The War of the Jewels (12 page)

$168. Then Beren pursued the Orcs that had slain his father, and coming upon their camp, at Rivil's Well above Serech, he entered it and slew the captain even as he boasted that he was the slayer of Barahir; and he snatched from him the hand of Barahir that had been cut off as a token for Sauron. Thus he regained the Ring of Felagund that his father had worn.

$169. Thereafter escaping from the Orcs Beren dwelt still in those lands as a solitary outlaw for four years, and did such deeds of single-handed daring that Morgoth put a price on his head no less than upon the head of Fingon King of the Noldor.

462.

$170. Here Morgoth renewed his assaults, seeking to advance further into Beleriand and secure his hold southwards.

For great though his victory had been in the Bragollach, and he had done grievous damage then and in the year after to his enemies, yet his own loss had been no less. And now the Eldar had recovered from their first dismay and were slowly regaining what they had lost. Dorthonion he now held and had established Sauron in the pass of Sirion; but in the east he had been foiled. Himring stood firm. The army that had driven into East Beleriand had been broken by Thingol on the borders of Doriath, and part had fled away south never to return to him, part retreating north had been stricken by a sortie of Maidros, while those that ventured near the mountains were hunted by the Dwarves. And still upon his flank Hithlum stood firm.

$171. He resolved, therefore, now to send force against Hithlum; for in the eastward war he hoped ere long to have new help unforeseen by the Eldar. The assault upon Hithlum was bitter, but it was repelled from the passes of Erydwethrin. There, however, in the siege of the fortress of Eithel Sirion Galion was slain, for he held it on behalf of King Fingon. Hurin his son was but then new come to manhood, but he was mighty in heart and strength, and he defeated the Orcs and drove them with loss from the walls into the sands of Anfauglith. Thereafter he ruled the House of Hador. [Added subsequently:] Of less stature was he than his father (or his son after him), but tireless and enduring in body; lithe and swift he was, after the manner of his mother's kin, the daughter of Haleth.

$172. But King Fingon with most of the Noldor was hard put to it to hold back the army of Angband that came down from the north. Battle was joined upon the very plains of Hithlum, and Fingon was outnumbered; but timely help came from Cirdan. His ships in great strength sailed into Drengist and there landed a force that came up in the hour of need upon the west flank of the enemy. Then the Eldar had the victory and the Orcs broke and fled, pursued by the horsed archers even to the Iron Mountains.

463.

$173. In this year new tidings came to Beleriand: the Swarthy Men came out of Eriador, and passing north about the Eryd Luin entered into Lothlann. Their coming was not wholly unlooked-for, since the Dwarves had warned Maidros that hosts of Men out of the further East were journeying towards Beleriand. They were short and broad, long and strong in the arm, and grew much hair on face and breast; their locks were dark as were their eyes, and their skins were sallow or swart.

But they were not all of one kind, in looks or in temper, or in tongue. Some were not uncomely and were fair to deal with; some were grim and ill-favoured and of little trust. Their houses were many, and there was little love among them. They had small liking for the Elves, and for the most part loved rather the Naugrim of the mountains; but they were abashed by the lords of the Noldor, whose like they had not before encountered.

$174. But Maidros, knowing the weakness of the Noldor and the Elf-friends, whereas the pits of Angband seemed to hold store inexhaustible and ever renewed, made alliance with these new-come Men, and gave them dwellings both in Lothlann north of the March, and in the lands south of it. Now the two chieftains

From this point there are two parallel versions of the text (the remainder of the annal concerning the Swarthy Men and the story of Beren and Luthien); on the manuscript a secretary wrote 'Version I' (the first and much shorter version) and 'Version II' (much longer), and similarly on the typescript of the Grey Annals, where both forms are given. There can be no doubt at all that Version II was written second (even though it has the earlier form Borthandos while Version I has the later Borthand), for Version I is integral with the whole text of the Annals, whereas Version II ends before the bottom of a page. I give first the whole text of Version I, continuing from the point in the annal for 463 on the Swarthy Men where the text was broken off above.

that had the greatest followings and authority were named Bor and Ulfang. The sons of Bor were Borlas and Boromir and Borthand, and they followed Maidros and were faithful. The sons of Ulfang the swart were Ulfast and Ulwarth and Uldor the Accursed; and they followed Cranthir and swore allegiance to him and were faithless.*

464.

$175. In the beginning of this year Beren was pressed so hard that at last he was forced to flee from Dorthonion. In time of winter and snow, therefore, he forsook the land and grave of his father and climbed into the Eryd Orgorath, and thence found a way down into Nan Dungorthin, and so came by paths that no Man nor Elf else dared to tread to the Girdle of Melian.

And he passed through, even as Melian had foretold, for a great doom lay on him. In this year, in the spring, Hurin Galion's son of the House of Hador wedded Morwen Elfsheen daughter of Baragund of the House of Beor [this sentence was later marked for transposition to the beginning of the annal]. [Later insertion:] In this year Turin son of Hurin was born in Dorlomin.

$176. In this year at the mid-summer Beren son of Barahir met Luthien Thingol's daughter in the forest of Neldoreth, and (* It was after thought that the people of Ulfang were already secretly in the service of Morgoth ere they came to Beleriand. Not so the people of Bor, who were worthy folk and tillers of the earth. Of them, it is said, came the most ancient of the Men that dwelt in the north of Eriador in the Second Age and [? read in] after-days.) because of her great beauty and his love a spell of dumbness was laid on him, and he wandered long in the woods of Doriath.

465.

$177. In this year at the first spring Beren was released from his spell, and spoke to Luthien, calling her Tinuviel, the Nightingale. Thus began the love of Beren the most renowned and Luthien the most fair of which the Lay of Leithian was made.

