The Lays of Beleriand - HoME 3

[Rían]

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?

[Sister Golden Hair]

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.

[Lefty Scaevola]

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

[Rían]

I like the section when Felagund is fighting against Thu (Sauron) - section VII -

Then sudden Felagund there swaying
sang in answer a song of staying,
resisting, battling against power,
of secrets kept, strength like a tower,
and trust unbroken, freedom, escape;
of changing and of shifting shape,
of snares eluded, broken traps,
the prison opening, the chain that snaps.

Backwards and forwards swayed their song.
Reeling and foundering, as ever more strong
Thu's chanting swelled, Felagund fought,
and all the magic and might he brought
of Elfinesse into his words.
Softly in the gloom they heard the birds
singing afar in Nargothrond,
the sighing of the sea beyond,
beyond the western world, on sand,
on sand of pearls on Elvenland.

Felagund was physically defeated, but he was noble to the end.

[olsonm]

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

[Sheeana]

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.

[Maedhros]

Originally posted by Rían
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?

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.

[Rían]

Originally posted by Maedhros
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.

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.

[Rían]

Is this cool or what!

'Is it dauntless Hurin,' quoth Delu-Morgoth,
'stout steel-handed, who stands before me,
a captive living as a coward might be?
Knowest thou my name, or need'st be told
what hope he has who is haled to Angband -
the bale most bitter, the Balrog's torment?'

'I know and I hate. For that knowledge I fought thee
by fear unfettered, nor fear I now,'
said Thalion there...

'Build not thy hopes so high, O Bauglir -
I am no tool for thy evil treasons;
torment were sweeter than a traitor's stain.'

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.

[Rían]

I also like this, in the version 2 -

Then Húrin answered, Hithlum's chieftain -
his shining eyes with sheen of fire
in wrath were reddened: 'O ruinous one,
by fear unfettered I have fought thee long,
nor dread thee now, nor thy demon slaves,
fiends and phantoms, thou foe of Gods!'
His dark tresses, drenched and tangled,
that fell o'er his face he flung backward,
in the eye he looked of the evil Lord -
since that day of dread to dare his glance
has no mortal Man had might of soul.

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

[Maedhros]

I like Canto XII of the Lay of Leithien

the Gnomish king, there standing lone,
while endless fortresses of stone
engulfed the thin clear ringing keen
of silver horn on baldric green.
His hopeless challenge dauntless cried
Fingolfin there: 'Come, open wide,
dark king, your ghastly brazen doors!
Come forth, whom earth and heaven abhors!
Come forth, O monstrous craven lord,
and fight with thine own hand and sword,
thou wielder of hosts of banded thralls,
thou tyrant leaguered with strong walls,
thou foe of Gods and elvish race!
I wait thee here. Come! Show thy face! '

[Rían]

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

[Artanis]

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.

[Rían]

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

[Lefty Scaevola]

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.

[Shadowfax]

Such beautiful poetry; what more can I say?

[Rían]

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

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

[Lefty Scaevola]

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.

[Elf Girl]

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.

[Willow Oran]

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.