Morgoth's Ring (21 page)

Nonetheless his majesty as one of the Valar long remained, though turned to terror, and before his face all save the mightiest sank into a dark pit of fear.

Of the Speech of Feanor upon Tuna.

$129 When it was known that Morgoth had escaped from Valinor and pursuit was unavailing, the Valar remained long seated in darkness in the Ring of Doom, and the Maiar and the Vanyar stood by them and wept; but the Noldor for the most part returned sadly to Tuna. Dark now was the fair city of Tirion, and fogs drifted in from the Shadowy Seas, and mantled its towers. The lamp of the Mindon burned pale in the gloom.

$130 Then suddenly Feanor appeared in the city and called on all to come to the high Court of the King upon the summit of Tuna. The doom of banishment that had been laid upon him was not yet lifted, and he rebelled against the Valar. A great multitude gathered swiftly, therefore, to hear what he would say, and the hill and all the streets, and the stairs that climbed to (* [footnote to the text] In the Annals of Beleriand it is said that this he did in the Dark ere ever the Quendi were found by Orome.) the Court were thronged with the many torches that all bore in hand as they came.

$131 Feanor was a master of words, and his tongue had great power over hearts when he would use it. Now he was on fire, and that night he made a speech before the Noldor which they have ever remembered. Fierce and fell were his words, and filled with anger and pride; and they moved the people to madness like the fumes of hot wine. His wrath and his hate were most given to Morgoth, and yet well nigh all that he said came from the very lies of Morgoth himself. He claimed now the kingship of all the Noldor, since Finwe was dead, and he scorned the decrees of the Valar.

$132 'Why, O my people,' he cried, 'why should we longer serve these jealous gods, who cannot keep us, nor their own realm even, secure from their Enemy? And though he be now their foe, are not they and he of one kin? Vengeance calls me hence, but even were it otherwise, I would not dwell longer in the same land with the kin of my father's slayer and the thief of my treasure. Yet I am not the only valiant in this valiant people.

And have ye not all lost your king? And what else have ye not lost, cooped here in a narrow land between the jealous mountains and the harvestless Sea? Here once was light, that the Valar begrudged to Middle-earth, but now dark levels all. Shall we mourn here deedless for ever, a shadow-folk, mist-haunting, dropping vain tears in the salt thankless Sea? Or shall we go home? In Kuivienen sweet ran the waters under unclouded stars, and wide lands lay about where a free folk might walk.

There they lie still and await us who in our folly forsook them.

Come away! Let the cowards keep this city. But by the blood of Finwe! unless I dote, if the cowards only remain, then grass will grow in the streets. Nay, rot, mildew, and toadstool.'

$133 Long he spoke, and ever he urged the Noldor to follow him and by their own prowess to win freedom and great realms in the lands of the East ere it was too late; for he echoed the lies of Melkor that the Valar had cozened them and would hold them captive so that Men might rule Middle-earth; and many of the Eldar heard then for the first time of the Aftercomers. 'Fair shall the end be,' he cried, 'though long and hard shall be the road! Say farewell to bondage! But say farewell also to ease! Say farewell to the weak! Say farewell to your treasures

- more still shall we make! Journey light. But bring with you vour swords! For we will go further than Tauros, endure longer than Tulkas: we will never turn back from pursuit. After Morgoth to the ends of the Earth! War shall he have and hatred undying. But when we have conquered and have regained the Silmarils that he stole, then behold! We, we alone, shall be the lords of the unsullied Light, and masters of the bliss and the beauty of Arda! No other race shall oust us!'(11) $134 Then Feanor swore a terrible oath. Straightway his seven sons leaped to his side and each took the selfsame oath; and red as blood shone their drawn swords in the glare of the torches.

'Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean,

brood of Morgoth or bright Vala,

Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,

Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth,

neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,

dread nor danger, not Doom itself,

shall defend him from Feanor, and Feanor's kin,

whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh,

finding keepeth or afar casteth

a Silmaril. This swear we all:

death we will deal him ere Day's ending,

woe unto world's end! Our word hear thou,

Eru Allfather! To the everlasting

Darkness doom us if our deed faileth.

On the holy mountain hear in witness

and our vow remember, Manwe and Varda!'

Thus spoke Maidros and Maglor, and Celegorn, Curufin and Cranthir, Damrod and Diriel, princes of the Noldor. But by that name none should swear an oath, good or evil, nor in anger call upon such witness, and many quailed to hear the fell words. For so sworn, good or evil, an oath may not be broken, and it shall pursue oathkeeper or oathbreaker to the world's end.

$135 Fingolfin, and his son Turgon, therefore spoke against Feanor, and fierce words awoke, so that once again wrath came near to the edge of swords. But Finrod, who was skilled also in words, spoke softly, as his wont was, and sought to calm the Noldor, persuading them to pause and ponder ere deeds were done that could not be undone. But of his own sons Orodreth alone spoke in like manner; for Inglor was with Turgon his friend,(12) whereas Galadriel, the only woman of the Noldor to stand that day tall and valiant among the contending princes, was eager to be gone. No oaths she swore, but the words of Feanor concerning Middle-earth had kindled her heart, and she yearned to see the wide untrodden lands and to rule there a realm maybe at her own will. For youngest of the House of Finwe she came into the world west of the Sea, and knew yet nought of the unguarded lands. Of like mind was Fingon Fingolfin's son, being moved also by Feanor's words, though he loved him little;(13) and with Fingon as ever stood Angrod and Egnor, sons of Finrod. But these held their peace and spoke not against their fathers.

$136 In the end after long debate Feanor prevailed, and the greater part of the Noldor there assembled he set aflame with the desire of new things and strange countries. Therefore when Finrod spoke yet again for heed and delay, a great shout went up: 'Nay, let us be gone! Let us be gone! ' And straightway Feanor and his sons began to prepare for the marching forth.

$137 Little foresight could there be for those who dared to take so dark a road. Yet all was done in over-haste; for Feanor drove them on, tearing lest in the cooling of hearts his words should wane and other counsels yet prevail. And for all his proud words he did not forget the power of the Valar. But from Valmar no message came, and Manwe was silent. He would not yet either forbid or hinder Feanor's purpose; for the Valar were aggrieved that they were charged with evil intent to the Eldar, or that any were held captive by them against their will. Now they watched and waited, for they did not yet believe that Feanor could hold the host of the Noldor to his will.

$138 And indeed when Feanor began the marshalling of the Noldor for their setting out, then at once dissension arose. For though he had brought the assembly in a mind to depart, by no means all were of a mind to take Feanor as king. Greater love was given to Fingolfin and his sons, and his household and the most part of the dwellers in Tirion refused to renounce him, if he would go with them. Thus at the last the Noldor set forth divided in two hosts. Feanor and his following were in the van; but the greater host came behind under Fingolfin. And he marched against his wisdom, because Fingon his son so urged him, and because he would not be sundered from his people that were eager to go, nor leave them to the rash counsels of Feanor.

With Fingolfin went Finrod also and for like reason; but most loath was he to depart.

$139 It is recorded that of all the Noldor in Valinor, who were grown now to a great people, but one tithe refused to take the road: some for the love that they bore to the Valar (and to Aule not least), some for the love of Tirion and the many things that they had made; none for fear of peril by the way. For they were indeed a valiant people.

$140 But even as the trumpet sang and Feanor issued from the gates of Tirion a messenger came at last from Manwe, saying: 'Against the folly of Feanor shall be set my counsel only.

