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Old 12-16-2007, 07:45 PM   #106
Aiwendil
Late Istar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Sorry for my delay in responding.

I see now I was looking at an old version of the text (a .pdf made by Antoine in March 2004). I had your version here all along but for some reason was looking at the wrong one.

VE-07.8:
Quote:
I don't think so. Telling about the happy family life of a man and then go over to his unrest is in my view a good place for a "Yet".
Yes, re-reading it I see you're right.

VE-11.025: I like your suggestion but would emend it slightly:
Quote:
VE-11.01 But great was the sorrow of {Eärendel}[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. VE-11.025 <Letter no. 211 The infants were not slain, but left {like 'babes in the wood',} in a cave with a fall of water over the entrance. There they were found: Elrond within the cave, and Elros dabbling in the water.> {For}And 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. …
I eliminate the first statement that 'Elros and Elrond were carried off by the sons of Feanor' because it seems redundant to me and, after other parts of the letter are dropped, the prose seems a little uneven. I also would drop the 'like "babes in the wood"', which is Tolkien's (colloquial) comment on the tale and seems quite out of place.

VE-11.035: This revision is excellent.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Findegil
Atani / Edain: This is a good question. But we are on the lucky side up to now. Atani was only used as yet in the early chapters were it used to refer to all men. So this is the first place were this becomes an issue.
Even so I at first impulse tend personally to a replacement, I must say that at best this would be a replacment for clearness which normaly do only if confusions is inserted by our edting. But this I do not see here. If Tolkien used it both ways why shouldn't we?
I agree - it's not our job to try to clarify Tolkien's writings or terminology. Moreover, it seems probable to me that 'Atani' and 'Edain' both were used in a general sense and a specific sense (somewhat like 'Eldar'). Cf. Christopher Tolkien's comment in the '77's 'Index of Names':

Quote:
Atani The Second People', Men (singular Atan) . . . Since in Beleriand for a long time the only Men known to the Noldor and Sindar were those of the Three
Houses of the Elf-friends, this name (in the Sindarin form Adan, plural Edain)became specially associated with them, so that it was seldom applied to other Men who came later to Beleriand, or who were reported to be dwelling beyond the Mountains.
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