The Treason of Isengard (75 page)

Exceptions to this are very few.(9) Against the passage in which Treebeard condemns Saruman this note (it is scarcely in Treebeard's style) is written in the margin (and subsequently struck through): 'It is not perhaps mere chance that Orthanc which in Elvish means "a spike of rock" is in the tongue of Rohan "a machine".' With this cf. 'The Road to Isengard (11 p. 160): This was Orthanc, the citadel of Saruman, the name of which had (by design or chance) a twofold meaning; for in the Elvish speech orthanc signifies Mount Fang, but in the language of the Mark of old the Cunning Mind.'

The alteration to the text made in 1944, extending the Entmoot by an extra day, has appeared already: see p. 407. Until this change was made the Entmoot ended on the afternoon of the second day (cf. TT

pp. 87 - 8):

Most of the time they sat silent under the shelter of the bank; for the wind was colder, and the clouds closer and greyer; there was little sunshine. There was a feeling of expectancy in the air.

They could see that Bregalad was listening, although to them, down in the dell of his Ent-house, the sound of the Ent-voices was faint.

The afternoon came, and the sun, going west towards the mountains, sent out long yellow beams...

At the same time as this was rewritten, my father replaced the Entish words (first appearing in the fair copy manuscript) of the song sung by the Ents as they marched from the Moot past Bregalad's house, but not to the text in TT p. 88.(10)

NOTES.

1. The word hnau is taken from C. S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet: on Earth there is only one kind of hnau, Men, but on Malacandra there are three totally distinct races that are hnau.

2. A pencilled note on the fair copy says that 'Crack my timbers'

had been 'queried by Charles Williams'. The same change was made at a later point in the chapter (TT p. 75).

3. This was changed to the form in TT already on the draft manuscript, but with lomeamor for lomeanor, and this remained uncorrected on the fair copy.

4. It would be interesting to know why Treebeard's knowledge of and estimate of Tom Bombadil was removed. Conceivably, my father felt that the contrast between Bombadil and the Ents developed here confused the conflict between the Ents and the Entwives; or, it may be, it was precisely this passage that gave rise to the idea of that conflict.

5. This is seen from the fact that the new version was still numbered in 'Chapter XXIV', i.e. 'Treebeard' had not yet been separated off as a new chapter, as was done in the course of the writing of the fair copy (p. 414). Moreover, when later the hobbits told Treebeard their story he was 'enormously interested in everything', and 'everything' included Tom Bombadil.

6. The names in the draft have these differences from those in TT: Dorthonion is Orod Thuin (preceded by Orod Thon), which remained in the fair copy and following typescript, changed later to Orod-na-Thon (see the Etymologies, V.392); and for Aldalome appears another name that I cannot certainly read: His .. eluinalda.

7. The name Fonthill is specifically derived from Fonthill in Wilt-shire, as is seen from Funtial, which is the form of the place-name found in a tenth-century charter. The first element of the name is probably Old English funta 'spring', and the second the Celtic word ial 'fertile upland region'; but my father no doubt intended it to be taken as if from Old English hyll 'hill'.

8. This is supported by the bits of text where the erased draft can to some extent be made out, and by a piece of independent draft revision of a part of the 'Saruman' passage. - The name Dernslade (slade 'valley, dell, dingle') can be seen in the draft where the fair copy has Derndingle.

9. In addition to those mentioned in the text, it may be noted that Treebeard's answer to Pippin's question about the small number of the Ents: 'Have a great many died?' is here briefer: ' "Oh no!"

said Treebeard. "But there were only a few to begin with, and we have not much increased. There have been no Entings...'

Among names, Angrenost (Isengard} now appears; a blank was left for the Elvish name of the Valley of Saruman, Nan Gurunir being added in; and Gondor remains Ondor (see p. 401).

10. The original form of the Entish words was thus:

Ta-ruta dum-da dum-da dum / ta-rara dum-da dum-da bum/

Da-duda rum-ta rum-ta rum I ta-dada rum-ta rum-ta dum/

The Ents were coming: ever nearer and louder rose their song.

