Read The Treason of Isengard Online
Authors: J. R. R. Tolkien
map, which ends at the same point eastwards as does Map II in this book.(5) The island in the Sea is coloured green on the First Map, and on the 1943 map is marked as wooded.
The name Bardings on J 15 was a pencilled addition that appears on the 1943 map; the pencilled addition of Eotheod on I 12, however, does not (on the regions where the Eotheod dwelt, at first between the Carrock and the Gladden Fields and afterwards in the region of the source-streams of Anduin, Greylin and Langwell, see Unfinished Tales pp. 288, 295).
For features marked on the south-east corner of Map II, 0 - P 15 - 19, see under Map III.
Maps III (A) and III.
The line of squares P 7-19 overlaps with Map II. Map III contains no portion of the original map 'A' except for the two lines of squares on the left, P - T 7 - 8, where the river (afterwards Lefnui) on Q 8-9, P 9 seems certainly a later addition. Map III (A) shows the names and geographical features of the original map 'A' that I can make out through the overlay (pp. 298 - 9). Granting the difficulty of seeing what was there, it is clear, I think, that when this part of 'A' was made the story itself had not advanced into these regions, and only a few names and features were entered. Comparison of Maps III (A) and III will show that in the second version Ethir Anduin was moved south and east, becoming a vast delta, and the course of Anduin was entirely changed, flowing in a great eastward bend between Nindalf and the Mouths, whereas originally its course was almost in a straight line south-south-west.
Concomitantly with this, Minas Tirith and Osgiliath were moved almost 200 miles to the east. Only the name and not the actual site of Minas Morgol can be seen on the underlying map, but it seems to have been a good deal further to the east of Osgiliath than was subsequently the case.(6) On other features of Map III see pp. 298 - 9, and on Blackroot > Silverlode see p. 306.
Turning to the superimposed portion 'C' of the First Map (of which the uppermost horizontal line of squares 0 9-19 is found on Map II), as I have said the lettering and representation of geographical features were here done with an exceptionally fine pen-nib; at the same time it is scarcely possible to distinguish earlier and later elements by this means
- for example, Harondor ( S. Gondor) is obviously later than Ondor, but there is nothing in the appearance of the lettering to show this.
(Ondor here replaces Ond of the underlying map; for the first appearance of Ondor in the Lord of the Rings papers see p. 144.) My 1943 map is however effectively identical with the First Map in almost every feature, and only a few points need to be specially noticed here.
I postpone discussion of the Dead Marshes and No Man's Land to the notes on the development of Map IV. The original name Dagras of the Battle Plain was replaced in pencil by Dagorlad, which appears on the 1943 map but is omitted on the redrawing through lack of space.
Kirith Ungol still appears in 1943 as the name of the chief entrance into Mordor, but I placed Minas Morgul (q 15) further to the north, and so further north than Minas Tirith - very near to the northern tip of the Mountains of Shadow (P 15). This change complied with a direction by pencilled arrow on the First Map (where incidentally the name was originally spelt Minas Morgol, as on the overlaid portion of
'A' beneath). Among several changes that my father made to the 1943
map in these regions he replaced Minas Morgul in its original position on Q 15. Another was the addition of Ephel to Duath on both maps.
For the significance of the two small circles on either side of the n of Kirith Ungol on P 15 see p. 349 note 41.
The Nargil Pass (S 17) is clearly represented and lettered on the 1943
map, whereas on the First Map it was scribbled in very hastily and is hardly legible (but apparently reads Narghil Pass). Mount Mindolluin was similarly added in roughly between Minas Tirith and the original mountain shown in the north-east corner of Q 13, but is carefully shown on mine (see note 1); the name is left off the redrawing through lack of space.
On the 1943 map only, my father moved Dol Amroth from R 9 to R 11 (south of the mouth of the river Morthond); on both maps he changed Belfalas to Anfalas; on the First Map only, he changed Anarion on q 14 to Anorien, and altered Land of Seven Streams to Land of Five Streams; and on the 1943 map he struck out Anarion and Lebennin (Land of Seven Streams) and re-entered Lebennin in the place of Anarion on q 14.
