The Lays of Beleriand (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

by J.R.R. Tolkien (Author), Christopher Tolkien (Author) "There exists a substantial manuscript (28 pages long) entitled 'Sketch of the Mythology with especial reference to "The Children of Hurin"'; and this 'Sketch' is..." (more)
Key Phrases: elfin maid, lissom limbs, late emendation, Lay of Leithian, Lost Tales, Shadowy Mountains (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This is the third volume culled from Tolkien's unpublished manuscripts. Two tales from the Silmarillion the tragedy of Turin Turambar and the epic quest of Beren and Luthienappear in early versions. Turin's story is told in alliterative verse, the other in rhymed couplets. The multiple extant versions of each poem have been painstakingly arranged and synthesized by Tolkien's son Christopher, who has also provided elaborate notes on their relation to previously published works. While the power of Tolkien's central characterstragic, cursed Turin; the lovers Beren and Luthienshines through these poems, they are of interest chiefly in showing the development of a writer's ideas. For comprehensive literature and fantasy collections. Beth Ann Mills, New Rochelle P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'A worthy addition to The History of Middle-earth' Mallorn 'Anyone loving the oiginal books will want to study this one' Daily Mail --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (August 29, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345388186
• ISBN-13: 978-0345388186
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The History of Middle-earth Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contains the greatest epic poem of the 20th century, December 13, 2000

By	Michael Martinez (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a book about Middle-earth. Middle-earth didn't exist when Tolkien wrote the poems contained in this book. But the legends they established were taken up into the later Middle-earth mythology even though we were only treated to glimpses of them in the years preceding the publication of this book.

Lays of Beleriand unveils the true source of the Beren and Luthien story told in The Silmarillion. Although the characters predate "Lay of Leithian", Tolkien brought them forward in a radical evolutionary process which changed many things. The product of his changes was a fantastic poem which would make a wonderful book in its own right. Alas! He never finished the lay.

Deemed too "Celtic" by an early reader at Allen & Unwin, the poem was set aside by Tolkien as he turned to lighter projects. And though he tried to return to it later in life, the flame had dwindled and he was unable to rekindle the ancient fire which inspired this masterpiece. The last lines of the poem seem to describe the work's own fate: "An gleam of swords in fire there flashed/the fangs of Carcharoth, and crashed/together like a trap, that tore/the hand about the wrist, and shore/through brittle bone and sinew nesh,/devouring the frail mortal flesh;/and in that cruel mouth unclean/egulfed the jewels holy sheen."

A few snippets followed, disconnected from the primary narrative. All that could have been, that should have been, was lost forever, unless Tolkien is singing the final stanzas for his beloved Edith beneath the trees in a faraway paradise even now....

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real Silmaril in the making , January 10, 2005

By	Lawrence G Coatney "Geno" (Pagosa Springs, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the third book in the Histories of Middle-Earth, compiled and commented on by Tolkien's son Christopher. The first two, titled The Book of Lost Tales I & II, were the earliest writings that became the Silmarillion. Their basic premise was that an Englishman named Eriol finds a lost island populated by Elves who tell him a series of stories or "Lost Tales". These were loosely divided into chapters, each ending with a few or more pages of commentary by Christopher. By the end though we learn that Tolkien is not truly satisfied with the delivery or the full content of the tales, so he embarks upon rewriting them in different styles. One style was a narrative prose that is partially covered in book IV called The Shaping of Middle-Earth and which eventually becomes the Silmarillion. He also tried them in a style of epic poetic metre, the sum of which is known as The Lays of Beleriand.

Introductions aside, the book itself is divided into four major sections, beginning with the Lay of the Children of Hurin. Alas, this is probably the saddest and most tragic tale that Tolkien ever penned, and this is deepened when he translates it into verse. It should also be said here that it is written in alliterative verse meaning that at least two but usually more words have the same beginning sound. I shall give here the first seven lines that not only show you the style and how the words flow, but also they are a brief synopsis of the story itself:

Lo! The golden dragon of the God of Hell,
The gloom of the woods of the world now gone,
The woes of Men and the weeping of Elves
Fading faintly down forest pathways,
Is now to tell, and the name most tearful
Of Níniel the Sorrowful, and the name most sad
Of Thalion's son Turin o'erthrown by fate.

