Morgoth's Ring (24 page)

$159 The story that Angrod and Egnor came to Middle-earth in the ships with the Feanorians is now abandoned, with the loss of the story that they were close friends of the sons of Feanor, and especially of Celegorn and Curufin (QS $$42, 72 - 3).

$160-2 Maidros takes no part in the burning of the ships, and remembers Fingon, his former friend. Feanor's motive in this act is sufficiently explained in the older texts, but in AAm the insane pride and fury that drove him is far more strongly conveyed; he was indeed 'fey'.

$162 The addition (note 20 above) of the name Losgar of the place of the burning of the ships is derived from its sole occurrence in the earlier texts, at the beginning of the later Annals of Beleriand (AB 2, V.125 and commentary).

$163 On the difference between the final sentence from that in QS

('and came unto Beleriand at the rising of the sun') see V.239, commentary on $73.

Among the notes and corrections written by my father on the typescript in this section of AAm, not all of which need be recorded, there are several indicating proposed extensions of the narrative.

$120 'I shall die' > 'I shall be slain'; 'first of all the Children of Eru'

underlined; and a note in the margin against the words 'Not the first (at the beginning of $121): 'X This no longer fits even the Eldar of Valinor. Finwe Feanor's father was first to be slain of the High-elves, Miriel Feanor's mother the first to die.'

It is to be remembered that when AAm was written the history of Miriel had not yet been devised; the entries that state that Miriel 'fell asleep and passed to Mandos' and that Finwe afterwards wedded Indis (p. 101, notes 1 and 4) were later additions (found in the typescript as typed). See further pp. 268-9.

$122 The typist left a blank for Korlaire, which my father filled with the form Korolaire. Later he underlined this in pencil and wrote Ezellohar against it (see p. 106, $113).

$126 Ered Orgoroth > Ered Gorgorath; Nan Dungorthin > Nan Dungortheb. See V.298 - 9.

$127 Against the opening of this paragraph my father wrote: 'The making of this fortress as a guard against a landing from the West should come earlier. See p. 156, $12.

In the typescript the passage concerning the Orcs ran as it stands in the text printed from the manuscript on p. 109 only as far as 'they could be slain or destroyed by the valiant with weapons of war'; the remainder of the paragraph had been struck out in the manuscript (note 8, p. 121), apart from the words 'Quoth AElfwine' at the end (which the typist did not notice and omitted, ending the paragraph at 'weapons of war'

without closing the brackets). Against the first part of the passage my father wrote an X on the typescript and a brief illegible direction of which the first word might be 'cut', with a reference to the passage on the subject in $45. It is not clear what precisely was to be cut (if I read the word correctly), but seeing that he noted on the typescript against the earlier passage (p. 80, $43): 'Alter this. Orcs are not Elvish', it seems likely that the same objection applied here (see further pp. 408 ff.). - He rectified the typist's error in omitting the words 'Quoth AElfwine' by cutting out the words '(Orcs we may name them; for', so that the text reads: 'The Glamhoth, host of tumult, the Noldor called them. In days of old they were strong and fell as demons ...' This was perhaps done without consulting the manuscript.

$132 In 'the salt thankless Sea' the word salt was struck out.

$134 Marginal note against the names of the Sons of Feanor:

'X Names will be revised.' In the text Cranthir > Caranthir, Damrod and Diriel struck out (but no other names substituted), and the n of Celegorn underlined.

$135 Marginal note against the opening of this paragraph: 'Names and relations now altered.' In the text Finrod > Finarphin (and subsequently), and Inglor o Finrod (and subsequently); also Orodreth underlined and marked with an X.

$137 Against the sentence 'He [Manwe] would not yet either forbid or hinder Feanor's purpose' is the marginal note: 'Manwe and the Valar could not - sc. were not permitted to hinder the Noldor except by counsel - not by force.'

$149 Marginal note against the passage describing the involvement of the second host in the fighting: 'Finrod and Galadriel (whose husband was of the Teleri) fought against Feanor in defence of Alqualonde.' On this see the very late note (1973) of my father's concerning Galadriel's conduct at the time of the rebellion of the Noldor in Unfinished 'Tales, pp. 231 - 2: 'In Feanor's revolt that followed the Darkening of Valinor Galadriel had no part: indeed she with Celeborn fought heroically in defence of Alqualonde against the assault of the Noldor...'

