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12.16.17
Sojourner through time, all are here, some briefly but others long enduring cold and ice, heat intemperate, and the rise and ending of the Ages of Men, now in their concluding, even as we write.
And here we leave those dwellers of shacks in peace for a time, to do there what good may be contrived, when surrounded by unlight, into the very soil seepening. To trace back before the end of joy in Kiliath, and further beyond to the day when Doriath was walked in measurement of days, above earth and below as well. For here was housed as son of Thingol, in his halls a son without natural father, called by some Dorian, and others Dairon; unlike others of Thingol’s realm, he alone knew the rising under stars of the Raised Ones, as from caves and soils silver and gold, beside and about the waters named in tales, Cuivienen, Awakening.3Mention of the Elves’ awakening may be found in the Silmarillion. Who first stood and knowing a new thing utterly, beyond all preparation of stories and mathematical forms, of colors vibrant as if living in the rock and lands, without barrier to passage into hues divergent, or elsewhere; Holy was this day!
And pulled as one buried, hand clasp by pulling arm of one named later Thingol—was Dorian, ever after loyal most to his father of soil-raising; and by him taught, and he did listen to all that he and the others did state, about watchers posted amid and upon cliff rock surrounding; and from them, to never stray outward this bowl. How long before the First Ones raised up, none did then count, nor care to track and record; time was in changing, but never did any change seem to return, and those cycles were not yet unrolling and rolling over the lands and crystal air.
—Changes have we been, and all say, see; and in saying, speak out the sudden most change, that outward our thoughts may be wrapped, to be revealed in the understanding of our mates, perpetual. Yet here is one without companion (of spouse); They did point to Thingol; and so named him, Ellwe, One, alone; others did take this name to mean First of All, or without which None; and perhaps it is so; he alone knows, being alone, who is Ellu.
He speaking did tell of his raising forth, not of the soil of earth’s womby caves; but forth out of waters, he alone was sent up, and standing first upon shores of breath-water laying upon the sand, one foot in this sea-living, the other firm in rock, looking upward, saw as in vision the last of Ainur-song, here now in its making in your day; yet of this song, he spoke not in detail, but by mention, and kept it locked; fearing what may result, should free men live as to bring about those visions in deed and in flesh, and he of all the elves (as we may name them) of man and his works, was greatest in comprehension; maybe it was this truth that led even Vala-kind Oromë thereto, awhile hunting Melkor’s beasts-fell, and yet seeking also to find greater light concerning the coming of men, their manner of arrival, and courses thereafter; for it was known then (he later explained) that elf-kind of Eru’s house had awakened, and yet fearing to spread abroad the news of [them] wandering, houseless and innocent, Vala-wise guarded the thought, and concealed it by deeds common to each one’s disposition.
Thus a-hunting, Oromë came, and yet bearing no weapons for killing, he looked down upon their smiling lights of faces, and did not pity them, but his heart was stung, in grief- joy, for Eru had sent not the mightiest of his house (as yet); but weak, well mannered, inquisitive sorts, ill-equipped to stand against the Evil then wrought over Arda, no longer manifesting only in secret; and all but the most faithful to Manwe and to Varda remained vassals of light—Ways forbidden and amazed in confusion many others had taken, perhaps at first in mere play of game, tempted into trials of their mind-strength by Melkor, or his vast reservoir of minions, and their servants innumerable; weak ones first he sent before the mighty of Arda, and they finding Melkor softer than warning, did wonder at his malice, to accomplish thus a breaking of Eru’s whole will for Arda, with so few, and weak, besides; and these thoughts he gave them, and they enmeshed thus in his seeing, were ensnared; and then he Mighty Over Arda sent lieutenants of fire, none to withstand even very few, and they dragging Noble Ones, showed some few of his hosts then gathered, a drop in a sea, yet even then such a drop as to drown the world at his leisure, none to withstand (so they perceived, his mind being theirs, now); and Dread took them, ever before them these Terrors arose, burning away all doubts of who in Arda Reigned, and who cowered, having this alone borne in wisdom from exile of Eru’s Halls;
Thus Oromë came, and not as one bold to hunt and camp as he will, in Native lands free from fear; but neither as craven, neither taking his path away from fear, nor into its jaws, foolish; But as Oromë, free of fear, and secure in his faith that Eru yet rules all things, and had given to Arda, Time, the unfolding of which might not be back folded up, but is, yet is- not as now is, and is not any longer;
And as has been elsewhere told, three did receive his invitation, and walked to Valmar, and heard her bells, and measured those towers swinging from in ringing out the hours unfolding leaf by leaf, upon two blessed, holy trees, one small and stout-wide, the other straight and tall; as bells of light, and vessels pouring out hope everlasting, the Truth of His Theme, borne in seed, and sprouting, lovely.
