Narn I Chîn Húrin 1: Túrins Fostering

[Aiwendil]

NA-EX-34.5: Your suggestions looks good.

Findegil wrote:

Why should the cruse not be fullfilled if Androg survives the battle upon Amon Rudh? On the contary it was also never told how he died there. I think he could survie that battle and later die a violent death acording to the curse.

That's a good point. Still, at the time the text was written, the curse was clearly supposed to result in Androg's death during the battle at Amon Rudh. I think that if we have Androg survive (which I suppose we must do), we should simply delete the reference to the curse at this point:

There he is said to have fought more valiantly than any, NA-SL-02 but he fell at last {mortally wounded by an arrow; and thus the curse of Mîm was fulfilled.} [but alone of all]> <Aelfwine & Dirhaval A the outlaw-band of Túrin{, and alone} he survived the battle on the summit of Amon Rudh.>

NA-EX-28.5: I suppose I'm ultimately for the inclusion of this bit.

NA-TI-07.5: Your first suggestion looks good to me.

If this section is settled, I'll move on to the next section as soon as I get a chance - possibly tonight but more likely tomorrow or Friday.

[Findegil]

the Curse on Androg: What a bad argument on my side! That what a bad memory creats! Your suggestions is good, but I think wounded should be used to clear it up ultimatly:

NA-EX-41 <Ap Narn It was only then that {he} [Andróg] revealed to Túrin the existence of the inner stair; and he was one of those who came by that way to the summit. There he is said to have fought more valiantly than any, NA-SL-02 but he fell at last{ mortally} wounded {by an arrow; and thus the curse of Mîm was fulfilled.}[but alone of all]> <Aelfwine & Dírhaval A the outlaw-band of Túrin{, and alone}he survived the battle on the summit of Amon Rûdh.>

Without the point above we are then done with this section.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Findegil]

Meadhros and Aiwendil, please let me know when it is okay for you that I start posting diffrences between The Children of Húrin and our version of the Narn. What I post might be bad spoilers to your reading of The Children of Húrin.

Also this is a warning to all: If you did not jet finish The Children of Húrin and are not interested knowing beforehand what is diffrent in that book DO NOT READ further in this thread.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Maédhros]

Meadhros and Aiwendil, please let me knowwhen it is okay for that I start posting diffrences between The CHildren of Húrin and our version of the Narn. What I post might be bad spoilers to your reading of The CHildren of Húrin.

Hmmmmm. I don't know. I will get my Children of Húrin book in July, but I have no problem with you posting the changes in it. I mean, it's not as if I haven't read the story before.

[Aiwendil]

Yes, post away by all means.

[Findegil]

First a general lock on the texts. I give here a part of the Appendix of CoH:

From Túrin in Doriath the new text is a good deal changed in relation to that in Unfinished Tales. There is here a range of writing, much of it very rough, concerned with the same narrative elements a different stages of development, and in such a case it is obviously possible to take different views on how the original material should be treated. I have come to think that when I composed the text in Unfinished Tales I allowed myself more editorial freedom than was necessary. In this book I have reconsidered the original manuscripts and reconstituted the text, in many (usually very minor) places restoring the original words, introducing sentences or brief passages that should not have been omitted, correcting a few errors, and making different choices among the original readings.
...
The major lacuna in the narrative as given in Unfinished Tales (p. 104) is filled in the new text on pages 141 to 181, from the end of the section Of Mîm the Dwarf and through The Land of Bow and Helm, The Death of Beleg, Túrin in Nargothrond, and The Fall of Nargothrond.
There is a complex relationship in this part of the 'Túrin saga' between the original manuscripts, the story as it is told in The Silmarillion, the disconnected passages collected in the appendix to the Narn in Unfinished Tales, and the new text in this book. I have supposed that it was my father's general intention, in the fullness of time, when he had archived to his satisfaction the 'great tale' of Túrin, to derive from it a much briefer form of the story in what one may call 'the Silmarillion mode'. But of course this did not happen; and so I undertook, now more than thirty years ago, the strange task of trying to simulate what he did not do: the writing of a 'Silmarillion' version of the latest form of the story, but deriving this from the heterogeneous materials of the 'long version', the Narn. That is Chapter 21 in the published Silmarillion.
Thus the text in this book that fills the long gap in the story in Unfinished Tales is derived from the same original materials as is the corresponding passage in The Silmarillion (pp. 204-15), but they are used for different purpose in each case, and in the new text with a better understanding of the labyrinth of drafts and notes and their sequence. Much in the original manuscripts that was omitted or compressed in The Silmarillion remains available; but where there was nothing to be added the Silmarillion version (as in the tale of the death of Beleg, derived from the Annals of Beleriand that version is simply repeated.
In the result, while I have had to introduce bridging passages here and there in the piecing together of different drafts, there is no element of extraneous 'invention' of any kind, however slight, in the longer text here presented. The text is nonetheless artificial, as it could not be otherwise: the more especially since this great body of manuscripts represents a continual evolution in the actual story. ...

