Seven Stars in Middle Earth
Seven stars is a symbol that shows up all the time in Middle Earth, and is important to all three of the major races. Gondor’s flag has seven stars above the White Tree, Durin saw seven stars form a crown over his reflection in the Mirrormere, and the most important constellation in elvish culture is formed by seven stars.
Let’s start with the elves, because depending on your own point of view on Middle Earth’s history, you might end up believing that all of these symbols are ultimately referring to this very constellation: the Valacirca. According to the elves, Varda created many of the brightest stars just before the elves awoke. Many constellations are part of this legend, but the most important was the Valacirca:
And high in the north as a challenge to Melkor she set the crown of seven mighty stars to swing, Valacirca, the Sickle of the Valar and sign of doom.
This constellation, more than the others, was a message and a warning to Morgoth that the Valar were watching him (it’s worth noting that, after the elves awoke, the Valar did actually go to war with Morgoth and capture him, so it wasn’t an empty threat.) Ultimately, the Valacirca is a symbol of the Free People’s stance against evil, and (theoretically, at least), the support they have in this fight from Greater Powers.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see the Valacirca on pretty much any clear night – many people in the “real world” call it the Big Dipper, Ursa Major, or the Plough. The people of Middle Earth had different names for it as well – while the elves called it the Valacirca (which means “Sickle of the Valar”), Bilbo once called it “the Wain”, and Frodo once referred to it simply as “the Sickle.”
Now, the men of Numenor and Gondor would no doubt have known the elvish story of the Valacirca, and the seven stars on Gondor’s flag may very well be a reference to Gondor’s triumph over evil. But for them it had an added significance – when the Faithful escaped Numenor (and then went on to establish Arnor and Gondor), they brought with them the seven palantiri seeing-stones. So the seven stars over the White Tree are a reference to this as well.
Finally, the dwarves. According to dwarvish legend, when Durin the Deathless awoke he looked at his reflection in the Mirrormere (a lake outside the eastern entrance to Moria) and saw seven stars forming a crown over his head. He saw this as a good omen, and started building Moria. During their quest Gimli, Frodo, and Sam stopped to look in the Mirrormere, and the description of the event is pretty mysterious:
There like jewels sunk in the deep shone glinting stars, though sunlight was in the sky above. Of their own stooping forms no shadow could be seen.
‘O Kheled-zâram fair and wonderful! ‘ said Gimli. `There lies the Crown of Durin till he wakes. Farewell! ‘
Gimli’s reference to the crown lying in the water is unexplained, so it seems like there’s more to the dwarvish legend than we know. It could be that Durin’s Crown was another constellation that looked like a crown, or it could have been the Valacirca, or it could have been something completely different (and not actual stars at all.)
Anyway, I know this went a bit beyond your question, but I’ve always been fascinated by the seven stars symbol in Tolkien’s writing, so I took the excuse to ramble about it. :) (Also, for more Middle Earth star-gazing, take a look at this post, or this gorgeous photoset version by areddhels.)
SOURCES: The Silmarillion, LotR, The Hobbit
It’s only a personal headcanon, but I’ve always thought the Crown of Durin was referring to Corona Borealis:
Reposted from http://ift.tt/1xZizmx.
