The Story of the Silent from the Beginning of the World by SteveofCallie

Introductions

Read Introductions

Now hear the Song of the Silent, who from the Ainulindalë, Song of Creation, were born.  Thus came the Quorin forth in unspoken might.  Of the high tale of the Quorin and Caladan, the lore of the Children of Ilúvatar is silent.  Few but the Ainur know this secret tale.

---

Chapter End Notes

ref. The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien (1977) ISBN 0-04-823139-8

The Song of Beginning.

The Ainulindalë.

• Melkor Begins
• Caladan Begins
• The Rise of Discord
• The Fall of Melkor
• Of the Silent

Read The Song of Beginning.

Know this! That Eru first kindled the Flame which never doth perish for each of his beings.  Only then would they sculpt by the music pure Essence and Form for each creature in accord with the soul. Thus each of the beings who sprang into unending life was utterly pure in existence without Form.  Then Eru and the others garbed them with Essence and adorned them with Form.  Each Ainur became so, solely in keeping by the Light of the Flame Within.  Their Essences fulfill their nature.

Thus, no creature arose that was ever created enslaved, as though given a Form not in keeping with the Flame Imperishable within.  No creature was garbed with an Essence or style to be made just a tool of obedience.  Of this was Melkor the Valar most canny; such arose from his song in desecration of Life.

That is why he later sought the Flame Imperishable in secret; to shackle the pure Flame of Life into bodies unspeakable, crafted for foul arts, enslaved to his will. 

Melkor Begins

Eru Ilúvatar gave First Flame to First Being, who burst forth as anthem from the Song of Creation, the First Created One.

From the very start, as the greatest voice of the First Created One spiraled and swept in alone, the voice of Melkor, and brought counterpoint to the main theme of Ilúvatar, many beginning spirits without form were drawn to join and sing the theme of Melkor, as its beauty seemed almost to surpass the first theme of Eru; and thus many of the singers in the Ainulindalë came instantly to love Melkor with all their hearts.  For they saw Melkor in splendor as he truly was created, and they pledged enduring loyalty to him, unto the end of the World made from the Void.

And some of them thus wedded their fates to the being of Melkor out of their love; and of this twining Melkor was most aware.

And after the bringing forth of the Ainur it was Melkor, in fealty to the anthem of Eru Ilúvatar, sang with them of the newcoming All, vast and void universe, and darkness was on the face of the new universe, the World.  And the power of his voice drew about all the spirits who were to become the Ainur; and they marveled at the becoming of the All.

Thus were created the objects of the world, the real things without the Flame Imperishable within, things only with Form and Essence; and in an instant, they simply were.

How dare we speak about the mind of Melkor, of knowing the time of his corruption, of his thoughts and the time of turning to wickedness?  We must be humble, and acknowledge that of these things we were not meant to understand, and cannot understand.

Caladan Begins

Across the song of the waters below passed a great new voice that soared into the trackless sky.  Suddenly the stars did burst forth as the raiment of the Queen of Heaven, and light shone on the land and the restless waters, and the voice of Varda was heard for the first time rejoicing the Light.

But that herald voice calling before in darkness across the waters was not Varda, but instead the voice of the Second Creature named Caladan, singing of the becoming of Light itself shining on All.

The Light upon All was the Gift Inspired the Voice of Caladan to the Ainur and to Eru Ilúvatar.  Caladan, who was known also as Cálëtano, did offer Light especially to his brother Melkor, who vainly believed he alone had sung forth the All, and thus would delight in the power of Creation's own song by seeing its infinity; for Caladan loved Melkor as he loved Eru Ilúvatar, and he loved them from the uttermost depths of his being.

But the mind of Melkor began to be jealous, for Caladan’s hymn to Light destroyed the primordial Darkness that lay upon Creation.  He suspected that Caladan was trying to usurp his foolish pride as Creator of All.  So began the path of Melkor straying from loving service to the Valar and the One. Thus enmity to the light of Varda and Caladan grew in his heart.

The growing spirits of the Ainur rejoiced, for they could see how Light and Dark complement each other, and bring forth each other, as does the tenebrous space between the stars bring forth their radiance.  In truth, Caladan and Melkor as brothers and opposites seemed to span the utterly vast state of being through Dark and Light. And Varda in her becoming rejoiced in this duality.

