The Disaster of the Gladden Fields

[gandalf85]

After reading this chapter, I think the decision to change the father and son in the Lost Road section to Isildur and Elendur was the right decision. Getting to know them and their relationship in that chapter strengthens their interactions in this chapter and makes their deaths more tragic. Some comments:

1)

On the march each man carried with him two days' provisions (other than the ‘need-wallet’ mentioned in the text)

Where is a 'need-wallet' mentioned? I couldn't find it in this chapter, or "Of Sauron Defeated" or "Of The Fall of Numenor". Could we reference the actual chapter it is mentioned in? Instead of "mentioned in the text," we would say "mentioned in [chapter name]".

2) There seem to be a few typos in the text Arcus sent me, or the original text:

but the soldiers of the Dúnedain, tail men of great strength and endurance

This is what it says in the pdf I have of Unfinished Tales. I am not currently at my home and can't check in my physical copy, but I think this should be "tall".

All three had fought in the War of the Alliance, but Aratan an Ciryon had not been

This should be "and".

3) This is more a question than a comment. At the end of note 20 it says "Nonetheless it proved in the event that the War of the Ring was lost at the Disaster of the Gladden Fields." I don't understand this. The War of the Ring was ultimately a victory. How was the War lost at the Disaster of the Gladden Fields?

[ArcusCalion]

1) This need wallet is mentioned in the following text 'The Sources of the legend of Isildur's death' which I did not include in this chapter because it contains many references to Aragorn and the Fourth Age. However, looking at it again, I think we can include it, or at least part of it. Here is my proposed inclusion:

.... Arnor and Gondor, and in that age of the World the last.>

FY-HL-03.5 The Sources of the Legend of Isildur’s Death

DGF-SL-17 <UT There were eye-witnesses of the event. Ohtar and his companion escaped, bearing with them the shards of Narsil. The tale mentions a young man who survived the slaughter: he was Elendur's esquire, named Estelmo, and was one of the last to fall, but was stunned by a club, and not slain, and was found alive under Elendur's body. He heard the words of Isildur and Elendur at their parting. There were rescuers who came on the scene too late, but in time to disturb the Orcs and prevent their mutilation of the bodies: for there were certain Woodmen who got news to Thranduil by runners, and also themselves gathered a force to ambush the Orcs – of which they got wind, and scattered, for though victorious their losses had been great, and almost all of the great Orcs had fallen: they attempted no such attack again for long years after.
The story of the last hours of Isildur and his death was due to surmise: but well-founded. The legend in its full form was not composed until the reign of Elessar in the Fourth Age, when other evidence was discovered. Up to then it had been known, firstly, that Isildur had the Ring, and had fled towards tin River; secondly, that his mail, helm, shield and great sword (but nothing else) had been found on the bank not far above the Gladden Fields; thirdly, that the Orcs had left watchers on the west bank armed with bows to intercept any who might escape the battle and flee to the River (for traces of their camps were found, one close to the borders of the Gladden Fields); and fourthly, that Isildur and the Ring, separately or together, must have been lost in the River, for if Isildur had reached the west shore wearing the Ring he should have eluded the watch, and so hardy a man of great endurance could not have failed to come then to Lórien or Moria before he foundered. Though it was a long journey, each of the Dúnedain carried in a sealed wallet on his belt a small phial of cordial and wafers of a waybread that would sustain life in him for many days – not indeed the miruvor or the lembas of the Eldar, but like them, for the medicine and other arts of Númenor were potent and not yet forgotten. No belt or wallet was among the gear discarded by Isildur.>

2) Thank you, nice catch

3) I think this is most likely a slip on Tolkien's part, he clearly means the War of the Last Alliance.

[gandalf85]

1) I think this section makes sense at the end of the chapter. I see that you added the rest of "The Sources of the legend of Isildur's death" to another chapter, I was actually going to recommend doing just that and removing the chapter from Volume 3.

[Findegil]

1) FY-HL-03.5 and DGF-SL-17: Agreed, nice rearangement.

2) Thanks for pointing us to these typos.

3) I think it is meaned out of Sauron's perspective - as it seemes that the report Sauron got from this battle was so week, that he did not compherhend what happen, until the Ring was removed by Deagol and Smeagol and even Saruman had searched the area. So most probably Sauron only learned about Isildur's death through spying on his enemys.

Respectfully
Findegil