien (1994). Christopher Tolkien (ed.). ed.. The War of the Jewels. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 3-170. ISBN 0-395-71041-3. 
  • The Tale of Years of the First Age: J. R. R. Tolkien (1994). Christopher Tolkien (ed.). ed.. The War of the Jewels. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 342-354. ISBN 0-395-71041-3. 
  • Appendix B: J. R. R. Tolkien (2004, 1955). The Lord of the Rings. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 1082-1098. ISBN 0-618-51765-0. 

See also

External links

J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium
Published during his lifetime:
The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings · The Adventures of Tom Bombadil · The Road Goes Ever On
Posthumous publications:
The Silmarillion · Unfinished Tales · The History of Middle-earth (12 volumes) · Bilbo's Last Song · The Children of Húrin · The History of The Hobbit
Lists of articles:
By category · By name · Writings · Characters · Peoples · Rivers · Realms · Ages