Go not forth! For the hour is evil, and your road leads to sorrows that ye do not foresee. No aid will the Valar lend you in this emprise; but lo! they will not hinder you; for this ye shall know: as ye came hither freely, freely shall ye depart. But thou Feanor Finwe's son by thine oath art exiled. The lies of Melkor thou shalt unlearn in bitterness. Vala he is, thou saist. Then thou hast sworn in vain, for none of the Valar canst thou overcome now or ever within the halls of Ea,(14) not though Eru whom thou namest had made thee thrice greater than thou arr.'(15)

$141 But Feanor laughed, and spoke not to the herald, but to the Noldor, saying: So! Then will this valiant people send forth the heir of their King alone into banishment with his sons only, and return to their bondage? But if any will come with me, to them I say: Is sorrow foreboded to you.' Verily in Aman we have seen it. In Aman we have come through bliss to woe. The other now we will try: through sorrow to find joy. Or at the least: freedom!'

$142 Then turning to the herald he cried: 'Say this to Manwe Sulimo, High-king of Arda: If Feanor cannot overthrow Morgoth, at least he delays not to assail him, and sits not idle in grief. And Eru, mayhap, has set in me a fire greater than thou knowest. Such hurt, at the least, will I do the Foe of the Valar that even the mighty in the Ring of Doom shall wonder to hear it. Yea, in the end they shall follow me. Farewell! '

$143 In that hour the voice of Feanor grew so great and so potent that even the herald of the Valar bowed before him as one full-answered, and departed; and the Noldor were over-ruled. Therefore they continued their march; and the House of Feanor hastened before them along the coasts of Elende: and not once did they turn their eyes backward to Tirion upon Tuna. Slower and less eagerly came the host of Fingolfin after them. Of these Fingon was the foremost; but at the rear went Finrod and Inglor, and many of the fairest and wisest of the Noldor; and often they looked behind them to see their fair city, until the lamp of the Mindon Eldalieva was lost in the night.

More than any others of the exiles they carried thence memories of the bliss that they had forsaken, and some even of the fair things that they had made there they took with them: a solace and a burden on the road.

Of the First Kin-slaying and the Doom of the Noldor.

$144 Now Feanor led the Noldor northward, because his first purpose was to follow Morgoth. Moreover, Tuna beneath Taniquetil was set nigh to the girdle of Arda, and there the Great Sea was immeasurably wide, whereas ever northward the sundering seas grew narrower, as the waste-land of Araman and the coasts of Middle-earth drew together. But the hosts had not gone far, ere it came to the mind of Feanor, over late, that all these great companies, both of the full-grown and war-high and many others, and great store of goods withal, would never overcome the long leagues to the North, nor cross the seas at the last, save with the aid of ships.

$145 Therefore Feanor now resolved to persuade the Teleri, ever friends of the Noldor, to join with them; for thus he thought to diminish the wealth of Valinor yet further and to increase his own power of war. Thus also he would get ships swiftly. For it would need great time and toil to build a great fleet, even if the Noldor had skill and timber in plenty for such craft, as indeed they had not. He hastened then to Alqualonde, and spoke to the Teleri as he had spoken in Tirion.

$146 But the Teleri were unmoved by aught that he could say. They were grieved indeed at the going of their kinsfolk and long friends, but would rather dissuade them than aid them; and no ship would they lend, nor help in the building, against the will of the Valar. As for themselves they desired now no other home but the strands of Eldamar, and no other lord than Olwe, prince of Alqualonde. And he had never lent ear to Morgoth, nor welcomed him to his land, and he trusted still that Ulmo and the other great among the Valar would redress the hurts of Morgoth, and that the night would pass yet to new dawn.

$147 Then Feanor grew wroth, for he still feared delay; and he spoke hotly to Olwe. 'Thou renouncest thy friendship, even in the hour of our need,' said he. 'Yet fain were ye of our aid when ye came at last to these shores, fainthearted loiterers, and wellnigh emptyhanded. In huts on the beaches would ye dwell still, had not the Noldor carved out your haven and toiled on your walls.'

$148 But Olwe answered: 'Nay, we renounce no friendship.

But it may be the hard part of a friend to rebuke a friend's folly.