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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fusangite" data-source="post: 1207692" data-attributes="member: 7240">My whole understanding of Lord of the Rings changed recently with my discovery of a 9th century document called The Vision of Charlemagne. It divides the Carolingian Empire into three ages: I. RahtII. RadoleibaIII. NasgIV. EntiRaht is the age of "abundance." Radoleiba is the age of lesser abundance when "certain peoples, now subdued will break away." Nasg is the age of decline when the Franks are sundered into three kingdoms. And Enti is the age that is "either the end of the world itself or the end of our line." So, if we substitute the Noldor for the Franks, the four ages work quite well:(a) the similarity between Nasg and Nazg is just too great to dismiss(b) in the third age, there are the three Noldor realms: Imaldris, Lindon and Lothlorien(c) Elrond predicts that with the end of the third age, either the world will end or the Noldor will pass awayI had previously just applied Carolingian history to the breakup of Charlemagne's empire (Arthedain=Aquitaine, Rhudaur=Ruhr/Lotharingia, Cardolan=Germany), especially with Tolkien's deliberate use of the term "petty realms" to describe what becomes of these realms when they themselves are divided. This also nicely parallels with Gondor as Byzantium with Osigiliath as Constantinople and Minas Tirith as Nicea. But now I think Tolkien but his interest in the Carolingians to use in many aspects of his design of Middle Earth.What do you guys think?</blockquote>

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