The War of the Jewels (17 page)

There follows here a section of the text where the original writing was heavily emended, after which the greater part of the section was struck out and replaced. I give first the form as originally written.

For the antecedents of the Grey Annals (other than the entries concerning Tuor) from this point to the end of the tale of Turin ($349) see the commentary on $$287 ff.

$287. At last worn and hungry by long days of journey, as the sad autumn drew on he came to the pools of Ivrin, where before he had been healed. But they were broken and defiled, and he could not drink there again. An ill token it seemed to him.

$288. Thus he came through the passes into Dorlomin, and even as winter fell with snow from the North, he found again the land of his childhood. Bare was it and bleak. And Morwen was gone. Empty stood her house, broken and cold. It was more than a year since she departed to Doriath. Brodda the Easterling (who had wedded Morwen's kinswoman Airin) had plundered her house, and taken all that was left of her goods. Then Turin's.

eyes were opened, and the spell of Glaurung was broken, and he knew the lies wherewith he had been cheated. And in his anguish and his wrath for the evils that his mother had suffered he slew Brodda in his own hall, and fled then out into the winter, a hunted man.

$289. Tidings came soon to Thingol in Doriath of the fall of Nargothrond; and [it was revealed now that Mormegil was indeed Turin son of Hurin >] fear walked on the borders of the Hidden Kingdom.

$290. In this same year Tuor son of Huor was led by the sendings of Ulmo to a secret way that led from Mithrim, by a channel of water running under earth, and so came to the deep cleft at the head of Drengist, and passed out of the knowledge of the spies of Morgoth. Then journeying alone warily down the coasts he came through the Falas and the ruined Havens and so reached at the year's end the Mouths of Sirion. [Added and then struck out: In the spring of this year also Handir of Brethil was slain in fighting with the Orcs that ventured into Brethil.]

496.

$291. Too late now Turin sought for Finduilas, roaming the woods under the shadow of Eryd Wethion, wild and wary as a beast; and he waylaid all the roads that went north to the pass of Sirion. Too late. For all trails had grown old, or had perished in the winter. But thus it was that Turin passing southwards down Taiglin came upon some of the folk of Haleth that dwelt still in the forest of Brethil. They were dwindled now by war to a small people, and dwelt for the most part secretly within a stockade upon the Amon Obel deep in the forest. Ephel Brandir was that place named; for Brandir son of Handir was now their lord since [Handir had not returned from the stricken field of Tum-halad. >] since Handir his father had been slain. And Brandir was no man of war, being lame by a misadventure in childhood; and he was gentle moreover in mood, loving wood rather than metal, and the knowledge of all things that grow in the earth rather than other lore.

At this point the rejected section of the narrative, beginning at $287, ends. The text that replaced it belongs to the time of the writing of the manuscript.

$292. At last worn by haste and the long road (for [eighty >]

forty leagues had he journeyed without rest) he came with the first ice of winter to the pools of Ivrin, where before he had been healed. But they were now but a frozen mire, and he could not drink there again.

$293. Thus he came hardly by the passes of Dorlomin, through bitter snows from the North, and found again the land of his childhood. Bare was it and bleak. And Morwen was gone.

Empty stood her house, broken and cold, and no living thing now dwelt nigh.

$294. It so befell that Turin came then to the hall of Brodda the Incomer, and learned of an old servant of Hurin that Brodda had taken to wife by force Airin Hurin's kinswoman, and had oppressed Morwen; and therefore in the year before she had fled with Nienor, none but Airin knew whither.

$295. Then Turin strode to Brodda's table, and with threats learned from Airin that Morwen went to Doriath to seek her son. For said Airin: 'The lands were freed then from evil by the Blacksword of the South, who now hath fallen, they say.'

$296. Then Turin's eyes were opened, and the last shreds of Glaurung's spell left him, and for anguish, and wrath at the lies that had deluded him, and hatred of the oppressors of Morwen, a black rage seized him, and he slew Brodda in his hall, and other Easterlings that were his guests, and then he fled out into the winter, a hunted man.

