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So now some comments about the changes I introduced in posting #28:
NA-SL-02.1 Can we say ‘wounded to the death’ if the object of that phrase does in the event not died?
NA-EX-41b I just cleaned the editing.
NA-EX-41.15 Here I mixed the texts a bit more to make it more fluent.
NA-EX-42.1b, NA-EX-36b & NA-EX44bThis gives a good reason for Andróg survival. The editing is of course fetching text from here and there, but due to my approach by taking up Andróg survival from Aelfwine & Dírhaval A we have to simplify the matter by deleting the other arrow-wound received during the foray in spring. Thus what was said at this point can be used here if it fits the scene as it does in my opinion. Especially the continued dislike and distrust comes in handy since it explains why Beleg hunted alone for the Orcs that had captured Túrin. That is also the reason why I put the part of the Lay at this position.
In addition I re-entered the passage were we are told that the Orcs did tarried and hunted on the road while Beleg did not sleep. It makes Belegs catching up much more probable.
RD-EX-02.7b RD-EX-03.1b This change follows the discussion about the Woodmen. The conclusion was that most probably the Woodmen had all fled to Brethil but were there not fully integrated fugitives that had no land of their own.
RD-EX-02.5b I changed the position of the sub-chapter heading slightly. Now the heading is followed by a more narrated part before it changes back to direct speech when we arrive at Nargothrond. That seemed to me very fitting for the start of a sub-chapter.
RD-EX-05.3 Here do I introduce the gathering of outlaws from the old sources, to get a good opportunity for Andróg to come into Húrins followers.
RD-EX-11.51 At least we come to the reason we have for all this changes. We have Andróg now here in the Band of Húrin and he is so much angered by Mîm’s ‘It will bite again’ that he makes his own curse true by shooting the dying dwarf through his throat.
It is now my opinion that this scene of the betrayer of Túrin’s Band killed with an arrow in his throat, was a lasting image in Tolkiens mind. It came up first in the Lay were it was Ban, Bors son, who broke the tryst and was killed then by an random flying shaft. Then Tolkien developed the story of Túrin further by introducing Mîm who had beforehand only been the warden of the Dragon hoard. But the image of the death of traitor survived since it is foretold by the curse of Andróg.
Since Tolkien never touched the death of Mîm again after the Lost Tales we have Andrógs curse as the source text with highest priority. But of course curses must not always become true (even so they do very oft in Middle-Earth) and we have two competing versions of the curse.
Now since we have established Andróg as the communicator of the story of Túrins years between his flight from Doritah and the battle of Amon Rudh and, as I believe, about the ‘further dealings of Húrin and Mîm’, we should also take up that image of the traitor of Túrin (now Mîm) dying with a shaft in his throat. Since the Lay is the only source for it, that is in my view what we have to take.
Respectfully
Findegil
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