J.R.R. Tolkien - The History of Middle-Earth

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT

FOREWORD.

In 'The History of Middle-earth' I have tried to make each book

as much an independent entity as possible, and not merely a

section cut off when the book had reached a certain size; but in

the history of the writing of The Lord of the Rings this has

proved difficult. In The Return of the Shadow I was able to

bring the story to the point where my father, as he said, 'halted

for a long while' while the Company of the Ring stood before

the tomb of Balin in the mines of Khazad-dum; but this meant

leaving till later the further complex restructurings of earlier

parts of The Fellowship of the Ring that belong to that period.

In this volume my hope and intention was to reach the second

major halt in the writing of The Lord of the Rings. In the

Foreword to the Second Edition my father said that in 1942 he

'wrote the first drafts of the matter that now stands as Book III

[the story from 'The Departure of Boromir' to 'The Palantir'],

and the beginnings of Chapters 1 and 3 of Book V ['Minas

Tirith' and 'The Muster of Rohan']; and there as the beacons

flared in Anorien and Theoden came to Harrowdale I stopped.

Foresight had failed and there was no time for thought.' It seems

to have been around the end of 1942 that he stopped, and he

began again ('I forced myself to tackle the journey of Frodo to

Mordor') at the beginning of April 1944, after an interval of

well over a year.

For this reason I chose as a title for this book The Treason of

Isengard, that being a title my father had proposed for Book III

(the first Book of The Two Towers) in a letter to Rayner Unwin

of March 1953 (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien no. 136). But I

have found repeatedly that a history of the writing of The Lord

of the Kings tends to set its own pace and scale, and that there

comes a sort of critical point beyond which condensation of the

intricacies of the evolving structure is not possible, without

changing the nature of the enterprise. Finding that the story was

not moving rapidly enough to reach the great ride of Gandalf

with Pippin on Shadowfax before I ran out of space, I rewrote a

great part of the book in an attempt to shorten it; but I found

that if I rejected material as being less essential or of less interest

I was always confronted at a later point with the need for

explanations that destroyed my gains. Finally I decided that

'The King of the Golden Hall' does in fact provide a very

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT (1 of 4)12-7-2004 5:16:44

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT

suitable stopping-place, not in terms of the movement of

composition but in terms of the movement of the story; and I

have retained the title The Treason of Isengard, because that

was the central new element in this part of The Lord of the

Rings, even though in this book the account of the destruction

of Isengard and the reward of Saruman's betrayal is only

reached in a preliminary outline.

Of course it would be possible to shorten my account very

considerably by treating such matters as the chronology and

geography far more superficially, but as I know well there are

some who find these often exceedingly complex questions of

great interest, and those who do not can easily pass them by. Or

I might have omitted some passages of original writing where it

is not very distinctively different from the published work; but it

has been my intention throughout this 'History' that the

author's own voice should be largely heard.

The way in which The Return of the Shadow was constructed

has meant that the first part of The Treason of Isengard must

deal at some length with further developments in The Fel-

lowship of the Ring up to the point reached in the first book,

and this part is of necessity a continuation of the account in The

Return of the Shadow and stands in very close relation to it -

though most of the many page-references made to it are no

more than references and need not be looked up in order to

follow the discussion.

This book is again very largely descriptive in intent; and in

general I have thought it more useful to explain why I believe

the narrative to have evolved as I describe it than to enlarge on

my own views of the significance of particular features.

As the writing of The Lord of the Rings proceeds the initial

draftings become more and more difficult to read; but for

obvious reasons I have not hesitated to try to present even the

most formidable examples, such as the original description of

Frodo's vision on Amon Hen (pp. 372 - 3), though the result

must be peppered all over with dots and queries.

In the preparation of this book I have again been greatly

indebted to the help of Mr Taum Santoski generously and

unfailingly given, and to that of Mr John D. Rateliff who has

assisted in the analysis of manuscripts in the possession of

Marquette University. I thank also Mr Charles B. Elston, the

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT (2 of 4)12-7-2004 5:16:44

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT

Archivist of the Memorial Library at Marquette, for providing

photographs of the designs on the West Gate of Moria and the

inscription on Balin's Tomb, and Miss Tracy Muench, who has

been responsible for the photocopying of many manuscripts.