$297. But he was aided by some that remained of Hador's people and knew the ways of the wild, and with them he escaped through the falling snow and came to an outlaws'

refuge in the southern mountains of Dorlomin. Thence Turin passed again from the land of his childhood, and returned to Sirion's vale. His heart was bitter, for to Dorlomin he had brought only greater woe upon the remnant of his people, and they were glad of his going; and this comfort alone he had: that by the prowess of the Blacksword the ways to Doriath had been laid open to Morwen. And he said in his heart: 'Then those deeds wrought not evil to all! And where else might I have better bestowed my dear kin, even if I had come sooner? For if the Girdle of Melian is broken, then last hope is ended. Nay, it is better as it hath turned out. For behold! a shadow I cast wheresoever I come. Let Melian keep them! But I will leave them in peace unshadowed for a while.'

496.

$298. Here Tuor son of Huor met Bronwe of the Noldor at the mouths of Sirion; and they began a journey northward along the great river. But as they dwelt in Nan Tathrin, and delayed because of the peace and beauty of that country in the spring, Ulmo himself came up Sirion and appeared to Tuor, and the yearning for the Great Sea was ever after in his heart. But now at Ulmo's command he went up Sirion, and by the power that Ulmo set upon them Tuor and Bronwe found the guarded entrance to Gondolin. There Tuor was brought before King Turgon, and spake the words that Ulmo had set in his mouth, bidding him depart and abandon the fair and mighty city that he had built, and go down to the Sea. But Turgon would not listen to this counsel; and [Meglin later >] Glindur his sister-son spoke against Tuor. But Tuor was held in honour in Gondolin, for his kindred's sake.

This annal was much emended and added to (and the date changed to 495), and then (since the text was now in a very confused state) struck out as far as 'bidding him depart' and replaced by the following version on a detached slip:

495.

$299. Now Tuor Huor's son had lived as an outlaw in the caves of Androth above Mithrim for four years, and he had done great hurt to the Easterlings, and Lorgan set a price upon his head. But Ulmo, who had chosen him as the instrument of his designs, caused him to go by secret ways out of the land of Dorlomin, so that his going was hidden from all the servants of Morgoth; and he came to Nivrost. But there, becoming enamoured of the Sea, he tarried long; and in the autumn of the year Ulmo himself appeared to Tuor, and bade him to depart, and go to the hidden city of Turgon. And he sent to him Voronwe, last of the mariners of Turgon, to guide him; and Voronwe led Tuor eastward along the eaves of Eryd Wethion to Ivrin. (And there they saw Turin pass, but spoke not with him.) And at the last by the power that Ulmo set upon them they came to the guarded gate of Gondolin. There Tuor was brought before the king, and spoke the counsel of Ulmo, bidding Turgon

[the following is the text already given in $298] depart and abandon the fair and mighty city that he had built, and go down to the Sea. But Turgon would not listen to this counsel; and

[Meglin later >] Glindur his sister-son spoke against Tuor. But Tuor was held in honour in Gondolin, for his kindred's sake.

[496]

$300. Now Turin coming down from Eryd Wethion sought for Finduilas in vain, roaming the woods under the shadow of the mountains, wild and wary as a beast; and he waylaid all the roads that went north to the passes of Sirion. Too late. For all the trails had grown old, or were washed away by the winter.

But thus it was that, passing southwards down Taiglin, Turin came upon some of the Men of Brethil, and delivered them from Orcs that had entrapped them. For the Orcs fled from Gurthang.

$301. He named himself Wildman of the Woods, and they besought him to come and dwell with them; but he said that he had an errand yet unachieved: to seek Finduilas Orodreth's daughter. Then Dorlas, leader of the woodmen, told the grievous tidings of her death. For the woodmen at the Crossings of Taiglin had waylaid the orc-host that led the captives of Nargothrond, hoping to rescue them; but the Orcs had at once cruelly slain their prisoners, and Finduilas they pinned to a tree with a spear. So she died, saying at the last: 'Tell the Mormegil that Finduilas is here.' Therefore they had laid her in a mound near that place, and named it Haud-en-Ellas.

