The Tale of Tinúviel: Difference between revisions

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(Added section to synopsis: In the halls of Tinwelint)
(Added section to synopsis: Beren travels to Angamandi)
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===The meeting of Beren and Tinúviel===
===The meeting of Beren and Tinúviel===
Tinwelint and Gwendeling had two children: [[Dairon]], a piper, and [[Tinúviel]], famed for her dancing. The two would often leave the caverns for the woods, where Dairon played his pipe and Tinúviel danced under the trees. One such time, [[Beren]], son of [[Egnor]] the Forester, a [[Gnome]] from beyond the northern hills came into the woods of Artanor, and glimpsed the two Elves. The Gnomes were often taken in thraldom by Melko, where they heard lies regarding the Elves, but so taken was he by Tinúviel that he forgot all prejudices and watched her. Dairon glimpsed him and fled, and as Beren approached Tinúviel, she fled too. Then Beren spent many months searching for her until he found her dancing again from afar. She knew of this and smiled, and her fear departed her, seeing kindness in him. One day, he approached her and asked her to teach him to dance. "Who art thou?" she asked him, and he told her of himself. Then she danced through the forest, laughing, and Beren followed, until they came to the abode of Tinwelint.
Tinwelint and Gwendeling had two children: [[Dairon]], a piper, and [[Tinúviel]], famed for her dancing. The two would often leave the caverns for the woods, where Dairon played his pipe and Tinúviel danced under the trees. One such time, [[Beren]], son of [[Egnor]] the Forester, a [[Gnome]] from beyond the northern hills in [[Hisilómë]] came into the woods of Artanor, and glimpsed the two Elves. The Gnomes were often taken in thraldom by Melko, where they heard lies regarding the Elves, but so taken was he by Tinúviel that he forgot all prejudices and watched her. Dairon glimpsed him and fled, and as Beren approached Tinúviel, she fled too. Then Beren spent many months searching for her until he found her dancing again from afar. She knew of this and smiled, and her fear departed her, seeing kindness in him. One day, he approached her and asked her to teach him to dance. "Who art thou?" she asked him, and he told her of himself. Then she danced through the forest, laughing, and Beren followed, until they came to the abode of Tinwelint.


===In the halls of Tinwelint===
===In the halls of Tinwelint===
In front of King Tinwelint and Queen Gwendeling, Beren was speechless, and so was unable to answer when the king asked him who he was. Tinúviel answered on his behalf, saying he was a Gnome, and the king was wroth at this, asking her if he had harmed her. He then asked Beren what he desired before leaving the realm, and Beren replied "Why, O king, I desire thy daughter, Tinúviel, for she is the fairest and most sweet of all maidens I have seen or dreamed of." Dairon laughed, breaking the silence of the hall, but the king replied saying he would ask a small price for a small request, and proceded to offer his daughter's hand in marriage for a [[Silmaril]] from the crown of Melko. Tales brought by the escaped thralls from [[Angamandi]] said that the crown containing the jewels never left the head of Melko and that he prized them very highly; knowing the difficulty of this task, Beren in anger criticised the king for asking such a small price for Tinúviel, and said he would do this deed. Then he left, and Tinúviel wept because she believed her father had sent Beren to his death. Gwendeling said nothing on the matter, and did not question her daughter on why she was weeping for an unknown Gnome.  
In front of King Tinwelint and Queen Gwendeling, Beren was speechless, and so was unable to answer when the king asked him who he was. Tinúviel answered on his behalf, saying he was a Gnome, and the king was wroth at this, asking her if he had harmed her. He then asked Beren what he desired before leaving the realm, and Beren replied "Why, O king, I desire thy daughter, Tinúviel, for she is the fairest and most sweet of all maidens I have seen or dreamed of." Dairon laughed, breaking the silence of the hall, but the king replied saying he would ask a small price for a small request, and proceded to offer his daughter's hand in marriage for a [[Silmaril]] from the crown of Melko. Tales brought by the escaped thralls from [[Angamandi]] said that the crown containing the jewels never left the head of Melko and that he prized them very highly; knowing the difficulty of this task, Beren in anger criticised the king for asking such a small price for Tinúviel, and said he would do this deed. Then he left, and Tinúviel wept because she believed her father had sent Beren to his death. Gwendeling said nothing on the matter, and did not question her daughter on why she was weeping for an unknown Gnome.  
===Beren travels to Angamandi===
In his rage, Beren marched to the [[Iron Mountains]] near to Angamandi before he began to weary. There, packs of orcs and other evil creatures roamed, and Beren thought about turning back, but in his heart he heard the weeping of Tinúviel. He was caught by orcs when searching for food, and was brought before Melko.
There, the [[Ainu]] was angered and wondered how one of the Gnomes - which he thought of as his slaves by birth - had left his abode. Then Beren said he was of a kindred of the Gnomes of [[Aryador]] who had many dealings with [[Men]]. Melko was wrathful at this, because he hated the mingling of Elves and Men. Knowing the danger he was in, Beren claimed he had no friendship with Men and only wanted to serve Melko as a hunter of birds and animals. Flattered at this, for flattery was a weakness of his, Melko did not kill him and instead accepted him as a kitchen slave under [[Tevildo|Tevildo Prince of Cats]].
Beren was brought to Tevildo's halls, which were not far from Melko's abode. There, Tevildo set him the task of catching three mice in his halls as a test. These were of a wild and evil type, and Beren was unable to catch any, because he had no tools with which to devise a trap. Then Tevildo was angered and made him a scullion in the kitchens. Thus Beren's days were filled with misery, and he was starved of food and sleep, and wished he had never left Hisiliómë and seen Tinúviel dancing.


