T.A. 3019 February 23: A Stirring Reckoning on the Great River

The eighth night of their journey came. It was silent and windless; the grey east wind had passed away. The thin crescent of the Moon had fallen early into the pale sunset, but the sky was clear above…

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, “The Great River“

The waxing crescent moon at sunset, on T.A. 3019 February 23 (S.R. 1419 Solmath 23). Created in Stellarium using the moon of 1942 February 16, at about 45°30’N latitude, such as near Venice, Italy; or Zagreb, Croatia.

Late on this evening of the story, the boats are attacked by Orcs as the Fellowship approaches the rapids of Sarn Gebir, but that’s not what this post will be about. They escape the attack (in part thanks to Legolas who shot down a Nazgûl’s fell beast) and after they find a shallow bay to stay for the night, Sam ponders the new moon that was discussed in yesterday’s post.

Sam sat tapping the hilt of his sword as if he were counting on his fingers, and looking up at the sky. ‘It’s very strange,’ he murmured. ‘The Moon’s the same in the Shire and in Wilderland, or it ought to be. But either it’s out of its running, or I’m all wrong in my reckoning. You’ll remember, Mr. Frodo, the Moon was waning as we lay on the flet up in that tree: a week from the full, I reckon. And we’d been a week on the way last night, when up pops a New Moon as thin as a nail-paring, as if we had never stayed no time in the Elvish country.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, “The Great River“

Based on the simulation screenshot above, I would also describe the moon on this night as “thin as a nail-paring”. Most of us in the Western Hemisphere should be able to see such a crescent moon this evening (2021 February 12) just after sunset, but those in Europe and most of the Eastern Hemisphere will probably have to wait until tomorrow to see the new crescent moon, according to the HMNAO’s Moon Watch project.

Sam was right, in that the night when they rested on the flet, when they first arrived in Lothlórien, it was the night of T.A. 3019 January 15/16 (S.R. 1419 Afteryule 15/16) and the full moon was 1 week before on the night of Afteryule 8/9. They stayed in Lothlórien for about a month, departing on T.A. 3019 February 16 (S.R. 1419 Solmath 16), but even Frodo says, “I don’t remember any moon, either new or old, in Caras Galadhon: only stars by night and sun by day.”

But so it is, Sam: in that land you lost your count. There time flowed swiftly by us, as for the Elves. The old moon passed, and a new moon waxed and waned in the world outside, while we tarried there. And yestereve a new moon came again. Winter is nearly gone.

Aragorn in the “The Great River” chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring

According to the Reckoning of Rivendell, Winter ended a couple of weeks ago, and this date was the 13th day of Stirring (Coirë/Echuir), which is a season recognized by the Elves between Winter and Spring. It appears that the Hobbits, at least, did not recognize this season of “Stirring”, according to the list of seasons Tolkien gave in Appendix D (quoted in a previous post). In fact, last week, on February 18 (Solmath 18) when the Fellowship was passing the Field of Celebrant and approaching the River Limlight, Aragorn remarked that it was still winter where they were in the north, though that was the 8th day of “Stirring” in the Calendar of Imladris.