Why the West?

Magical islands in the western seas inhabited by strange folk who might be called “elvish” is a commonplace of medieval Irish tales.

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And not just in Irish or northern mythology. Even in the Greek and Roman mythology, the "Islands of the Blessed" are located beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar). The idea that in the West, across the Ocean, there is a beautiful and blessed land, was a common myth in the conscience of most ancient and medieval European people.

Regarding the division of man, between Man of the West and Man of Darkness (these last being located to the south and east...). My personal belief is that here we see also an influence of Tolkien`s personal beliefs. Tolkien was a Christian, and Christianity used to be the dominant religion in the West and in Europe. The Man of the West, can be roughly equivalent to "Christians", while the other man are under the influence of Morgoth ("Satan").

Great interpretation and conjecture here. I have little to add, except to remind us all of the fact that the definitions and meanings of the compass points N/E/S/W are arbitrary. In fact, designations of N/S and W/E are even used politically, some would say insidiously, to bias us towards a certain way of understanding welfare and geographical (national?) prestige. Let's not forget that, in The Hobbit, Tolkien indicates that Dwarvish maps place East at the top instead of North (as in Thráin's map).

At heart I think the West being sacred -- i.e. mysterious -- is a European mindset, Old World versus New World; a specific historical paradigm that Tolkien was undoubtedly aware of. An even more tintillating question is of "the South" and "the East"... Why are these convenient for inhabiting with "evil"? There's probably a thread about that somewhere so I won't follow that line of questioning any further here.

I think that simply because that the west of the British and Irish Isles is the great sea, thus the myth, especially Irish ones, prefer to put a otherworldly land in the west. Then the tradition has much influence on Tolkien.
(In addition, it seems happens all around the world--I'm from China, and our myth put the land like this in the east, because there's the great sea.

Wídlast said:

(In addition, it seems happens all around the world--I'm from China, and our myth put the land like this in the east, because there's the great sea.

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That's interesting! Can you give an example of such Chinese myth, please?

HALETH✒🗡 said:

That's interesting! Can you give an example of such Chinese myth, please?

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Such as, in many tales, a sailor may wandering on the sea, then sees a beautiful isle on horizon, with palaces made from gold and silver, and with immortals live on it. It's named Penglai. Some times they can come to its shore, some times they can't reach it. In some tales, there are fruits which can heal the people who eat it and give them eternal youth, and the immortals called the Three Stars are said to live in there, one of happiness and good fortune, one of wealth and high social status, one of healthy and long life. And many others appear. It's said that some emperors in ancient times send out sailors to search for it, to find the elixir of immortality.
Sorry for my not-so-good English! I think it's understandable…maybe.

Wídlast said:

Such as, in many tales, a sailor may wandering on the sea, then sees a beautiful isle on horizon, with palaces made from gold and silver, and with immortals live on it. It's named Penglai. Some times they can come to its shore, some times they can't reach it. In some tales, there are fruits which can heal the people who eat it and give them eternal youth, and the immortals called the Three Stars are said to live in there, one of happiness and good fortune, one of wealth and high social status, one of healthy and long life. And many others appear. It's said that some emperors in ancient times send out sailors to search for it, to find the elixir of immortality.
Sorry for my not-so-good English! I think it's understandable…maybe.

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Thank you very much for explaining! It looks like the mythology of your country is ver exciting. And your English is great.

Widlast, have there been film or television adaptations of stories about Penglai, such as the many about the Legend of the White Snake?

There is a recent film, "Celestial Track of Penglai"; I haven't watched it --yet-- but it appears to be about the White Snake story:

Or am I mistaken?

Squint-eyed Southerner said:

Widlast, have there been film or television adaptations of stories about Penglai, such as the many about the Legend of the White Snake?

There is a recent film, "Celestial Track of Penglai"; I haven't watched it --yet-- but it appears to be about the White Snake story:

Or am I mistaken?

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Well for those, I've seldom watch films and television adaptations and I think the last time is six months ago…🤔So maybe I'm glad but can't help you at this : ( sorry!

BTW, for the Penglai, I find a interesting thing just now: in a translation of a ancient Chinese poem, it's translated as 'the fairy hills'.
This is interesting!

Wídlast said:

BTW, for the Penglai, I find a interesting thing just now: in a translation of a ancient Chinese poem, it's translated as 'the fairy hills'.
This is interesting!

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Ah, it sounds like a Chinese Shire!

HALETH✒🗡 said:

Ah, it sounds like a Chinese Shire!

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At fact, I think it's more like a Chinese Eressëa -- Shire is great, but it's like something more lofty and otherworldly. It make me feel interested because it reminds me of the Irish myth, the Sídhe, or something else like that.
It reminds me the common things we share between different cultures, just as the tales which tells the people goes to a fairyland, and back, and find many years were pass.

It might also come from Celtic mythology, when a warrior dies, he goes west behind the sunset, Tolkien might have been inspired by this.

Aethelwulf said:

It might also come from Celtic mythology, when a warrior dies, he goes west behind the sunset, Tolkien might have been inspired by this.

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Yes, there's that Quenya name for the Haven of the Eldar on Tol Eressëa, Avallónë. Quite a companion piece to the Quenya name for Númenor after its downfall, Atalantë.