- Westernesse
Westernesse is a fictional kingdom in the
Middle English romance of "King Horn ". It has been associated with various regions in theBritish Isles , among which the Wirral District inCheshire . Whether or not Westernesse should be identified with one or more real-world locations remains, however, a point of dispute, since the narrative contains little geographic detail, and only vaguely echoes historical events.In "King Horn", Westernesse can be reached by sea, and is ruled by King Almair. The throne eventually passes to Arnoldin, who is a loyal companion of the narrative's hero, Horn.
Many people today know 'Westernesse' as
J. R. R. Tolkien 's translation ofNúmenor , the name which he gave to one of the realms in his fictional world ofMiddle-earth . In one of his letters, Tolkien indicated that he had derived his translation from the name as it occurred in "King Horn": [citation
first = J.R.R.
last = Tolkien
title = The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
publisher = HarperCollins
year = 1999]External links
* Introduction to the TEAMS edition of "King Horn": [http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/hornint.htm] .
* Tolkien on 'Westernesse' at the "Tolkien Wiki": [http://www.thetolkienwiki.org/wiki.cgi?Westernesse] .
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