Part 11 (1/2)

40.

But he danced like a wind out into the world.

He is gone, and the valley is empty and bare Where lonely I stand and lonely I stare.

Then suddenly out in the meadows beyond, Then back in the reeds by the s.h.i.+mmering pond, 45 Then afar from a copse where the mosses are thick A few little notes came trillaping quick.

I leapt o'er the stream and I sped from the glade, For Tinfang Warble it was that played; I must follow the hoot of his twilight flute

50.

Over reed, over rush, under branch, over root, And over dim fields, and through rustling gra.s.ses That murmur and nod as the old elf pa.s.ses, Over old hills and far away Where the harps of the Elvenfolk softly play.

Earlier readings: 12 'Twas a very quiet evening once in June- And I thought that stars had grown bright too soon- Cf. the prose text, p. 94: 'The Noldoli say that [the stars] come out too soon if Tinfang Warble plays'.

8 from the sh.o.r.es of the mere] by the fairies' mere 9 Elvenhome] emendation made on the text of the final version, replacing 'Fairyland'.

24 Till the stars came out, as it seemed, too soon.

Cf. the note to line 2.

256 They always come out when he warbles and plays, And they s.h.i.+ne bright blue as long as he stays.

Cf. the prose text, p. 95: 'or will he play beneath a goodly moon and the stars go bright and blue.'

54 Elvenfolk] emendation made on the text of the final version, replacing 'fairies'.

The first part of this story of The Chaining of Melko came to have a very different form in later versions, where (The Silmarillion p. 35) it was during the sojourn of the Valar on the Isle of Almaren, under the light of the Two Lamps, that 'the seeds that Yavanna had sown began swiftly to sprout and to burgeon, and there arose a mult.i.tude of growing things great and small, mosses and gra.s.ses and great ferns, and trees whose tops were crowned with cloud' and that 'beasts came forth and dwelt in the gra.s.sy plains, or in the rivers and the lakes, or walked in the shadows of the woods'. This was the Spring of Arda; but after the coming of Melkor and the delving of Utumno 'green things fell sick and rotted, and rivers were choked with weeds and slime, and fens were made, rank and poisonous, the breeding place of flies; and forests grew dark and perilous, the haunts of fear; and beasts became monsters of horn and ivory and dyed the earth with blood'. Then came the fall of the Lamps, and 'thus ended the Spring of Arda' (p. 37). After the building of Valinor and the arising of the Two Trees 'Middle-earth lay in a twilight beneath the stars' (p. 39), and Yavanna and Orom alone of the Valar returned there at times: 'Yavanna would walk there in the shadows, grieving because the growth and promise of the Spring of Arda was stayed. And she set a sleep upon many things that had arisen in the Spring, so that they should not age, but should wait for a time of awakening that yet should be' (p. 47). 'But already the oldest living things had arisen: in the seas the great weeds, and on earth the shadow of great trees; and in the valleys of the night-clad hills there were dark creatures old and strong.'

In this earliest narrative, on the other hand, there is no mention of the beginning of growth during the time when the Lamps shone (see p. 69), and the first trees and low plants appeared under Yavanna's spells in the twilight after their overthrow. Moreover in the last sentence of this tale 'seeds were sown', in that time of 'quiet dusk' while Melko was chained, 'that waited only for the light to come'. Thus in the early story Yavanna sows in the dark with a view (it seems) to growth and flowering in later days of sunlight, whereas in all the subsequent versions the G.o.ddess in the time of darkness sows no more, but rather lays a sleep on many things that had arisen beneath the light of the Lamps in the Spring of Arda. But both in the early tale and in The Silmarillion there is a suggestion that Yavanna foresees that light will come in the end to the Great Lands, to Middle-earth.

The conception of a flowing, liquid light in the airs of Earth is again very marked, and it seems that in the original idea the twilight ages of the world east of the sea were still illumined by the traces of this light ('Seldom now falls the s.h.i.+mmering rain as it was used, and there reigns a gloom lit with pale streaks', p. 98) as well as by the stars of Varda, even though 'the G.o.ds have gathered so much of that light that had before flowed about the airs' (ibid.).

