The Book of Lost Tales - J. R. Tolkien [159]
It is a mighty tale, and seven times shall folk fare to the Tale-fire ere it be rightly told; and so twined is it with those stories of the Nauglafring and of the Elf-march that I would fain have aid in that telling…
If the six parts following the Tale of the Nauglafring were each to be of comparable length, the whole Tale of Eärendel would have been somewhere near half the length of all the tales that were in fact written; but my father never afterwards returned to it on any ample scale.
I give now the concluding part of Scheme B.
Tale of Eärendel begins, with which is interwoven the Nauglafring and the March of the Elves. For further details see Notebook C.*
First part. The tale of the Nauglafring down to the flight of Elwing.
Second part. The dwelling at Sirion. Coming thither of Elwing, and the love of her and Eärendel as girl and boy. Ageing of Tuor—his secret sailing after the conches of Ulmo in Swanwing.
Eärendel sets sail to the North to find Tuor, and if needs be Mandos.
Sails in Eärámë. Wrecked. Ulmo appears. Saves him, bidding him sail to Kôr—‘for for this hast thou been brought out of the Wrack of Gondolin’.
Third part. Second attempt of Eärendel to Mandos. Wreck of Falasquil and rescue by the Oarni.1 He sights the Isle of Seabirds ‘whither do all the birds of all waters come at whiles’. Goes back by land to Sirion.
Idril has vanished (she set sail at night). The conches of Ulmo call Eärendel. Last farewell of Elwing. Building of Wingilot.
Fourth part. Eärendel sails for Valinor. His many wanderings, occupying several years.
Fifth part. Coming of the birds of Gondolin to Kôr with tidings. Uproar of the Elves. Councils of the Gods. March of the Inwir (death of Inwë), Teleri, and Solosimpi.
Raid upon Sirion and captivity of Elwing.
Sorrow and wrath of Gods, and a veil dropped between Valmar and Kôr, for the Gods will not destroy it but cannot bear to look upon it.
Coming of the Eldar. Binding of Melko. Faring to Lonely Isle. Curse of the Nauglafring and death of Elwing.
Sixth part. Eärendel reaches Kôr and finds it empty. Fares home in sorrow (and sights Tol Eressëa and the fleet of the Elves, but a great wind and darkness carries him away, and he misses his way and has a voyage eastward).
Arriving at length at Sirion finds it empty. Goes to the ruins of Gondolin. Hears of tidings. Sails to Tol Eressëa. Sails to the Isle of Seabirds.
Seventh part. His voyage to the firmament.
Written at the end of the text is: ‘Rem[ainder] of Scheme in Notebook C’. These references in Scheme B to ‘Notebook C’ are to the little pocket-book which goes back to 1916–17 but was used for notes and suggestions throughout the period of the Lost Tales (see I. 171). At the beginning of it there is an outline (here called ‘C’) headed ‘Eärendel’s Tale, Tuor’s son’, which is in fair harmony with Scheme B:
Eärendel dwells with Tuor and Irildë2 at Sirion’s mouth by the sea (on the Isles of Sirion). Elwing of the Gnomes of Artanor3 flees to them with the Nauglafring. Eärendel and Elwing love one another as boy and girl.
Great love of Eärendel and Tuor. Tuor ages, and Ulmo’s conches far out west over the sea call him louder and louder, till one evening he sets sail in his twilit boat with purple sails, Swanwing, Alqarámë.4 Idril sees him too late. Her song on the beach of Sirion.
When he does not return grief of Eärendel and Idril. Eärendel (urged also by Idril who is immortal) desires to set sail and search even to Mandos. [Marginal addition:] Curse of Nauglafring rests on his voyages. Ossë his enemy.
Fiord of the Mermaid. Wreck. Ulmo appears at wreck and saves them, telling them he must go to Kôr and is saved for that.
Elwing’s grief when she learns Ulmo’s bidding. ‘For no man may tread the streets of Kôr or look upon the places of the Gods and dwell in the Outer Lands in peace again.’
Eärendel departs all the same and is wrecked by the treachery of Ossë and saved only by the Oarni (who love him)