The War of the Jewels (46 page)

I said of this text in V.324: 'The very fact that the end of "The Silmarillion" still took this form when The Lord of the Rings was begun is sufficiently remarkable'. It seems much more remarkable, and not easy to interpret, that my father was treating it as a text requiring only minor and particular revision at this much later time. But his mode of emendation could sometimes be decidedly perfunctory, suggesting not a close, comparative consideration of an earlier text so much as a series of descents on particular points that struck his attention; and it may be that such later emendations as he made in this case are to be regarded rather in that light than as implying any sort of final approval of the content. But this text was peculiar in its inception, jumping forward from the beginning of the story of Turin to the middle of a sentence much further on in the Quenta, and its later history does not diminish its somewhat mysterious nature.

PART THREE.

THE WANDERINGS

OF

HURIN

AND OTHER WRITINGS

NOT FORMING PART

OF THE

QUENTA SILMARILLION.

I

THE WANDERINGS OF HURIN.

In The Wanderings of Hurin ('WH') it is not convenient to use the device of numbered paragraphs, and commentary (pp. 298 ff.) is here related to numbered notes in the text.

The earliest account of Hurin after his release by Morgoth is found in the Tale of Turambar (II.112 - 15, 135-6), leading to that in the Sketch of the Mythology (IV.32) and in Q (IV.132); see also AB 1 and AB 2 (IV.306, V.141). It is not necessary to say anything about these here, since in none of them is there any suggestion that Hurin returned to Hithlum (or went to Brethil) before he came to Nargothrond.

I have described (p. 103) how the manuscript of the Grey Annals (GA) ends with strange abruptness at the foot of a page, and said that

'it always seemed to me strange that my father should have abandoned the Grey Annals where he did, without at least writing the inscription that was carved on the stone'. At some later time (see ibid.) he entered roughly on the manuscript the inscription on the stone, and the words of conclusion to the tale, derived from the last part of the Narn (NE).

The explanation of this was simple, when I discovered, misplaced among miscellaneous papers, manuscript pages that are very obviously the continuation of the Grey Annals (the first of these pages is indeed numbered continuously with the last page of the main manuscript); this continuation, it is plain, was already lost in my father's lifetime.

The original conclusion was in fact exactly as in the addition made to GA when he presumed the original ending lost, except that the title of the work was then Glaer nia Chin Hurin, as in NE (p. 160, $349).

Subsequently my father had added the words 'and was made by Men', as in the conclusion added to GA (p. 103), and later again he changed the title to Narn i Chin Hurin, as he did also in NE.

In the scarcely changing script of the main manuscript this 'lost' text stopped here, but was then continued on the same page in a different ink and script, with the date 500 twice written against this further entry and each time struck out.

It is said by some that Morwen on a time came in her witless wandering to that stone and read it, and died afterwards, though haply she did not understand the tale that it told, and in that was less tormented than Hurin. For all that Morgoth knew of the working of his curse Hurin knew also; but lies and malice were mingled with the truth, and he that sees through the eyes of Morgoth, willing or unwilling, sees all things crooked.

[Written in the margin later: Some fate of Morwen must be devised. Did Morwen and Hurin meet again?](1)

At this point the ink and to a slight degree the style of the script change again. The following narrative is the first account of Hurin's release since the Quenta of 1930.

500.

Especially Morgoth endeavoured to cast an evil light upon all that Thingol and Melian had done (for he hated and feared them most); and when at last he deemed the time ripe, in the year after the death of his children, he released Hurin from bondage and let him go whither he would. He feigned that in this he was moved by generosity to a defeated enemy, but in truth his purpose was that Hurin should further his malice. And little though Hurin trusted aught that Morgoth said or did, he went forth in grief, embittered by the lies of the Dark Lord.

Twenty-eight years Hurin was captive in Angband, and at his release was in his sixtieth year,(2) but great strength was in him still, in spite of the weight of his grief, for it suited the purpose ]

of Morgoth that this should be so. He was sent under guard as far as the east-marches of Hithlum, and there he was let go free.

None that had known him [in] youth could mistake him still, .]

though he had grown grim to look on: his hair and beard were white and long, but there was a fell light in his eyes. He walked unbowed, and yet carried a great black staff; but he was girt with his sword. Great wonder and dread fell on the land when it was noised in Hithlum that the Lord Hurin had returned. The Easterlings were dismayed, fearing that their Master would prove faithless again and give back the land to the Westrons, and that they would be enslaved in their turn. For watchmen had reported that Hurin came out of Angband.

'There was a great riding,' they said, 'of the black soldiers of Thangorodrim over the Anfauglith, and with them came this man, as one that was held in honour.'

Therefore the chieftains of the Easterlings dared not lay hands on Hurin, and let him walk at will. In which they were wise; for the remnant of his own people shunned him, because of his coming from Angband, as one in league and honour with Morgoth; and indeed all escaped captives were held in suspicion of spying and treachery in those days, as has been told. Thus freedom only increased the bitterness of Hurin's heart; for even had he so wished, he could not have roused any rebellion against the new lords of the land. All the following that he gathered was a small company of the homeless men and outlaws chat lurked in the hills; but they had done no great deed against the Incomers since the passing of Turin, some five years before.

Of Turin's deeds in Brodda's hall Hurin now learned from the '

outlaws the true tale,. and he looked on Asgon {3} and his men, and he said: 'Men are changed here. In thraldom they have found thrall hearts. I desire no longer any lordship among them, nor elsewhere in Middle-earth. I will leave this land and wander alone, unless any of you will go with me, to meet what we may.