Ta-bumda romba bumda-romba banda-romba bum-ta bum /

Da-dura dara lamba bum I ta-lamba dara rum-ta rum!

Ta-bum-da-dom I ta-rum-ta-rom I ta-bum-ta lamba dum-da-dom //

ta-bum / ta-rum I ta-bum-ta lamba dum//

This was changed in 1944 to:

A! rundamara-nundarun tahora-mundakumbalun,

taruna-runa-runarun tahora-kumbakumbanun.

The Ents were coming: ever nearer and louder rose their song: Tarundaromba-rundaromba mandaromba-mundamun,

tahurahara-lambanun talambatara-mundarun,

tamunda-rom, tarunda-rom, tamunda-lamba-munda-

tom.

The Song of the Ent and the Entwife.

Rough workings and a first completed draft are extant; in this, verses 1 and 3 are as in the final form.

2. When Spring is in the sprouting corn and flames of green arise, When blossom like a living snow upon the orchard lies, When earth is warm, and wet with rain, and its smell is in the air, I'll linger here, and will not come, because my land is fair.

4. When Summer warms the hanging fruit and burns the berry brown, When straw is long and ear is white and harvest comes to town, When honey spills and apple swells and days are wealthiest, I'll linger here, and will not come, because my land is best.

5. When winter comes and boughs are bare and all the grass is grey, When and starless night o'ertakes the sunless day,

When storm is wild and trees are felled, then in the bitter rain I'll look for thee, and call to thee, I'll come to thee again.

The blank space in this verse is left thus in the original. Verse 6 differs from the final form only in the first line, with repeated When Winter comes, when Winter comes; and the concluding lines differ only in the roads that lead for the road that leads. A preliminary version of the ending is found, written as prose, thus:

I'll come back to thee and look for thee again, I'll come to thee and comfort thee, and find thee in the rain. We'll walk the land together and gather seed and set, and journey to an island where both can live again.

XXIII.

NOTES ON VARIOUS TOPICS.

There are three isolated pages of notes, heterogeneous in content and obviously even on the same page written at different times, but each of which has links to the others. Some of the notes may well be earlier than the time we have reached,(1) others later, but rather than split them up and try to fit them in uncertainly elsewhere it seems best to give them together.

The page that I give first begins with the note 'Wizards = Angels', and this same note is found on the other two pages also. I take it to be the first appearance in written record of this conception, i.e. that the Istari or Wizards were angeloi, 'messengers', emissaries from the Lords of the West: see Unfinished Tales pp. 388 ff., and especially my father's long discussion in Letters no. 156 (4 November 1954). Then follows:

Gandalf to reappear again. How did he escape? This might never be fully explained. He passed through fire - and became the White Wizard. 'I forgot much that I knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten.' He has thus acquired something of the awe and terrible power of the Ring-wraiths, only on the good side. Evil things fly from him if he is revealed - when he shines. But he does not as a rule reveal himself.

He should have a trial of strength with Saruman. Could the Balrog of the Bridge be in fact Saruman?

Or better? as in older sketch Saruman is very affable.

With this compare the initial sketch for 'The Riders of Rohan', p. 389

The extraordinary idea that the Balrog of Moria might be Saruman has appeared in a note written on the back of a page of the fair copy manuscript of 'Lothlorien', p. 236: 'Could not Balrog be Saruman?

Make battle on Bridge be between Gandalf and Saruman?' The reference to the 'older sketch' - 'Saruman is very affable' - is to 'The Story Foreseen from Moria', p. 212, where on the homeward journey

'They call at Isengard. Gandalf knocks. Saruman comes out very affable', etc.

The next note on this page records my father's decision to move the whole chronology of the Quest forward by a month:

Time Scheme. Too much takes place in winter. They should remain longer at Rivendell. This would have additional advantage of allowing Elrond's scouts and messengers far longer time. He should discover Black Riders have gone back. Frodo should not start until say Dec. 24th.

