Morgoth's Ring (20 page)

$102 the mightiest of all the dwellers in Ea: see p. 65, $2.

$105 The time of Ungoliante's coming to Arda is placed (as a surmise) with the entry of Melkor and his host before the overthrow of the Lamps (see p. 53, $19). With 'maybe she came to the South out of the darkness of Ea' cf. QS $55: 'from the Outer Darkness, maybe, that lies beyond the Walls of the World'.

$106 Though again put as a surmise, Ungoliante's origin is now found in her ancient corruption by Melkor, and it is suggested that he went to Arvalin of set purpose to find her.

$107 The high mountain in the southern range of the Pelori now receives a name, Hyarantar (later replaced by Hyarmentir, see p. 285).

$109 - 10 In the Lost Tales the occasion of the great festival was commemoration of the coming of the Eldar to Valinor (I.143), but in later texts its occasion is not specified. Now a new and remarkable account of it is given, with a reference to the passage in the Ainulindale' ($25) where the visible shapes taken by the Valar in Arda are described; and here the idea of these 'shapes'

is extended (as it appears) to the point where the great spirits might eat, and drink, and 'draw strength from the Earth'.

Wholly new also in this passage is the element of Manwe's purpose to achieve concord among the Noldor.

$112 In QS ($60) Feanor was present at the festival on Taniquetil; now enters the story that he came alone from Formenos, being commanded so to do by Manwe, in sombre garments, that Finwe refused to come while his son lived in banishment, and that Feanor was reconciled 'in words' with Fingolfin before Manwe's throne. At this stage, of course, Feanor and Fingolfin were still full brothers.

$114 There is no trace of the work Aldudenie among my father's papers. With the passage concerning the Darkness that came with the extinction of the Light of the Trees cf. the Ainulindale'

$19: 'and it seemed to [the Ainur] that in that moment they perceived a new thing, Darkness, which they had not known before, except in thought.'

$116 On Orome's horn Valaroma see Ainulindale' D, $34 (pp. 35

and 39).

*

There are a good many notes and changes made on the typescript, some added by the typist under my father's direction; but only a few of them need be recorded.

$78 The two new annal entries given in note 1 above, and that in note 4, are present in the typescript as typed.

$81 After the entry for 1190 a new entry was added for the year 1200: 'Luthien born' (with a query).

$84 A blank is left in the typescript where the manuscript has, Naugrim written above Nauglath, possibly because the typist did not know which form to put (see note 6). The blank was not filled in, but the name Nornwaith that follows was struck through.

$85 After the annal for 1280 the following Beleriandic entries were added:

1300 Daeron, loremaster of Thingol, contrives the Runes.

Turgon, son of Fingolfin, and Inglor, son of Finrod, born.

1320 The Orcs first appear in Beleriand.

$86 After the annal for 1350 two entries were added: 1362 Galadriel, daughter of Finrod, born in Eldamar.

Isfin, White Lady of the Noldor, born in Tirion.

The second of these appears also as a pencilled addition to the manuscript (note 8).

$97 Against the words 'Melkor spoke to the Eldar concerning weapons, which they had not before possessed or known' my father wrote on the typescript: 'No! They must have had weapons on the Great Journey.' Cf. the passage in QS on this subject (footnote to $49): 'The Elves had before possessed only weapons of the chase, spears and bows and arrows.'

$99 The term of Feanor's banishment was changed yet again (see note 10), from 'twenty' to 'twelve'.

$113 After 'the Green Mound' was added: 'of Ezellohar'. This name was added to the typescript at earlier occurrences: p. 69, $25. -

'The Vats of Varda' become 'The Wells of Varda'; see p. 69, $28.

$114 The typist misread Elemire, and my father corrected the error to the form Elemmire.

I do not know what intention lay behind the introduction of the Beleriandic entries given under $$81, 85 above.

Fifth section of the Annals of Aman.

$117 Thus it came to pass that after a while a great concourse of folk was gathered about the Ring of Doom; and the gods sat in shadow, for it was night. But now night only as it may be in some land of the world, when the stars peer fitfully through the wrack of great clouds, and cold fogs drift in from a sullen shore of the sea. Then Yavanna stood upon the Green Mound, and it was bare now and black; and she gazed upon the Trees and they were both dead and dark. Then many voices were lifted in lamentation; for it seemed to those that mourned that they had drained to the dregs the cup of woe that Melkor had filled for them. But it was not so.

$118 For Yavanna spoke before the Valar, saying: 'The Light of the Trees hath gone hence, and liveth now only in the jewels of Feanor. Foresighted was he. Lo! for those even who are mightiest there is some deed that they may accomplish once, and once only. The Light of the Trees I brought into being, and can do so never again within Ea. Yet had I but a little of that Light, I could recall life to the Trees, ere their roots die; and then our hurt should be healed, and the malice of Melkor be confounded.'

$119 And Manwe spoke, and said, Hearest thou, Feanor, the words of Yavanna? Wilt thou grant what she would ask?'

And there was a long silence, but Feanor answered no word.

Then Tulkas cried: Speak, O Noldo, yea or nay! But who shall deny Yavanna? And did not the light of the Silmarils come from her work in the beginning?'

But Aule the Maker (1) said, Be not hasty! We ask a greater thing than thou knowest. Let him have peace yet a while.'

$120 But Feanor spoke then, and cried bitterly: 'Verily for the less even as for the greater there is some deed that he may accomplish but once only. And in that deed his heart shall rest.

Mayhap I can unlock my jewels, but never again shall I make their like; and if they be broken, then broken will be my heart, and I shall die: first of all the Children of Eru.'

