The Treason of Isengard (53 page)

5. The word Naith 'Angle' (see the Etymologies, V.387, stem SNAS, Noldorin naith 'gore') seems in the context of this outline to be a name for the 'green spit' or 'Tongue' where the Company embarked from Lorien on their journey down Anduin (cf. also Naith Lorien in outline (a)); and subsequently (p. 280) this is expressly stated: 'The Naith or Angle (as the elves called this green sward)'.

The name Angle is variously used. In the earliest mention of the Lorien story, p. 207, the Company 'journey to Angle between Anduin and Blackroot. There they remain long'; and 'at Angle they debate what is to be done.' Since this was written before the actual story of Lothlorien had been begun, the precise wording cannot perhaps be pressed; and in the original text of the first

'Lothlorien' chapter the meaning seems entirely unambiguous. As soon as they had crossed the Blackroot Hathaldir told them that they had 'entered the Gore, Nelen we call it, which lies in the angle between Blackroot and Anduin' (p. 231), and he told Gimli (ibid.) that in the north there were 'hidden defences and guards across the open arms of the Angle between the rivers'. The other references in that text do not contradict the obvious conclusion from these two passages, that whatever the extent of the woods of Lothlorien may have been, the Angle or Gore (Bennas, Nelen, Nelennas) was 'the heart of Lorien' (see p. 243 note 46), Lorien-between-the-Rivers, the base of the triangle being the eaves of the forest in the North.

Thus 'Naith or Angle' in this outline, and again in the text of the present chapter, referring expressly to the 'Tongue' (the apex of the triangle), represents either a changed meaning of Angle, or else perhaps the use of the English word to signify both the large triangle ('Lorien-between-the-Rivers') and the very small triangle (the Tongue) that was the apex of the other.

On the other hand, in the fair copy manuscript of 'Lothlorien'

the distinction is between Narthas 'the Gore', the larger region, and Nelen 'the Angle', the region in the south where the Elves dwelt (see p. 236). I doubt that any clearly correct and consecutive formulation can be reached amid such fluidity.

In FR (p. 361) 'the Naith of Lorien, or the Gore' is the large triangle, entered after passage of the Silverlode; and in the same passage Haldir speaks of the dwellings of the Elves down in Egladil, in the Angle between the waters. Egladil occurs once again in FR, p. 389: There in the last end of Egladil upon the green grass the parting feast was held.' Robert Foster, in The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, defines Naith as 'That part of Lorien between Celebrant and Anduin', adding: 'The Naith included Egladil but was of greater extent'; and he defines Egladil as 'The heart of Lorien, the area between Anduin and Celebrant near their confluence. Called in Westron the Angle.'

6. Nelen (with changed application) and Calennel were presumably other possible names, beside Naith (see note 5) and Caletdil, of the 'green spit' or 'Tongue', for which in FR no Elvish name is given.

7. Green-tine: translation of Calendil; Old English tind (cf. the Tittdrock, Tol Brandir), later tine, spike, prong, tooth of a fork; now probably known chiefly of the branches of a deer's horn. Cf.

Silvertine, one of the Mountains of Moria (Celebdil).

8. Cf. the outline on p. 250: the Company is told to 'beware of Fangorn Forest upon the Ogodruth or Entwash'.

9. In the original text of the chapter the word is clearly spelt Rhain, while Rain is clear in outline (a). In this outline (c) it seems to be Rhein at the first occurrence, with Rhain written above, but Rhan at the second and third; but the writing is very unclear and I read Rhain here also.

10. The showing of the Mirror now took place on the last evening in Lothlorien: see p. 259. Very probably the fair copy manuscript of

'Galadriel' was now in existence.

11. Obviously written at the same time as the rest of the text on the page is a disconnected passage that seems best placed here: At present that is not possible. Westward the servants of Sauron are far abroad and are ... the land ... the Baranduin and the Greyflood. Northward there are strange things happening which we do [not] understand clearly. The Dimrill

[Dale] is filled with ash and smoke, and the mountains are troubled. You, Gimli and Legolas, would find it hard to make your way back even with a great company.