Thus we learn how to handle the different texts: lowest priority is given to the version in the Sil77, then follows the body of the text of the Narn and then the text of CoH, but highest priority is given to the fragments in the appendix to the Narn and GA since there was no external need for any editing of style or for consistency.

In general therefore I followed the in my comparison the text and structure of CoH instead of the [b]Narn[B] or the Sil77. Exceptions of this will be mentioned.

On exception is the use of 'thou' instead of 'you' etc.. In CoH 'you' is used throughout, but in Unfinished Tales it is attested that this is not the case in the original manuscripts. Therefore where ever we have the information that once there was a 'thou' used in a place I kept that.

I have marked all changes that I introduce but I did not give a editing mark with a number to each change because of the great amount of changes. I will also not give here each and every small change of wording, since that would mean giving the text in full which is not appropriate (here).

While reading and preparing the text I found a few possible addition from earlier sources that we missed as yet. They will also be given in the following posts.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Findegil]

... knew her in her short life.
Huor wedded Rían, the cousin of Morwen; she was the daughter of Belegund son of Bregolas. By hard fate was she born into such days, for she was gentle of heart and loved neither hunting nor war. Her love was given to trees and to the flowers of the wild, and she was a singer and a maker of songs. Two months only had she been wedded to Huor when he went with his brother to the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and she never saw him again.{ 1}

NA-TI-02b <CoH But now the tale returns to Húrin and Huor in the days of their youth. It is said that for a while the sons of Galdor dwelt in Brethil as foster-sons of Haldir their uncle, according to the custom of Men in that time. They often went to battle with the Men of Brethil against the Orcs, who now harried the northern borders of their land; for Húrin, though only seventeen years of age, was strong, and Huor the younger was already as tall as most full-grown men of that people.
On a time Húrin and Huor went with a company of scouts, but they were ambushed by the Orcs and scattered, and the brother were pursued to the ford of Brithiach. There ...

This is the intro to the yourney to Gondolin. It is changed in sofar as the battle with the Orcs is not a speacial one which in my view is disearable. I changed the complet text of teh Gondolin episode to CoH since it is easier in the text composition without changing anythink substantially from out composit text from Sil77 and GA.

At this time Túrin was almost eight years old, in the month of Gwaeron in the reckoning of the Edain, in the year that cannot be forgotten. Already there were rumours among his elders of a great mustering and gathering of arms, of which Túrin heard nothing; NA-EX-15.1 <CoH though he marked that his father often looked steadfastly at him, as a man might look at something dear that he must part from.
Now> {and} Húrin, knowing her courage and her guarded tongue, often spoke with Morwen ...
...
‘If such an evil time should indeed come, what help would there be in Men?’ said Morwen. ‘The House of Bëor has fallen. If the great House of Hador falls, in what holes shall the little Folk of Haleth creep?’
NA-EX-15.2 <CoH ‘In such as they can find,’ said Húrin, ‘but do not doubt their valour, though they are few and unlearned >{‘They are few and unlearned, but do not doubt their valour,’ said Húrin. ‘}Where else is hope?’
‘You do not speak of Gondolin,’ said Morwen.
...
‘Then if your kin are not hopeful, and your friends deny you,’ said Morwen, ‘I must take counsel for myself; and to me now comes the thought of Doriath. NA-EX-15.3 <CoH ‘
‘Ever your aim is high,’ said Húrin.
‘Over-high, you would say?’ said Morwen. ‘But last> {Last} of all defences will the Girdle of Melian be broken, I think; ...
...
... the Elven-kings are resolved to restore all the fiefs of Bëor's house to his {heirs;} NA-EX-15.4 <CoH heir; and that is you Morwen daughter of Baragund. Wied lordship we should then wield,> and a high inheritance will come to our son.’
NA-EX-15.5 <CoH ‘Húrin Thalion,’ said Morwen, ‘this I judge truer to say: that you look high and I fear to fall low.’
‘That at the worst you need not fear,’ said Húrin.>
That night Túrin half-woke, ...

A small additions only.

... Húrin had passed over the shoulder of the hill, beyond which he could see his house no more.

NA-EX-16 {The Words of Húrin and Morgoth} <Sil77 27 Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad, NA-EX-16.1 <CoH The Battel of Unnumbered Tears>
Many songs are sung and ...

Here I added the title given to the chapter in CoH tha that on that we had chosen from Sil77.

Then Fingon looked out from the walls of Eithel Sirion, and his host was arrayed in the valleys and woods upon the east NA-EX-16.2 CoH {borders} of Eryd-wethion, well hid from the eyes of the Enemy; but he knew that it was very great.

This change is debatable, but I think in CoH the text from the Narn version is given in full.

Thus far for the moment. There is more to come soon.
Respectfully
Findegil