# Timeframe of the creation of Ea



## Starflower (Jun 24, 2004)

Random thoughts fuelled by too much white wine 

do we know how long the creation process of Ea actually took ? Do we haave a corollary to the seven 'days' when God created Earth in the Bible ? The answer is most certainly yes, but I don't recall any sort of a time mentioned anywhere in the Ainulindale. Did the creation take place within 'days' of the Ainur's time, or did it take place in one measure of time ? And generally the whole Music of the Ainur is very vague when it comes to time.
Any Thoughts? Or am I the only one to muse on things such as this ?


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## Flame of Udûn (Jun 24, 2004)

Since the Sun wasn't created until ages later they didn't have days at all.


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## cniht (Jun 27, 2004)

I think the vagueness is one of the most cherished qualities of mytholodgy. Tolkien might not have included any clue as to the exact duration of the creation.
The activities of Eru are beyond the history and the understanding of the Children in Arda. So the sense of history does not apply in this aspect.


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## Confusticated (Jul 8, 2004)

Well Ea itself seems to have come into existance perhaps in an instant? Maybe in a blink that was the beginning of time, a measure so short we could not perceive it?

But as for the actual shaping of the Earth, yes we do have information. 

I get this from the _Annals of Aman_ in HoME X.

It is said the Valar counted time by ages, each of which was 100 _Years of the Valar_ long. Each year of the Valar being about as long as 10 years of the Sun



> It is computed by the lore-masters that the Valar came to the realm of Arda, which is the Earth, five thousand Valian Years ere the first rising of the Moon, which is as much as to say forty-seven thousands and nine hundred and one of our years. Of these, three thousand and five hundred (or thirty-three thousand five hundred and thirty of our reckoning) passed ere the measurement of time first known to the Eldar began with the flowering of the Trees. Those were the Days before days. Thereafter one thousand and four hundred and five and ninety Valian Years (or fourteen thousand of our years and three hundred and twenty-two) followed during which the Light of the Trees shone in Valinor. Those were the Days of Bliss. In those days, in the Year one thousand and fifty of the Valar, the Elves awoke in Kuiviénen and the First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar began.




There is this...


> After ages of labour beyond knowledge or reckoning in the great halls of Ea the Valar descended into Arda in the beginning of its being, and they began there their labour fore-ordained for the shaping of its lands and its waters, even from the foundations to the highest towers of the Air.



...which shows us there was a long time (How long though?) passed between the creation of Ea and the beginning of the shaping of Earth.

Here's some dates from the time of the shaping, remember they are in Years of the Valar (about as long as 10 of our own!):

1 The First Year of the Valar in Arda - The Valar enter Arda and begin to shape it, but Melkor gives them trouble.

1500 - Tulkas comes and Melkor flees from him, giving peace for a time. The Valar take up the shaping of Arda again from anew. Lands and waters are been ordered and the lamps raised. The valar eventually rest for a time and watch the growth in Arda.

3400 - Valar feast, Tulkas sleeps. Melkor sneaks back in and sets up in the north, and his presence marrs the Spring of Arda, causing curruption and decay.

3450 - Valar realise Melkor is back. There is war where the symmetry of Arda was broken, the lamps thrown down and Melkor escaped. Then the valar established their realm in the West.

****


But to confuse things I'll mention that Tolkien also used the formula of 1 Valian Year = 144 Solar years. I'm not sure which shoul be used, but either way it was a long time. I'd like to think of the 144 system because it makes the creation of Arda so long that it is more feasible with what our science knows today. Also, Christopher Tolkien interprets something his father wrote as meaning that the Valian Year dates used in the Annals may be kept, but they would simply represent 144 instead of 10 Solar years. Though using 144 would make some of the events listed later in the Annals far longer than what seems reasonable. *shrugs*


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