A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
On rule-following.
They all abandoned me. Departed over the Grinding Ice! Though all but one have now returned to Aman, I cannot see them, for Namo does not allow guests in his fearsome Halls. And the one who could still come back alive refuses to! All followed you, brother, though you deserted them bloodyhanded on the shore. Oh, they would all say they followed our other brother, but they would all be lying.
Feänaro, the Spirit of Fire, who I will never match. I followed all of the rules. Ingwë's. Eru's. You followed none of them. Yet they all loved you more - even my own children.
The last sentences, are, of course, lifted from "Legends of the Fall."