The War of the Jewels (8 page)

$73. (At this feast it is recorded that the tongue of the Grey-elves was most spoken even by the Noldor, for whereas the Noldor readily learned the speech of the land, the Sindar were slow to master the tongue of Aman.)

50.

$74. Here after long peace, as Inglor and Turgon journeyed together, and lay by night near the Twilight Meres, Ulmo laid a deep sleep upon them and troubled them in dreams. And thereafter each sought separately for places of strength and refuge in the land, lest Morgoth should burst from Angband as their dreams foreboded. [Added later: But Turgon found not what he sought, and returned to Nivrost.]

52.

$75. In this year Inglor and his sister Galadriel were long the guests of Thingol their kinsman. And Inglor was filled with wonder at the beauty and strength of Menegroth, and he desired greatly to make for himself a strong place in like manner. Therefore he opened his heart to Thingol, telling him of his dreams; and Thingol spoke to him of the caves under the High Faroth on the west-bank of Narog, and when he departed gave him guides to lead him to that place of which few yet knew.

Thus Inglor came to the Caverns of Narog and began there to establish deep halls and armouries, after the manner of Menegroth; and that stronghold was called Nargothrond. Wherefore the Noldor named him Felagund, Lord of Caves, and that name he bore until his end. But Galadriel did not depart [added later: from Doriath], and remained long with Melian, for there was much love between them.

53.

$76. [Turgon journeying alone, by the favour of Ulmo later

>] In this year Ulmo appeared to Turgon upon the shores of Nivrost, and at his bidding went forth alone, and by the favour of Ulmo he / discovered that hidden vale amid the encircling mountains where afterwards Gondolin was built. Of this he spoke to none yet, but began secretly to devise the plan of a city after the manner of Tirion upon Tuna, for which his heart now yearned in exile.

60.

The Third Battle.

$77. Here Morgoth, believing the report of his spies that the lords of the Eldar were wandering abroad with little thought of war, made trial of the strength and watchfulness of his enemies.

Once more, with little warning, his might was stirred, and suddenly there were earthquakes in the North, and fires came from fissures in the earth, and the Iron Mountains vomited flame; and an army of Orcs thrust down the Vale of Sirion and attempted to pierce to the heart of Beleriand. But Fingolfin and Maidros were not sleeping, and gathering swiftly great force of both Noldor and Sindar they destroyed all the scattered bands of the Orcs that had stolen into the land; but the main host they repelled, and drove out onto the fields of Ardgalen, and there surrounded it and destroyed it, to the least and last, within sight of Angband. This was the Third Battle of the Wars, and was called Dagor Aglareb, the Glorious Battle.

$78. A victory it was, and yet a warning; and the chieftains took heed of it, and thereafter drew closer their leaguer, and strengthened and ordered their watch, setting the Siege of Angband, which lasted wellnigh four hundred years. And Fingolfin boasted that (save by treason among themselves) Morgoth could never again burst from the leaguer of the Eldar.

Yet neither could the Noldor take Angband nor regain the Silmarils. And war never wholly ceased in all that time of the Siege; for Morgoth was secretly forging new weapons, and ever and anon he would make trial of his enemies. Moreover, he was not encircled upon the uttermost north; and though the ice and snow restrained his enemies from keeping watch in the frozen wilderness, it hindered not his spies and messengers from secret going and coming.

The following passage as the text was originally written began thus:

'At this time also Morgoth began a new evil. He bade his servants to take alive any of the Eldar ...' This was replaced by the long rider (written on a separate page) that follows here ($$79 - 81), returning to the original text at 'He now bade the Orkor to take alive any of the Eldar', the second sentence of $81.