As the Ainulindalë grew and the other Ainur came forward into being, the theme of Melkor progressed and joined with other voices, and in his dawning and jealous thoughts he dared to blend matters of his own imagining, themes that served to stand apart from music of the First Song entirely. Straightaway discord arose between his mighty voice and the theme of the rest of Ainulindalë.

The Rise of Discord

Many who sang nigh Melkor grew despondent, and their thought was disturbed, and their music faltered; but some began to attune their music to Melkor, rather than to the theme triumphant which Eru Ilúvatar voiced. Of these embodied voices singing at the dawn of Time, many were drawn to the splendor of Melkor everlastingly in the days of his greatness. These followers of Melkor twisted and wove through his discord a great clangor and harshness to praise him and please him evermore; and followed him and fell into corruption when he came to damage the earth as Morgoth and remained in his foul allegiance until doom shall tell.

But a small few of the Created, those who loved Melkor with all their hearts, did grieve when the heard the falsity of his new anthem; and in shock, they fell into silence.   It seemed at last that there were two musics progressing at one time before the seat of Ilúvatar, and they were utterly dissonant.

Still, the silent ones, the spirits in like mind to Caladan later called the Quorin, stood mute during the rest of the Ainulindalë, the song at the Beginning of the World when it veered off into clangor.  Many of the silent were the wisest of all creatures.  Although they loved Melkor continually with all their hearts; they also knew in clear wisdom from their very essences that nothing could ever come to pass that did not issue from Eru Ilúvatar's thought; and that no other Flame Eternal might ever exist, that was not the spirit of Eru Ilúvatar himself.

The Fall of Melkor

The Quorin were greatly troubled, as they saw Melkor falling tremendously but helplessly into becoming utterly alone, a being with allegiance to naught but himself.  He did seek to become alone a single Power. To those who followed Melkor in his misbelief, as well as those who cried out in rage at his falling, it seemed that something called Evil came into creation.  Those who were perpetually chained to Melkor by his love for them, and thus fell into the deep, so reckoned that Evil could exist alone and detached.  They would join him in the evil.

But the greater wisdom of the Quorin unmasked the helpless deception about the fall of Melkor into Evil; for Evil could not stand alone. However thenceforth, Melkor was utterly blind to any falsity about the reality of Evil as naught but a delusion.

Many of the other Ainur called out to Caladan to speak and strive with Melkor and unblind him; but Caladan did not and remained silent.

And the Quorin at least all understood that He, Melkor, the Lord whom the Quorin loved with all their hearts, could never become completely pure Evil, no matter his strivings and imaginings and works and delusion; for Melkor could not unmake himself as a creature of the Flame Imperishable without disappearing utterly.  The Quorin were filled with grief seeing that Melkor had not become in any way greater and more magnificent by this delusion; he merely would a shadow of his original glory, hidden in corruption, and crippled.

Of the Silent

But the power of the mighty voice of Melkor clouded his own understanding and wisdom. He became deaf to simple knowledge.  In shock and shame, the minds of the Quorin were drawn into ever-growing silent shadow.  Mighty was their despair, which mingled with their love; but all in silence.

As the other voices of the Ainur sang forth and sought their true pitch and melody and became filled from out of the emptiness, those whose voices rang forth in the chorus came to love one or another of the Ainur; and so began of the families of the Valar and Maiar to later come into being, just as had the family of Melkor.

But the Quorin remained silent.

At the close of the First Song at the Start of Days, the Song of Creation when all was sung and came to being, the Heavens rested.

Then did Eru Ilúvatar gather the Ainur who had fallen silent, the Quorin, and asked of their thoughts.

By the end of the Song of Creation, the theme of Melkor was surprising to the Ainur, but the truth of his fundamental corruption was still long hence.  He still seemed to be the Noble Firstborn of the Ainur.

For as long as the Song of the World endured, the Quorin were bound by their great love to Melkor, even Caladan.  They, out of love, were pledged to his Essence; but they could not do anything that foreboded the fall of Melkor into degradation.  Therefore, the Quorin begged Eru to release them from the bonds of creation, and to let them pass away into nothingness, and die, to relieve their torment.

And Eru Ilúvatar grieved, that his creatures could be in torment from their existence. Eru would not send them to nothingness, naming these the Silent Ones Orvlann, those without deceit, and Pen-úgarth, the Sinless Ones.

Then Eru Ilúvatar called Nienna of the Aratar, Queen of the Valar, to his side; and likewise, Yavanna Fructifer.  They sang together the First Song from Within the World, of the creation of Tol Úpahtëa.

---

Chapter End Notes

Unmetered dactyl, mostly. 

The Days of the Valaquenta

The Home of the Silent The Sundering of the Valar Morgoth and his Servants Caladan of the Quorin The Ban of Caladan

Read The Days of the Valaquenta

The Home of the Silent

A secret mantled island lay, enwrapped by Belegaer the Sundering Sea, alone in the vast ocean between Aman and Middle-Earth.

The lands and seas of all the world came forth in song at the Start of Days, the Song of Creation sung by Eru Ilúvatar the One, with his beings created by the great song of beholding.  But the island of Tol Úpahtëa was not brought forth in song on that day.

Tol Úpahtëa came into the World from the voice of Eru Ilúvatar, joined in harmony by only a few voices of the Valar.  The Song of the Island of Tol Úpahtëa was the First Song of the World After Creation, and the last chant of Eru Ilúvatar within the World for many ages. 

Tol Úpahtëa existed from almost the Beginning of Days, long before the Land of the Valar was raised in Aman.  And when long hence the Valar created the place of Valinor upon the nearest shore in Aman to Tol Úpahtëa, Ulmo cast up a screen of rough seas and great storms between the island and Valinor which prevented any travelers who were not given leave by Ulmo to cross the sea, instead washing them in wreck back upon the shores of Aman.

Neither Ulmo nor most of the Valar were disposed to kindness towards the people of the island, who were called the mute, Quorin; the island was called the Island of the Voiceless People; and they were greatly displeasing to most of the Valar, who turned their thoughts away.[1]

Only Yavanna and Nienna knew the mystery of the island, and its people the Quorin, and treated them kindly.  But even these Valar would not contemplate that island with others of the Valar, nor speak of the inhabitants.  Only the voices of Yavanna, Nienna and Ulmo had ever blended with the voice of Eru to cause this island, and the great purpose of Tol Úpahtëa was hidden from all others, even those who became alive at Start of Days in the Song of Creation of All, called Ainulindalë.  Manwë did know; but he kept his own counsel, as he did in most things.

Among the rest of the Valar, little more was known about the island or whom might reside there and turned their thoughts from it.

The sinless servants of Melkor, the Pen-úgarth, were placed on Tol Úpahtëa, and began to speak again, and to sing again.  Nienna and Yavanna were their sponsors and only voice in the rest of Aman.  But still, ever they remained the Servants of Melkor. 

Amongst themselves was laid the ban from leaving the island, save any mission of the Valar who watched over them.  They requested Yavanna and Nienna to let them build a temple upon Tol Úpahtëa to honor Melkor.

This desire gave great disquiet to the Ainur, it was indeed voiced in the unfolding of the First Song Within the World. So came about the Land of the Quorin in Tol Úpahtëa.

The Sundering of the Valar

Of all the Valar who mistrusted the Pen-úgarth, Varda was the most harsh and strident.  She did not believe that those who loved Melkor with all their hearts could resist his clever wickedness.  Throughout the Song at the Beginning, it was her voice that strove most mighty with the threnody of Melkor when it began to take shape.

Varda grieved and resented the silence of Caladan and rebuked him for abandoning the burden of bearing light to creation, that she took on alone. Perhaps she was pained by the apparent innocence of Manwë her husband towards Melkor; rather than instigating endless strife and quarrel with Manwë, she felt it better better to place upon the shoulders of Caladan alone her grievances.

Varda mistrusted the strength of the two Valar sponsors of the Pen-úgarth, Nienna (who would later plead to release of Melkor from his bondage after the Age of Peace), and Yavanna, to perceive crafty and subtle manipulations by Melkor and his servants.  She doubted the belief of the Quorin, that purity from the Flame Imperishable could remain within the heart of Melkor, which she considered irredeemably corrupt.  She thought they were fools and was relieved by their oath to stay on the island.

