The Book of Lost Tales Part I: A Readthrough

[Orphalesion]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

3.) "Indeed, war had been but held off by the Gods, who desired peace and would not suffer Ulmo to gather the folk of the Valar and assail Ossë." Wait, war? War! Ulmo and Ossë certainly do not care for each other in the later texts, but the idea that the Valar could go to war against anyone other than Melko(r) is really hard to wrap my mind around, even as unrealised possibility.

Well that brings us back to the point were the Valar back then were still much more like the Aesir and Vanir who were also prone to fight and quarrel. Back then Osse often opposed Ulmo directly and this element never completely vanished. Even later he is mentioned to have briefly turned to Melkor int he beginning.

Originally Posted by Formendacil

There are two poems included in the commentary: "Kôr," a poem picturing that city as it was (probably) at the time of Eárendel's arrival, and "A Song of Aryador," recalling those lost on the Great March.

I love the Song of Aryador. First of all I always loved the name Aryador, it sounds very beautiful and the "Lost Elves", very romantic in a way.

It's interesting how perilous the journey of the Elves was in the earlier conceptions. Later all Eldar who stay in Endor turn away from the journey willingly (for one reason or the other), but in this early stage many simply got lost.
The shadow folk of Hisilome is (at this point) even considered to have been Teleri (Vanyar) who got lost in the dark woods of Hisilome when marching to board Tol Eressea.
Hisilome was a strange place in this early phase, does anybody else get the idea that at some, probably very early stage it was meant to mean Scandinavia? (at the time when Tol Eressea still later became the British Isles and Earendel had to cross the "wildernesses of Europe") Hilisome back then meant "land of shadows" and Scandinavia is sometimes thought to be related to old Gemanic words for shadow.

And I love the description of the "Peace of Arda" in which the Elves were born. How, without Melkor frost and cold withdrew into the outermost North and all of Arda was in eternal summer. Even the seas were so calm that plants could grow to the very edge of the ocean. It seems a very beautiful world.

And am I the only one who likes the early description of the Solosimpi better than what the Teleri/Falmari became in the Silmarillion? Their dancing and piping along the beaches, their grotto like houses and especially the picture of them preforming dances around pools which they have filled with the gems given to them by the Noldoli.

However what I don't like too much is the idea that all gems, in the whole world were created by the Noldoli of Valinor. Soehow this element seems a bit too fairly tale like and I'm glad Tolkien later changed it to have the Noldor be miners who only occasionally created "magical" gems.