The renewed cosmic violence is conceivably the precursor of the great Battle of the Powers in the later mythology (The Silmarillion p. 51); but in this earliest tale Melko's upheavals are the cause of the Valar's visitation, whereas the Battle of the Powers, in which the shape of Middle-earth was changed, resulted from it. In The Silmarillion it was the discovery of the newly-awakened Elves by Orom that led the Valar to the a.s.sault on Utumno.

In its rich narrative detail, as in its 'primitive' air, the tale told by Meril-i-Turinqi of the capture of Melko bears little relation to the later narrative; while the tone of the encounter at Utumna, and the treacherous s.h.i.+fts of the Valar to ensnare him, is foreign to it likewise. But some elements survived: the chain Angainor forged by Aul (if not the marvellous metal tilkal with its most uncharacteristically derived name), the wrestling of Tulkas with Melko, his imprisonment in Mandos for 'three ages', and the idea that his fortress was not destroyed to its foundations. It emerges too that the clement and trustful character of Manw was early defined; while the reference to Mandos' seldom speaking is possibly a foreshadowing of his p.r.o.nouncing his judgements only at the bidding of Manw (see p. 90). The origin of nightingales in the domain of Lrien in Valinor is already present.

Lastly, it may seem from the account of the journey of the Valar in this tale that Hisilm (which survived without any further change as the Quenya name of Hithlum) was here a quite distinct region from the later Hithlum, since it is placed beyond the Mountains of Iron: in The Silmarillion the Mountains of Iron are said to have been reared by Melkor 'as a fence to his citadel of Utumno': 'they stood upon the borders of the regions of everlasting cold, in a great curve from east to west' (p. 118). But in fact the 'Mountains of Iron' here correspond to the later 'Mountains of Shadow' (Ered Wethrin). In an annotated list of names accompanying the tale of The Fall of Gondolin the name Dor Lmin is thus defined: Dor Lmin or the 'Land of Shadow' was that region named of the Eldar Hisilm (and this means 'Shadowy Twilights')...and it is so called by reason of the scanty sun which peeps little over the Iron Mountains to the east and south of it.

On the little map given on p. 81 the line of peaks which I have marked f almost certainly represents these mountains, and the region to the north of them, marked g, is then Hisilm.

The ma.n.u.script continues, from the point where I have ended the text in this chapter, with no break; but this point is the end of a section in the mythological narrative (with a brief interruption by Eriol), and the remainder of Meril-i-Turinqi's tale is reserved to the next chapter. Thus I make two tales of one.

V.

THE COMING OF THE ELVES AND THE MAKING OF KR.

I take this t.i.tle from the cover of the book (which adds also 'How the Elves did fas.h.i.+on Gems'), for as I have already remarked the narrative continues without a new heading.

Then said Eriol: 'Sad was the unchaining of Melko, methinks, even did it seem merciful and just-but how came the G.o.ds to do this thing?'

Then Meril1 continuing said: 'Upon a time thereafter was the third period of Melko's prisonment beneath the halls of Mandos come nearly to its ending. Manw sat upon the top of the mountain and gazed with his piercing eyes into the shades beyond Valinor, and hawks flew to him and from him bearing many great tidings, but Varda was singing a song and looking upon the plain of Valinor. Silpion was at that time glimmering and the roofs of Valmar below were black and silver beneath its rays; and Varda was joyous, but on a sudden Manw spake, saying: ”Behold, there is a gleam of gold beneath the pine-trees, and the deepest gloaming of the world is full of a patter of feet. The Eldar have come, O Taniquetil!” Then Varda arose swiftly and stretched her arms out North and South, and unbraided her long hair, and lifted up the Song of the Valar, and Ilw was filled with the loveliness of her voice.

