As with most worlds, the spiritual background of this universe is very important to its history and what we’ve come to know as its present. The explanation of the history and spiritual beginnings that all lead up to the Hobbit storyline is recorded in Tolkien’s tales that are less popular but predate the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series.
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Much like the beginning of Heaven and Hell, the tale of the creation of the world in which these stories exist has its own divine origin. It is resemblant of several tales from different religions and folklore that focus on the concept of good and bad, in which it represents the place of light, or good. To fully answer what the Undying Lands are, it is vital to examine their background. In the beginning, the king of Valinor was vanquished and Aman was sent off, out of reach to the mortal men of Middle Earth. When the two lands are split, they are left in darkness, until the Valar (the God-like people of Valinor) create two luminous trees to light Aman. They represent the sun and the moon.
Audiences have all seen the light of the two trees before, perhaps without realizing it, in the phial of light that Galadriel gives Frodo from her fountain. The trees are later killed and replaced by a luminous flower and fruit that become the sun and moon and maintain the balance of light in this place. This clearly symbolizes that Aman is the land of light in a world of darkness. When the Elves of Middle Earth are captured and forced to work, the Valar intervene, beginning a war to rescue them. The Valar then invite the elves back to Aman. Some go but some remain in Middle Earth to face its darkness. Only elves were permitted to cross the ocean to go there.
From that point on, there are wavering periods of battle and peace as elves are mixed into the spiritual world. As Humans and Dwarves enter the mix, the two separated worlds remerge periodically. When they are not merged, they are separated once more between Middle Earth, Aman, or Numenor (a place in between with its own importance). Once the Valar are back in Aman, Sauron comes out of hiding and tricks a group of Elves in Middle Earth into creating the Rings of Power, and most people know what happens in the story from this point.
While it’s clear that the Undying Lands have a deep-rooted role in the structure of this world, we do not often encounter them in the stories captured by the films. Partly, this is due to the natural design of the continent, given that many features were set in place to prevent mortal travelers from reaching Aman. It was surrounded by oceans on all sides and protected further by the wall created by the Pelori Mountains. Lastly, a good distance of ice-covered ocean separates Aman from Middle Earth.
Nonetheless, these features don’t prevent Middle Earth from visiting Aman altogether, as is seen when the keepers of the ring travel there. The mortals present in this group were the only mortals allowed to travel here. While at one point Samwise and Gimli, being bearers of the ring, are allowed to enter Aman, fans will more likely remember the trilogy’s ending in which Frodo becomes sick and leaves for the Undying Lands to live out the remainder of his days. Once more, this illustrates that Aman is like Heaven in this realm– a paradise.
With all of that considered, what gives the Undying Lands their name is what they represent and who resides there. Though the name may sound misleading, it does not actually mean that those who live there will be immortal, but that the beings who live there happen to be immortal. While the land and creatures of this place are described as fantastical, it is more likely the beings that inhabit this place that make it so other-wordly, as was the case in Frodo’s journey across Middle Earth. This makes it the perfect final resting spot for his character and the perfect conclusion to the beloved Lord of the Rings story.
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