For I have no purpose now, unless I find chance to avenge the wrongs of my son.'

Asgorn {4} and six other desperate men were willing to go with him; and Hurin led them to the halls of Lorgan, who still called himself the Lord of Hithlum. Lorgan heard of their coming and was afraid, and he gathered other chieftains and their men in his house for defence. But Hurin coming to the gates looked on the Eastrons {5} in scorn.

'Fear not!' he said. 'I should have needed no companions, if I had come to fight with you. I am come only to take leave of the lord of the land. I have no liking for it any more, since you have defiled it. Hold it while you may, until your Master recalls you to the slave-tasks that fit you better.'

Then Lorgan was not ill-pleased to think that he would so soon and easily be rid of the fear of Hurin, without crossing the will of Angband; and he came forward.

'As you will, friend,' he said. 'I have done you no ill, and have let you be, and of this I hope you will bring a true tale, if you come again to the Master.'

Hurin eyed him in wrath. 'Friend me not, thrall and churl!' he said. 'And believe not the lies that I have heard: that I have ever entered into the service of the Enemy. Of the Edain am I and so remain, and there shall be no friendship between mine and yours for ever.'

Then hearing that Hurin had not after all the favour of Morgoth, or forswore it, many of Lorgan's men drew their swords to put an end to him. But Lorgan restrained them; for he was wary, and more cunning and wicked than the others, and quicker therefore to guess at the purposes of the Master.

'Go then, greybeard, to evil fortune,' he said. 'For that is your doom. Folly and violence and self-hurt are all the deeds of your kin. Fare you ill!'

'Tol acharn!' said Hurin. 'Vengeance comes. I am not the last of the Edain, whether I fare ill or well.' And with that he departed, and left the land of Hithlum.

501.

Of the wanderings of Hurin there is no tale told, until he came at last late in this year to Nargothrond. It is said that he had then gathered to him other fugitives and masterless men in the wild, and came south with a following of a hundred or more. But why it was that he went to Nargothrond is uncertain, save that so his doom and the fate of the Jewels led him. Some have said that

At this point the 'lost continuation' of the Grey Annals stops, at the foot of a page; but a further page is found, written in a wholly different script (a rapid italic that my father used quite frequently in the period after the publication of The Lord of the Rings), that clearly joins to the abandoned sentence 'Some have said that'. Together with the first extension of the Annals, that concerning Morwen (pp.

251-2), and then the narrative recounting Hurin's return to Hithlum, this page is a further and final link in the series of additions that were made at intervals whose length cannot be determined.

[Some have said that] maybe he knew not that Glaurung was dead, and hoped in his heart distraught to take vengeance on this evil thing - for Morgoth would conceal the death of Glaurung, if he could, both because the loss was a grief to him and a hurt to his pride, and because (from Hurin especially) he would conceal all that was most valiant or successful of Turin's deeds. Yet this can scarce be so,(6) since the death of Glaurung was so bound up with the death of his children and revelation of their evil case; while the rumour of the assault of Glaurung upon Brethil went far and wide. Certainly Morgoth fenced men in Hithlum, as he was able, and little news came to them of events in other lands; but so soon as Hurin passed southward or met any wanderers in the wild he would hear tidings of the battle in the ravine of Taiglin.

More likely is it that he was drawn thither to discover news of Turin; to Brethil he would not yet come, nor to Doriath.

He went first seeking a way into Gondolin, and the friendship of Turgon (which indeed would have been great); but he found it not. His doom was unwilling (for Morgoth's curse was ever upon him still); and moreover since the Nirnaeth Turgon had expended every art upon the hiding of his realm. It was then that Hurin finding

Here the text stops abruptly; but on the same page and clearly at the same time my father wrote the following:

Hurin goes to seek Gondolin. Fails. Passes by Brethil, and his anguish is increased. They will not admit him - saying that the Halethrim do not wish any more to become enmeshed in the shadow of his kin. But A [?new] Lord (7) gives the dragon-helm to Hurin. His heart is hot against Thingol. He passes it

[Doriath] by and goes on to Nargothrond. Why? To seek news, plunder, - he had been an admirer of Felagund.

News of the fall of Nargothrond came to sons of Feanor, and dismayed Maedros, but did not all displease Celeg[orn] and Curufin. But when the news of the dragon's fall was heard, then many wondered concerning its hoard and who was the master?

Some Orc-lord, men thought. But the Dwarves of [sic] How did Mim find it? He must come of a different race.(8) These two pieces, especially the latter, are plainly a record of emerging ideas. In the first there is what is probably the earliest reference to the story that Hurin sought but failed to find the entrance to Gondolin. In the second appears a new articulation in the unwritten history of the Dragon-helm, together with other new detail (Hurin's admiration of Felagund, and the effect of the news of the fall of Nargothrond on the sons of Feanor); and there is seen the first adumbration of a story of Hurin's adventures in Brethil before he went to Nargothrond.

Before coming to the fully achieved story of Hurin in Brethil there remains one further text to consider. When my father was engaged on his later work on the Narn i Chin Hurin he made several plot-synopses arranged in annalistic form. Much of that material is not relevant here, since it is primarily concerned with the evolving story of Turin; but one of them, which begins with the birth of Turin, continues beyond his death and gives some account, though very brief, of Hurin after his release by Morgoth.

I give here the conclusion of this text (certainly somewhat later than any of the writings given thus far in Part Three), taking it up a little before the death of Turin, since there are many interesting details in the annals for 490-9 bearing on the accounts given in NE and GA.

The text was written legibly but very rapidly.