# Chapter 9 The Silmarillion



## midlandsbased (Nov 23, 2022)

I've just started reading The Silmarillion..after putting it off for 30 years. First attempt didn't go well but I'm really loving it now. I have a query that is playing around way too much in my head. In chapter 9 there is the following quote "yet none were willing to abide upon the western coast while others were ferried first".

Are the Noldor not on the eastern coast or am I misinterpreting this sentence?


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## Eljorahir (Nov 23, 2022)

That is a confusing sentence. The Noldor are on the east coast of Valinor at this point in the story. However, Valinor itself is referred to as "The West". So, I think "the western coast" means "the coast of 'The West'". At least, that's the best explanation I can come up with.


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## Elthir (Nov 23, 2022)

Hullo! And agreed with *Eljorahir*.

Keeping in mind we are looking at a constructed version of the Silmarillion, in Tolkien's version of _Quenta Silmarillion_, the sentence reads: *"yet none were willing to abide upon the coast while others were transported; already fear of treachery . . ."*

Christopher Tolkien's "western" seems to hail from the "west-coast" of _The Annals of Aman_ [year 1497], and there it's said: [section 157] *"For between the West-land of Aman that in the north curved eastward and the east-shores of Endar (which is Middle-earth) . . ."* and in the very next section: *"yet none were willing to abide upon the west-coast while others were ferried first."*

Christopher Tolkien's version does not incorporate "West-land" of Aman where JRRT's did, in the Annals. CJRT's version reads: *'For between the land of Aman that in the north curved eastward, and the east-shores of Endor (which is Middle-earth) . . ."*

That noticed, I'm not saying that the matter is _certainly_ made clearer due to Tolkien's "West-land" in the previous section, but in any case, again I agree: I think the "western" coast is now to be thought
of in relation to the eastern coast of Middle-earth . . .

. . . since we are moving to the matter of (possibly) shipping all these folk from one to the other.

🐾


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## Eljorahir (Nov 23, 2022)

I just thought of a (maybe) simpler answer. The coast in question is the eastern coast of Valinor. However, it's the western coast of the sea to be crossed. Since the topic at hand is a sea crossing, I think the term "western coast" fits within the context.


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## midlandsbased (Nov 24, 2022)

Thanks to you both for taking the time out to get back to me on this. At least it makes sense in the context of either west-land or for the ships crossing that the Noldor left behind would be on the western side of the voyage.

Thanks again!


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