It seems likely that 24 December was chosen as being 'numerically'

one month later than the existing date, 24 November (p. 169); and that it was changed to 25 December to make the new dates agree

'numerically' with the existing time-structure (since November has 30 days but December 31): see p. 368. I do not understand the statement here that 'he [Elrond] should discover Black Riders have gone back', since the final text of 'The Ring Goes South' had been reached in Gandalf's words 'It is rash to be too sure, yet I think that we may hope now that the Ringwraiths were scattered, and have been obliged to return as best they could to their Master in Mordor, empty and shapeless.'

Another note on this page, not written at the same time, refers to

'Chapter XXIV: Open with conversation of Goblins and their quarrel. How are Merry and Pippin armed?' And the last reads:

'Sarn-gebir = Grailaw or Graidon Hills'. Both these names mean

'Grey Hill(s)': Old English hlaw 'hill', Northern English and Scottish law, and Old English dun, Modern English down.

The second page contains exact repetitions of notes found on the other pages or in outlines already given, and need not be cited. On the third page the following (only) was written in ink, and seems to be the primary element on the page:

Feb. 9 1942 Geography.

Ondor > Gondor.

Osgiliath > Elostirion. Ostirion = fort. Lorn = haven. Londe =

gulf.

On the date see p. 379, where I have noted that on the back of an outline for 'The Departure of Boromir' is a clear indication that it was written in the winter of 1941 - 2. The precise date given here for the change of Ondor to Gondor is notable; in the fair copy of 'Treebeard'

the form was still Ondor (see p. 401).

Elostirion was written above Osgiliath in the outline for 'The Riders of Rohan' given on p. 389. This change was of course impermanent, but the name Elostirion became that of the tallest of the White Towers on Emyn Beraid, in which the palantir was set (Of the Rings of Power, in The Silmarillion, p. 292).(2) - With lorn haven cf. Forlorn North Haven' and Harlorn 'South Haven' on the First Map (pp. 301 - 2), for later Forlond, Harlond; but on that map appears also Mithlond, the Grey Havens (where however it is possible that Mithlond actually meant 'Grey Gulf').

The other notes on this page are heterogeneous and not necessarily of the same time. The heading 'Geography' was extended to 'Geography and Language'. Some of these notes are concerned to find a new name for Sarn Gebir: rejected names are Sern Lamrach; Tarn Felin; Trandoran, before (added much later to the page) Emyn Muil is reached (for Muil see the Etymologies, V.374, stem M U Y). There are also the English names Graydon Hills and Grailaws, as on the first page of these notes, and Hazowland.(3)

Another group of notes reads:

Language of Shire = modern English

Language of Dale = Norse (used by Dwarves of that region) Language of Rohan = Old English

'Modern English' is lingua franca spoken by all people (except a few secluded folk like Lorien) - but little and ill by orcs.

NOTES.

1. It is to be remembered that statements such as 'Gandalf to reappear again' do not by any means imply that this is where the idea first arose: often they are to be taken as reassertions of existing but as yet unachieved ideas.

2. An altogether isolated and undateable note on a slip of paper also evinces dissatisfaction with the name Osgiliath. The reverse of the slip carries notes on unconnected matters which my father dated

'1940', which may or may not be significant. At the present time, at any rate, I can cast no light on the purport of this note: Lord of Rings

Osgiliath won't do. Name should = New building 'Newbold'

Town built again echain Ostechain

The word 'building' is very unclear, but is assured by 'Newbold', a common English village name meaning 'New building', from Old English bold (also bodl, botl) closely associated with byldan, Modern English build. I will add here, incidentally and irrelevantly, that another derivative from the same source is Nobottle (Northamptonshire), which my father allowed me to add to my map of the Shire made in 1943 (VI.107, item V) and which remains in that published in The Lord of the Rings, although at that time I was under the impression that the name meant that the village was so poor and remote that it did not even possess an inn.

3. Hazowland is clearly from the Old English poetic word hasu (inflected hasw-) 'grey, ashen'; cf. Hasupada 'Greycoat', name of Gandalf in Rohan (p. 405 note 21), and Hasofel (Hasufel) of the same meaning, the horse lent to Aragorn by Eomer.