It was only by the promise of Manwë King of the Valar to remain vigilant over Tol Úpahtëa, that she could rest from her desire to drive them all to Morgoth.  For of the will of Eru Ilúvatar in making Tol Úpahtëa, only Manwë could discern a noble purpose.

Varda suspected that the tolerance of the Quorin by Eru Ilúvatar came from an over-abundance of mercy, and the blindness towards evil that a creator might have for his creatures; and disagreed bitterly with Eru Ilúvatar in refusing to let the Quorin pass away into nothingness and die.  In such subtle ways did Morgoth sunder the unity of the Valar.

Varda and her Maiar visited Tol Úpahtëa frequently, by the leave of Yavanna and Nienna at any time Varda desired, in order to search for any signs of corruption of the Quorin by Morgoth. But they found none, and Caladan would not speak to her or her emissaries.

Morgoth and his Servants

The caution of the Valar and the mistrust in the wisdom of the Song of Creation of Tol Úpahtëa was not without sense. Tol Úpahtëa itself was older than Valinor, which was created by the Valar. Several of the Valar greatly feared placing of Valinor so close to Tol Úpahtëa, the home of the Quorin.

By the infernal brothers of the Quorin were they judged, and not unwisely.  For their brothers in service of Melkor, the vast majority of those who did love Melkor at the beginning, did forever cleave to Melkor, and did follow him down through his corruption and degradation, and were to fall and become part of the wickedness that is Morgoth.  Those traitors from the beginning, the úgarth, or First Traitors, of Morgoth were Ainur who joined his song as it became arrogant and prideful and strident; but there were others, too.

Many other Ainur were to desert their people after the Ainulindalë, the Song of Creation and join Morgoth out of despite, the Second Traitors. This Second Betrayal gave rise to most of the servants of Morgoth, including the Valaraukar, and one named Sauron who was a Maia of Aulë.  But the most powerful and feared of the all the wicked host of Morgoth were the úgarth, the First Traitors.

It was against the úgarth that the Quorin were compared and beheld with great mistrust.

Caladan of the Quorin 

Great were the Quorin and esteemed and feared amongst the inhabitants of Aman, although little was known of them.  One of the greatest was Caladan the Light Smith, who could forge light in the manner that Aulë could forge the metals of Arda.

It was said that Yavanna and Nienna sought out the wisdom of Caladan in the creation and care of the Two Trees; and that the especial hatred by Morgoth for the Trees was out of jealousy and fear of Caladan and his knowledge of the forging of light, which lay not in the understanding of Morgoth.  Aulë sought counsel from Caladan in the forging of the Two Lamps, and the grief at the destruction of the Lamps by Morgoth weighed heavily on Caladan to the end of days, and he forswore aid to the Valar in teaching any craft for the shaping of Middle Earth or for their other works.

The casting down of the twin pillars of Helcar and Ringol by Morgoth and the destruction of the Two Lamps pained Caladan deeply, and he foreswore the use of any of his craft and skill outside Tol Úpahtëa.

It was also said that long into the later days of the Two Trees, which were crafted by Aulë by his tutelage under Caladan; did Fëanor traveled to Tol Úpahtëa greatly desiring to apprentice himself to Caladan in order to the create anew the Silmarils, which were admittedly beyond even the skill of Aulë, master of craftsmanship, to create. 

But the Oath of Caladan was unbreakable, and he warned Fëanor of the dangers of the forging of the Light of the Trees into the Silmarils and refused to teach him.  Still, Fëanor in his cleverness learned many things due to the kindness of the other Quorin while at Tol Úpahtëa in learning the craft of smithy, that allowed him to create the Silmarils, to the woe of the world.

Caladan was said to trust only Eru Ilúvatar and none of the Ainur created; for even the sponsors of the Quorin, Nienna and Yavanna, fell victim to the manipulations of Melkor upon his return from the House of Mandos, at the unchaining of Melkor.  Caladan did not come.

Fëanor, on his return to Máhanaxar, the Ring of Doom, for judgment did show through his own actions the dishonesty of Melkor and the error of Fëanor in listening to Melkor.  This also reminded the Valar of the wisdom of Caladan and their own failings in understanding the perfidy of Morgoth.

