Commission - Star Maps

**Sapiento** · 07-23-2011, 10:28 AM

This was a very entertaining and interesting commission. Two astronomical maps of the sky of Middleearth.

Info about the map:
These drawings were made by a young Vanya Elf as part of her study of starlore upon the slopes of Taniquetil in Aman. As such, it uses the Vanyarin dialect of Quenya, which diverged somewhat from the more familiar Ñoldorin dialect of the Exiles (as seen in the use of 'hw' instead of 'f' in Hwanyamar and 'w' for v' in Waiya). Vanyarin, being more conservative in form, also retained the letter þ in place of S in some cases.
Much of the starlore of the Elves of Aman was based on direct information from the Valar, allowing the knowledge and depiction of objects not visible to the naked eye (such as Neptune and the asteroids and so-called dwarf planets).
The maps, by a long road, found their way from Aman to the court of King Elessar Telcontar early in the Fourth Age. They had previously been in the keeping of an ancient and noble family of Pelargir, who themselves had brought them from Númenor long before the Downfall. At some point, Elvish visitors to Númenor had given the original works (long gone and replaced, and replaced again) to a sea-captain of great renown and daring, and also an Elf-friend. His descendents removed, as did many of the Faithful, to Pelargir when the Kings of Númenor began to fall, and kept the paintings as a sign of ancient friendship. When Elessar took up the throne, new copies were made by the finest artists of Minas Tirith and given to the new king as a gift. They long hung in a place of honor in the northern palace at Annúminas.

Done in Illustrator and PS