And returning in its light being bathed, and not yet washed of her stain, these three called others to hear, and to carry outward that hidden bowl, to every elf-kin arising early or later, come and walk and never from this path in joy depart, to lose for misery. And now in his heart did Ellwë Singollo (having taken in gift and token of returning friendship, a cloak of the Valar’s closet whose joy is in the knitting, of thing, world, and deed, enstoried); heart apounding, the manifesting Eru, who first from those waters lifted him, and dried his face, so that his eyes might be upward lifted, and when amazed there in Varda’s Net, the Fisher did depart silent; so again Eru wiped from Ellwe’s soul, the call of that Light, Return! And there put instead, a lighter light, to be in time lit, as by his stepping here, Eru, a-steep in time, though pervading all should he so desire, not yet willing to show thus soul to bow the Ainu most revered, under awe hard to stand again, before one’s face ablazing.
So Thingol stayed, and yet would not stay his people, to him as children, after perceiving that light West, and inner, its love revealed; in that hour he hid himself, encloaked by unlight, and they passing, feared the gap, and bent away; so Thingol king became, and unraveled as bandages a-swaddle, he beheld again that light westward, worn as in the flesh of she he named Melian; there they set out stakes and a tabernacle of trees put about her realm, when she calling friends to come and see her beloved-new, did receive many most hardy souls, and stalwart in faith, there to abide as friends, and guardians of her realm, first East of the Hills of Iron, there set amid the heart of Darkness, a stake to its unlight, burning bright beacon a-beckoning many to escape the torments assured thereabouts, and to come, here to build amid the night, another house for Ainu;
So also came a-straggle, Dairon, as a minstrel, lightly minding what others headed in dread: the commands of “Eru- Black”; False God of they who have not the True Light Revealed; and laughing at hunters in songs, where was told the capture and torment and worse, of many an elf, he (Dairon) mocked this God of Arda, and sang about his realm, a challenge: to sit and listen awhile, to his tune, untuneful (if it be); yet no answer to the minstrel’s vain boast in challenge ever came to him, and he wandered free, asinging, whither he would; and thus he came too, last of many, again to his long-father Raised, Ellu-Nathan and great was the Father’s joy at his return, though better joy the son may have found in Valinor.
For a time, he replied, but here I am a minstrel in a high court; there? A pupil, of some learning student starting, himself tutored by one nearly in reach of a Great One’s Ear. No father have I, but thee; and for a mother, would I like many in thy realms gathered, to labor, this queen receive into song.
And Thingol pondered this response given in word of song, whether it beyond the minstrel’s purpose, portended good or evil ends of these things he and she forethought, and now worked to bring into restoration; as song may instruct, and itself be of some world’s material, constructed, word and theme.
—
And here the days wore on until the birth of one called later, Tinuviel, Luthien by her mother, Leithien, he father-named; for Release some now sought, to return and abide in the Fields of Valmar, yet what was hoped for in those returning thither, was no longer abiding. Such light as recalled in mind and song, and still borne in the countenance of Queen Melian, was no longer found West; though now it in part, here in Artanor abided, and shared in the labors by all taken on.