This question of the southern rivers is very curious. In the original draft of Gandalf's story of his adventures to the Council of Elrond (p. 132) Radagast told him that he would scarcely come to Saruman's abode 'before the Nine cross the Seven Rivers', which in the next version (p. 149) becomes 'before the Nine have crossed the seventh river'. In 'the Lord of Moria' (p. 177) Boromir advises that the Company should 'take the road to my land that I followed on my way hither: through Rohan and the country of Seven Streams. Or we could go on far into the South and come at length round the Black Mountains, and crossing the rivers Isen and Silverlode [> Blackroot]
enter Ond from the regions nigh the sea.' I have remarked there that this can only mean that the Company would pass through 'the country of Seven Streams' if they went to Minas Tirith by way of Rohan, north of the Black Mountains. On the other hand, in 'Farewell to Lorien'
(p. 282) Boromir on his journey to Rivendell 'went round by the south about the Black Mountains and up the Greyflood - or the Seventh River as we call it.' And earlier in the same chapter (p. 272) he says that he was born 'between the mountains and the sea, on the borders of the Land of Seven Streams.'
The naming of Greyflood the Seventh River is an original element of the oldest portion 'A' of the First Map, and is surely to be associated with the Land of Seven Streams, especially in view of the change in the drafts of Gandalf's tale to the Council of Elrond, cited above, from
'the Seven Rivers' to 'the seventh river'. But what then were these rivers? I am certain that there is no river save Blackroot (with a tributary) west of Ethir Anduin on the hidden part of A (Map III (A)).
Even if Anduin itself is counted, and the tributary of Blackroot, and if the unnamed river (later Lefnui) is supposed a very early addition, Isen is the fifth and Greyflood the sixth. I have not been able to find any solution to this puzzle.
With the replacement portion 'C' the nature of the puzzle changes.
Lebennin (Land of Seven Streams) is a small region, and it is notable that seven rivers are indeed shown here (Map III, Q-R 11 - 14): Morthond and an unnamed tributary; Ringlo and an unnamed tributary; an unnamed river that enters Anduin above the Mouths; and an unnamed river entering Anduin further up its course (R 14), formed of two tributaries one of which flows from Minas Tirith.(7) But Greyflood, some 450 miles to the north-west of the most westerly of these seven streams, remains the Seventh River.(8) A further twist to the problem arises from the fact that Lebennin does not in any case mean
'Seven Streams', but 'Five Streams'. The original Quenya word for
'five' was lemin (1.246); and in the Etymologies (V.368) are found the Quenya word lempe 'five' and the Noldorin word lheben (cf. Q. lepse, N. lhebed, 'finger'). Ossiriand was the Land of Seven Rivers (cf. the Etymologies, V.379, Quenya otso, Noldorin odog 'seven'). As noted above, my father afterwards changed 'Seven' to 'Five' on the First Map, and in The Lord of the Rings the name Lebennin means 'Five Streams': cf. The Return of the King V.1 (p. 22), 'fair Lebennin with its five swift streams'.
A later map of my father's does not solve these problems, but carries a note that is very interesting in this connection. When this map was made Lebennin had been moved to its final position. The note reads: Rivers of Gondor.
Anduin
From East.
Ithilduin or Duin Morghul.
Poros Boundary
From West.
Ereg First.
Sirith. The 5 rivers.
Lameduin (of Lamedon) with tributaries. of Lebennin.
Semi (E.) and Kelos (W.)
Ringlo, Kiril, Morthond and Calenhir that
all flow into Cobas Haven.
Lhefneg Fifth
In counting only the mouths are counted: Ereg 1, Sirith 2, Lameduin 3, Morthond 4, Lhefneg 5, Isen 6, Gwathlo 7.
Thus in relation to the final geography of the region:
- Ereg (the unnamed river on the First Map flowing into Anduin on R 14) became Erui.
- Sirith (the unnamed river on the First Map flowing into Anduin on R 13) remained.
