The Encyclopedia of Arda - Man in the Moon (original) (raw)

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random
Indexes: Ainur Alphabetical: M About this entry: Updated 8 April 2011 Updates planned: 2 The wayward lunar occupant A figure of Hobbit legend or folklore, and the main character of two poems, "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" (which appears in The Lord of the Rings) and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon", both of which tell of their title character descending to Earth and suffering a series of mishaps and misadventures. It would be natural to imagine the Man in the Moon as representing a folk memory among the Hobbits: a rustic imagining of Tilion, the Maia known as the steersman of the Moon, who was known in legend for his waywardness. In fact, the Man in the Moon predates Tilion in Tolkien's legendarium. "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon" was written by Tolkien as early as 1915 (before even The Lost Tales were begun); it describes the Man in the Moon as having silver hair and beard, and visiting Norwich1 in Norfolk, England. In the very early tales that followed, the character was explained as an Elf, foolishly stowing away on the newly created Moon. This Elf does not appear in further retellings, and if later references to the Man in the Moon are anything more than mere fancy, they probably are intended to suggest the proverbial waywardness of Tilion. Notes 1 The choice of Norwich was not accidental. Just as "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" connects to its own nursery rhyme, the reference to Norwich relates to this traditional verse: "The Man in the Moon came down too soon,and asked his way to Norwich,He went by the south and burnt his mouthBy supping on cold plum porridge." Tolkien's poem tells his full version of the tale of the unfortunate Man in the Moon, stretching these four lines out into twelve stanzas to create a long imaginary source for the brief verse above. Both poems, "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon", appear in the collection The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. See also... The Moon Indexes: Alphabetical: M Ainur About this entry: Updated 8 April 2011 Updates planned: 2 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2011. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.Take the FREE myDISCprofile personality test to discover your core personality and your ideal job.

The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE

SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random

Indexes: Ainur Alphabetical: M About this entry: Updated 8 April 2011 Updates planned: 2 The wayward lunar occupant A figure of Hobbit legend or folklore, and the main character of two poems, "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" (which appears in The Lord of the Rings) and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon", both of which tell of their title character descending to Earth and suffering a series of mishaps and misadventures. It would be natural to imagine the Man in the Moon as representing a folk memory among the Hobbits: a rustic imagining of Tilion, the Maia known as the steersman of the Moon, who was known in legend for his waywardness. In fact, the Man in the Moon predates Tilion in Tolkien's legendarium. "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon" was written by Tolkien as early as 1915 (before even The Lost Tales were begun); it describes the Man in the Moon as having silver hair and beard, and visiting Norwich1 in Norfolk, England. In the very early tales that followed, the character was explained as an Elf, foolishly stowing away on the newly created Moon. This Elf does not appear in further retellings, and if later references to the Man in the Moon are anything more than mere fancy, they probably are intended to suggest the proverbial waywardness of Tilion. Notes 1 The choice of Norwich was not accidental. Just as "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" connects to its own nursery rhyme, the reference to Norwich relates to this traditional verse: "The Man in the Moon came down too soon,and asked his way to Norwich,He went by the south and burnt his mouthBy supping on cold plum porridge." Tolkien's poem tells his full version of the tale of the unfortunate Man in the Moon, stretching these four lines out into twelve stanzas to create a long imaginary source for the brief verse above. Both poems, "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon", appear in the collection The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. See also... The Moon Indexes: Alphabetical: M Ainur About this entry: Updated 8 April 2011 Updates planned: 2 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2011. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.Take the FREE myDISCprofile personality test to discover your core personality and your ideal job.