Mr Charles Noad very kindly undertook an additional and

independent reading of the proofs, together with a meticulous

checking of all references and citations from published works.

In this connection I must explain, what I should have explained

in The Return of the Shadow, a perhaps rather misleading

device that I have employed in these books: when relating an

earlier text to the published form I often treat passages as

identical although the wording actually differs in unimportant

ways. Thus for example (p. 370) 'Sam broke in on the discus-

sion... with "Begging your pardons, but I don't think you

understand Mr Frodo at all (FR p. 419) is not a misquotation

of The Fellowship of the Ring (which has Begging your

pardon," said Sam. "I don't think you understand my master at

all"'), but a 'shorthand' by which I indicate the precise point in

The Fellowship of the Ring but also cite accurately the reading

of the earlier text. I do this also when relating successive early

versions to each other.

The illustration of Orthanc in the Ring of Isengard repro-

duced as the frontispiece is the earliest of successive conceptions

of the tower, and may be taken to represent my father's image

of it at the time when the texts in this book were written. It was

done on the back of an examination script in 1942, and was

found, together with other drawings, among the original drafts

of 'The Road to Isengard'. The evolution of Orthanc will be

described in Volume VIII, but it seemed suitable to use this

picture as the frontispiece to The Treason of Isengard.

As in The Return of the Shadow, when citing texts I follow

my father's representation of names, which was very inconsis-

tent, especially in the use of capital letters. I abbreviate The

Fellowship of the Ring as FR, The Two Towers as TT, and The

Lord of the Rings as LR; and I refer to the previous volumes in

this 'History', listed on the title-page, as (e.g.) 'II.189, V.226'.

I take this opportunity to explain an error in The Return of

the Shadow (not present in the first American printing). After

correction of the second proofs, lines 11 - 12 on page 32 of that

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT (3 of 4)12-7-2004 5:16:44

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT

book came to be repeated in lines 15 - 16 in place of the correct

text, which should read:

Bingo's last words, 'I am leaving after dinner', were

corrected on the manuscript to 'I am leaving now.'

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/FOREWORD.TXT (4 of 4)12-7-2004 5:16:44

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT

I.

GANDALF'S DELAY.

In The Return of the Shadow, after citing and discussing the remark-

able notes and plot-outlines bearing the date August 1939 (Chapter

XXII: 'New Uncertainties and New Projections'), I turned to the

continuation of the story at Rivendell and after, as far as Moria. But at

this time (towards the end of 1939) my father was also engaged in

substantial further revision to what ultimately became Book I of The

Fellowship of the Ring (FR), arising primarily from a changed story of

Gandalf's movements, and an explanation of his delay. I doubt that it

would be possible to deduce a perfectly clear and coherent, step-by-

step chronology of this period in the narrative evolution, or to relate

precisely the development of the early chapters of what became Book

II to the new work on Book I; for my father moved back and forth,

trying out new conceptions and then perhaps abandoning them, and

producing such a tangle of change as cannot always be untied: and

even if it could be, it would require a vast amount of space to make

it all remotely comprehensible without the manuscripts. However,

granting that many uncertainties remain, I do not think that they

constitute a real impediment to understanding the development in all

essentials.

Most of this new work on the story as far as Rivendell can be

treated in terms of the individual chapters, but some outlines,

time-schemes, and notes are best collected together, though I cannot

certainly determine the order in which they were set down. These are

the subject of this chapter.

(1). This slip of paper begins 'State of Plot assumed after XI. (Much of

explanation in XII and of incident in Bree chapter will have to be

rewritten.)' The reference is clearly to Chapter XII 'The Council of

Elrond', which at this stage included the narrative afterwards separ-

ated off as 'Many Meetings' (see VI.399-400). Then follows:

Bilbo gives Party and goes off. At that time he does not know

anything about the ring's powers or origin (other than invisibility).

