Heaven and h**l in tolkien mytho?

Question

is there a heaven or h**l in tokien mythology

Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way.

Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path . . . one that we must all take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass...

Gandalf: ...And then you see it.

Pippin: What, Gandalf? See what?

Gandalf: White shores . . . and beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise.

Pippin: Well, that isn't so bad.

Gandalf: No... No it isn't.

what do u think.

Answer 1

no idea

Answer 2

yes, the ships that leave from the Grey Havens sail to Valinor in Tolkien's Middle Earth books.  It represents a type of heaven for the elves, Ring bearers and the ones the elves love most.  Its a kind of paradise that is also a holding place until the world ends.  Man however does not go to Valinor when he dies but instead his soul goes somewhere else that is known only to Eru, the God that created everything - though apparently before they go their souls can pause in a 'waiting room' of sorts - Beren waited for Luthien there after he was killed.  To me the hinted at feel of the story was that the elves were bound to Middle Earth until it ended but only Eru knew the mystery of where men's souls went when they died - but eventually the elves would find out too because everything ends in time and even Middle Earth would finish eventually, allowing both elves and men to be reunited with whatever lay beyond the known world of the elves.

as for h**l, I'm not sure how Tolkien approached it.  I know the Valar, the high powers of middle earth, pushed the evil spirit, Morgoth through the Door of Night through the Wall of Worlds into the Timeless Void - which sounds like a pretty not-good-place-to-be to me at least.

Answer 3

I'll get back to you, after I've gotten there.

Answer 4

There is a sort of heaven in the Tolkien mythology which is Valinor, the land of the Valar when the high elves live. However, that was originally part of the earth and the elves who live there are conventionally alive. Also mortals don't get to go there except by special dispensation (the ring bearers)..

When elves die, they go to the Halls of Mandos to await the end of all things - or in a few cases be reborn. It's description does not match heaven or h**l - more just a sort of interim waiting place.

When men die, they go to somewher beyond the Halls of Arda, beyong Valinor, to a fate unknown to any but two of the Vala.

This begs the question as to how Gandalf knows anything about the fate of a hobbit (presumed to be the same as that of men both being mortal). Perhaps because Gandalf has died and been sent back, he has seen what awaits mortals though his description also echoes descriptions of Valinor.

So the question is left rather open. Tolkien did not write a metaphor for Christianity, though some of the themes are similar.