$121 'Not the first,' quoth Mandos, but they understood not his word; and again there was silence, while Feanor brooded in the dark. And it seemed to him that he was beset in a ring of enemies, and the words of Melkor returned to him, saying that the Silmarils were not safe, if the Valar would possess them. 'And is he not Vala as are they,' said his thought,

'and understandeth their hearts? Yea, a thief shall reveal thieves.' Then he cried aloud: 'Nay, this thing I will not do of free will. But if the Valar will constrain me, then verily shall I know that Melkor is of their kindred.'

$122 'Thou hast spoken,' quoth Mandos; then all sat in silence, while Nienna wept upon Korlaire and mourned for the bitterness of the world. And even as she mourned, messengers came from Formenos, and they were Noldor, and bore new tidings of evil. For they told now how a blind Darkness came northward, and in the midst walked some power for which there was no name, and the Darkness issued from it. But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Feanor, and there he slew Finwe, king of the Noldor, before the doors, and spilled the first blood of the Children of Iluvatar. For Finwe alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark. But the stronghold of Formenos Melkor had broken, and had utterly destroyed, and all the wealth of gems he had taken; and the Silmarils were gone.

$123 Then Feanor rose up and cursed Melkor, naming him Morgoth;(2) and he cursed also the summons of Manwe, and the hour in which he came to Taniquetil, thinking in his folly that had he been at Formenos, his strength would have availed more than to be slain also, as Melkor had hoped.(3) But now Feanor ran from the concourse and fled into the night, as one mad both with wrath and with grief: for his father was dearer to him than the Light of Valinor or the peerless works of his hands; and who among sons, of Elves or of Men, have held their fathers of greater worth?

$124 And those who beheld Feanor depart grieved sorely for him; but Yavanna was dismayed, fearing now that the Great Darkness would swallow the last rays of Light for ever. For though the Valar did not yet understand fully what had befallen, they perceived that Melkor had called upon some aid that came from Without. The Silmarils had passed away, and all one it may seem, therefore, whether Feanor would have said (4) yea or nay at the last; yet had he said yea at the first and so cleansed his heart ere the dread tidings came, his after deeds maybe had been other than they were. But now the doom of the Noldor drew nigh.

$125 Meanwhile, it is told, Morgoth escaping from the pursuit of the Valar came to the waste-land of Araman, that northward, as Arvalin to the south, lay between the walls of the Mountains and the Great Sea. Thus he passed to the Helkaraxe where the Strait between Araman and Middle-earth is filled with grinding ice; and he crossed over and came back to the North of the world. Then so soon as they set foot there and were escaped from the land of the Valar, Ungoliante summoned Morgoth to deliver to her her reward. The half of her fee was the sap of the Trees; the other half was to be a full share in all the jewels they should take. Morgoth yielded these grudgingly, one by one, until she had devoured all and their beauty perished from the earth, and then huger and darker grew Ungoliante, and yet she hungered for more.

$126 But Morgoth would give her no part in the Silmarils: these he named unto himself for ever. Thus there befell the first thieves' quarrel, and the fear of Yavanna came not to pass: that the Darkness should swallow the last rays of the Light. But Ungoliante was wroth, and so great had she become that Morgoth could not master her; and she enmeshed him in her strangling webs, and his dreadful cry echoed through the world.

Then there came to his aid the Balrogs, who endured still in deep places in the North where the Valar had not discovered them. With their whips of flame they smote her webs asunder, and they drove Ungoliante away, and she went down into Beleriand and dwelt awhile beneath Ered Orgoroth in that valley which after was named Nan Dungorthin, because of the fear and horror that she bred there. But when she had healed her hurts and spawned there a foul brood she passed away out of the Northlands, and returned into the South of the world, where she abides yet for all that the Eldar have heard.

$127 Then Morgoth being freed gathered again all his servants that he could find, and he delved anew his vast vaults and his dungeons in that place which the Noldor after called Angband, and above them he reared the reeking towers of Thangorodrim. There countless became the hosts of his beasts and his demons; and thence there now came forth in hosts beyond count the fell race of the Orkor, that had grown and multiplied in the bowels of the earth like a plague. These creatures Morgoth bred in envy and mockery of the Eldar. In form (5) they were like unto the Children of Iluvatar, yet foul to look upon; for they were bred (6) in hatred, and with hatred they were filled; and he loathed the things that he had wrought, and with loathing they served him. Their voices were as the clashing of stones, and they laughed not save only at torment and cruel deeds. The Glamhoth, host of tumult, the Noldor called them.

(Orcs we may name them; for in days of old they were strong and fell as demons. Yet they were not of demon kind, but children (7) of earth corrupted by Morgoth, and they could be slain or destroyed by the valiant with weapons of war. [But indeed a darker tale some yet tell in Eressea, saying that the Orcs were verily in their beginning of the Quendi themselves, a kindred of the Avari unhappy whom Morgoth cozened, and then made captive, and so enslaved them, and so brought them utterly to ruin.* For, saith Pengolod, Melkor could never since the Ainulindale' make of his own aught that had life or the semblance of life, and still less might he do so after his treachery in Valinor and the fullness of his own corruption.](8) Quoth AElfwine.)

$128 Dark now fell the shadow on Beleriand, as elsewhere is told; but in Angband Morgoth forged for himself a great crown of iron; and he called himself King of the World.(9) In token of which he set the Silmarils in his crown. His evil hands were burned black by the touch of those hallowed jewels, and black they have been ever since; and he was never again free from the pain of the burning. The crown he never took from his head, though its weight became a weariness unto.torment; and never but once only, while his realm lasted, did he depart for a while secretly from his domain in the North.(10) And once only also did he himself wield weapon, until the Last Battle. For now, more than in the days of Utumno ere his pride was humbled, his hatred devoured him, and in the domination of his servants and the inspiring of them with lust of evil, he spent his spirit.