Motive writing book (bring in his wry expression about 'living

happily to end of [his] days') - and a restlessness: desire to see either

Sea or Mountains while his days last. Confesses to a slight re-

luctance to leave the ring, mixed with an oddly opposite feeling.

Says to Gandalf he sometimes feels it is like an eye looking at [him].

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT (1 of 170)12-7-2004 5:17:31

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT

These two things give Gandalf food for thought. He helps Bilbo

therefore with his preparations - but keeps an eye on the Ring.

(Cut out a lot of the genealogical stuff and most of the Sackville-

Baggins stuff.)

Then Gandalf goes off and is absent for 3 and 7 years. At the end

of the last absence (14 - 15 years after Bilbo's disappearance)

Gandalf returns and actually stays with Frodo. Then he explains

what he has discovered. But he does not advise Frodo yet to go off,

though he does mention the Cracks of Doom and the Fiery

Mountain.

He departs again; and Frodo becomes restless. As Gandalf does

not come back for a year and more Frodo forms the idea of going

perhaps to the Cracks of Doom, but at any rate to Rivendell. There

he will get advice. He finally makes his plans with his friends Merry

and [Folco >] Faramond' (no Odo) and Sam. They go off just as the

Black Riders come to Hobbiton.

Gandalf finds out about the Black Riders but is delayed, because

the Dark Lord is hunting him (or because of Treebeard). He is

alarmed at finding Frodo gone and immediately rides off to

Buckland, but is again too late. He loses their trail owing to the

Old Forest escapade, and actually gets ahead. He falls in with

Trotter. Who is Trotter?

At the end of this sketch my father for a moment contemplated an

entirely novel answer to this question: that Trotter was 'a disguised elf

- friend of Bilbo's in Rivendell.' He was one of the Rivendell scouts, of

whom many were sent out, and he 'pretends to be a ranger'. This was

struck out, probably as soon as written.

If this is compared with the note dated August 1939 given in VI.374

it will be seen that a passage in the latter bears a distinct similarity to

what is said here:

Gandalf does not tell Frodo to leave Shire ... The plan for leaving

was entirely Frodo's. Dreams or some other cause [added: restless-

ness] have made him decide to go journeying (to find Cracks of

Doom? after seeking counsel of Elrond). Gandalf simply vanishes

for years.... Gandalf is simply trying to find them, and is des-

perately upset when he discovers Frodo has left Hobbiton.

That Treebeard was a hostile being, and that he held Gandalf in

captivity during the crucial time, appeared in the 'third phase' Chapter

XII (VI.363); cf. also VI.384, 397.

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT (2 of 170)12-7-2004 5:17:31

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT

(2) In another undated scrap is seen the actual emergence of

'Trotter's' true name - as a Man: Aragorn.

Trotter is a man of Elrond's race descendant of [struck out at once:

Turin] the ancient men of the North, and one of Elrond's house-

hold. He was a hunter and wanderer. He became a friend of Bilbo.

He knew Gandalf. He was intrigued by Bilbo's story, and found

Gollum. When Gandalf went off on the last perilous quest - really

to find out about Black Riders and whether the Dark Lord would

attack the Shire - he [> Gandalf and Bilbo] arranged with Trotter

(real name [other unfinished names struck oat in the act of writing:

Bara / Rho / Dam] Aragorn son of Aramir) to go towards the Shire

and keep a lookout on the road from East (Gandalf was going

South). He gives Aragorn a letter to Frodo. Aragorn pretends he is a

Ranger and hangs about Bree. (He also warns Tom Bombadil.)

Reason of wooden shoes - no need in this case because Aragorn is

a man. Hence there is no need for Gandalf... The cache of food

at Weathertop is Aragorn's. Aragorn steers them to Weathertop as a

good lookout.

But how could Trotter miss Gandalf?

What delayed Gandalf? Black Riders or other hunters. Treebeard.

Aragorn did not miss Gandalf and arranged tryst on Weathertop.

