[Ansteorra] Pre-seventeenth century

[Tim McDaniel]

On Fri, 5 Nov 2010, Chris Zakes <dontivar at gmail.com> wrote:
> At 12:36 PM 11/5/2010, you wrote:
>> Rose> I've been told that 1599 is the cutoff, but I could be wrong.
>>
>> Tivar> I'm afraid you are. The new century begins on 01-01-'01, not
>> Tivar> 01-01-'00. So the cutoff date is the end of 1600, not 1599.
>>
>> In fact, "pre-seventeenth century" goes up to March 24, 1601.  In many
>> countries, the year started on March 25.
>>
>> Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
>
> Of course. That's the date that the One Ring was destroyed in the
> fires of Mount Doom and Sauron's rule was ended forever. A fitting
> time for the beginning of a new Age.

The Encyclopedia of Arda says that 1601 was "The foundation of the
Shire, and the beginning of the Shire-reckoning.", but doesn't give a
date (except that it was at the New Year of the years of the Third
Age).  <http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/s/shirereckoning.html>
"So, years of the Third Age can be converted to Shire-years by
subtracting 1600 (e.g. the Downfall of Barad-dur occurred in
III 3019, but in the Shire this was counted as the year 1419)."

But the One Ring was destroyed on 25 March.

(The Fourth Age didn't start until two years later, "with the passing
of the Ring-bearers over the sea from Mithlond on 29 September 3021
(Third Age), though in Gondor it was reckoned as beginning on 25 March
of the same year (the second anniversary of the Downfall of
Barad-dur)." <http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/f/fourthage.html>

The Encyclopedia of Arda is wonderful for looking up things about
Middle-Earth.

Daniel Lindicolinum
-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com