Amazon Told Fans When the Series Would Take Place
In a recent tweet, Amazon essentially told fans the when and where of their new Lord of the Rings series. In recent weeks Amazon has been hinting at the news by showing us maps of the realm—a hat tip to the way Tolkien wrote his beloved series.
The Maps
When questioned about how he came up with the idea for Lord of the Rings, Tolkien said that he first started with a map. It’s a rather endearing thought, actually. Anyway, Amazon ran with this old quote as their advertising technique for their latest adaptation. They’ve been showing us a map here and there, leading fans to new and ever-changing theories. Up until recently, we fans had been convinced that the series would be following a young Aragorn (better known as Strider during that time) and the Rangers. But the latest map all but disproves that theory.
The New Hint
The newest map is accompanied by a very simple quote: “Welcome to the Second Age.” So now we know the when for the series, and the map essentially tells us the where. The two hints together have us running with even more theories than before.
The Second Age has a couple of names in Tolkien lore, including “The Age of Numenor.” That name, in particular, is relevant, because on the bottom left of the map you’ll see an island. That island is Numenor. Together these hints compel us to believe that the series will largely take place in or involve Numenor in some way. We don’t know that for certain, of course, but this is the most definitive answer we’ve been given so far.
Read below for a very brief description of both the location and the timelines.
Welcome to the Second Age: https://t.co/Tamd0oRgTw
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019
Numenor
Numenor itself has many names, but since this is Tolkien we’re talking about, that’s no real surprise. The island has a surprising amount in common with Atlantis, something that is not lost on many fans. And knowing Tolkien, the references were intentional.
In more current timelines the island is considered to be lost. The inhabitants of Numenor worshipped Eru Iluvatar for a time. It was their rebellion against the god that brought about the demise of the island.
The Second Age
The Second Age concluded with the downfall of Sauron’s army (the first time, that is). The time period is well known for a few major events. Sauron’s power reached new heights. The Ring of Power (and all the other rings as well) was created during this time. The Ringwraiths were formed, for reasons that should be obvious. Numenor came into power and subsequently fell.