$302. Turin bade them lead him thither, and there he fell down into a darkness of grief, and was near to death. Then Dorlas by his black sword, the fame whereof had come even into the deeps of Brethil, and by his quest of the king's daughter, knew that this Wildman was indeed the Mormegil of Nargothrond [added:] (whom rumour said was the son of Hurin of Dorlomin). The woodmen therefore lifted him up, and bore him away to their homes. These were set in a stockade upon a high place in the forest, Ephel Brandir upon Amon Obel; for the folk of Haleth were now dwindled by war to a small people, and Brandir son of Handir who ruled them was a man of gentle mood, and lame also from childhood, and he trusted rather in secrecy than in deeds of war to save them from the power of the North.

$303. Therefore he feared the tidings that Dorlas brought, and when he beheld the face of Turin as he lay on the bier a cloud of foreboding lay on his heart. Nonetheless being moved by his woe, he took him into his own house and tended him; for he had skill in healing. And with the beginning of spring Turin cast off his darkness, and grew hale again; and he arose, and he thought that he would remain in Brethil, hidden, and put his shadow behind him, forsaking the past. He took therefore a new name, Turambar, and besought the woodmen to forget that he was a stranger among them or ever bore any other name.

Nonetheless he would not wholly leave deeds of war, for he could not endure that the Orcs should come to the Crossings of Taiglin or draw nigh Haud-en-Ellas, and he made that a place of dread for them so that they shunned it. But he laid his black sword by, and used rather the bow.

$304. Now new tidings came to Doriath concerning Nargothrond, for some that had escaped from the defeat and the sack, and had survived the fell winter in the wild, came at last to Thingol, seeking refuge. But their tales were at variance, some saying that Nargothrond was empty, others that Glaurung abode there; some saying that all the lords and captains were slain, others that, nay, the Mormegil had returned to Nargothrond and there was made a prisoner under the spell of the dragon.

But all declared that it was known to many in Nargothrond ere the end that the Mormegil was none other than Turin Hurin's son. [Pencilled addition: And when she heard of the Dragon-helm Morwen knew this was true.]

$305. Then Morwen was distraught, and refusing the counsel of Melian, she rode forth alone into the wild to seek her son, or some true tidings of him. Thingol, therefore, sent Mablung after her, with many hardy march-wards, and some riders, to guard her, and to learn what news they might; but Nienor joined this company secretly in disguise, for she hoped that when Morwen saw that her daughter would go with her into peril, if she went on, then she would be willing to return to Doriath and leave the seeking of tidings to Mablung. But Morwen, being fey, would not be persuaded, and Mablung perforce led the ladies with him; and they passed out over the wide plain and came to Amon Ethir, a league before the bridge of Nargothrond. There Mablung set a guard of riders about Morwen and her daughter, and forbade them go further. But he, seeing from the hill no sign of any enemy, went down with his scouts to the Narog, as stealthily as they could go.

$306. But Glaurung was aware of all that they did, and he came forth in heat of wrath, and lay into the river; and a vast vapour and foul reek went up, in which Mablung and his company were blinded and lost. Then Glaurung passed east over Narog.

$307. Seeing the onset of Glaurung the guards upon Amon Ethir sought to lead the ladies away, and fly with them with all speed back eastwards; but the wind bore the blank mists upon them, and their horses were maddened by the dragon-stench, and were ungovernable, and ran this way and that, so that some were dashed against trees and slain, and others were borne far away. Thus the ladies were lost, and of Morwen indeed no sure tidings came ever to Doriath after. But Nienor, being thrown by her steed yet unhurt, groped her way back to Amon Ethir, there to await Mablung, and came thus above the reek into the sunlight. [Thus she came alone face to face with Glaurung himself, who had climbed up from the other side. >] And looking west she looked straight into the eyes of Glaurung, whose head lay upon the hill-top.