$79. Nor himself, an he would go. Indeed we learn now in Eressea from the Valar, through our kin that dwell still in Aman, that after Dagor-nuin-Giliath Melkor was so long in assailing the Eldar with strength for he himself had departed from Angband, for the last time. Even as before at the awakening of the Quendi, his spies were watchful, and tidings soon came to him of the arising of Men. This seemed to him so great a matter that secretly under shadow he went forth into Middle-earth, leaving the command of the War to Sauron his lieutenant. Of his dealings with Men the Eldar knew naught at that time, and know little now, for neither the Valar nor Men have spoken to them clearly of these things.

$80. But that some darkness lay upon the hearts of Men (as the shadow of the kinslaying and the doom of Mandos lay upon the Noldor) the Eldar perceived clearly even in the fair folk of the Elf-friends that they first knew. To corrupt or destroy whatsoever arose new and fair was ever the chief desire of Morgoth; but as regards the Eldar, doubtless he had this purpose also in his errand: by fear and lies to make Men their foes, and bring them up out of the East against Beleriand. But this design was slow to ripen, and was never wholly achieved, for Men (it is said) were at first very few in number, whereas Morgoth grew afraid of the tidings of the growing power and union of the Eldar and came back to Angband, leaving behind at that time but few servants, and those of less might and cunning.

$81. Certain it is that at this time (which was the time of his return, if the aforesaid account be true, as we must believe) Morgoth began a new evil, desiring above all to sow fear and disunion among the Eldar in Beleriand. He now bade the Orkor to take alive any of the Eldar that they could and bring them bound to Angband. For it was his intent to use their lore and skill under duress for his own ends; moreover he took pleasure in tormenting them, and would besides by pain wring from them at times tidings of the deeds and counsels of his enemies.

Some indeed he so daunted by the terror of his eyes that they needed no chains more, but walked ever in fear of him, doing his will wherever they might be. These he would unbind and let return to work treason among their own kin. In this way also was the curse of Mandos fulfilled, for after a while the Elves grew afraid of those who claimed to have escaped from thraldom, and often those hapless whom the Orcs ensnared, even if they broke from the toils would but wander homeless and friendless thereafter, becoming outlaws in the woods.

$82 And though it was long ere all these evils began to appear, it is said that even after the victory of the Third Battle some of the Eldar (either caught by robber bands in the woods, or over rash in pursuit of the foe) were thus seized and taken to Morgoth. And thus he learned much of all that had befallen since the rebellion of Feanor, and rejoiced seeing therein the seed of many dissensions among his foes. But thus also it became known to the Eldar that the Silmarils yet lived, and were set in the Iron Crown that Morgoth wore upon his dark throne.

For the Noldor were a mighty race yet, and few of them could he so daunt that they would do his will, but escaping they became oft his deadliest foes.

$83. In the Quenta Noldorinwa it is recounted in what manner after Dagor Aglareb the lords of the Noldor and Sindar ordered the land, during the Siege of Angband. Here it suffices to say that [added: westernmost at first Turgon abode in Nivrost south of Drengist between Eryd Lomin and the Sea; but]

Fingolfin and Fingon held Hithlum and had their abode and chief fortress at Eithel Sirion; and they had horsemen also that rode upon the fields of Ardgalen, for from few their horses had increased swiftly, and the grass of Ardgalen was yet rich and green. Of those horses many of the sires came from Valinor, and were given to Fingolfin by Maidros in atonement of his losses, for they had been carried by ship to Losgar.

$84. The sons of Finrod held the land from Hithlum unto the eastern end of Dorthonion. Inglor and Orodreth held the pass of Sirion, but Angrod and Egnor held the north slopes of Dorthonion as far as Aglon where began the March of Maidros aforesaid.