Then did she descend to Valmar and to the abode of Aul and he was making vessels of silver for Lrien. A bason filled with the radiance of Telimp2 was by his side, and this he used cunningly in his craft, but now Varda stood before him and said: ”The Eldar have come!” and Aul flung down his hammer saying: ”Then Ilvatar hath sent them at last,” and the hammer striking some ingots of silver upon the floor did of its magic smite silver sparks to life, that flashed from his windows out into the heavens. Varda seeing this took of that radiance in the bason and mingled it with molten silver to make it more stable, and fared upon her wings of speed, and set stars about the firmament in very great profusion, so that the skies grew marvellously fair and their glory was doubled; and those stars that she then fas.h.i.+oned have a power of slumbers, for the silver of their bodies came of the treasury of Lrien and their radiance had lain in Telimp long time in his garden.

Some have said that the Seven Stars were set at that time by Varda to commemorate the coming of the Eldar, and that Morwinyon who blazes above the world's edge in the west was dropped by her as she fared in great haste back to Valinor. Now this is indeed the true beginning of Morwinyon and his beauty, yet the Seven Stars were not set by Varda, being indeed the sparks from Aul's forge whose brightness in the ancient heavens urged Varda to make their rivals; yet this did she never achieve.

But now even as Varda is engaged in this great work, behold, Orom p.r.i.c.ks over the plain, and drawing rein he shouts aloud so that all the ears in Valmar may hear him: ”Tulielto! Tulielto! They have come-they have come!” Then he stands midway between the Two Trees and winds his horn, and the gates of Valmar are opened, and the Vali troop into the plain, for they guess that tidings of wonder have come into the world. Then spake Orom: ”Behold the woods of the Great Lands, even in Palisor the midmost region where the pinewoods murmur unceasingly, are full of a strange noise. There did I wander, and lo! 'twas as if folk arose betimes beneath the latest stars. There was a stir among the distant trees and words were spoken suddenly, and feet went to and fro. Then did I say what is this deed that Palrien my mother has wrought in secret, and I sought her out and questioned her, and she answered: 'This is no work of mine, but the hand of one far greater did this. Ilvatar hath awakened his children at the last-ride home to Valinor and tell the G.o.ds that the Eldar have come indeed!'”

Then shouted all the people of Valinor: ”I Eldar tulier-the Eldar have come”-and it was not until that hour that the G.o.ds knew that their joy had contained a flaw, or that they had waited in hunger for its completion, but now they knew that the world had been an empty place beset with loneliness having no children for her own.

Now once more is council set and Manw sitteth before the G.o.ds there amid the Two Trees-and those had now borne light for four ages. Every one of the Vali fare thither, even Ulmo Vailimo in great haste from the Outer Seas, and his face is eager and glad.

On that day Manw released Melko from Angaino before the full time of his doom, but the manacles and the fetters of tilkal were not unloosed, and he bore them yet upon wrist and ankle. Great joy blindeth even the forewisdom of the G.o.ds. Last of all came Palrien Yavanna hasting from Palisor, and the Valar debated concerning the Eldar; but Melko sat at the feet of Tulkas and feigned a glad and humble cheer. At length it is the word of the G.o.ds that some of the new-come Eldar be bidden to Valinor, there to speak to Manw and his people, telling of their coming into the world and of the desires that it awakened in them.

Then does Nornor, whose feet flash invisibly for the greatness of their speed, hurtle from Valinor bearing the emba.s.sy of Manw, and he goes unstaying over both land and sea to Palisor. There he finds a place deep in a vale surrounded by pine-clad slopes; its floor is a pool of wide water and its roof the twilight set with Varda's stars. There had Orom heard the awaking of the Eldar, and all songs name that place Koivi-neni or the Waters of Awakening.

Now all the slopes of that valley and the bare margin of the lake, even the rugged fringes of the hills beyond, are filled with a concourse of folk who gaze in wonder at the stars, and some sing already with voices that are very beautiful. But Nornor stood upon a hill and was amazed for the beauty of that folk, and because he was a Vala they seemed to him marvellously small and delicate and their faces wistful and tender. Then did he speak in the great voice of the Valar and all those s.h.i.+ning faces turned towards his voice.