At the end is written very emphatically and twice underlined: NO

0 D O.

The likeness of what is said of Trotter/Aragorn here (he was a man

of Elrond's race and household, he became a friend of Bilbo's, and he

'pretends he is a Ranger') to the proposal at the end of $1 (Trotter was

'a disguised elf', one of the Rivendell scouts, a friend of Bilbo's in

Rivendell, and he 'pretends to be a ranger') may suggest that the one

arose directly from the other. On the other hand, my father had still

not finally decided the question; for on the reverse of this piece of

paper and undoubtedly at the same time he wrote:

Alternative function for Trotter. Trotter is Peregrin Boffin that Bilbo

took away with him or who ran off with Bilbo - but this rather

duplicates things - unless you cut out all Frodo's friends.

If Trotter is Peregrin Boffin then Bilbo must go off quietly and

Peregrin simply vanish about the same time.

This is followed by a brief passage sketching a rough narrative on

these lines:

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT (3 of 170)12-7-2004 5:17:31

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT

There was peace in Hobbiton for many years. Gandalf came seldom

and then very quietly and mainly to visit Bilbo. He seemed to have

given up trying to persuade even [?young] Tooks to go off on mad

adventures out of the Shire. Then suddenly things began to happen.

Bilbo Baggins disappeared again - that is hardly exact: he walked

off without saying a word except to Gandalf (and to his nephews

Peregrin and Frodo, it may be supposed). It was a great blow to

Frodo. He found Bilbo had left everything he possessed to himself

and Peregrin. But Peregrin also disappeared, leaving a will in which

his share

Here these notes end, the idea abandoned. Perhaps it was here that

Trotter ceased finally to be a hobbit, Peregrin Boffin.

(3) A page of clear notes in ink, agreeing in part with features of $1

and $2, is headed optimistically Final decisions. Oct. 8 1939. This was

subsequently emended in pencil, but I give it first as it was written.

(1) General plot as at present. Bilbo vanishes at party (but all that

chapter will have to be reduced, especially the Sackville-Baggins

business). (Begin with a conversation between Bilbo and Frodo?)

(2) Gandalf not expected by Frodo. Gandalf had not been seen for

213 years. Frodo grew restless and went off - although Gandalf had

really not wished him to go till he returned.

(3) When Bilbo went Gandalf not sure of nature of Ring. Bilbo's

longevity had made him suspicious - and he induced Bilbo not to

take Ring with him. Bilbo had no idea that Ring was dangerous -

hence simplify all Bilbo's motives, and remove the difficulty of his

burdening Frodo with it.

(4) Frodo's friends are Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Boffin

called Merry and Perry (only; no Odo). Peregrin drops off at

Crickhollow. Merry at Rivendell. Sam only goes on to end.

(5) Trotter is not a hobbit but a real ranger who had gone to live in

Rivendell after much wandering. Cut out shoes.

In (4) it is seen that despite the decision - which was indeed final - that

Trotter was a Man, 'Peregrin Boffin' survived the loss of his alter ego,

remaining an intimate of the owner of Bag End in a later generation;

and for a brief moment may be said to step into the shoes of Odo

Bolger - since he 'drops off at Crickhollow'.

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT (4 of 170)12-7-2004 5:17:31

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT

Pencilled emendations were made to (4) and (5). To (4) was first

added: 'Peregrin stays at Hobbiton and tells Gandalf.' This was struck

out, and the first sentence of the note was changed to read: 'Frodo's

friends are Meriadoc Brandybuck and Ham [ilcar] Bolger and Fara-

mond Took, called Merry, Ham, and Far', with the further addition:

'Ham drops off at Crickhollow, but is picked up by Gandalf and used

as a decoy.?' (On this see under $6 below, p. 13.) Thus once more 'Odo

Bolger' will bounce back, but now under the name of Hamilcar of that

ilk. 'Hamilcar' has appeared hitherto only in a note dated August

1939, where it is proposed that 'Odo' be changed to 'Hamilcar' or

'Fredegar' (VI.373). 'Peregrin Boffin' disappears again - but only

temporarily.

