Unfinished Tales - Part One - I - Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

What is it with Tolkien's wives and mothers?! Here we have yet another who effectively abandons her child (yes, she provided for fostering, but that's not the same as having an actual mother). Rather than staying with Tuor, Rían leaves him with the Elves and dies. Is life as a wife more important than life as a mother? Does her life end with that of her husband? This is an attitude I don't understand.

What do you expect from an author whose own mother died when he was twelve?

Originally Posted by Guinevere

I agree very much with all that Formendacil has written! The detailed description of the landscape also struck me, and reminded me of LotR. (I now traced Tuor's wanderings on the Atlas of MiddleEarth)

Yes! Voronwë's line Ered en Echoriath, ered e·mbar nín! alone is like one of those gestures by which Japanese No actors conjure up an entire landscape on an empty stage.

Originally Posted by Guinevere

Personally, I have a special liking for Voronwë. His tale of how he tarried on the way and his description of his delight in Nan-tathren is hauntingly beautiful and his account of the sea voyage is very touching and tragic. There is hardly any other elf who reveals so much about himself, is there? I also like how close companions and friends Tuor and Voronwë become, and the way Tuor sometimes takes the initiative.

I concur. Running with the comparison/juxtaposition of Tuor and Turin, Voronwë is Tuor's Beleg - an elf who risked everything for the sake of his friendship with a mortal; and unlike his counterpart in the other tale, his friendship and trust was vindicated and rewarded. (Didn't he, back in the old BoLT, survive to sire the same Ilfiniol son of Bronweg who told some of the Tales to Eriol?)