The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Silmarillion - Chapter 21

Aiwendil · 09-04-2011, 05:52 PM

For the sake of completeness, here are the brief notes on the history of the story I had originally put together for these discussions:

The tale of Turin is probably, of all the stories of the Silmarillion, the one that Tolkien spent the most time on, and it exists in myriad forms. It appears first as the tale of 'Turambar and the Foaloke' in the 'Book of Lost Tales'. Then it was the subject of one of the long lays Tolkien worked on during the 1920s - which, though it extends for more than 2,000 lines, goes no further than Turin's living in Nargothrond. Short synopses of the story appear in the 'Sketch of the Mythology' and the 'Quenta Noldorinwa'. Based on these and on the 'Lay', a longer prose version was begun for the 1937 'Quenta Silmarillion', but this version breaks off after the death of Orgof/Saeros.

After the completion of The Lord of the Rings, the story of Turin was one of the first pieces of the Silmarillion that Tolkien returned to, writing a long prose narrative beginning with Turin's arrival in Brethil and continuing to the end of the story. Then the full story was told again, in briefer form, as part of the 'Grey Annals'. Finally, in the later 1950s, Tolkien wrote a long prose form of the earlier parts of the 'Narn', petering out before the battle on Amon Rudh. This, together with the long form of the later ports of the story mentioned above, constitutes the 'Narn i Chin Hurin'.

Additional readings
HoMe II - 'Lost Tales' version
HoMe III - The 'Lay of the Children of Hurin'
HoMe IV - Short versions in 'Sketch of the Mythology' and 'Quenta Noldorinwa'
HoMe V - Unfinished 'Quenta Silmarillion' version
HoMe XI - 'Grey Annals' version and several variant endings
UT - The 'Narn i Chin Hurin' and associated fragments
The Children of Hurin - A polished and prettified presentation of the 'Narn'.

09-04-2011, 05:52 PM	#24
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	For the sake of completeness, here are the brief notes on the history of the story I had originally put together for these discussions: The tale of Turin is probably, of all the stories of the Silmarillion, the one that Tolkien spent the most time on, and it exists in myriad forms. It appears first as the tale of 'Turambar and the Foaloke' in the 'Book of Lost Tales'. Then it was the subject of one of the long lays Tolkien worked on during the 1920s - which, though it extends for more than 2,000 lines, goes no further than Turin's living in Nargothrond. Short synopses of the story appear in the 'Sketch of the Mythology' and the 'Quenta Noldorinwa'. Based on these and on the 'Lay', a longer prose version was begun for the 1937 'Quenta Silmarillion', but this version breaks off after the death of Orgof/Saeros. After the completion of The Lord of the Rings, the story of Turin was one of the first pieces of the Silmarillion that Tolkien returned to, writing a long prose narrative beginning with Turin's arrival in Brethil and continuing to the end of the story. Then the full story was told again, in briefer form, as part of the 'Grey Annals'. Finally, in the later 1950s, Tolkien wrote a long prose form of the earlier parts of the 'Narn', petering out before the battle on Amon Rudh. This, together with the long form of the later ports of the story mentioned above, constitutes the 'Narn i Chin Hurin'. Additional readings HoMe II - 'Lost Tales' version HoMe III - The 'Lay of the Children of Hurin' HoMe IV - Short versions in 'Sketch of the Mythology' and 'Quenta Noldorinwa' HoMe V - Unfinished 'Quenta Silmarillion' version HoMe XI - 'Grey Annals' version and several variant endings UT - The 'Narn i Chin Hurin' and associated fragments The Children of Hurin - A polished and prettified presentation of the 'Narn'. Last edited by Aiwendil; 09-06-2011 at 10:03 PM.