$85. Behind this leaguer from the Sea to Eryd Luin the wide countries of Beleriand, west and east of Sirion, were held in this wise. Though Fingolfin of Hithlum was overlord of all the Noldor, Inglor, well-beloved of all Elves, became indeed the greatest prince in the land. For King Felagund he was in Nargothrond, whereas his brothers Angrod and Egnor were lords of Dorthonion and his vassals; and he had also a fort and place of battle in the north, in the wide pass between Eredwethrin and Dorthonion through which Sirion flowed south. There stood ah isle amid the river, and upon it Inglor built a mighty watchtower: Minnas-tirith: and there, when Nargothrond was made, he set Orodreth as warden. But upon either side of Narog all the folk of either race that dwelt in the lands took him for their lord, as far south as the Mouths of Sirion, and from Nenning in the West to the borders of Doriath eastward. But in Eglarest, and west of Nenning to the Sea, Cirdan the Shipwright was lord, yet ever he was close in friendship with Nargothrond.

$86 Doriath in the midst of the land was the realm of King Thingol; and east the wide countries south of the March of Maidros, even to the borders of Ossiriand were held to be the domain of the sons of Feanor. But few dwelt there save hunters and Grey-elves wandering, and there Damrod and Diriel abode and came seldom northward while the Siege lasted. Thither other of the Elven-lords would ride at whiles, even from afar, to hunt in the green-woods; but none ever passed east over Eryd Luin or looked upon Eriador, save the Green-elves only, who had kindred that dwelt yet in the further lands. Thus little news and late came to Beleriand of what passed in the regions of the East.

60-445.

$87. For the most part the time of the Siege of Angband was a time of gladness, and the earth had peace under the new light, while the swords of the Noldor restrained the malice of Morgoth, and his thought being bent on their ruin he gave the less heed to aught else in Middle-earth. In this time therefore Men waxed and multiplied, [and they had converse with the Dark-elves of the Eastlands >] and among them were some that had converse with the Elves of Middle-earth, / and learned much of them. [From them it is said that they took the first beginnings of the many tongues of Men. Thus they heard rumour of the Blessed Realms [sic] of the West and of the Powers that dwelt there, and many of the Fathers of Men, the Atanatari, in their wanderings moved ever westward. This passage was rewritten to read:] From them it is said that they took the first beginnings of the western tongues of Men; and from them also they heard rumour of the Blessed Realms of the West and of the Powers of Light that dwelt there. Therefore many of the Fathers of Men, the Atanatari, in their wanderings moved ever westward, fleeing from the darkness that had ensnared them. For these Elf-friends were Men that had repented and rebelled against the Dark Power, and were cruelly hunted and oppressed by those that worshipped it, and its servants.

64.

$88. Now the unquiet that Ulmo set in his heart returned to Turgon in Nivrost, and he gathered therefore his folk together, even to a third part of the Noldor of Fingolfin's people (nor were any of the Sindar among them), and with their wives and their goods they departed secretly along the south of Ered-wethrin, and few knew whither they were gone. But Turgon came to Gondolin, and there his folk pressed on with the building of the city that he had devised in his heart; and they set a guard upon it that none might come upon it from without.

[This annal was later changed to read:]

$89. Now the unquiet that Ulmo set in his heart returned to Turgon in Nivrost, and he gathered therefore many of his most skilled folk together and led them secretly to Gondolin, and there they began the building of the strong city that Turgon had devised in his heart; and they set a guard upon it that none might come upon their work from without.

65.

$90. Here with the aid of the Noldor (whose skill far surpassed that of the Sindar) Brithombar and Eglarest were walled about with great walls, and fair towns were raised within, and harbours with quays and piers of stone. And the Tower of Ingildon was set up upon the cape west of Eglarest to watch the Sea; though needlessly, as it proved. For at no time ever did Morgoth essay to build ships or to make war by sea.

Water all his servants shunned, and to the Sea none would willing go nigh, save in dire need.

66.

$91. Now Galadriel Finrod's daughter, as hath been told, dwelt with Melian, and was dear to her. And at times they would speak together of Valinor and the bliss of old; but beyond the dark hour of the death of the Trees Galadriel would not go, but fell ever silent.

$92. And on a time Melian said: 'There is some woe that lies upon thee and thy kin. That I can see in thee, but all else is