Forums:First Age dating

Tolkien Gateway > Forums > First Age dating

I notice that a lot of pages refer to First Age years from the rising of the Sun in F.A. 1 to F.A. 590.

However, we don't know when the First Age began, and we know that it was longer than both the Second and Third Ages, and so couldn't have begun with the rising of the Sun, making these dates inaccurate. Foronwy 12:20, 15 May 2016 (UTC)

We are following Tolkien’s own terminology, so take it up with him! See Morgoth's Ring and War of the Jewels. --Mith (Talk/Contribs/Edits) 17:38, 15 May 2016 (UTC)

It is indeed inaccurate, but it is used here as a necessary convention to go with the concept of the "solar year"; and as you have said, we don't know when the FA began, so the rising of the sun is the next best thing. I think the article First Age mentions this. Sage 05:55, 21 August 2016 (UTC)

I think Tolkien himself uses YT (Years of the Trees) and YS (Years of the Sun), e.g. in the Grey Annals, Annals of Aman. I wouldn't use FA with numbers of the years. --Tik 08:19, 22 August 2016 (UTC)