The War of the Jewels (11 page)

$149. Turgon was not in that battle, nor Haleth, nor any but few of Haleth's men. [The following passage, to the end of $150, was struck out later: It is said that in the autumn before the Sudden Flame, Hurin son of Galion was dwelling as fosterson (as the custom was among the northern men) with Haleth, and Handir and Hurin, being of like age, went much together; and hunting in Sirion's vale they found [by chance or fate later >] by fate or the will of Ulmo I the hidden entrance into the valley of Tumladin where stood Gondolin the guarded city. There they were taken by the watch and brought before Turgon, and looked upon the city of which none that dwelt outside yet knew aught, save Thorondor King of Eagles. But Turgon welcomed them, for [messages and dreams sent by Ulmo, Lord of Waters, up the streams of Sirion had warned him that a time of grief approached in which he would have need of the help of Men. >] Ulmo, Lord of Waters, had warned him to look kindly upon the folk of the House.of Hador, from whom great help should come to him at need.

$150. It is said that Turgon had great liking for the boy Hurin, and wished to keep him in Gondolin; but Thorondor brought dread tidings of the great battle, and Handir and Hurin wished to depart to share the troubles of their folk. Therefore Turgon let them go, but they swore to him oaths of secrecy and never revealed Gondolin; yet at this time Hurin learned something of the counsels of Turgon, though he kept them hidden in his heart.]

$151. When [later > But when] Turgon learned of the breaking of the leaguer of Angband, he sent secret messengers to the mouths of Sirion and to the Isle of Balar and there they [the following passage was struck out and replaced at the time o f writing: built many swift ships. Thence many set sail upon Turgon's errand, seeking for Valinor, to ask for pardon and for aid of the Valar, but none came ever to the West and few returned.

$152. Now it seemed to Fingolfin, King of the Noldor, that he beheld the utter ruin of his people, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses, and he was filled with wrath and despair. Then he rode forth alone to the gates of Angband]

endeavoured to build ships that might sail into the uttermost West on Turgon's errand, seeking for Valinor, there to ask for pardon and the aid of the Valar. But the Noldor had not the art of shipbuilding, and all the craft that they built foundered or were driven back by the winds. But Turgon ever maintained a secret refuge upon the Isle of Balar, and the building of ships was never wholly abandoned.

$153. [Original date here 456 struck out at the time of writing] Morgoth learning now of the defeat of the sons of Finrod, and the scattering of the people of Feanor, hemmed Fingolfin in Hithlum and sent a great force to attack the westward pass into the vales of Sirion; and Sauron his lieutenant (who in Beleriand was named Gorsodh) led that assault, and his hosts broke through and besieged the fortress of Inglor, Minnas-tirith upon Tolsirion. And this they took after bitter fighting, and Orodreth the brother of Inglor who held it was driven out. There he would have been slain, but Celegorn and Curufin came up with their riders, and such other force as they could gather, and they fought fiercely, and stemmed the tide for a while; and thus Orodreth escaped and came to Nargothrond.

Thither also at last before the might of Sauron fled Celegorn and Curufin with small following; and they were harboured in Nargothrond gratefully, and the griefs that lay between the houses of Finrod and Feanor were for that time forgotten.

$154. But Sauron took Minnas-tirith and made it into a watch-tower for Morgoth, and filled it with evil; for he was a sorcerer and a master of phantoms and terror. And the fair isle of Tolsirion became accursed and was called Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Isle of Werewolves; for Sauron fed many of these evil things.

456.

$155. Now Fingolfin, King of the Noldor, beheld (as him seemed) the utter ruin of his people, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses, and he was filled with wrath and despair. Therefore he did on his silver arms, and took his white helm, and his sword Ringil, and his blue shield set with a star of crystal, and mounting upon Rochallor his great steed he rode forth alone and none might restrain him. And he passed over the Anfauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, deeming that Orome himself was come, for a great madness of ire was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar. Thus he came alone to Angband's gate and smote upon it once again, and sounding a challenge upon his silver horn he called Morgoth himself to come forth to combat, crying: 'Come forth, thou coward king, to fight with thine own hand! Den-dweller, wielder of thralls, liar and lurker, foe of Gods and Elves, come! For I would see thy craven face.'