To (5) was added in pencil, after 'a real ranger': 'descendant of

Elendil. Tarkil.' The name Tarkil appears in the Etymologies in V.364

(stem KHIL 'follow'): * tara-khil, in which the second element evi-

dently bears the sense mortal man (Hildi the Followers, an Elvish

name for Men, V.245).

(4) A page of very rough notes in pencil, covered with emendations

and additions, is dated 'Autumn 1939* and headed New Plot. There

now enters a very important development: a far more explicit account

of what had caused Gandalf s delay than anything that has been said

hitherto; and the evil figure of 'Giant Treebeard', his captor, dis-

appears - though not for good (see p. 72).

Time Scheme won't work out for Gandalf to be ahead.

(1) Crickhollow scene - only Hamilcar [struck out: or Folco](9)

there. He blows horn and startles the Riders' horses, which bolt.

They run out of the house, and find a way (10) as the hue and cry

wakes.

(2) Gandalf is behind at Bree. He knows Trotter (real name

Aragorn). Trotter helped him track Gollum. He brings Trotter back

in April 1418 to keep watch especially S.E. of Shire. It was a

message of Trotter's in July (?) that took Gandalf away (11)-fearing

Black Riders. He meets Trotter at Sarn Ford.(11) He then tells him of

Frodo's intended departure on Sept. 22. Begs him to watch East

Road in case anything happens to Gandalf himself. He visits Bree on

way back to Shire on Sept. [date illegible]. But is pursued and tries

to get round to west of Shire.

Black Riders pursue them [read him] - Gandalf has insufficient

magic to cope with Black Riders unaided, whose king is a wizard.

They pursue him over Sarn Ford and he cannot (or dare not) go

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT (5 of 170)12-7-2004 5:17:31

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT

back to Shire.

Eventually he is besieged in the Western Tower. He cannot get

away while they guard it with five Riders. But when Black Riders

have located Frodo and found that he has gone off without Gandalf

they ride away. Three are ahead. Three follow Frodo, but miss him

and get ahead at Bree. Three come behind.(13) Gandalf follows after -

meets Peregrin [written above: news from Gaffer].

The remainder of this outline is a very rough and much corrected

chronology of Gandalf's subsequent movements, which is best con-

sidered together with other chronologies of this time ($6).

A remarkable feature of this 'New Plot' is the date April 1418, for

this is the first appearance of any 'exterior' chronology; moreover

1418 is the year in LR, Appendix B - according to the Shire

Reckoning, i.e. 3018 of the Third Age. At the present time, at any rate,

I am unable to cast any light on the chronology underlying this date,

or to make any suggestion as to the process by which it had arisen.

(5) On the reverse of the page bearing this 'New Plot' is a series of

notes on unconnected topics.

(1) Some mention of Bill Ferney's pony. Does this remain at

Rivendell? [The question is answered 'Yes'.]

(2) Real name of Trotter? [Pencilled against this: 'Aragorn'. See

$$ 2,4.)

(3) Elrond should tell more of Gilgalad?

(4) New name of Dimrilldale (now transferred to South). River

Hoarwell flowing out of ? Hoardale. Nen fimred. Wolfdale

[written above: Entishdale]. The region west of the Misty

Mountains north of Rivendell is called the Entishlands - home

of Trolls.(14)

(5) Gandalf says Tom Bombadil never leaves his own ground.

How then known to Butterbur? Tom's boundaries are from

Bree to High Hay?(15) [Against the words 'How then known to

Butterbur?' my father pencilled 'Not'.]

(6) Trotter is a Ranger - descendant of Elendil? - he is known to

Bilbo, and Gandalf. He has previously been to Mordor and

been tormented (caught in Moria). Gandalf brought him back

towards borders of Shire in April. It was a message from

file:///K|/rah/Tolkien_-_The_History_Of_Middle_Earth_Series_07_-_(txt)/vol07/GL1.TXT (6 of 170)12-7-2004 5:17:31

J.R.R. Tolkien - The History of Middle-Earth - 07

相关推荐

开通VIP享超值会员特权

作者详情

相关内容

热门标签

举报选择: