Westernesse
Westernesse is a fictional kingdom in the Middle English romance of King Horn. It also featured in the writings of Tolkien as a translation of Númenor, a realm in Middle-earth.
King Horn
[edit]In King Horn, Westernesse can be reached by sea, and is ruled by King Almair. The throne eventually passes to Arnoldin, who is a loyal companion of the narrative's hero, Horn.[1]
Whether or not Westernesse should be identified with one or more real-world locations remains, however, a point of dispute, since the narrative contains little geographic detail, and only vaguely echoes historical events.[citation needed] It has been associated with various regions in the British Isles, among which are the Isle of Man and the Wirral district in Cheshire.[2]
Tolkien
[edit]Many people today know "Westernesse" as J. R. R. Tolkien's translation of Númenor, the name which he gave to one of the realms in his fictional world of Middle-earth. Tolkien, who studied Middle English texts professionally, indicated in one of his letters that he had derived his translation from the name as it occurred in King Horn: "I have often used Westernesse as a translation. This is derived from rare Middle English Westernesse (known to me only in MS. C of King Horn) where the meaning is vague, but may be taken to mean 'Western lands' as distinct from the East inhabited by the Paynim and Saracens."[3]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 696–697.
- ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 696 cites Cambridge Hist. of Eng Lit., i. 304.
- ^ Tolkien 1981, p. 361, letter 276 (12 September 1965)
References
[edit]- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 696–697.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. (1981). The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. George Allen & Unwin.
External links
[edit]- King Horn: Introduction, Lib.rochester.edu, retrieved 11 April 2013 — Introduction to the TEAMS edition of King Horn
- Westernesse, TolkienWiki, 24 February 2004, retrieved 11 April 2013 — Tolkien on 'Westernesse' at the Tolkien Wiki