The Lays of Beleriand - HoME 3
 

I just read SGH's notice about games in this forum, so I thought I'd start a non-game thread :)

Is there anyone else like me - a non-poetry person that was completely blown away and enchanted by the poetry in The Lays of Beleriand?

Is not the Lay of Lethian beautiful and sad? Maedhros was telling me that in the Lay of the Children of Hurin, that there is a pretty detailed description of Nargothrond. I'll have to read that Lay next. My love of Finrod got the better of me and so I read the Lay of Lethian first.:D

I think the Lay of Lethian is the very soul of JRRT's creation.

I like the section when Felagund is fighting against Thu (Sauron) - section VII - Felagund was physically defeated, but he was noble to the end.

I just bought The Lays of Beleriand. It was wonderful. :) It's a shame he never finished.

Fantastic stuff. I'm still surprised I managed to read a whole book in lay format! I'm doubly sad that he never finished the children of Hurin. :(

Yes, although I have to say that I was pretty impressed by the Poems in The Book of Lost Tales I. My favorite is The Trees of Kortirion.
My favorite part in the Lay of the Children of Húrin, is when Húrin defies Morgoth. That is just awesome.
In the Lay of Leithein, there are some awesome passages like the one when Fingolfin challenges Morgoth to combat. That was just amazing.
In both Lays of course, the second revised version is better than the first but, unfortunately both the Original and Revised versions are unfinished.

It looks like we have the same 2 favorite parts, Maedhros - I've quoted the Fingolfin challenge to Morgoth several times on Entmoot already. And Hurin's defiance is incredible.

Is this cool or what!

Whew! What an untrue taunt by Morgoth (that he was captured alive thru cowardice), and what a comeback by Hurin! Then to be offered freedom if he turned traitor, and defy Morgoth again.

I also like this, in the version 2 -

For some reason, that little detail of him tossing back his hair really touches me -

I like Canto XII of the Lay of Leithien

That's definitely one of my favorite parts in the entire book, Maedhros.

The Lay of Leithian was great stuff. When I started reading it I didn't know that it was unfinished, I was sorely disappointed when I discovered it.

I thought the Lay of the Children of Húrin was more impressive though. But then I've always liked alliterative poetry better.

"torment were sweeter than a traitor's stain." Great quote Rían. Well said of Húrin, and more bravely than any man before or after him.

Yes, that quote is very noble, isn't it?

Note the cahnge in Hurin's hair color from Lethian (dark tresses) to later writings where he is golden haired like his father's ilk, but shorter and lithe like his mothers folk.

Such beautiful poetry; what more can I say?

Yes, there was some comment later on in the Lay by Túrin that he was dark-haired, like his mother.

In the second paragraph of the Narn I Hin Hurin, prose wversion in unfinished tales it explicitly says Hurin was golden haired. In Sil, in two places by exclusion it implies it. One which you cite above, decribes the House of Hador and its people as golden hairs but note an exception for Turin, and does not metion Hurin. Another describing the differences of Hurin from his fathers family and similarities to his mother's family: shorter , lithe, more enduring, etc, again does not mention hair.

Back on Lethian, I particualarly enjpy the way it compresses entire charters of Sil into a few stanzas, that are yet brilliantly vivid.

I adore it, but I am a poetry person. I plan to someday write out all of the Lay of Leithien in Tengwar. I did some calculations, if I do six calligraphy pages a day, it will take me thirty-six days. ;)

I can't seem to get into the lay of Hurin but I adore the Lay of Leithian. My favorite bit is Beren's farewell song. It's so romantically touching.