$162 'Feanor and his sons set fire in' was changed to 'Feanor caused fire to be set to'. A marginal note at the end of the paragraph reads: 'Tragedy of the burning of one of Feanor's [added: 2

younger] sons, who had returned to sleep in his ship.' Another note at the same place reads: 'Feanor's youngest sons were twins'; this is followed by a bracketed word which was struck out, probably '(unlike)'. It was said in QS ($41) that Damrod and Diriel were 'twin brethren alike in mood and face'.

$163 Marginal note against 'Many there perished' (i.e. in the crossing of the Helkaraxe): 'Turgon's wife was lost and he had then only one daughter and no other heir. Turgon was nearly lost himself in attempts to rescue his wife - and he had less love for the Sons of Feanor than any other.'

Sixth and last section of the Annals of Aman.

1495-1500.

Of the Moon and the Sun. The Lighting of Endar,

and the Hiding of Valinor.

$164 It is told that the Valar sat long unmoved upon their thrones in the Ring of Doom, but they were not idle as Feanor said in the folly of his heart. For the gods may work many things with thought rather than with hands, and without voices in silence they may hold council one with another. Thus they held vigil in the night of Valinor, and their thought passed back beyond Ea and forth to the End; yet neither power nor wisdom assuaged their grief, and the knowing of evil in the hour of its being. Neither did they mourn more for the death of the Trees than for the marring of Feanor: of all Melkor's works the most wicked.

$165 For Feanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Eru, and a bright flame was in him. The works of wonder for the glory of Arda that he might otherwise have wrought only Manwe might in some measure conceive. And the Vanyar who held vigil with the Valar have recorded that when the messengers reported to Manwe the answers of Feanor to his heralds Manwe wept and bowed his head. But at that last word of Feanor: that at the least the Noldor should do deeds to live in song for ever: he raised his head, as one that hears a voice afar off, and he said: 'So shall it be! Dear-bought those songs shall be accounted, and yet shall be well-bought. For the price could be no other. Thus, even as Eru spoke to us, shall beauty not before conceived be brought into Ea, and evil yet be good to have been.'

'And yet remain evil,' quoth Mandos. 'To me shall Feanor come soon.'

$166 But when at last the Valar learned that the Noldor had indeed passed out of Aman and were come back into Middle-earth, they arose and began to set forth in deeds those counsels they had taken in thought for the redress of the evils of Melkor.

$167 Then Manwe bade Yavanna and Nienna to put forth all their powers of growth and healing; and they put forth all their powers upon the Trees. But the tears of Nienna availed not to heal their mortal wounds; and for a long while Yavanna sang alone in the shadows. Yet even as hope failed and her song faltered, behold! Telperion bore at last upon a leafless bough one great flower of silver, and Laurelin a single fruit of gold.

$168 These Yavanna took, and then the Trees died, and their lifeless stems stand yet in Valinor, a memorial of vanished joy. But the flower and fruit Yavanna gave to Aule, and Manwe hallowed them; and Aule and his folk made vessels to hold them and preserve their radiance, as is said in the Narsilion, the Song of the Sun and Moon. These vessels the gods gave to Varda, that they might become lamps of heaven, outshining the ancient stars, being nearer to Arda; and she gave them power to traverse the lower regions of Ilmen, and set them to voyage upon appointed courses above the girdle of the Earth from the West unto the East, and to return.

$169 These things the Valar did, recalling in their twilight the darkness of the lands of Arda; and they resolved now to illumine Middle-earth and with light to hinder the deeds of Morgoth. For they remembered the Quendi, the Avari that had remained by the waters of their awakening, and did not utterly forsake the Noldor in exile; and Manwe knew also that the hour of the coming of Men was drawn nigh.

