Note on the landing of the Five Wizards and their functions and operations

[gandalf85]

I really like the inclusion of the poem at the beginning of this chapter. I agree with Arcus that moving the last line of the poem into the main text makes for a less abrupt start and flows well into the second sentence. I have a few comments/questions:

1)

{that }Alatar took Pallando FW-SL-07<moved from below also chosen by{to} Oromë (but {this replaces Pallando to}/favoured by/ Mandos and {Nienna}[Niënna])> as a friend

What justification do we have for saying Pallando was favoured by Mandos and Nienna? The only other mention of Pallando I can find other than Unfinished Tales is HoME 12, and it doesn't say anything there about who he was favoured by. In Unfinished Tales, it appears that Tolkien changed his mind -- initially Pallando was sent by Mandos and Nienna, then later he decided Pallando was sent by Orome. I can't find any other connection between Pallando and Mandos and Nienna.

2) I'm assuming much of the material in the Unfinished Tales chapter has been moved to Volume 3 of TftE. However, there is a large section in the Istari chapter in UT which seems like it makes sense here:

Emissaries they were from the Lords of the West, the Valar...would endeavor to dominate and corrupt

This section discusses why the Valar decided to send emissaries and gives more information on the intended purpose of the Istari. I think it makes sense to include this when discussing the councils of the Valar (the first paragraph of this draft). It would require a bit of editing; I can try to add it in if you guys agree it fits here.

[ArcusCalion]

1) This is a good point, but as Fin placed it in the draft I'll let him respond to it.

2) I had not considered this placement, but it may very well make sense to include this here. That essay has indeed been included in the outline for Volume 3, but this piece is indeed pertinent to this section, and Fin has suggested adding the essay into these main texts. Maybe you could present your idea for its edited inclusion so we can see how it looks?

[Findegil]

1) Okay, you got me there. That was me overmuch combining. Good to have someone to check my drafts critical!
The reason why I wanted to include Mandos and Nienna is that I did not observe the difference between ‘Curumo was obliged to take Aiwendil to please Yavanna wife of Aulë’ and ‘Alatar took Pallando as a friend.’ In that way I thought, that we would have to provide a similar reason to the one for Radagst as well for Pallando why he would be included. Therefore I assumed that Mandos and Nienna would have demanded (like Yavanna) that one favored by them should be included in the group. But I see now that this is not the case, and that is much more natural for Alatar to choose a friend from following of the same Valar. So I think we have t change the text in this way:

FW-SL-05{The note ends with the statement that Curumo [Saruman] took Aiwendil [Radagast] because Yavanna begged him,} FW-SL-06<moved from below Curumo was obliged to take Aiwendil to please Yavanna wife of Aulë> and {that }Alatar took Pallando FW-SL-07b<moved from below also a Maia of {to} Oromë> as a friend. ...

2) I included now much of that essay in the Third Age material, but if you think it belongs rather here, I would be pleased to read and discuss your suggestions.

Respectfully
Findegil