[lindil]

FG-TG-03
of the guard without ceasing he was told, that was held there in arms and likewise at certain low places in the encircling mountains, and how watchers dwelt ever vigilant on the highest peaks of that range beside builded beacons ready for the fire; for never did that folk cease to look for an onslaught of the {Orcs} [Orks] did their stronghold become known.
Now however was the guard of the hills maintained rather by custom than necessity, for the {Gondothlim} [Gondolindrim] had long ago with unimagined toil levelled and cleared and delved all that plain about Amon {Gwareth} [Gwared], so that scarce Gnome or bird or beast or snake could approach but was espied from many leagues off, for among the {Gondothlim} [Gondolindrim] were many whose eyes were keener than the very hawks of Manwë Súlimo Lord of Gods and Elves who dwells upon Taniquetil; and for this reason did they call that vale {Tumladin} [Tumladen] or the valley of smoothness. Now this great work was finished to their mind, and folk were the busier about the quarrying of metals and the forging of all manner of swords and axes, spears and bills, and the fashioning of coats of mail, byrnies and hauberks, greaves and vambraces, helms and shields. Now 'twas said to Tuor that already the whole folk of Gondolin shooting with bows without stay day or night might not expend their hoarded arrows in many years, and that yearly their fear of the {Orcs} [Orks] grew the less for this.

This whole section feels wrong. More specifically, there is not the same sense of vigilance we find in UT as he enters through the gates. There is a boasting that seems out of place for any of the latter elves, and the reference to the gondolindrim guarding the encircling mntns themselves w/ no mention of the eagles except that some had better eyesight!

Not sure about that particular detail, maybe their eyes were better, but the whole ‘boasting’ section I think needs careful consideration and possible/probable pruning.

And then concluding the same section is the prelude to an already deleted concluding run on phrase [ the sentence continues!]

Upon a time the king caused his most cunning artificers to fashion a suit of armour for Tuor as a great gift

I imagine, though I don’t recall the beginning of FG-TG-O4 being deleted for the simple fact that the artificers of Gondolin had already made Tuor his gear and left it at Vinyamar.

FG-TG-04

but he carried an axe rather than a sword, and this in the speech of the {Gondothlim} [Gondolindrim] he named Dramborleg, for its buffet stunned and its edge clove all armour.

I propose that we keep the concluding section of FG-TG-O3 and modify it so that the axe that is the gift

“ his most cunning artificers to fashion an axe for Tuor as a great gift,and this in the speech of the [Sindar] he named Dramborleg, for it’s buffet stunned and it’s edge cloved all armor.”

2 points further, I would like to graft on from the Hobbit, a bit about the Gondolin metalsmith’s ‘glowing blue in the presence of Orcs’ metallurical effects. If JRRT went into such detail about the armor we are now replacing with an axe, the least we can do is detail it as much as our principles allow. Any objections?

Also I changed in my bit above speech of the Gondolindrim to ‘speech of the Sindar’ .
This may or may not fly, I would definetly like feedback, but the name of his axe is sindarin now, right? That being so is their Sindarin so special in Gondolin that it gets it’s own designation? If it is, then the original emendation should stand.

And the conlcusion of FG-TG–04

…and the folk of the city rejoiced to see the new light catch the wings of his helm.

Did his original helm in UT have wings?

OK I just read it and it had newly plucked swans feathers no mention of wings. I also erad in WotJ that uncharacteristically JRRT had the BolT FoG in front of him [or recently read] when he did UT Tuor. [ahh… if only he a scribbled a few notes about Balrogs and Dragons…]

Another possibility that would obliterate much of my suggestion above is that we insert a rider stating that new armor was made for Tuor to replace the original, because ‘the skill of the smiths of the city had increased marvelously in the many years of their sojourning therein.’

How is that for faux lost tales-speak?

I like keeping the original armor better and deleting the early reference but keeping the early reference alows for keeping the winged helm, but I suppose we can just eliminate the mentioning on the wings.

FG-TG-05

Now came days when Tuor had dwelt among the {Gondothlim} [Gondolindrim] many years. Long had he known and cherished a love for the king's daughter,

Can become:

Now came days when Tuor had dwelt {among the {Gondothlim}[in Gondolin] {many years}[for seven years]. Long had he known and cherished a love for the king's daughter,

-=-

‘many years’ should I think be replaced with as exact a number as we can give it. And after looking in WotJ the number is 7.

According to the War of the Jewels Tale of Years:

they wed in 502 according to the HoM-E XI ToY [p.346]version and Versions D1 and 2 on p. 350.

Earlier in version b [page 346] we read [in blessed detail I might add] “after 7 years’ service Tuor weds Idril of Gondolin”.

This can be inserted into the following sections re: the wedding.

Now the date of his arrival is not mentioned in the ToY, but in the Grey Annals [p. 91] we have Tuor arriving in Gondolin amazingly enough in 495. So the 7 years of working for Turgon can stand. And we also have in version D1/2 of the ToY that Earendil was born the following spring.

For future reference I will note here that the city was destroyed according to the final entry in 510, we may need this for any dates re: Earendil.

We also have in the Grey Annal entry that after Turgon decides against heeding the words of Ulmo “Tuor was held in honour, for his kindreds sake”. If it has not been done so, this would be a nice addition to the earlier mention of Turgon ‘bidding’ him to stay.

So:
495 tuor arrives
502 marriage
503 spring ‘ Earendil Half-Elven’ born
509 “maeglin captured by spies of melkor [Sauron?]”
510 Midsummer. Asssault and sack
511 Exiles reach Havens of Sirion [ named “ New Havens” capitals JRRT], this is a name we could introduce in several later places I think.

This is rather a lot and it needs to all be integrated in before I go on, so…

[ February 18, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]