”Behold O Eldali, desired are ye for all the age of twilight, and sought for throughout the ages of peace, and I come even from Manw Slimo Lord of the G.o.ds who abides upon Taniquetil in peace and wisdom to you who are the Children of Ilvatar, and these are the words he put into my mouth to speak: Let now some few of you come back with me-for am I not Nornor herald of the Valar-and enter Valinor and speak with him, that he may learn of your coming and of all your desires.”

Great was the stir and wonder now about the waters of Koivi, and its end was that three of the Eldar came forward daring to go with Nornor, and these he bore now back to Valinor, and their names as the Elves of Kr have handed them on were Isil Inw, and Finw Nlem who was Turondo's father, and Tinw Lint father of Tinviel-but the Noldoli call them Inwithiel, Golfinweg, and Tinwelint. Afterward they became very great among the Eldar, and the Teleri were those who followed Isil, but his kindred and descendants are that royal folk the Inwir of whose blood I am. Nolem was lord of the Noldoli, and of his son Turondo (or Turgon as they called him) are great tales told, but Tinw3 abode not long with his people, and yet 'tis said lives still lord of the scattered Elves of Hisilm, dancing in its twilight places with Wendelin his spouse, a sprite come long long ago from the quiet gardens of Lrien; yet greatest of all the Elves did Isil Inw become, and folk reverence his mighty name to this day.

Behold now brought by Nornor the three Elves stood before the G.o.ds, and it was at that time the changing of the lights, and Silpion was waning but Laurelin was awakening to his greatest glory, even as Silmo emptied the urn of silver about the roots of the other Tree. Then those Elves were utterly dazed and astonied by the splendour of the light, whose eyes knew only the dusk and had yet seen no brighter things than Varda's stars, but the beauty and majestic strength of the G.o.ds in conclave filled them with awe, and the roofs of Valmar blazing afar upon the plain made them tremble, and they bowed in reverence-but Manw said to them: ”Rise, O Children of Ilvatar, for very glad are the G.o.ds of your coming! Tell us how ye came; how found ye the world; what seemeth it to you who are its first offspring, or with what desires doth it fill you.”

But Nlem answering said: ”Lo! Most mighty one, whence indeed come we! For meseems I awoke but now from a sleep eternally profound, whose vast dreams already are forgotten.” And Tinw said thereto that his heart told him that he was new-come from illimitable regions, yet he might not recollect by what dark and strange paths he had been brought; and last spake Inw, who had been gazing upon Laurelin while the others spake, and he said: ”Knowing neither whence I come nor by what ways nor yet whither I go, the world that we are in is but one great wonderment to me, and me-thinks I love it wholly, yet it fills me altogether with a desire for light.”

Then Manw saw that Ilvatar had wiped from the minds of the Eldar all knowledge of the manner of their coming, and that the G.o.ds might not discover it; and he was filled with deep astonishment; but Yavanna who hearkened also caught her breath for the stab of the words of Inw, saying that he desired light. Then she looked upon Laurelin and her heart thought of the fruitful orchards in Valmar, and she whispered to Tuivna who sat beside her, gazing upon the tender grace of those Eldar; then those twain said to Manw: ”Lo! the Earth and its shadows are no place for creatures so fair, whom only the heart and mind of Ilvatar have conceived. Fair are the pine-forests and the thickets, but they are full of unelfin spirits and Mandos' children walk abroad and va.s.sals of Melko lurk in strange places-and we ourselves would not be without the sight of this sweet folk. Their distant laughter has filtered to our ears from Palisor, and we would have it echo always about us in our halls and pleasaunces in Valmar. Let the Eldar dwell among us, and the well of our joy be filled from new springs that may not dry up.”

