The Book of Lost Tales Part I: A Readthrough

[jallanite]

Originally Posted by Tar-Jêx

I was more talking about places and things, not characters.

Your original post does not indicate this. But I still fail to take your point. Fomendacil, quite rightly, in my opinion, indicates that Tolkien’s change of Teleri from the first kindred of the Eldar to the third, combined with his change of the names of the other two kindreds, is potentially confusing to a reader familiar with the published Silmarillion.

But such switches are rare. Indeed I think that this switch in the meanings to Teleri is almost unique in Tolkien’s writing.

However, some of the Valar did undergo name changes. Mandos was Vefantur, Nienna was Fui.

The word some indicates more than two or three in most people’s idiolect. And the so-called name changes are not complete name changes.

The Vala Mandos, is first introduced on page 66 of The Book of Lost Tales, Book One, in the statement:

… and those brethren the Fánturi, Fantur of Dreams who is Lórien Olofántur, and Fantur of Death, who is Véfantur Mandos, …

Thereafter in the The Book of Lost Tales he is mostly called Mandos, as normally he is in the published Silmarillion, though in a few places in The Book of Lost Tales he is simply Véfantur. The corresponding statement in the published Silmarillion is somewhat longer and clearer:

The Fëanturi, masters of spirits, are brethren, and they are called most often Mandos and Lórien. Yet these are rightly the names of the places of their dwellings, and their true names are Námo and Irmo.

Nienna is also introduced for the first time on page 66 of The Book of Lost Tales, Part One as Fui Nienna. Admittedly the name Fui by itself, explained as properly the name of her dwelling, is more commonly used in the Book of Lost Tales and not used at all in the published Silmarillion. And in the Book of Lost Tales Fui/Nienna is the wife of Mandos, not his sister as she is in the published Silmarillion. But otherwise they are almost the same character.

This is, in my opinion, less confusing than the various names of the Hobbits who take part in the Quest for the Ring in early versions of the Lord of the Rings. And there is an index of names to help the reader who needs it.

Mandos and Nienna are indeed called Mandos and Nienna in the Book of Lost Tales. The change in names for Mandos is from Véfantur to Námo and Nienna has only an additional name of Fui which is later dropped.

I believe totally that the Book of Lost Tales confused you but can’t figure out what you found so confusing when the Book of Lost Tales was presented as an earlier version of Tolkien’s Silmarillion and Christopher Tolkien continually in his notes points out the differences. That the work was different from the published Silmarillion was the main reason for its being published. What you find confusing is to those who like it one of the main reasons for being delighted with the work being published.

I know a number of people who actually skip pages (despicable) and they find themselves lost, because you only get told once who these people are.

That Tolkien does not explain everything fully is a persistent complaint about The Lord of the Rings also. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings early introduces dozens of hobbits, most of whom are never mentioned again. Some find the geographic names frightful. The reader is apparently expected to remember them all, when any of them are encountered later.

When I find myself confused in similar fashion, say in a book of Irish mythology or history that is unfamiliar to me, I might also shut the book. But I don’t blame the book for my ignorance, as Tolkien presents Rúmil as enraged when a bird happens to sing a song he does not already know.