And skipping over deeds even in your realm, of marvel and renown – how Beren strayed, and being by Dairon betrayed in there wandering, did demand (not in jest!) his daughter’s hand, he who grown Grey-as-all in this mingled light amid the Darkness Pervasive, Jested in hope of averting his own wrath, against a mortal petulance, and by daring jest, did spur this Man Beren into the Darkness without Return, under the Hells of Iron; and a Silmaril he bore in hand, itself shorn, and carried as his burden-beast to this king in wonder, was found Hell’s Guardian, Carcaroth, hound made as it were to heel at Beren’s bid; yet also his ruin in body glorious, how Beren into Mandos’s Halls descended, now bold, having Hell aforetime explored, and departed; and none could hold or keep him, and he crossing that stream that all kinds keeps apart, to Luthien arrived, and holding her, said this departure he would instigate, and not by any hound or guard be stayed; and as now supposed, and to you made known (alone?) this was Beren-Manwe, and Varda his beloved, Released; nor did they now think to Valinor’s courts highest on Taniquietil to return and abide, in glory set like diamonds in Ring’s Fate; but rather came they in return, perchance to linger upon Middle Earth in Beleriand, Ossiriand, and wheresoever they will; and returning, to Thingol’s Halls came, saying naught of their departure, nor of Mandos’ grief and amazement and its ease, though considering the door’s opening: its implication.
He calling again a feast, honored the Man and Wife- daughter, Returned from Sojourn whither none knew, nor ought to seek an answer by question or revelation in Eru; Here these two Are, restored; Now is a time of Joy unconsidered, and scarced hoped-in; and Melian spoke also, and of her words, we ought let her recite, in later tales. And he (Beren) the first of all Hell’s Slaves returned free, laughed at Melkor’s hubris and foretold his immediate downfall, and what should thereafter happen in his realm, being bereft of so slothful and slovenly a ruler; how springtime ought to return and upon his fearful thrones, hills low would roll upon, and there a child-race of Men might dandle one another even while he gnawed in hopeless vision, these Little Folk there aplopped, amid little fear; and some hearing, laughed in their hearts, as though this his wineful boast – but none did he consume, and all he saw aright; others taking leave thereafter, raced about Melkor’s Halls, taunting, reciting his words to whosoever should hear; and though it spurred to Dark Lord to wrath and deeds of unforgiveable horror, to wars burning and smokes unrelenting; So also did these words carry Beren’s smile before Melkor’s face, and burn his laughing exit into his heart;
None may now stay This Man, It was then said, So why not walk again into that heart blackest upon Arda, and cut not only a rock of light therefrom, but the head of one who wears it? So doubts were sown even in the day when none should’ve remained.
Pondering their sprouting, where and how much to harvest, so Eru came upon the Father, and his son Dairon was now without the realm though it was their custom to travel along with Beren also, seeking out wise-lore, and what was befalling all people, and who their causes; And where Dairon wasted his voice, when to Eru he may have raised a jaunty song? But in the king’s chamber, in Fair Gondolin, where now his own heart had (mis)led him, astray if only for a time, his Father’s desires, and counsel, though wise and beyond any to gainsay in wisdom; yet it is also the heart’s malice to hold on courses only dimly recalled, in the Music Ancient, before Eru voided and played.
Aus Hos’thspeth issuendil dyon ruel a mountain hiking, in-sinuents vala-kind,
Trans: Dior’s tribe(144)-tells spirit-friend
dyon ruel a mountain hiking, away with this plan! Vala-kind
authies onthos-tu-afferaul ithuenzo zilien-do-thos (thws)
wishes-battle where place-begot-pair-immortal, of all those beings who-fear-true-word
igsigguenzo! Come-the-lamentation of-dead-ones!
Watch out!
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