A Numenorean Flying Ship

I had a few different topics floating around in my head for today's post, but a quick look over at WJT's most recent post today convinced me that a remark on a recent rocket launch was the way to go.

Earlier this week, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origins space company launched their New Shepard rocket after a short hiatus following a failed test flight last year.  For those not familiar with their rocket, here is a picture:

First thing you might note is that this looks a lot like a phallus.  So much so, that even well regarded news sites have mentioned both this fact, as well as its tie to a movie scene from Austin Powers 2, where Dr. Evil launches a rocket that also has a resemblance to this shape (though as you will see from the clip below, Dr. Evil's rocket has a pair of things that Bezos' rocket lacks).

Anyway, quite a lot going on for that rocket besides its shape as I think of other themes that have been mentioned.

The giant black feather that graces the rocket, and is also a part of Blue Origin's logo, connects to our Numenoreans (and is what made me think of them and call this rocket Numenorean).  In an earlier post called "Saruman, you rat... you've left fingerprints", I mention Numenoreans and their connection with Black Feathers based on some words that had been written by another back in the 2020 timeframe.  Bad dudes, apparently.

We also have the 'blue' reference that has come up before with respect to wizards, Tim, etc.  The "Origin" that goes along with it has a few different things going for it, also.  Commonly associated in modern usage with 'beginnings' or 'source', it can also mean 'to rise', which is obviously what the rocket is doing.  Strangely, though, it can also (according to Etymonline.com) mean "race, ancestry", which I guess makes sense given the other meanings.  A blue race, family, or ancestry - or order or type of Being?  All of these definitions seem interesting in light of recent thoughts, writings, etc.

And, of course, the Bald Man theme continues, with both Bezos and Dr. Evil (and Mini-Me, of course) having this look.

Getting back to the shape, however (and lastly), we have this concept of 'stones'.  Who has them, and who doesn't, and why they might be important.  Bezos' rocket clearly lacks them.

Anyway, in the story I have been making a mess of the past few days as we dive into some strange ideas to see if they go anywhere, I have Brigham (a giant dick if there was one) who will visit another world, but will lack Stones as part of that journey.  Who knows, maybe he will turn out to be bald, too.  In doing so, he may be going to his own doom, but this will open up the opportunity for perhaps many Gentiles and the Lamanites who they will come in contact with on Eressea #2 to repent and be joined or re-joined, respectively, with Israel.

This also continues the general B-movie, space opera theme we have going on here.  One of the reasons I wanted to bring Bezos' rocket into this is because I wanted to tie this theme of space travel to the Numenoreans, who in recent posts I have suggested may have landed themselves in great numbers upon Valinor.  

In what may be surprising to some, Numenoreans were described in earlier drafts of Tolkien's stories as being very explicitly extra-terrestrial and God-like as viewed by Men who lived on Middle-earth (our world).  And, even further, Elves were viewed to have ships that could travel through space.

In Christopher Tolkien's collection of his father's writings and notes known as The History of Middle-Earth, we have some of these references.  Christopher is also careful to note that this characterization of both the Elves and Numenoreans did not survive to later drafts of Silmarillion-type stories, but it is interesting to see if first conceptualized here at the beginning.

As far as the Elven ship references, in Sauron Defeated (Book XI), we have this reference:

For upon the Straight Road only the gods could walk, and only the ships of the Elves could journey; for being straight that road passed through the air of breath and flight and rose above it, and traversed Ilmen in which no mortal flesh can endure.

"Ilmen" referenced in this quote, means "the place of starlight" and is meant to refer to outer space - where stars are.

It is not inconceivable to imagine in all that was taught by those on Valinor and Eressea to the Numenoreans, that shipbuilding was not one of them, given the fleets that these Numenoreans would go on to make, and the great 'mariners' they would become.  It is not difficult to then also imagine that these 'ships' were maybe different than sailboats.

As far as the Numenoreans themselves, there are specific references to the 'exiled' Numenoreans (e.g., Elendil and crew) following the fall of their home island.  Apparently, in earlier writings, they tried to recreate the Elvish technology and make ships that could also go into space, but they could only achieve ships that could fly in our atmosphere.  Here is an excerpt, also from Sauron Defeated:

 

But they achieved only ships that would sail in the air of breath. And these ships, flying, came also to the lands of the new world, and to the east of the old world; and they reported that the world was round. Therefore many abandoned the Valar and put them out of their legends. But men of Middle-earth looked up with fear and wonder seeing the Númenóreans that descended out of the sky; and they took these mariners of the air to be gods, and some of the Númenóreans were content that this should be so.

In a comment on an earlier post, Leo also alluded to the technology that Pharazon and the Numenoreans had in their assault on Valinor.  Their ships cast "bolts of thunder" at Valinor itself.  Here are some quotes:

Our ships go now without the wind, and many are made of metal that sheareth rocks, and they sink not in calm or storm; but they are no longer fair to look upon. But our shields are impenetrable, our swords cannot be withstood, our darts are like thunder and pass over leagues unerring.

It seems that to the teaching and technology of the Elves, that Sauron's influence also came into play in the design of these ships (Sauron having that same 'industrial' and machine mind that Saruman would also later exhibit):

The teaching of Sauron has led to the invention of ships of metal that traverse the seas without sails, but which are hideous in the eyes of those who have not abandoned or forgotten Tol Eressea; to the building of grim fortresses and unlovely towers; and to missiles that pass with a noise like thunder to strike their targets many miles away.

 

So, quite a few different variations as Tolkien was developing the story.  There are more, I think, but I am just collecting some from online searches as I don't have any of the HoME books handy.  By 'final' version (there was never a final published version from Tolkien) of the Silmarillion, Pharazon ships were back to being large ocean-vessels with sails, in terms of how they were described.  Thus, I don't bring up these examples to say it has to be this way.  I only bring them up to show there was at least a visualization or a thought that existed at one point that both the Elves and the Numenoreans possessed 'technology' and knowledge far beyond our own modern day knowledge.  

So, it is not completely out of bounds to consider some of these stories, both past and future, as involving space travel of some sort.  Nor should it be out of bounds to consider that the Straight Road between the 'worlds' or globes that this Earth consisted of, but was severed as a result of the Numenoreans' actions, was the link that these ships and passengers sailed as they journeyed between them.