$178. Beren was brought before King Thingol, who scorned him, and desiring to send him to death, said to him in mockery that he must bring a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth as the bride-price of Luthien. But Beren took the quest upon himself and departed, and came to Nargothrond and sought the aid of King Felagund. Then Felagund perceived that his oath had returned to bring him to death, but he was willing to lend to Beren all the aid of his kingdom, vain though it must prove.

$179. [Celegorm >] Celegorn and Curufin however hindered the quest, for their Oath was roused from slumber, and they swore that even should the quest be achieved they would slay any that kept the Silmaril or gave it to any hands but their own. And because of their fell words great fear fell on the folk of Nargothrond, and they withheld their aid from the king.

$180. King Inglor Felagund and Beren set forth, with ten companions only, and went northward; but they were waylaid by Sauron and cast into a pit in Tol-in-Gaurhoth. There they were devoured one by one by wolves; but Felagund fought the wolf that was sent to devour Beren, and slew it, and was slain.

Thus perished from Middle-earth the fairest of the children of Finwe, and returned never again; but dwells now in Valinor with Amarie.

$181. Luthien desired to follow Beren, but was held captive by her father, until she escaped and passed into the wild. There she was found by Celegorn and Curufin, and taken to Nargothrond. And evil entered into the hearts of the brethren, and they designed to seize the kingship of Nargothrond, and wed Luthien to Celegorn and compel Thingol to alliance, and so make the sons of Feanor the greatest House of the Noldor again.

$182. But Luthien escaped them and came to Sauron's isle and with the aid of Huan the Hound of Valinor overthrew the werewolves and Sauron himself, and rescued.Beren. And when these tidings were heard in Nargothrond Orodreth took the crown of Felagund and drove forth Celegorn and Curufin. And they riding east in haste found Beren and Luthien near the borders of Doriath, and would seize Luthien. But they were foiled, and rode away; yet Beren was sorely wounded.

$183. When Beren was healed he led Luthien to her own land and there left her sleeping and went forth alone on his quest, but Luthien following overtook him upon the borders of the Anfauglith.

[Added:] In the winter of this year, Turin son of Hurin was born with omens of sorrow. [Written against this later: Place in 464]

466.

$184. In disguise Beren and Luthien came to Angband, and Luthien cast Carcharoth the Wolf-warden of the gate into a slumber; and they descended to Morgoth's throne. There Luthien laid her spell even upon Morgoth, so that he fell asleep against his will, and the Iron Crown rolled from his head.

$185. Luthien and Beren bearing a Silmaril were waylaid at the gate by Carcharoth, and Carcharoth bit off the hand of Beren that held the jewel, and being filled with madness fled away. Then Thorondor and his eagles lifted up Beren and Luthien, and bore them away and set them within the borders of Doriath. Long Luthien fought with death, until Beren was again healed. And in the spring of the year she led him back to Menegroth. And when Thingol heard all that had befallen them, his mood was softened, for he was filled with wonder at the love of Luthien and Beren, and perceived that their doom might not be withstood by any power of the world. For thus was it appointed that the two kindreds, the elder and the younger children of Eru, should be joined. Then Beren took the hand of Luthien before the throne of her father.

$186. But soon after Carcharoth by the power of the Silmaril burst into Doriath, and the Wolf-hunt of Carcharoth was made. In that hunt were King Thingol, and Beren of the One Hand, and Beleg and Mablung and Huan the Hound of Valinor. And Carcharoth hurt Beren to the death, but Huan slew him and then died. From the belly of the Wolf Mablung cut the Jewel and Beren took it and gave it to Thingol, and said

'Now the Quest is achieved', and afterwards spoke no more.

But ere he died Luthien bade him farewell before the gates of Menegroth, and said to him: 'Await me beyond the Western Sea.'

Thus ended the Quest of the Silmaril.

As has been seen (p. 61), 'Version II' takes up at a point in annal 463

concerning the Swarthy Men, following the words 'Now the two chieftains', my father copied out the end of that annal simply because it stood at the head of the page on which the story of Beren and Luthien began, as originally written. He inevitably introduced some differences, however, and I give the second text in full.

(Conclusion of annal 463 in Version II)

[Now the two chieftains] that had the greatest followings and authority were named Bor and Ulfang. The sons of Bor were Borlas and Boromir and Borthandos, and they were goodly men, and they followed Maidros and Maglor and were faithful.

The sons of Ulfang the Swart were Ulfast and Ulwarth and Uldor the Accursed; and they followed Cranthir and swore allegiance to him, and were faithless. (It was after thought that the people of Ulfang were already secretly in the service of Morgoth ere they came to Beleriand.)*

464.

$187. In the beginning of this year Beren was pressed so hard that at last, [in the winter >] soon after the mid-winter, he was forced to choose between flight and capture. He forsook then Dorthonion and passed into the Eryd Orgorath and found a way down into Nan Dungorthin, and so came by paths that neither Man nor Elf else ever dared to tread to the Girdle of Doriath. And he passed through, even as Melian had foretold to Galadriel; for a great doom lay on him.

In this year in the spring Hurin of the House of Hador wedded Morwen Elfsheen of the people of Beor [this sentence was later marked for transposition to the beginning of the annal, as in $175].

$188. In this year at the midsummer Beren son of Barahir met Luthien Thingol's daughter in the forest of Neldoreth, and becoming enamoured of her wandered long in the woods of Doriath, for a spell of dumbness was upon him. [Later insertion, as in $175:] Turin son of Hurin was born in Dor Lomin.

(* Of the people of Bor, it is said, came the most ancient of the Men that dwelt in the north of Eriador afterwards in the Second Age.) 465.

$189. In this year at the first spring Beren was released from his spell and spoke to Luthien, calling her Tinuviel, the Nightingale (for he knew not her name yet, nor who she was).