* * Valaquenta Some proposals for a new project ... * *

[Findegil]

I Have read our Valaquenta and The Coming of the Valar. And I know feel more or less fit to discuss the additions from Bolt 1 to our Valaquenta. First I will adress Aiwendils two questions:
1. Is the Valaquenta we are creating intended to be the Valaquenta - that is, does it purport to be the actual document within Arda called "Valaquenta"? Or is the text we are creating something else - a disembodied narrative with no fictional existence within Arda itself?
I am not sure if this does mater at all. What I mean is that no body can cross check with the "original" document. So what ever we do, we could soupose it to be within the ardarian document. But to be more serious, I think we can't create the ardarian document at all so I think we should not try to make that our goal.

2. Is there any Lost Tales material for this part of the story that we can (or should) use?
Here my answer is no. To explain this, I think we have look at the function of the Valaquenta in the course of the "The Silmarillion". The Ainulindale lays out the scene or the stage for the tale, and the Valaquenta does introduce the actors that will play a part in the first act. But The Coming of the Valar is the first act (in a differned play as I may say). We may like or dislike the way in which Tolkien does solve these functions, but does that allow us to alter them?

Now let's go to the examples Raumohir did post:

"With Manwë dwells Varda, Lady of the Stars, who knows all the regions of Eä. Too great is her beauty to be declared in the words of Men or of Elves; for the light of Ilúvatar lives still in her face. <BoLT1 Varda it was who at the playing of the Music had thought much of light that was white and silver, and of stars.> In light is her power and her joy."

This could be added, but what does it add to our text? Isn't it much more than a repetiton "In light is her power and her joy."? In short it could be considered, but I don't think it is worth it.

<BoLT1 Behold, Manwë Súlimo and Varda the Beautiful arose> ... <Those twain gathered now wings of power to themselves and faired swiftly through the {three}[] airs> ... <Now swiftly as they fared {Melko}[Melkor] was there before them, having rushed headlong flaming through the airs in the impetuosity of his speed....>

This clearly can't be used. As I said above, the Valaquenta is no narative. And in addition what ever we make out of this it is not in accordance with the much later Ainulindale where the Ainur entered into Eä when nothing was made ready. Okay we could consider it as the entrance of the Valar in to Arda, but are we to use this very pictural version? The porject once considered even a round earth version, so were would we go with this.

<BoLT1 With them came many of those lesser {Vali}[Ainur] who loved them and had played nigh them and attuned their music to theirs, and these are the Mánir and the Súruli, the sylphs of the airs and of the winds.>

If we us this in the place that is more or less suggested by Raumohir's post it would mix up the account of the Valar and Maiar. That is exactly the opposit of what Tolkien did in his last editing of the text.

<BoLT1 Now behind those greatest chieftans came {Falman-}Ossë of the waves of the sea and <Cf. long-tressed> {Onen}[Uinen] his consort, and with them the troops of the {Oarni}[Earni],... spirits of the foam and the surf.>

To introduce the Earni here would realy be nice, but the the first part bear the same problem as the qoute before.

Overall I don't think that the Valaquenta is the rigth part to add these things. May be we should consider some parts for the Maiar part, put even that I find doubtfull.

Respectfully
Findegil