$170 Indeed it is said that, even as the Valar made war upon Melkor on behalf of the Quendi, so now for that time they forbore on behalf of the Hildi, the Aftercomers, younger children of Eru. For grievous had been the hurts of Middle-earth in the war upon Utumno, and the Valar feared lest even worse should now befall; whereas the Hildi should be mortal, and weaker than the Quendi to withstand fear and tumult. Moreover it was not revealed to Manwe where the beginning of Men should be, north, south, or east. Therefore the Valar sent forth light, but made strong the land of their dwelling.

$171 Isil the Sheen the Vanyar of old named the Moon, flower of Telperion in Valinor; and Anar the Fire-golden, fruit of Laurelin, they named the Sun. But the Noldor named them Rana the wayward, and Vasa the consumer; for the Sun was set as a sign for the awakening of Men and the waning of the Elves, but the Moon cherishes their memory.

$172 The maiden whom the Valar chose from among the Maiar to guide the vessel of the Sun was named Arien, and he that steered the island of the Moon was Tilion.* In the days of (* Marginal notes against A rien and Tilion: 'daegred AE' and 'hyrned AE'.) the Trees Arien had tended the golden flowers in the gardens of Vana and refreshed them with the bright dews of Laurelin.

Tilion was a young hunter of the company of Orome, and he had a silver bow. He was a lover of silver, and when he would rest he forsook the woods of Orome and went unto Lorien and lay adream by the pools of Este in the flickering beams of Telperion; and he begged to be given the task of tending ever the last Flower of Silver. Arien the maiden was mightier than he, and she was chosen because she had not feared the heats of Laurelin, and was unhurt by them, being from the beginning a spirit of fire, whom nonetheless Melkor had not deceived nor drawn to his service. Fair indeed was Arien to behold, but too bright were her eyes for even the Eldar to look on, and leaving Valinor she forsook the form and raiment which, like the Valar, she had there worn, and she was as a naked flame, terrible in the fullness of her splendour.

1500

$173 Isil was first wrought and made ready, and first rose into the realm of the stars, and was the elder of the new lights, as was Telperion of the Trees. Then for a while the world had moonlight, and many things stirred and woke that had waited long in the sleep of Yavanna. The servants of Morgoth were amazed, but the dark-elves looked up in delight; and it is told that Fingolfin set foot upon the Northern Lands with the first moon-rise, and the shadows of his host were long and black.

Tilion had traversed the heavens seven times, and was thus in the furthest East when the vessel of Arien was made ready. Then Anar arose in glory, and the snow upon the mountains glowed as with fire, and there was heard the sound of many waterfalls; but the servants of Morgoth fled to Angband and cowered in fear, and Fingolfin unfurled his banners.

$174 Now Varda purposed that the two vessels should journey in Ilmen and ever be aloft, but not together: each should pass from Valinor into the East and return, the one issuing from the West as the other turned from the East. Thus the first of the new days were reckoned after the manner of the Trees from the mingling of the lights when Arien and Tilion passed in their courses, above the middle of the Earth. But Tilion was wayward and uncertain in speed, and held not to his appointed path; and he sought to come near to Arien, being drawn by the splendour of her beauty, though the flame of Anar scorched him, and the island of the Moon was darkened.

$175 Because of the waywardness of Tilion, therefore, and yet more because of the prayers of Lorien and Este, who said that sleep and rest had been banished from the Earth, and the stars were hidden, Varda changed her counsel, and allowed a time wherein the world should still have shadow and half-light.

Anar rested, therefore, a while in Valinor, lying upon the cool bosom of the Outer Sea; and Evening, which was the time of the descent and resting of the Sun, was the hour of greatest light and joy in Aman. But soon the Sun was drawn down by the servants of Ulmo, and went then in haste under the Earth, and came so unseen to the East and there mounted the heaven again, lest night should be over-long and evil walk under the Moon. But by Anar the waters of the Outer Sea were made hot and glowed with coloured fire, and Valinor had light for a while after the passing of Arien. Yet as she journeyed under the Earth and drew towards the East the glow faded and Valinor was dim, and the Valar mourned then most for the death of Laurelin. At dawn the shadows of their Mountains of Defence lay heavy on the land of the Valar.