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."
Nimrodel, Nimrodel, the waters sing. Nimrodel, Nimrodel.
Everyone knows this.
Here is a secret very few know: the waters sing in Mithrellas' voice.
Mithrellas whispers Nimrodel's name as she searches for her lost lady, her lost lover, and the streams echo her grief. Nimrodel, Nimrodel.
And then she leaves, and they sing their song alone. Nimrodel, Nimrodel. Mithrellas has gone, gone to the sea, defeated, her quest abandoned, but her voice still remains, whispering in the forest. Nimrodel, Nimrodel.
Nimrodel, Mithrellas calls, from the past, from a far-away place, and Nimrodel hears. And Mithrellas, Nimrodel calls, and Mithrellas answers.