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Old 03-01-2005, 03:21 AM   #85
Findegil
King's Writer
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Yes this might have been the reason for Christopher Tolkien to remove this part of the Ainulindalė. But do we follow him in this move? If we do so it will become even harder to make the additions of Pengološ to the text of the Music of the Ainur work.
This was also the reason why Antione wanted to join the discussion of the first chapter Of Valinor and the two Trees / Of the Beginning of Days with that of the Ainulindalė and the Valaquenta.

We must ask ourself why did JRR Tolkien place the story of the first War of the Valar at that place and not at the beginning of the Quenta Silmarillion.
As JRR Tolkien left it, the Quenta Silmarillion starts after a short intro with the creation of the Trees which were the ultimate source of the light of the Silmaril. I think that this was desiered by JRR Tolkien.

But that does not force us to do the same. We have already left the real goal and structer of the Quenta Silmarillion far behind by taking up very elaborated tales that do not premarily deal with the story of the Silmarils (e.g. the Narn i chīn Hśrin).

But this additions in the later course of the Quenta Silmarillion we will mostly indicat, would we do the same here? I don't think we could do that with out some very artifical source info. Thus I think the First War is better left were it is, an addition to the Ainulindalė "told" by Pengološ. This would also in some degree prevent the misunderstanding that I had when reading the Sil77, of Melkor leaving Arda two times.

Respectfully
Findegil
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