$156. Then Morgoth came. For he could not refuse such a challenge before the face of his captains. But Fingolfin withstood him, though he towered above the Elven-king like a storm above a lonely tree, and his vast black shield unblazoned overshadowed the star of Fingolfin like a thundercloud. Morgoth fought with a great hammer, Grond, that he wielded as a mace, and Fingolfin fought with Ringil. Swift was Fingolfin, and avoiding the strokes of Grond, so that Morgoth smote only the ground (and at each blow a great pit was made), he wounded Morgoth seven times with his sword; and the cries of Morgoth echoed in the north-lands. But wearied at last Fingolfin fell, beaten to the earth by the hammer of Angband, and Morgoth set his foot upon his neck and crushed him.

$157. In his last throe Fingolfin pinned the foot of his Enemy to the earth with Ringil, and the black blood gushed forth and filled the pits of Grond. Morgoth went ever halt thereafter. Now lifting the body of the fallen king he would break it and cast it to his wolves, but Thorondor coming suddenly assailed him and marred his face, and snatching away the corse of Fingolfin bore it aloft to the mountains far away and laid it in a high place north of the valley of Gondolin; there the eagles piled a great cairn of stones. There was lamentation in Gondolin when Thorondor brought the tidings, for [the people of the hidden city were all later >] many of the people of the hidden city were / Noldor of Fingolfin's house. Now Rochallor had stayed beside the king until the end, but the wolves of Angband assailed him, and he escaped from them because of his great swiftness, and ran at last to Hithlum, and broke his heart and died. Then in great sorrow Fingon took the lordship of the house of Fingolfin and the kingdom of the Noldor. [Late pencilled addition: But his young son (?Findor) [sic] Gilgalad he sent to the Havens.]

$ 158. Now Morgoth's power overshadowed the north-lands, but [struck out: still] Barahir would not retreat and defended still the remant of his land and folk in Dorthonion. But Morgoth hunted down all that there remained of Elves or Men, and he sent Sauron against them; and all the forest of the northward slopes of that land was turned into a region of dread and dark enchantment, so that it was after called Taur-nu-Fuin, the Forest under Nightshade.

$159. At last so desperate was the case of Barahir that Emeldir the Manhearted his wife (whose mind was rather to fight beside her son and husband than to flee) gathered together all the women and children that were still left, and gave arms to those that would bear them, and led them into the mountains that lay behind, and so by perilous paths, until they came with loss and misery at last to Brethil. And some were there received into Haleth's folk, and some passed on to Dorlomin and the people of Galion Hador's son. (Among these were Morwen Eledhwen daughter of Baragund, and Rian daughter of Belegund.) But none ever again saw the menfolk that they had left. For these were slain one by one, or fled, until at last only Barahir and Beren his son, and Baragund and Belegund sons of Bregolas, were left, and with them [eight >] nine desperate men whose names were long remembered in song: Dagnir and Ragnor, Radhruin and Dairuin and Gildor, Urthel and Arthad and Hathaldir, and Gorlim Unhappy. Outlaws without hope they became, for their dwellings were destroyed, and their wives and children slain or taken or fled with Emeldir. No help came to them and they were hunted as wild beasts.

458.

$160. Here Haleth and his men fought with the Orcs that came down Sirion. In this battle they had help out of Doriath (for they dwelt upon its west-march), and Beleg the Bowman chief of the march-wards of Thingol brought great strength of the Eglath armed with axes into Brethil; and issuing from the deeps of the forest they took an Orc-legion at unawares and destroyed it. Thus for a while the black tide out of the North was stemmed in that region and the Orcs did not dare to cross the Taiglin for many years after.

At this point my father inserted into the manuscript an extensive rider, replacing the rejected passage in annal 455 ($$149-50). This rider was written on the backs of two sheets from the engagement calendar for 1951 (see p. 47), covering weeks in August - September and December of that year.

