Ecrit le 18-06-2001 12:13
J'ai farfouillé un peu dans les Lettres et à la p.239 (L183), Tolkien écrit:"Middle-earth is not an imaginary world. The name is the modern form (appearing in the 13th century and still in use) of midden-erd > middel-erd, an ancient name for the oikoumenë, the abiding place of Men, the objectively real world, in use specifically opposed to imaginary worlds (as Fairyland) or unseen worlds (as Heaven or Hell). The theatre of my tale is this earth..."
Il précise plus loin à la p.283 (L211):
"the oikoumenë : middle because thought of vaguely as set amidst the encircling Seas and (in the northern imagination) between ice of the North and the fire of the South.
O.English middan-geard, mediaeval E. midden-erd, middle-erd..."
A propos des mages bleus, les Ithryn Luin, l'un partit à l'est, l'autre au sud, mais d'après Tolkien, ils faillirent à leur mission, devenant, sans doute, des fondateurs de sectes : "founders or beginners of secret cults and magic traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron" (p.280, L211).
Selon d'autres sources (apocryphes), ils seraient devenus sultans d'Orient :) Inch Allah ;-)
A+
Cathy