Lembas “waybread” was first introduced in Elvish legend, as “an essential preparation for the Great Journey to the Western Shore,” as told in The Nature of Middle Earth. It was also inspired by Tolkien’s Catholicism, symbolizing the Eucharist.
How was Lembas taught by Oromë?
Oromë brought it as a gift from Manwë and Varda in order to ask the Quendi to grow, harvest, and store it. It involved the grinding of flour, kneading, and baking into unleavened bread.
Oromë taught it to the Three Elderwomen of the Elves, and it was made from wheat-corn. It was intended to use for long journeys. But this “Western Corn” diminished with the journey, until there wasn’t any more when they arrived in Beleriand.
They got new corn from the Noldor at the end of the First Age – but its existence was dependent on Galadriel, as one of the chief inheritors, and Arwen, for the lembas waybread was lost forever after Galadriel’s departure and the death of Arwen.
[…] of the strong opinions he consistently held is that of the Eucharist – which is what Lembas could be alluding to. There are many similarities between the two – as they both bring growth […]