In celebration of the New Year, and the end of the month of December 2003, in which the Library received over One Million Hits, which I think is pretty good, I have made a list of some of the parts and pages of the library which I think are the best it has to offer. Now, this is a little bit subjective, and every part of the library is as important as any and many great pages are left out, but that is the nature of a list.
Timelines
While the timelines for the second, third, and fourth age can be found in the back of Return of the King, complete timelines for the First Age, and even earlier in the Elder Days, are hard to come across. Thus, these can be interesting for just about anyone to look at. They are taken from Volumes 10 and 11 of The History of Middle-earth, and though at times they were a bit problematic to make, they can be very valuable resources.
The Blue Wizards
The Blue Wizards are one of the most pondered beings in Tolkien's mythos. And this is an attempt to capture most everything that Tolkien has ever written about them.
Glorfindels Galaore
Just who is Glorfindel? It seems like an easy enough question, but when he is an Elf whose life spans from the Elder Days through the Third Age, even though he died towards the end of the First Age, things do get a little complicated.
Celebrimbor and the Rings of Power
The Rings of Power are one of the most fascinating aspects of Tolkien's mythos. And they are one of the most complicated as well. This is an in depth analysis of their making and their uses.
Family Tree of the House of Hador
This too is something you can find quite easily (in the back of The Silmarillion), but this is taken from the family tree given in The History of Middle-Earth Volume 11 and is a little bit more complete. And it has links to entries on each name of the tree (though, honestly, many of these entries have not been made yet). You can visit the other family trees also in this section of the Library.
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the movie (for those who liked them), the Battle of Pelennor Fields is here dealt with in detail
Maps of Arda
Let's face it, maps are interesting. Who has read Tolkien and not been entranced by his maps and relied heavily upon them? These maps might not be as nice as Tolkien's own, but there is already a wide variety here to choose from, from detailed maps of small areas, to semi-theoretical maps of Aman and all Middle-earth. All made by fans too!
Dagor Dagorath
This is another of those especially fascinating areas of Tolkien's mythos. The Dagor Dagorath, or Last Battle, is only hinted at in the published Silmarillion, but it receives an almost detailed form in the Second Prophecy of Mandos which appears in earlier texts. This is the outline of that great battle at the end of the world, and the development of the texts behind it.
Gandalf
If personal bias shows anywhere on this list, I guess it is here, for Gandalf is a personal favorite. However, there is no doubt that he is a very interesting character, and very entrancing as well. This entry contains some really good information and analysis of the great Wizard.
Tulkas
You might not think that there could be anything really new or fascinating about the Vala Tulkas, and that everything can be easily traced in The Silmarillion. However, this entry also details the development of the mighty Vala from the The Book of Lost Tales to his final forms. That's why it gets a place on this list. Several of the other entries for Valar feature similar information (but I had to choose just one).
The Story of Beren and Luthien
It is one of the greatest stories of the Elder Days. One of the greatest quests of love. This page has links to much information about it, from an in depth overview of the entire story, to character biographies and information on the Lay of Leithian.
Beyond the Grey Havens
There is one thing which I think anyone who has read Lord of the Rings must wonder about at some point, and that is what lies in waiting for the Ringbearers at the end. They kind of just disappear, leaving from the Grey Havens. It is not even really clear what the Grey Havens are for many, and it gives no real hint at their destination in the narrative itself. This page, I think, can help clarify this for those who have only read LotR, and for those who already have an understanding of what is beyond the Grey Havens, this essay can still offer much on the deeper nature of the passage into the West.
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