$161. It is said that at this time Hurin and Huor, the sons of Galion, were dwelling with Haleth [added later: their kinsman]

as fostersons (as the custom then was among northern Men); and they went both to battle with the Orcs, even Huor, for he would not be restrained, though he was but thirteen years in age. And being with a company that was cut off from the rest, they were pursued to the ford of Brithiach; and there they would have been taken or slain, but for the power of Ulmo, which was still strong in Sirion. Therefore a mist arose from the river and hid them from their enemies, and they escaped into Dimbar, and wandered in the hills beneath the sheer walls of the Crisaegrim. There Thorondor espied them, and sent two Eagles that took them and bore them up and brought them beyond the mountains to the secret vale of Tumladen and the hidden city of Gondolin, which no man else had yet seen.

$162. Then they were led before King Turgon, and he welcomed them, for Ulmo had counselled him to deal kindly with the House of Hador, whence great help should come to him at need. And Hurin and Huor dwelt as his guests for well nigh a year; and it is said that at this time Hurin learned something of the counsels and purposes of Turgon. For Turgon had great liking for Hurin, and for Huor his brother, and spoke much with them; and he wished to keep them in Gondolin, out of love and not for his law only. Now it was the law of the king that no stranger who found the way in, or looked on the guarded realm, should ever depart again until such time as the king should [come forth from hiding >] open the leaguer and the hidden people should come forth.

$163. But Hurin and Huor desired to return to their own kin, and share in the wars and griefs that now beset them. And Hurin said to Turgon: Lord, we are but mortal men, and unlike the Eldar. They may endure long years, awaiting battle with their enemies in some far distant day. But for us time is short, and our hope and strength soon withereth. Moreover we found not the road hither, and indeed we know not surely where this city standeth; for we were brought in fear and wonder by the high ways of the air, and in mercy our eyes were veiled.'

$164. Then Turgon yielded to their prayer, and said: 'By the way that ye came ye have leave to depart, if Thorondor is willing. I grieve at this parting, yet in a little while, as the Eldar account it, we may meet again.'

$165. But it is said that [Glindur later >] Maeglin, the king's sister-son, grieved not at all at their going, [save only later >]

though he begrudged it/ that in this the king showed them favour, for he loved not the kindred of Men; and he said: 'Your grace is greater than ye know, and the law is become less stern than aforetime, or else no choice would be given you but to abide here to your life's end.'

$166. 'The king's grace is great indeed,' answered Hurin;

'but if we have not thy trust then oaths we will take.' And the brethren swore never to reveal the counsels of Turgon and to keep secret all that they had seen in his realm. Then they took their leave, and the Eagles coming bore them away and set them down in Dor Lomin; and their kinsfolk rejoiced to see them, for messages from Brethil had reported that they were slain or taken by the Orcs. But though they told that they had dwelt a while in honour in the halls of King Turgon, to none, kin or stranger, would they ever speak of the manner of his land, or its ordering, or where upon earth it might be found. Nonetheless the strange fortune of the sons of Galion, and their friendship with Turgon, became known far and wide, and reached the ears of the servants of Morgoth.

The rider ends here, and I return to the original text of the Annals.

460.

$167. The forest of Dorthonion rose southward into mountainous moors. There lay a lake, Tarn-aeluin, in the east of those highlands, and wild heaths were about it, and all that land was pathless and untamed; for even in the days of the Long Peace none had dwelt there. But the waters of Tarn-aeluin were held in reverence; for they were clear and blue by day and by night were a mirror for the stars. Melian herself, it was said, had hallowed that water in days of old. Thither Barahir and his outlaws withdrew, and there made their lair, and Morgoth could not discover it. But the rumour of the deeds of Barahir and his twelve men went far and wide, and enheartened those that were under the thraldom of Morgoth; and he therefore commanded Sauron to find and destroy the rebels speedily. Elsewhere in the Quenta and the Lay of Leithian is much told of this, and how Sauron ensnared Gorlim by a phantom of his wife Eilinel, and tormented him and cozened him, so that he betrayed the hidings of Barahir. Thus at last the outlaws were surrounded and all slain, save Beren son of Barahir. For Barahir his father had sent him on a perilous errand to spy upon the ways of the Enemy, and he was far afield when the lair was taken, and returned only to find the bodies of the slain.