==Differences to the later text==
==Differences to the later text==

Revision as of 21:52, 18 November 2022

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The Book of Lost Tales Part Two chapters
  1. The Tale of Tinúviel
  2. Turambar and the Foalókë
  3. The Fall of Gondolin
  4. The Nauglafring
  5. The Tale of Eärendel
  6. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine

The Tale of Tinúviel is the first chapter of The Book of Lost Tales Part Two. It is one of the earliest stories developed in the legendarium, having first been written in 1917, and contains the earliest versions of the story of Beren and Lúthien, later revisited as the Lay of Leithian and Of Beren and Lúthien from the Quenta Silmarillion.

Synopsis

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In the days after Eriol discussed the evil of Melko with Lindo, winter came to Tol Eressëa, and Eriol's desire of wandering lessened. During this time, he stayed in Kortirion, where he developed his knowledge of Elvish language and lore.

On one such grey day, Eriol was playing with the children of the Isle in the Hall of Play Regained, when one of them, Vëannë, asked him to tell a tale of Men. He told her of his home, an old town, where there was a great tower nearby. Vëannë asked him if it was "as high as Ingil's Tirin", but he could not say, having not lived there long during his childhood. He told how his father nurtured the sea-longing in his bones with many stories before he was killed in a siege upon the town, along with Eriol's mother. Vëannë and Eriol then spoke of war, but Eriol ended talk of such things and told the children of his first sailings on the sea, where he met an ancient sailor who told him tales of beyond the Western Sea and the Magic Isles. As a consequence, he sailed more curiously until he eventually arrived at Tol Eressëa. A boy named Ausir then begged Eriol for more tales of the sea and ships, but Eriol asked for a tale from one of them. Then Vëannë clapped her hands, and said "I will tell you the Tale of Tinúviel".

Of Gwendeling and Tinwelint

Gwendeling was a sprite from the gardens of Lórien who wandered in the woods of the world, with nightingales singing about her. One of these bird-songs was heard by Tinwelint, leader of the Solosimpi, during the march from Palisor led by Oromë, and he strayed aside and found Gwendeling. There he spent long years, and the two married and became king and queen of the Lost Elves of Artanor. Their dwelling in the caverns of the forest of Artanor was hidden from Melko, who had returned from Valinor, by the spells of Gwendeling.

The meeting of Beren and Tinúviel

Tinwelint and Gwendeling had two children: Dairon, a piper, and Tinúviel, famed for her dancing. The two would often leave the caverns for the woods, where Dairon played his pipe and Tinúviel danced under the trees. One such time, Beren, son of Egnor the Forester, a Gnome from beyond the northern hills in Hisilómë came into the woods of Artanor, and glimpsed the two Elves. The Gnomes were often taken in thraldom by Melko, where they heard lies regarding the Elves, but so taken was he by Tinúviel that he forgot all prejudices and watched her. Dairon glimpsed him and fled, and as Beren approached Tinúviel, she fled too. Then Beren spent many months searching for her until he found her dancing again from afar. She knew of this and smiled, and her fear departed her, seeing kindness in him. One day, he approached her and asked her to teach him to dance. "Who art thou?" she asked him, and he told her of himself. Then she danced through the forest, laughing, and Beren followed, until they came to the abode of Tinwelint.

In the halls of Tinwelint

In front of King Tinwelint and Queen Gwendeling, Beren was speechless, and so was unable to answer when the king asked him who he was. Tinúviel answered on his behalf, saying he was a Gnome, and the king was wroth at this, asking her if he had harmed her. He then asked Beren what he desired before leaving the realm, and Beren replied "Why, O king, I desire thy daughter, Tinúviel, for she is the fairest and most sweet of all maidens I have seen or dreamed of." Dairon laughed, breaking the silence of the hall, but the king replied saying he would ask a small price for a small request, and proceded to offer his daughter's hand in marriage for a Silmaril from the crown of Melko. Tales brought by the escaped thralls from Angamandi said that the crown containing the jewels never left the head of Melko and that he prized them very highly; knowing the difficulty of this task, Beren in anger criticised the king for asking such a small price for Tinúviel, and said he would do this deed. Then he left, and Tinúviel wept because she believed her father had sent Beren to his death. Gwendeling said nothing on the matter, and did not question her daughter on why she was weeping for an unknown Gnome.

Beren travels to Angamandi

In his rage, Beren marched to the Iron Mountains near to Angamandi before he began to weary. There, packs of orcs and other evil creatures roamed, and Beren thought about turning back, but in his heart he heard the weeping of Tinúviel. He was caught by orcs when searching for food, and was brought before Melko.

There, the Ainu was angered and wondered how one of the Gnomes - which he thought of as his slaves by birth - had left his abode. Then Beren said he was of a kindred of the Gnomes of Aryador who had many dealings with Men. Melko was wrathful at this, because he hated the mingling of Elves and Men. Knowing the danger he was in, Beren claimed he had no friendship with Men and only wanted to serve Melko as a hunter of birds and animals. Flattered at this, for flattery was a weakness of his, Melko did not kill him and instead accepted him as a kitchen slave under Tevildo Prince of Cats.

Beren was brought to Tevildo's halls, which were not far from Melko's abode. There, Tevildo set him the task of catching three mice in his halls as a test. These were of a wild and evil type, and Beren was unable to catch any, because he had no tools with which to devise a trap. Then Tevildo was angered and made him a scullion in the kitchens. Thus Beren's days were filled with misery, and he was starved of food and sleep, and wished he had never left Hisiliómë and seen Tinúviel dancing.

Differences to the later text

Differences present in The Tale of Tinúviel when compared with later versions of the narrative include the following:

  • Tevildo is the first version of Thû/Sauron
  • The knife Beren uses to cut out the Silmaril is a kitchen-knife of Tevildo rather than Angrist
  • Lúthien wears silver-white instead of sky-blue