Where is the source for the approximation of the Valian year? Because in the Annals of Valinor it is set to be ten times that of solar years. ~denDAY 20:14, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
- Good question. Looking at this forum discussion, it appears like the source would be one of Tolkien's letters (I suspect a letter published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien). Would you have time to check? --Morgan 20:26, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
- Sorry but I am not in possession of those letters. ~denDAY 20:33, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
- I found a better forum thread, which has some sources. The relevant source appears to be Morgoth's Ring (HoMe vol. 10), Myth's Transformed section, text IX (Aman).--Morgan 20:46, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
- I see. Haven't gotten that far in the History of Middle-earth yet. ~denDAY 21:07, 7 July 2013 (UTC)
Removed opinion
I removed the following, as it is unsourced.
If this new duration were applied to the earlier works, they would extend the time line dramatically: the duration of the Flight of the Noldor, which was 5 Valian Years, went from signifying around 50 solar years to being converted in about 700 solar years. So the new definition should be understood as belonging to a new conception that is completely different from the previous one, and therefore not applicable to the dates noted in previous drafts of Tolkien's writings. Other authors are of the opinion that Tolkien describes time as flowing more slowly in Aman, such that a Valian year would "feel" like the passage of a single solar year, despite having a much longer "real" duration. Oberiko (talk) 01:21, 8 August 2025 (UTC)