Morgoth's Ring (34 page)

On one copy of LQ 2 my father emended the original passage anew, and produced: 'They dwelt in Tol Eressea for nearly one hundred of the years of Valinor (which were each as ten of the later years of the Sun in Middle-earth).' Since this does not alter the sense in any way it must have been made to reduce the archaic element (cf. the passage given under $40 above). Thus the revision made to the QS typescript for reasons of likelihood in linguistic history was forgotten; on the other hand, the change on LQ 1 of 'tongues' to 'peoples' in 'the tongues of Tuna and of Alqualonde drew together in those days' was very probably made for the same reason, though resolving the difficulty in a different way.

The second of the 'lost' emendations in this paragraph changed the story that it was Ulmo who taught the Teleri the craft of ship-building:

Therefore Ulmo, submitting to the will of the Valar, sent unto them Osse their friend, and he, albeit in grief, taught them the craft of ship-building; and when their ships were built he brought to them as his farewell gift the strong-winged swans.

In AAm $75 Ulmo as teacher was likewise corrected to Osse (p. 86 and note 8). This shift is an aspect of the changed story of the rooting of Tol Eressea to the sea-bottom; where in QS Osse submitted to Ulmo, Ulmo now submits to the will of the Valar.

$44 Kalakiryan was corrected on one copy of LQ 2 to the Cala-ciryan, and the same change of spelling in $45. - It is at first sight puzzling that LQ 1 has Olwe' in $41 but Elwe in $$44 - 5, but the reason is simply that the correction in the latter two places was missed on the QS typescript.

6 OF THE SILMARILS AND THE DARKENING

OF VALINOR.

The textual history of this chapter is entirely different from that of any of the preceding ones. In the first stage of revision, only few and slight changes were made to the QS manuscript (the old QS typescript text having stopped at the end of the previous chapter), and these were taken up into LQ 1. But after LQ 1 had been made, my father returned to the old manuscript, and on the verso pages began a new version -

rather oddly, paginating it on from the end of the QS typescript, and retaining the chapter number 4. This was clearly an element in the revision of 1951. At first this version is virtually continuous (as far as part way through $50), and if retaining the old text he wrote it out anew; but after this point he made use of the actual QS manuscript text, though emending it and interpolating it very heavily. At '... came into that region that is called Arvalin' ($55) the new work effectively ceases. My father scarcely touched LQ 1: he made a couple of changes on the first page of the typescript, including Lindar > Vanyar, but then stopped: a later occurrence of Lindar was left to stand. Here therefore LQ 1 ceases to be of use, and the text printed is the new text of the chapter written on the QS manuscript: it will be convenient to refer to this simply as 'LQ'.

The new writing was itself emended and interpolated subsequently, in red ink; I give the text in its final form, but in a few cases where the distinction between earlier and later readings is of interest I record the earlier in notes following the text. The title given to the new version was Of the Silmarilli and the Darkening of Valinor, but this was changed to (apparently - the intention is not perfectly clear) Of Feanor and the Silmarilli, and the Darkening of Valinor. For the QS

version (in which it is numbered Chapter 4) see V.227 - 31, There is no text of the chapter extant in the LQ 2 series.

$46 From this time, when the Three Kindreds of the Eldar were gathered at last in Valinor, and Melkor was chained, began the Noontide of the Blessed Realm and its fullness of glory and bliss, long in tale of years, but in memory too brief. In those days the Eldar became full-grown in stature of body and of mind, and the Noldor advanced ever in skill and knowledge; and the long years were filled with their joyful labours, in which many new things fair and wonderful were devised.

$46a Then it was that the Noldor first bethought them of letters, and Rumil of Tuna was the name of that lore-master who first made fitting signs for the recording of speech and song, some for graving upon metal or in stone, others for drawing with brush or with pen.

$46b In that time was born in Eldamar in the house of the king, in Tirion upon the crown of Tuna, Feanor the eldest of the sons of Finwe, and the most beloved. Miriel was the name of his mother. Silver was her hair and dark were her eyes, but her hands were more skilled to fineness than any hands even of the Noldor. By her was the craft of needles devised; and were but one fragment of the broideries of Miriel to be seen in Middle-earth it would be held dearer than a king's realm, for the richness of her devices and the fire of their colours were as manifold and as bright as the glory of leaf and flower and wing in the fields of Yavanna. Therefore she was named Miriel Serende.*

$46c And Feanor grew swiftly as if a secret fire were kindled within him. and he was tall and fair of face and masterful, and he became of all the Noldor the most subtle of heart and of mind, and the most skilled of hand. He it was that in his youth, bettering the work of Rumil, made those letters which bear his name, and which ever since the Eldar have used; yet this was the least of his works. For he it was that first of the Noldor discovered how gems greater and brighter than those of the Earth might be made with skill. And the first gems that Feanor devised were white and colourless, but being set under starlight they would blaze with blue and white fires brighter than Helluin. And other crystals he made, wherein things far away could be seen small but clear, as with the eyes of the Eagles of Manwe. Seldom were the hand and mind of Feanor at rest.(1) $47 Now at length the Noontide of Valinor drew to its close. For it came to pass that Melkor, as the Valar decreed, had dwelt for three ages in the duress of Mandos, alone. And when he had suffered that bondage, as the Valar had promised, he was brought again before them in conclave. He looked then upon the bliss and glory of the Valar, and malice was in his heart; he looked upon the fair Children of Iluvatar that sat at the feet of the gods, and hatred filled him; he looked upon the wealth of bright gems and lusted for them; but he hid his thoughts and postponed his vengeance.

(* [footnote to the text] That is Byrde Miriel (the Broideress): quoth AElfwine.)

