The Lays of Beleriand Read Online Free PDF Page B

'Prologue' of the poem derives from the opening of the Tale (II. 70 -- 1) and in strictly narrative terms there has been little development. In lines 18 -- z t (and especially in the rejected line in A, as a myriad rats in measureless army lmighf pull down the proudest) is clearly foreshadowed the story in The Silmarillion (p. 195):
    ... they took him at last alive, by the command of Morgoth, for the Orcs grappled him with their hands, which clung to him though he hewed off their arms; and ever their numbers were renewed, until at last he fell buried beneath them.
    On the other hand the motive in the later story for capturing him alive (Morgoth knew that Hurin had been to Gondolin) is necessarily not present, since Gondolin in the older phases of the legends was not discovered till Turgon retreated down Sirion after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears (II. 120, 208). That he was taken alive by Morgoth's command is however already stated in the poem (line 20), though it is not explained why. In the Tale Morgoth's interest in Hurin as a tool for the discovery of Turgon arose from his knowledge that the Elves of Kor thought little of Men, holding them in scant fear or suspicion for their blindness and lack of skill
    -- an idea that is repeated in the poem (46 -- 8); but this idea seems only to have arisen in Morgoth's mind when he came to Hurin in his dungeon (44ff.).
    The place of Hurin's torment (in the Tale 'a lofty place of the mountains') is now defined as a stool of stone on the steepest peak of, Thangorodrim; and this is the first occurrence of that name.
    In the change of son to heir in line 29 is seen the first hint of a development in the kingly house of the Noldoli, with the appearance of a second generation between Finwe (Finweg) and Turgon; but by the time that my father pencilled this change on the text (and noted 'He was Fingolfin's son') the later genealogical structure was already in being, and this is as it were a casual indication of it.
    In 'Turin's Fostering' there is a close relationship between the Tale ]
    and the poem, extending to many close similarities of wording -- especially abundant in the scene in Thingol's hall leading to the death of Orgof; and some phrases had a long life, surviving from the Tale, through the poem, and into the.Narn i Hin Hurin, as
    rather would she dwell poor among Men than live sweetly as an almsguest among the woodland Elves(II. 73)
    but to spend her days
    as alms-guest of others, even Elfin kings,
    it liked her little
    (284 -- 6)
    she would not yet humble her pride to be an alms-guest, not even of a king(Narn p. 70)
    -- though in the Narn the 'alms-guest' passage occurs at a different point, before Turin left Hithlum (Morwen's hope that Hurin would come back is in the Narn her reason for not journeying to Doriath with her son, not for refusing the 1ater invitation to her to go).
    Of Morwen's situation in Dor-lomin after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears there are a few things to say. In the poem (111--13) men unmindful of his mighty lordship
    dwelt in Dorlomin and dealt unkindly
    with his widowed wife
    -- echoing the Tale: 'the strange men who dwelt nigh knew not the dignity of the Lady Mavwin', but there is still no indication of who these men were or where they came from (see II. 126). As so often, the narrative situation was prepared but its explanation had not emerged. The un-clarity of the Tale as to where Urin dwelt before the great Battle (see II.120) is no longer present: the dwelling was dear where he dwelt of old (288). Nienor was born before Turin left (on the contradiction in the Tale on this point see II. 131); and the chronology of Turin's childhood is still that of the Tale (see II. 142): seven years old when he left Hithlum (332), seven years in Doriath while tidings still came from Morwen (333), twelve years since he came to Doriath when he slew Orgof (471). In the later story the last figure remained unchanged, which suggests that the X (mark of dissatisfaction)