'What of the Beornings?' said Gimli.

'I do not know,' said Keleborn. 'They are far away. But I do not think you could now reach them'

The illegible passage could possibly be read (assuming rejection of the word 'are') as 'and have taken over the land between the Baranduin and the Greyflood.' See further note 12. - A part of Keleborn's speech here was afterwards given to Haldir, returned from the northern borders of Lorien to guide the Company from Caras Galadon: pp. 280, 285 - 6.

12. With this speech of Keleborn's compare that in the last chapter (pp. 248 - 9) which was marked for transference to the beginning of this. That passage was indeed quite different, in that Keleborn seemed almost to assume that Gimli and Legolas at least would not continue the Quest, and offered them both the hospitality of Lorien, while also advising Gimli that he might be able to make his way back through the land of the Beornings. Now (quite closely approaching the text of FR, p. 383) he offers a generalised invitation to remain to any of the Company who wish. But from what can be read of the underlying pencilled text it is seen that my father at first retained the passage transferred from the previous chapter in much the same form. The passage given in note 11 shows a change of mind: Gimli and Legolas would stand little chance if they tried to return.

13. The form Ondor (as written ab initio) occurs in the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond' (p. 144 and note 6).

14. In a rejected form of this passage Keleborn takes up Ingold's remark that he doubted whether even Gandalf had had any clear plan:

'Maybe,' said Keleborn. 'Yet he knew that he would have to choose between East and West ere long. For the Great River lies between Mordor and Minas Tirith, and he knew, as do you Men at least of this Company, that it cannot be crossed on foot, and that the bridges of Osgiliath are broken down or in the hands of the Enemy since the late assault.'

15. On 'the Land of Seven Streams' see p. 177 and pp. 310-12.

16. Here and again below ('Ingold thanked Keleborn many times') Ingold was not changed to Elfstone because the passage was rejected before my father decided to abandon the name Ingold (see pp. 277 - 8).

17. This is the first mention of the great falls in Anduin (apart from a very doubtful hint of their existence referred to in note 1).

18. As the text was written Sam's attitude to the boats was different from what it had been in the previous version (where he felt 'a little alarm') and from what it is in FR:

Even Sam felt no alarm. Not long ago crossing a river by a ferry had seemed to him an adventure, but since then he had made too many weary marches and passed through too many dangers to worry about a journey in a light boat and the peril of drowning.

This was subsequently changed to the passage in FR.

19. The name of the Sword of Elendil reforged, Branding, was first devised here, and then written into 'The Ring Goes South' at the time of the reforging in Rivendell: 'and Elfstone gave it a new name and called it Branding' (p. 165). Branding is obviously an

'English' name (Old English brand 'sword'), and consorts with the names Ingold, Elfstone: see my father's notes on this subject cited on p. 277.

20. The drawing, in pencil, is now very faint. I have reinforced the drawing on a photocopy, and the reproduction is based on this.

21. In the original account of the first meeting of the Company with the Lord and Lady of the Galadrim (pp. 246 ff.) Galadriel addresses no words to Gimli. These first appear in the fair copy manuscript of 'Galadriel', where she says just as in FR (p. 371)

'Dark is the water of Kheled-zaram, and cold are the springs of Kibil-nala...': a further indication that that text was already in existence.

22. Although Earendil appears in the fair copy manuscript of 'Galadriel' (p. 266 note 34), Earendel is the spelling here, both in the draft and in the fair copy. In my copies of these chapters made in 1942 I wrote Earendil in Chapter XIX and Earendel in Chapter XX.

23. The meaning of Galadriel's words to Trotter is plainly that Elfstone was his real name. The fact that the final version of the passage begins ' "Here is the gift of Keleborn to the leader of your Company," she said to Elfstone' - before the green gem, the Elfstone, has been mentioned - is decisive.

