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Ronald Kyrmse — March 2002 | |
![]() | Analytical Articles: These articles provide a detailed overview of the theme they cover. However, they require some prior knowledge of the main works of J.R.R. Tolkien. |
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here exists a drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien, dating probably from 1925, entitled “Lunar Landscape”1). The title is inscribed in very-early, non-Feanorian tengwar2). This inscription is referenced as “DTS 27 – Lunar Landscape title” in the Mellonath Daeron Index of Tengwar Specimina (DTS). A facsimile of the inscription follows, with a proposed transliteration:
All characters involved are listed below with their presumed values and comments on the attribution, which is mainly based on similarities of shape and usage to the later Feanorian tengwar, and the sarati of Rúmil, the first writing system of Arda, as applied to the writing of English.
![]() | l | The shape is reminiscent of the tengwa r ![]() |
![]() | w | A shape containing a cusp, like the sarat w ![]() |
![]() | n | A single bow-shaped letter like the tengwa n |
![]() | r | Similar to the sarat r ![]() |
![]() | d | A character whose voiced nature is denoted by a double bow, like the tengwa d ![]() |
![]() | k | An upside-down tengwa k ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | y | The y-semivowel, containing a cusp like the sarat y ![]() |
![]() | p | Similar to a tengwa p |
![]() | u | A diacritic corresponding exactly to the Feanorian tehta ![]() |
![]() | a | The precise equivalent of the tehta a ![]() |
![]() | s | A consonantal diacritic; tengwar and sarati also possess diacritics for s (![]() |
![]() | e | The rotated equivalent of the sarat e-diacritic ![]() |
In view of the assumptions above, the shapes of some other characters in this mode could be deduced. Thus, it might be reasonable to assume the following characters for t, g and b, and the diacritic for o:
Additional deductions about this curious mode will have to await publication of further material.