The Valar were to call on Caladan at the War of Wrath, and again at other times; but he did not come.

The Ban of Caladan

When the Host of the Valar was assembled to join in the War of Wrath, they called upon Caladan to cease their mutual mistrust and join in the host of the Valar.  Again, when the Numenorian king Ar-Pharazon struck at Valinor, the Valar sought his aid.  The pleadings of the Valar show that they considered Caladan great even among the Valar, and the people of Tol Úpahtëa possessed of great might. 

But Caladan refused to aid the Valar even at that time.  Caladan stated in his refusal that he had no power or influence in the later days of creation after the Children of Ilúvatar came. His voice had ceased to join in creation upon the lighting of the stars and was silent long before the rising of the Children.  Especially of Morgoth Bauglir, Caladan claimed to understand nothing. He and the people of Tol Úpahtëa did not believe in the reality of Morgoth Bauglir, that he was an illusion; and that Melkor would someday repent and resume his duty as a servant of Eru Ilúvatar. 

The voice of Caladan indeed took form only until the first discordant chants of Melkor.  But before the song of Melkor became strident, so powerfully did the rising voice of Caladan pair with the voice of Melkor, and so purely did it echo the underlying themes of Eru Ilúvatar, that those others being created saw a great pairing and twining of the voices of Melkor and Caladan, becoming as though the two great Masters of Arda under Eru Ilúvatar.  For much that Melkor craved was embodied in Caladan, power and grace; and Caladan loved the being, the Flame that dwelt within Melkor.  Many of the Ainur coming to be, saw them as the Two Pillars of the World to be ever standing.

But as threnody crept into the melody of Melkor, thus did the voice of Caladan fall mute and silent. Many then of those who loved Melkor with all their hearts believed that Melkor had vanquished Caladan and the Quorin and delighted in their demise.  It was long believed by many of the Ainur that Caladan had been vanquished and thrown down into wreck by the power from the striving in the song of Melkor with the first voice of Eru Ilúvatar.

Caladan and the Quorin were silent during the later parts of the Song of Creation at the Beginning.  Their voices were not present in the later events and strife from the time of the Awakening of Elves and Men.  Since their voices never engaged the thoughts of Melkor while he manifested the dark thoughts of Morgoth, the evil of Morgoth Bauglir was unreal to their thoughts and minds.  The works of Morgoth and his servants could not touch any of the Quorin, for they were as fables to them.

---

[1] The names of the people of Tol Úpahtëa, Quorin, Orvlann and Pen-úgarth, differ only in custom but not in significance. 

The Quorin During Days of the Quenta Silmarillion

Read The Quorin During Days of the Quenta Silmarillion

On the Unchaining of Melkor

After the long years during which Melkor lay bound with the chain Angainor and imprisoned within the Halls of Mandos, he was brought to trial before the Valar on Valinor.  The rest of Ainur pleaded with Nienna and Yavanna, that they should beg to bring Caladan and the attendants of the Temple of Melkor to the Ring of Doom in Valinor, to give unmatched counsel on the state of redemption of Melkor after the long imprisonment.  But Caladan and the Quorin again were silent and would not answer the request of their sponsors Nienna and Yavanna.

The Valar were troubled, as the Quorin loved Melkor in the form that he sang with Caladan, most deeply with all their hearts, but still would not visit him in Valinor.  They felt that the incarnation of Melkor as Morgoth Bauglir was not a legitimate form of the spirit of Melkor and the shadow of Morgoth was doomed to pass in the mill of Time from the face of Melkor.

Before even the arrival of Melkor enchained, Ulmo did lift the veil and the Valar beheld the light of Tol Úpahtëa far beyond the horizon painting the sky with inexpressible beauty.  But even after the lifting of the veil, no ship could venture near the island from the intense light and heat upon approach, so bright was the light that smoke rose from the masts and sails; and the way to Tol Úpahtëa was closed, even to the Ainur.

And Melkor was greatly relieved that the Pen-úgarth did not come, and especially Caladan.  He lied to that Valar in his trial that his fear of the greater power of Caladan that made him greedy for even more might and gaining more strength, in order to protect himself against Caladan.