24. This change has often been remarked in earlier parts of this book.

The first examples of Aragorn > Elfstone are p. 80 note 17 (at Bree) and pp. 146 ff. (the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond'). It was carried through the fair copy manuscripts of 'The Ring Goes South' (p. 165; including Trotter > Elfstone), and of the two 'Moria' chapters (pp. 176, 204, the change here being always Trotter > Elfstone).

25 With the statement in both these notes that Trotter's real name must not be 'Elvish' or 'Gnome-elvish' ('like Aragorn') contrast LR Appendix F ('Of Men'): 'The Dunedain alone of all races of Men knew and spoke an Elvish tongue; for their forefathers had learned the Sindarin tongue, and this they handed on to their children as a matter of lore, changing little with the passing of the years', together with the footnote to this passage: 'Most of the names of the other men and women of the Dunedain [i.e. those whose names were not Quenya], such as Aragorn, Denethor, Gilraen are of Sindarin form...'

26 In the first draft following this outline it is said of Gimli and Legolas that they 'had grown more and more friendly during their stay in Lothlorien'; in the following version (vii) that they

'had grown strangely friendly of late'. In FR they 'had now become fast friends'. - The complement of each boat is now as in FR, and not as in outline (b) to this chapter (p. 268), although there already Legolas and Gimli were placed together in the third boat.

27 In the fair copy manuscript of 'Farewell to Lorien' the text here IS:

On the further shores the woodlands still marched on southwards, as far as eye could see; but beyond the Tongue and upon the east side of the River all the boughs were bare. No mallorn-trees grew there.

The intended meaning seems clear: on the west bank beyond the confluence of Silverlode and Anduin, and all along the east bank of Anduin, there was still forest, but the trees not being mallorns they were leafless. So Keleborn says that as they go down the River they will find that 'the trees will fail', and they will come to a barren country. In the following manuscript, which I made (undated, but clearly following on my copy of 'Galadriel' dated 4 August 1942, p. 261), the sentence reads 'all the banks were bare'. This, I think, must have been a mere error (as also was 'the eye could see' for 'eye could see', retained in FR), since (in relation to 'the woodlands still marched on southwards') it is obviously a less well-chosen and somewhat ambiguous word:

'bare banks' suggests treeless banks, not wooded banks in winter.

Probably in order to correct this, but without consulting the earlier manuscript and so not seeing that it was an error, my father at some stage changed 'further shores' to 'further western shores' on my copy, but this still gives a confused picture. The text in FR (p. 387) removes the reference to the west shores of Anduin altogether, but retains the 'bare banks', which must therefore be interpreted as 'wooded banks in winter'.

28. In the earliest draft for the scene in the first 'Lothlorien' chapter in which the Company encounters the Elvish scouts near the falls of Nimrodel (p. 239 note 26) the lowest boughs of the trees 'were above the reach of Boromir's arms; but they had rope with them.

Casting an end about a bough of the greatest of the trees Legolas

... climbed into the darkness.'

29. There is no more than the briefest outline sketch of Galadriel's

'refusal in the garden' in the original 'Lothlorien' chapter (p.

254), whereas in the fair copy the scene is fully formed (p. 260).

30. This reference to the once far greater extent of the Forest of Lothlorien is not found in FR (see note 34). Perhaps to be compared is Unfinished Tales, p. 236: the Nandorin realm of Lorinand [Lorien] ... was peopled by those Elves who forsook the Great Journey of the Eldar from Cuivienen and settled in the woods of the Vale of Anduin; and it extended into the forests on both sides of the Great River, including the region where afterwards was Dol Guldur.'

31. Ingold here can only have been a slip for Elfstone.

32. The Seventh River has been mentioned in the fifth version of 'The Council of Elrond', p. 149. See pp. 310 - 12.

33. Tharbad has been named in the second version of 'The Ring Goes South', p. 164 and note 8.

34. These passages were actually written when the fair copy had reached this point. In the fair copy a page ends with the words