$48 Before the gates of Valmar Melkor abased himself at the feet of Manwe and sued for pardon, promising that, if he might be made but the least of the free folk of Valinor, he would aid the Valar in all their deeds, and most of all in the healing of the many hurts that he had wrought and now would work no more. And Nienna aided his prayer, but Mandos was silent.

Then Manwe granted him pardon; but the Valar would not yet suffer him to depart from their sight and vigilance. He was given, therefore, a humble dwelling within the gates of the city, and put on trial; and he was not permitted to go more than one league from Valmar, save by the leave of Manwe and with a guardian at his side. But fair-seeming were all the words and deeds of Melkor in that time, and both Valar and Eldar had much profit from his aid. Wherefore in a while he was allowed to go freely about the land, and it seemed to Manwe that his evil was cured. For he himself was free from the evil and could not comprehend it. and he knew that in the beginning. in the thought of Eru, Melkor had been even as he. Yet it is said that Ulmo's heart misgave him, and Tulkas clenched his hands whenever he saw Melkor, his foe, go by. For if Tulkas is slow to wrath, slow is he also to forget.

$49 Most fair of all was Melkor to the Eldar, and he aided them in many works, if they would let him. The Vanyar, indeed, the people of Ingwe, held him in suspicion; for Ulmo had warned them, and they heeded his words. But the Noldor took delight in the many things of hidden knowledge that he could reveal to them, and some hearkened to words that it would have been better that they should never have heard.

$49a It has been said indeed that Feanor learned much of Melkor in secret, but that doubtless is but one of the many lies of Melkor himself, envying the skill of Feanor and desiring to claim part in his deeds. For certain it is that, snared though he might be (as others) by the lies of Melkor, none of all the Eldalie ever hated Melkor more than Feanor son of Finwe, who first named him Morgoth.

$49b And in that time there was done the deed most renowned of all the works of the Elvenfolk. For Feanor, being now come to his full might, was filled with a new thought, or maybe some shadow of foreknowledge came to him of the doom that should be; and he pondered how the Light of the Trees, the glory of the Blessed Realm, might be preserved imperishable. Then he began a long and marvellous labour; and he summoned all his lore, and his power, and his subtle craft, for he purposed now to make things more fair than any of the Eldar had yet made, whose beauty should last beyond the End.

Three jewels he made, and named them Silmarils. A living fire burned within them that was blended of the Light of the Two Trees. Of their own radiance they shone, even in the dark of the deepest treasury; yet all lights that fell upon them, however faint, they received and returned again in marvellous hues to which their own inner fire gave a surpassing loveliness. No mortal flesh, nor flesh unclean, nor any thing of evil will could touch them, but it was scorched and withered; neither could they be hurt or broken by any strength in all the kingdom of Arda. These jewels the Elves prized beyond all their works, and Varda hallowed them, and Mandos foretold that the fates of Arda, earth, sea, and air, lay locked within them. And the heart of Feanor was fast bound to these things that he himself had made.

$50* But the heart of Melkor also desired these fairest of jewels; and from that time with desire the malice of Melkor grew ever greater, though nought of it could be seen in the semblance that he wore, or in the fair form that he assumed after the manner of the Valar his brethren. And when he saw his chances he sowed a seed of lies and hints of evil among all who were open to his converse. Bitterly did the people of the Noldor atone for their folly in the days to come. Coming often among them he would speak ever words of greatest praise, sweet but poisoned honey; for amid all the fair words others were ever subtly woven. Visions he would conjure in their hearts of the mighty realms they might have ruled at their own will, in power and freedom in the East. And then he would whisper, to any that leaned towards him, that the gods had brought the Eldar to Valinor because of their jealousy, fearing that the beauty of the Quendi, and the makers' power that Iluvatar had bequeathed to them, would grow too great for the Valar to govern, as the Elves waxed and spread over the wide lands of the world.

In those days, moreover, though the Valar knew indeed of the coming of Men that were to be,(2) the Elves knew yet nought of it; for the gods had not revealed it, and the time was not yet near. But Melkor spake to the Elves in secret of Mortal Men, (* The beginning of this paragraph corresponds in content to the end of QS

$49.)

though he knew little of the truth. Manwe alone knew aught clearly of the mind of Iluvatar concerning Men, and he has ever been their friend. Yet Melkor whispered that the gods kept the Eldar captive, so that Men coming should defraud them of the kingdoms of Middle-earth; for the weaker and short-lived race the Valar saw would be more easily swayed by them. Small truth was there in this, and little have the Valar ever prevailed to sway the wills or fates of Men, and least of all to good. But many of the Noldor believed, or half-believed, the evil words. [It is told, also, that at this time Melkor would speak to the Eldar of weapons and armour, and of the power that they give to him that is armed to defend his own (as he said). The Eldar had before possessed no weapons, and since the chaining of Melkor the armouries of the gods had been shut. But the Noldor now learned the fashioning of swords of tempered steel, and the making of bows and of arrows and of spears; and they made shields in those days and emblazoned them with devices of silver and gold and gems. Thus it was that the Noldor were armed in the days of their Flight. Thus too, as oft was seen, the evil of Melkor was turned against him; for the swords of the Gnomes did him more hurt than anything under the gods upon this earth. Yet they had little joy of Melkor's teaching; for all the sorrows of the Gnomes they wrought with their own swords, as later shall be seen. Quoth Pengolod.]

$51 Thus, ere the gods were aware, the peace of Valinor was poisoned. The Noldor began to murmur against the Valar and their kindred; and many became filled with vanity, forgetting all that the gods had given them and taught to them.