[Findegil]

Posted by Aiwendil:

I'm torn on the issue of the additions from AB2. Yes, they were written by Tolkien. But to what extent can we just take a sentence from here, a sentence from there, and splice them all together?

Well, I am afraid that when I let now my cat out of the bag I will even more tore you.

So I will postpone that just for a § in my post to address first your concerns. As fare as the project had come we have behaved very different. In FoG we did use nearly any bit of writing we could find to update a very old basic text. In The Ainulindale and The Valaquenta we did nearly the opposite: we did consider the texts as they stood as a final version and did restrict our editing to very minor points much more often resulting in passages taken out than in additions to the text. The difference was in part caused by the kind of text we used as basic. For the later two texts the basis was a version of the narrative prepared by Tolkien for a planed publication together with LotR. In the case of FoG it was text prepared for a public reading early in the 1920th. We have as jet not discussed FoD, but Maedhros and I did use a wide range of texts to create our versions of that chapter and we didn't heard as jet any comment that would suggest that we shouldn't do so in the end. For FoD and for The Tale of Eärendil (and also for the later part of FoG) the LQ2 typescript is the last textual version Tolkien "produced", that we have. Now we are dealing with a text based on a dull copy made when Tolkien thought to secure any written stuff and looked over by him in a very curios way. If the project way back when dealing with the transition from the later Tour to the battle about Gondolin decided not to take LQ2 as the ultima ratio, than I can't see any good reason why we should do in this chapter! It is one thing to restrict our self when dealing with a text that Tolkien himself sought of as part of a more or less updated version of his planed Silmarillion, but does anybody think he regarded the last chapters of the LQ2 series as such?

Now for what I called my cat in the sack: Early in this thread we did neglect the Bilbos Eärendil was a mariner. Petty Dwarf and I did think of addition form LT2 But none of us did endeavour to add them to the passage of Eärendils journey. After an analysis of the sources I will at long last give that editing a go. It might be entirely or in part rejected in the end but I find it at least worth a try. At first I like to say that acording to The Tale of the Years Eärendils voyages lasted 4 years. Second: During my reading I found that one of the later works Tolkien did on the story of Eärendil was a revision (which he himself dated hesitatingly to 1940) of the poem The Happy Mariners. That did support me in including material of LT2 including this very poem. 1940 is about the time when Tolkien did work also at Eärendil was a mariner.

VE-08<*PoME After apprenticeship to Círdan, and ever with his advice and help, Eärendil built> Vingilot'{ he built}, fairest of the ships of song, the Foamflower; white were its timbers as the argent moon, golden were its oars, silver were its shrouds, its masts were crowned with jewels like stars. In the Lay of Eärendil is many a thing sung of his adventures in the deep and in lands untrodden, and in many seas and many isles.<LotR Form gnashing of the Narrow Ice where shadow {lies}laid on frozen hills><LT2 - Outline E{He searches for Elwing and is}he was blown far to the South.><LotR{from}From nether heats and burning waste he turned ><LT2 - Outline C{Driven south. Darkregions. }Fire mountains{. Tree-men. Pygmies.}/ he saw and Ents and Drûgs he encountered/><LotR, and roving still on starless waters far astray{ at last} he came to Night of Naught >wherein Ungoliant{'}/ had made her abode. There/ in the South he {slew}<defeated her>, and her darkness was destroyed, and light came to many regions which had yet long been hid.<LT2 - Outline E{He escapes}Eärendil escaped eastward{. He goes}/, but he went/ back westward[.] But Elwing sat sorrowing at home.

VE-09Eärendil found not Tuor nor Idril, nor came he ever on that journey to the shores of Valinor, defeated by shadows and enchantment, driven by repelling winds, until in longing for Elwing he turned him homeward toward the East. And his heart bade him haste, for a sudden fear was fallen on him out of dreams, and the winds that before he had striven with might not now bear him back as swift as his desire.

VE-11But great was the sorrow of [Eärendil] and Elwing for the ruin of the havens of Sirion, and the captivity of their sons; and they feared that they would be slain; but it was not so. For Maglor took pity on Elros and Elrond, and he cherished them, and love grew after between them, as little might be thought; but Maglor's heart was sick and weary, with the burden of the dreadful oath. Yet [Eärendil] saw now no hope left in the lands of Sirion, and he turned again in despair and came not home, but sought back once more to Valinor with Elwing at his side. He stood now most oft at the prow, and the Silmaril he bound upon his forehead; and ever its light grew greater as they drew unto the West. Maybe it was due in part to the puissance of that holy jewel that they came in time to the waters that as yet no vessels save those of the Teleri had known; and they came to the Enchanted Isles.<LT2 - isolated Note (xii)The Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl was awakened by {Littleheart's gong:}[them]/. He was/ a messenger that was despatched years ago by Turgon and enmeshed in magics. Even now he {cannot }could not leave the Tower and {warns}warned them of the magic. Thus they{ and} escaped their enchantment<. Later the Elves made a song in his memory:
><LT2 - The Happy Mariners (Version of 1940?)

I know a window in a Western tower
that opens on celestial seas,
from wells of dark behind the stars
there ever blows cold a keen unearthly breeze.
It is a white tower builded on the Twilit Isles,
and springing from their everlasting shade
it glimmers like a house of lonely pearl,
where lights forlorn take harbour ere they fade.

Its feet are washed by waves that never rest.
There silent boats go by into the West
all piled and twinkling in the dark
with orient fire in many a hoarded spark
that divers won
in waters of the rumoured Sun.
There sometimes throbs below a silver harp,
touching the heart with sudden music sharp;
or far beneath the mountain high and sheer
the voices of grey sailors echo clear,
afloat among the shadows of the world
in oarless ships and with their canvas furled,
chanting a farewell and a solemn song:
for wide the sea is, and their journey long.

O happy mariners upon a journey far,
beyond the grey islands and past Gondobar,
to those great portals on the final shores
where far away constellate fountains leap,
and dashed against Night's dragon-headed doors
in foam of stars fall sparkling in the deep!
While I look out alone behind the moon
Imprisoned in the white and windy tower,
you bide no moment and await no hour,
but go with solemn song and harpers' tune.

You follow [Eärendil] without rest,
the shining mariner, beyond the West,
who passed the mouth of night and launched his bark
upon the seas of everlasting dark.
Here only long afar through window-pane
I glimpse the flicker of the golden rain
that falls for ever on those outer seas
beyond the country of the shining Trees.

>{; and they}And Eärendil and his companions came into the Shadowy Seas and passed their shadows; and they looked upon the Lonely Isle and there they tarried not; and at the last they cast anchor in the Bay of Elvenhome upon the borders of the world; and the Teleri saw the coming of that ship and were amazed, gazing from afar upon the light of the Silmaril, and it was very great. But [Eärendil], alone of living Men, landed on the immortal shores; and he said to Elwing and to those that were with him, three mariners who had sailed all the seas beside him, and Falathar, Aerandir, and Erellont were their names: Here shall none but myself set foot, lest you fall under the wrath of the {Gods}[Valar] and the doom of death; for it is forbidden. But that peril I will take on myself for the sake of the Two Kindreds.'

So fare for now. I am not sure of my addition myself, but if they stir a discussion it was worth the act of writing.

Next on my agenda are additions to the description of the war of warth.

Respectfully
Findegil

Edited: I just changed the format to bring it more in accordens with our "rules".