Faring Forth: Difference between revisions

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=== Aftermath ===
=== Aftermath ===
According to yet another text, after Eriol's death, his sons [[Hengest]], [[Horsa]], and [[Heorrenda]], conquered the island and the land which later became known as [[England]] - however, they were ''not'' hostile to the Elves, and from them the [[wikipedia:English people|English]] people retain "the true tradition of the fairies". Hengest settled in a city known before as [[Kortirion]] which would afterwards be known as [[wikipedia:Warwick|Warwick]]. Horsa settled into the town of [[Taruithorn]], which would later be known as [[Oxford]]. Heorrenda made his dwelling in [[Tavrobel]], which eventually became known as [[wikipedia:Great Haywood|Great Haywood]].<ref name="Heo">{{LT2|VI}}, outline '''13''', pp. 291-3</ref>
According to yet another text, after Eriol's death, his sons [[Hengest]], [[Horsa]], and [[Heorrenda]], conquered the island and the land which later became known as England - however, they were ''not'' hostile to the Elves, and from them the [[wikipedia:English people|English]] people retain "the true tradition of the fairies". Hengest settled in a city known before as [[Kortirion]] which would afterwards be known as [[wikipedia:Warwick|Warwick]]. Horsa settled into the town of [[Taruithorn]], which would later be known as [[Oxford]]. Heorrenda made his dwelling in [[Tavrobel]], which eventually became known as [[wikipedia:Great Haywood|Great Haywood]].<ref name="Heo">{{LT2|VI}}, outline '''13''', pp. 291-3</ref>


== Other versions of the legendarium ==
== Other versions of the legendarium ==

Revision as of 11:36, 13 April 2022

Faring Forth
Event
LocationTol Eressëa (Heath of the Sky-roof)
Great Lands (Rôs)
Datec. 5th century AD[1]
ResultUtter defeat of the Elves, and their fading
Tol Eressëa anchored off the Great Lands, and overrun by Men, Orcs, etc.
ParticipantsElves of Tol Eressëa
Lost Elves
Men
Orcs
Dwarves[note 1]
Gongs
Trolls
DescriptionAn expedition from the Lonely Isle to rescue the Elves of the Great Lands

The Faring Forth was an event in which the Elves from Tol Eressëa led an expedition to the Great Lands in order to rescue the Lost Elves still living there, according to the early legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales. The event happened after the coming of Eriol, a human mariner, to Tol Eressëa at the beginning of the Lost Tales.[2]

History

Prelude

According to one outline, the Elves of the Great Lands led an uprising against the Orcs and the Dwarves; and, while the time was not yet deemed ready for the Faring Forth, the Elves judged it necessary.

Therefore, they sought Ulmo's help, who sent Uin, his great whale, to uproot the island of Tol Eressëa and drag it across the Ocean, in order to anchor it off the coast of Rôs, a promontory in the Great Lands. From there, a magic bridge was cast across the strait between Rôs and Tol Eressëa.

However, Ossë in his wrath at the uprooting of the island he set in place so long ago, tried to wrench it back towards Valinor - and in doing so, the western portion of the island of Tol Eressëa broke off, and became the Isle of Íverin, which would later become known as Ireland.[2]

Battle of Rôs

Regardless, after the arrival of the Elves of Tol Eressëa to the Great Lands, they were soundly defeated in the Battle of Rôs by Orcs and evil Men. The remaining Elves afterwards retreated to Tol Eressëa and hid in its woods, because the island was now overrun by Men, as well as Orcs, Dwarves, Gongs, Trolls and all other evil creatures.[2]

In the above outline, that battle was to be the beginning of the end for Elves, since they would eventually fade and most Men would not be able to even perceive them anymore.[2][3][note 2]

Battle of the Heath of the Sky-roof

However, there is another outline, in which, during the inevitable fading of the Elves, there was a great battle between the last remnants of the Elves and faithful Men against other, hostile factions of Men at the Heath of the Sky-roof, not far from the town of Tavrobel.[2][3]

Eriol, and the fading Elves, witnessed the battle and fled across the rivers Gruir and Afros - and in the battle's aftermath, Eriol wrote the last words of the Lost Tales in the abandoned Tavrobel before he sealed the book.[3][note 3]

Aftermath

According to yet another text, after Eriol's death, his sons Hengest, Horsa, and Heorrenda, conquered the island and the land which later became known as England - however, they were not hostile to the Elves, and from them the English people retain "the true tradition of the fairies". Hengest settled in a city known before as Kortirion which would afterwards be known as Warwick. Horsa settled into the town of Taruithorn, which would later be known as Oxford. Heorrenda made his dwelling in Tavrobel, which eventually became known as Great Haywood.[4]

Other versions of the legendarium

Eriol as the instigator of the Faring Forth

In one text, following the ones given above in the main section of the article, Tolkien decided to increase the importance of Eriol by making him instrumental in the initiation of the Faring Forth.

There, Eriol, filled with longing for his home, decided to leave Tol Eressëa before Faring Forth has taken place against the command of Meril-i-Turinqi, the Lady of Tol Eressëa, taking his son Heorrenda with him. However, the purpose of his departure was also to hasten the Faring Forth, and, once back in his homeland, he "preached" of it.

Finally, once the Faring Forth has taken place, the invading groups of Men called the Guiðlin and the Brithonin, [note 4] attacked Tol Eressëa, now located in the geographic location of England. Somewhere around that time Eriol died, however his sons Hengest and Horsa managed to conquer the Guiðlin. Unfortunately, because of Eriol's haste and disobedience to Meril, the Faring Forth was doomed, and the Elves ultimately faded away because of it.[5]

Ælfwine replaces Eriol

In other, later outlines of the Book of Lost Tales, the island of Tol Eressëa ceases to be identified with Great Britain and Ireland.

Instead, the Faring Forth became identified with the march of the Elves of Kôr to the Great Lands to free the enslaved Gnomes and their war with evil Men following that - and other than immediately returning to Tol Eressëa after the war, many of the Elves instead move to an island off the coast of the Great Lands called Luthany, which ages later becomes England.[6] From there, they only gradually begin moving to Tol Eressëa.[6]

Ælfwine and Ing

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
This article or section needs expansion and/or modification. Please help the wiki by expanding it.

Another usage of the term Faring Forth appears in an outline concerning Ing, a mysterious figure associated with Luthany/England, who will "guide the fairies one day back to Luthany when the Faring Forth takes place".[7]

See also

Notes

  1. At this early phase of the legendarium, Dwarves were overwhelmingly portrayed in a negative light.
  2. It is said that the Elves grew dim, transparent and small, as the Men grew in power, until all that remained of them was "memories faded dim, a wraith of vanishing loveliness in the trees, a rustle of the grass, a glint of dew, some subtle intonation of the wind".
  3. In another text, it wasn't Eriol who witnessed the battle and wrote down the last words of the book, but an unknown man, who in the prologue to the Lost Tales was supposed to find the book written by Eriol years prior.
  4. In some versions, another group called the Rúmhoth (identified with the Romans) also joined the invasion.

References