It continues in this style for about 2270 more lines, going through the history of Turin's father, Hurin, and how he came to be Morgoth's prisoner, doomed to helplessly watch everything that befalls his cursed children. It then details Turin being fostered by the elves of Doriath, to the tragic story of his friendship with the elf Beleg, who he accidentally slays by his own hand. The final part translated into verse is about Failivrin, and the beginnings of their tragic love for each other. It ends here, little more than half of the full tale, sadly abandoned so that he could work on other projects.

The second section is only thirteen pages long, composed of a few brief starts at setting some of the earlier tales to verse. The Flight of the Noldoli details the beginning of the first kinslaying on the shores of Valinor. This is very short (146 lines) with much unreached potential. Next are 38 lines about Earendil, and then an even shorter start to the Fall of Gondolin.

The Lay of Lethien, the third section of this book, is where Tolkien's heart truly was. Here we are given 4223 lines written in octosyllabic couplets (meaning that each line is made up of eight syllables) for which I shall give an example:

A king there was in days of old:
Ere Men yet walked upon the mould
His power was reared in cavern's shade,
His hand was over glen and glade.

It continues on in this fashion, most brilliantly, rarely bogging down. This story is carried most of the way through, abruptly stopping with Beren losing his hand after wresting a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown. The beauty of this story is enhanced by Tolkien's skill as a poet, making it, even though unfinished, one of his brightest gems in a dazzling array of works.

We are then left with the fourth and final section, The Lay of Lethien Recommenced. Here we are taken through about 700 lines of rewritten bits. Not many changes happen to the story, but there are some interesting technical changes to the wording, giving us an idea of how devoted Tolkien was to this tale, constantly coming back to it, until he gives his full weight to the writing of the more popular Lord of the Rings.

Throughout the book we are given some special treats as well. There are a few reprints of Tolkien's original manuscripts that are written quite beautifully in English, but we are also given two pages of The Lay of Lethien written in Elvish! Also there are 14 pages of commentary by C. S. Lewis, written as if he were a group of ancient scholars each with their own say on the text. A very fun read.

To say that this book is worth reading is an understatement. Not only does Tolkien write wonderful and inspiring verse, but his son Christopher does an outstanding job of going over everything and giving a step by step of his father's writings and their many changes. Personally this is one of my favorite Tolkien books, in some ways even more so than LOTR, just because of the effort that was put into these lays almost eclipses his much longer effort to write the novels. These were the stories that consumed his mind from the beginning of his writing career until his much-lamented death.

Enjoy and cherish this book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only Tolkien has the linguistic skill to laud his works, December 17, 1998

By	"flossran" (TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lays of Beleriand (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 3) (Paperback)

"The Lays of Beleriand" is one of my favorite books by Tolkien. It is the epitome of his poetic achievement. As the previous reviewer said, no praise formed by me would be worthy of this exquisite work. Truly, only Tolkien himself has the deep linguistic skill needed to properly laud this work. I had long loved Tolkien's prose before I read this book. But once I was exposed to his poetry, I quickly realized that he is as masterful in verse as he is in prose. Reading "Lays" was a euphoric revelation of another aspect of Tolkien's ingenius literary style. Rich, archiac language coupled with smooth-flowing meter and rhyme is employed to weave into verse the captivating tales of the star-crossed loves of Luthien Tinuviel with Beren Erchamion, and of Turin Turumbar with Neinor Niniel. The noble and deeply touching epics immerse you in their plots, engraving in memory an unforgetable image of this vastly intricate world. The verse, especially in "The Lay of Leithian", is spangled with particularly entrancing descriptions of the grandeur of Elven kingdoms long lost and the starlit enchantment of the Dancer of Doriath. These passages contain such delicate imagery presented in metaphor so elegantly phrased that they surely could entrall even Morgoth himself. Any devotee to Tolkien, and especially those who savor poetry, will be thoroughly enamoured with "The Lays of Beleriand".