Silmarillion: a question of reliability - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Aiwendil · 07-14-2002, 09:21 AM

Actually, there are some mistakes in the published Silmarillion. Most of these are the result of Christopher mistakenly using an earlier version of a story instead of a later one. There is also a substantial section of one chapter ("The Ruin of Doriath") that was more or less invented by Christopher (though I think he did an excellent job with this and with the published Silmarillion in general, despite the mistakes).

Any blame Christopher Tolkien might have taken from these errors has been thoroughly repudiated by the thirteen volumes of his father's actual work that he spent the next twenty years editing. Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth are to be trusted (with the exception of perhaps one thing in UT), as far as being the actual work of JRRT.

For an attempt to produce a unified, mistake-free Silmarillion, see the Revised Silmarillion project on these boards.

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07-14-2002, 09:21 AM	#4
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	Actually, there are some mistakes in the published Silmarillion. Most of these are the result of Christopher mistakenly using an earlier version of a story instead of a later one. There is also a substantial section of one chapter ("The Ruin of Doriath") that was more or less invented by Christopher (though I think he did an excellent job with this and with the published Silmarillion in general, despite the mistakes). Any blame Christopher Tolkien might have taken from these errors has been thoroughly repudiated by the thirteen volumes of his father's actual work that he spent the next twenty years editing. Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth are to be trusted (with the exception of perhaps one thing in UT), as far as being the actual work of JRRT. For an attempt to produce a unified, mistake-free Silmarillion, see the Revised Silmarillion project on these boards.