- Lameduin here has tributaries Serni and Kelos, which evidently constitute Lameduin from their confluence. On the First Map Lameduin is Ringlo, with unnamed tributaries. In the final form Lameduin became Gilrain, with its tributary Serni, while Kelos was transferred to become a tributary of Sirith.(9)
- Of the four rivers Ringlo, Kiril, Morthond, and Calenhir 'that all flow into Cobas Haven' the first three only are named on this map; but though the Calenhir is not, it is shown as an unnamed river, most westerly of the four, flowing eastwards from Pinnath Gelin.
These four rivers join together not far from the coast, and flow (as Morthond, according to the list of river-mouths above) into the sea in the bay north of Dol Amroth, which is named Cobas Haven.(10) In the final geography this configuration remains, although Calenhir is lost.
- Lhefneg became Lefnui.
- Isen remained.
- Gwathlo or Greyflood is on this map given an alternative name Odotheg, changed to Odothui (i.e. 'seventh').
and the Valley of Gorgoroth see p. 144; cf. also the Gap of Gorgoroth, p. 208. Kirith Ungol ('the passes of Mordor') appears in
'Farewell to Lorien', p. 283. For Lithlad ('Plain of Ash') see pp. 208, 213, and for the first occurrence of Orodruin p. 28. Lothlann (U 17-18) was apparently an original name on portion 'C' of the First Map, but it was struck out; whether it appeared on the 1943 map cannot be said, for the bottom right-hand corner of that map was torn off.
Lothlann ('wide and empty') derives from The Silmarillion: see the Index to Vol. V.
On Haradwaith (Sutherland) see pp. 304, 306. The name Swertings appears in The Two Towers, IV.3 (p. 255), where Sam speaks of 'the big folk down away in the Sunlands. Swertings we call 'em in our tales.'
Barangils is found later as a name in Gondor for the men of the Harad.
Maps IV (A) to IV (E).
We come now to what is by far the most complex part of the First Map, the rectangle of fifteen squares (N-P 10 - 14) lettered 'D' on the figure on p. 297, and left blank on Map II. This section was redrawn and replaced many times.
IV (A).
In Map IV (A) the uppermost line of squares N 10 - 14 is part of the original 'A' portion of the First Map, whereas lines 0 and P are part of the superimposed portion 'C'; but I believe that most of the features and names shown on the line N were added in after portion 'C' had been glued on, and that there is no need to trouble with this distinction. The little that can be seen (and very little seems to have been marked in) on lines o and P of the original 'A' portion is shown on Map III (A), where the line of Anduin below Palath Nenui (Wetwang) was entirely different (see p. 307).
The vertical line of squares N-P 15 on the right-hand side of Map IV (A) is repeated from Map II, and is merely added to make the conjunction easier to follow (it includes also the remainder of the name Border Hills, which was later struck out). The shaded area on N-P 10 - 11 is invisible owing to a later pasted overlay (see under Map IV (D) below).
I think it is certain that the hills marked Green Hills and those marked Emyn Rhain (Border Hills) were put in at the same time, at the making of portion 'C'; but I do not think that they were named at once. This matter is rather complex, but it reveals, as I believe, an interesting aspect of the relation between my father's narrative writing and his maps. I set out first the various statements made in the earliest texts of the chapter 'Farewell to Lorien' about the country through which the Anduin flowed south of Lothlorien.
(i) The River winds among the Border Hills, Emyn Rain. They must decide their course there, because the Wetwang lies before them (p. 268).
(ii) They pass into the Rhain Hills u here the River winds in deep ravines (p. 269).
(iii) The Company lands (on Tolondren, the island in Anduin) and goes up into the Rhain Hills (p. 269).
(iv) The Company lands on Tolondren.... They cross to the East bank and go up into the Green Hills (or Emyn Rhain?) (p. 269).
(v) Elves of Lorien shall go with the Company as far as the Green Hills where the River winds among deep ravines (with Rhain written above Green) (p. 271).
(vi) Keleborn speaks of the falls of Rhain where the River runs out of the ravines in the Green Hills (p. 273).
(vii) Keleborn says that the River will pass through a bare and barren country before it flows into the sluggish region of Nindalf, where the Entwash flows in. Beyond that are Emyn Rhain the Border Hills... The Company should leave the River u here the isle of Tolondren stands in the stream above the falls of Rosfein and cross the Entwash above the marshes (pp. 281 - 2).