Exactly 100 years ago, Tolkien devised the fantastic world of Middle-earth

Exactly a century ago, in September 1914, JRR Tolkien had the first glimpses of the fantastic universe he created in his renowned and major works, such as "The Hobbit, " "The Lord of the Rings, " and "The Silmarillion, " books that delighted people. for generations and fascinate readers around the world to this day.

Even though Tolkien could not foresee the impact his fanciful creations would have on the real world, he grounded all of his mythological creations as if they were true — tongues, legends, heroes, and even mythological poems were created. And it was precisely with the poems that it all began.

At 22, during the period of World War I, young Tolkien wrote in Nottinghamshire a seemingly unpretentious poem about a star sailor sailing skyward. Named "The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star", this was the first text in Tolkien's universe, which was later adapted to the mythologies proposed by the author.

In the 1914 phrases we found no reference to the hobbits, elves, or the power of the One Ring, as these concepts were probably not in the mind of young Tolkien. But we have a sketch of Eärendil, an extremely important character who was the father of kings and the holder of the power of light.

You may remember Eärendil in excerpts from the book and films of "The Lord of the Rings, " as Frodo's light jar that protects him in Mordor comes from the star sailor Eärendil himself. See below for the original English text (we have not found free translations for Portuguese):

Éarendel sprang up from the Ocean's cup
In the gloom of the mid-world kidney;
From the door of Night as a ray of light
Leapt over the twilight jean,
And launching his bark like a silver spark
From the golden-fading sand;
Down the sunlit breath of Day's fiery Death
He sped from Westerland.

If you would like to know more about Éarendel, there is more information about him in the book "Unfinished Tales", Volume II, edited by the author's son Christopher Tolkien. After writing Éarendel's poem (which later became Eärendil), Tolkien began a creative process that spanned years and is present in all his works. With the maturation of these concepts, Middle-earth was created by him, as well as all his creatures, legends and references.

Inspired by other Nordic and Germanic classic epics, little by little the stories we already know so well today gained the pages - and then invaded theaters as well.