Then arose a clamour among the G.o.ds and the most spake for Palrien and Vna, whereas Makar said that Valinor was builded for the Valar-”and already is it a rose-garden of fair ladies rather than an abode of men. Wherefore do ye desire to fill it with the children of the world?” In this Mess backed him, and Mandos and Fui were cold to the Eldar as to all else; yet was Varda vehement in support of Yavanna and Tuivna, and indeed her love for the Eldar has ever been the greatest of all the folk of Valinor; and Aul and Lrien, Orom and Nessa and Ulmo most mightily proclaimed their desire for the bidding of the Eldar to dwell among the G.o.ds. Wherefore, albeit Oss spake cautiously against it-belike out of that ever-smouldering jealousy and rebellion he felt against Ulmo-it was the voice of the council that the Eldar should be bidden, and the G.o.ds awaited but the judgement of Manw. Behold even Melko seeing where was the majority insinuated his guileful voice into the pleading, and has nonetheless since those days maligned the Valar, saying they did but summon the Eldar as to a prison out of covetice and jealousy of their beauty. Thus often did he lie to the Noldoli afterwards when he would stir their restlessness, adding beside all truth that he alone had withstood the general voice and spoken for the freedom of the Elves.

Maybe indeed had the G.o.ds decided otherwise the world had been a fairer place now and the Eldar a happier folk, but never would they have achieved such glory, knowledge, and beauty as they did of old, and still less would any of Melko's redes have benefited them.

Now having hearkened to all that was said Manw gave judgement and was glad, for indeed his heart leaned of itself to the leading of the Eldar from the dusky world to the light of Valinor. Turning to the three Eldar he said: ”Go ye back now to your kindreds and Nornor shall bring you swiftly there, even to Koivi-neni in Palisor. Behold, this is the word of Manw Slimo, and the voice of the Valar's desire, that the people of the Eldali, the Children of Ilvatar, fare to Valinor, and there dwell in the splendour of Laurelin and the radiance of Silpion and know the happiness of the G.o.ds. An abode of surpa.s.sing beauty shall they possess, and the G.o.ds will aid them in its building.”

Thereto answered Inw: ”Fain are we indeed of thy bidding, and who of the Eldali that have already longed for the beauty of the stars will stay or rest till his eyes have feasted on the blessed light of Valinor!” Thereafter Nornor guided those Elves back to the bare margins of Koivi-neni, and standing upon a boulder Inw spake the emba.s.sy to all those hosts of the Eldali that Ilvatar waked first upon the Earth, and all such as heard his words were filled with desire to see the faces of the G.o.ds.

When Nornor returning told the Valar that the Elves were indeed coming and that Ilvatar had set already a great mult.i.tude upon the Earth, the G.o.ds made mighty preparation. Behold Aul gathers his tools and stuffs and Yavanna and Tuivna wander about the plain even to the foothills of the mountains and the bare coasts of the Shadowy Seas, seeking them a home and an abiding-place; but Orom goeth straightway out of Valinor into the forests whose every darkling glade he knew and every dim path had traversed, for he purposed to guide the troops of the Eldar from Palisor over all the wide lands west till they came to the confines of the Great Sea.

To those dark sh.o.r.es fared Ulmo, and strange was the roaring of the unlit sea in those most ancient days upon that rocky coast that bore still the scars of the tumultuous wrath of Melko. Falman-Oss was little pleased to see Ulmo in the Great Seas, for Ulmo had taken that island whereon Oss himself had drawn the G.o.ds to Arvalin, saving them from the rising waters when Ringi! and Helkar thawed beneath their blazing lamps. That was many ages past in the days when the G.o.ds were new-come strangers in the world, and during all that time the island had floated darkly in the Shadowy Seas, desolate save when Oss climbed its beaches on his journeys in the deeps; but now Ulmo had come upon his secret island and harnessed thereto a host of the greatest fish, and amidmost was Uin the mightiest and most ancient of whales; and he bid these put forth their strength, and they drew the island mightily to the very sh.o.r.es of the Great Lands, even to the coast of Hisilm northward of the Iron Mountains whither all the deepest shades withdrew when the Sun first arose.