Long after the judgment and release of Melkor, and after he crept into evil once more, even more bitter was the despite of the Valar for the Quorin at the Darkening of Valinor, after the rise of Morgoth again from his deception of Manwë and the rest of the Valar at the Ring of Doom.  For they imagined that Caladan could have warned them that the wickedness of Morgoth had not left forever, but he remained silent.

On the coming of the Pen-úgarth to Middle-Earth The First Lonely Pilgrim

Long silent were the Quorin; they had no voice in the later parts of the Song of Creation and cared little for the depredation of Morgoth Bauglir and his slaves.

After the destruction of the Two Lamps, Yavanna protected all by placing life into a deep sleep, not to awaken until the creation of the Sun and Moon, the Second Spring of Arda.  During the Deep Sleep, Melian and Thingol protected the small realm in Beleriand where the sleep was not upon life.  Yavanna spoke to the Orvlann pleading for a special intercession by a member of the Isle.

For greatly did Yavanna fear that the poison of Ungoliant Wirilomë, the putrid deathlight of the Two Trees, the fetid, purulent filth of tainted blood of the trees in her ghastly abdomen, would become smeared in the darkness across Middle-Earth by her retreat to Ered Gorgoroth in Beleriand.  The smears of poisoned and envenomed light might themselves awaken with the life of the Second Spring under the light of the Sun, to poison the sap of all trees of Middle-earth.

A Maia in her service, Nissírë (known later as Duin Adaneth) lived within a dark stream in a sleeping woodland near the coast, far from the depredations of Morgoth in past years.  Yavanna pleaded to all of the Pen-úgarth, for a forester to travel to Middle-Earth to protect against the corruption of the trees in this little wood. If the foul poison of Ungoliant did spread about Middle-Earth, one small grove might be spared.

One of the Maiar of Melkor from the Quorin came forward, as he had long been favored by Yavanna and was greatly trusted in matters of living and growing things and agreed to travel to the valley of the domain of Nissírë, to watch and be her helper.  He was known by a myriad of names - Yára Ontáro, Cundu Tasarion; Iarwain the Guardian; Forn the Herald. His companion is Tasariel, daughter of Nissírë.

Of that Maia and his story from the eldest of days of Middle-Earth is told elsewhere; for he dwelt long in the copse and kept it invisible to the eyes of Morgoth and his servants.  That woodland is hidden, but it endures to this day. Yára Ontáro and Tasariel, daughter of Nissírë, still watch over it

The Fate of the Silmarils

• Second Prophecy of Mandos
• The fate of the Silmarils
•   The fate of Morgoth

Read The Fate of the Silmarils

Of the Three Lights
The making of lightstones was known to the Quorin. Great was their grief at imprisoning light of the Trees. Woeful were these masters of light, and deep was their wrath for the deeds of Fëanor and the desecration he fashioned.

The Prophecy of Namo of Mandos to the Children of Ilúvatar.
Namo the Vala, whose sister Nienna was patron to Quorin of Tol Úpahtëa, and shepherded the Feä of Elves in the grim Halls of Mandos, did counsel the Valar.
Thus spake Mandos in prophecy, when the Gods sat in judgement in Valinor, and the rumour of his words was whispered among all the Elves of the West. “When the world is old and the Powers grow weary, then Morgoth, seeing that the guard sleepeth, shall come back through the Door of Night out of the Timeless Void; and he shall destroy the Sun and Moon. But Eärendil shall descend upon him as a white and searing flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the Last Battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Morgoth, and on his right hand shall be Fionwe, and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, coming from the halls of Mandos; and the black sword of Turin shall deal unto Morgoth his death and final end; and so shall the children of Hurin and all Men be avenged.
Thereafter shall Earth be broken and re-made, and the Silmarils shall be recovered out of Air and Earth and Sea; for Eärendil the Mariner shall descend and surrender that flame which he hath had in keeping. Then Fëanor shall take the Three Jewels and bear them to Yavanna Palurien; and she will break them and with their fire rekindle the Two Trees, and a great light shall come forth. And the Mountains of Valinor shall be levelled, so that the Light shall go out over all the world. In that light the Gods will grow young again, and the Elves awake and all their dead arise, and the purpose of Ilúvatar be fulfilled concerning them. But of Men in that day the prophecy of Mandos doth not speak, and no Man it names, save Turin only, and to him a place is given among the sons of the Valar.”

The Full Prophecy of Namo of Mandos.
Yet much of the prophecy is hid from the Children of Ilúvatar, for much of what is prophesized is on lore and lands unknown to them. The full prophecy to the Valar and Quorin was given by Mandos to each in entirety, and to the Flammifer of Westernesse.
Cabed Naëramarth.

 

The Lay of Tanyasalpë

For the benighted children of Húrin
shall Faskala-númen be brought forth
to expiate their sinless wrong
by the order of Yavanna Fructifer.

Two corpses will be summoned forth
from Haunted Cabed Naëramarth,
flung into the flame of Yavanna.
so shall their spirits be purified. Contrite,
alive, untouched, by sin.

The bowl of Tanyasalpë shall
be raised on high to form
a mighty cauldron in the mountains
ever making white steam in the sky.

Quorin shall earnestly quest,
The people of Tol Úpahtëa shall stealthily seek
the lightstones of legend lost
in earth and sea long ago.
Not wishing to grasp them for greed
but to fulfil their hidden fate.

The Two shall be twinned together,
and be set in the halls of the Temple of Melkor
in Tol Úpahtëa, seen only
by Yavanna and Nienna.

When the world is old and the Powers grow weary,
shall Eärendil descend upon Tol Úpahtëa
his brow bearing Gil-Estel,
the grandest of gems of the Silmaril
And place the gift in the Temple of Melkor.

Then will the Quorin set forth
sailing, as one, from their sacred isle.
The three ships bearing
The Three Doomsayers,
Yavanna, Nienna, Caladan,
bearing the blazing upon their brows.

Valinor shall see as one that day
The Sun arising across the water
A brightness not seen since the beginning.

The Valar shall empty Valinor to join the Host
Of the mighty and terrible Orvlan
Led by the three striders,
Brows blazing in glory
To the Door of Night.

It will burst open at the Coming of Caladan
and the greatest host ere assembled
will seize in sudden fury
Morgoth the Malice of the World
weakened by their wrath.

To his doom at Tanyasalpë they shall drag him
aloft atop the high mountain
swathed in the sweet and purifying steam.
Yavanna and Nienna shall give from their brows
the High Silmarils to Caladan.

Caladan will grasp these gems in his mighty hand,
And plunge them into the steaming water
and with a great cry, crush them
and release the light of the Trees
into the healing waters.

In all of the lands, the Children
Shall be lost in the flood of the living light.
“Stand for the Doom of the World!”
And will weep in fear.

Then the Three Guardians who
had borne the Silmarils
to the Mountain of Tanyasalpë
shall drag Morgoth the Monster
into the radiant waters
and thrust him under.

The blazing light in the world
shining from the Mountain of Tanyasalpë
will explode anew into searing brilliance.
All living things will flame forth
with the purest light, like
the Two Trees had done in their time.

Morgoth the Malicious,
the Demon of Darkness shall begin
to strangle on the light and choke.
The grasp of the Guardians shall be merciless.

Drowning in the icy radiance he will struggle in the Faskala-númenBut mercy shall not come to Morgoth that day.
At the end of titanic grappling
Comes silence.

And the cursed armor of Morgoth
and his crippled body
shall dissolve in the grasp
of the Guardians
And the light of Tanyasalpë will fail
And Arda, lit only by stars,even Telperion's Flower extinguished.

The whole host shall lie still as though dead
exhausted by the end of Morgoth.
But upon the surface of the water moved
The faintest wisp of spirit.

---

Chapter End Notes

Initially tried to construct as proper verse; then the meter and foot failed. Will try to rewrite the structure. The narrative looks OK.

Appendix

A restatement of the Ainulindale as written by JRR Tolkien.

Read Appendix

There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Ilúvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony.
And it came to pass that Ilúvatar called together all the Ainur and declared to them a mighty theme, unfolding to them things greater and more wonderful than he had yet revealed; and the glory of its beginning and the splendour of its end amazed the Ainur, so that they bowed before Ilúvatar and were silent.

Silmarillion, Ainulindalë

---

Chapter End Notes

This is Tolkien's material; it may be removed if it is improper to include it.