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{{Short description| |
{{Short description|Tenth of the 12 volumes of 'The History of Middle-earth'}} |
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{{Use British English|date=February 2021}} |
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} |
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{{Infobox book |
{{Infobox book |
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|name |
|name =Morgoth's Ring |
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|image |
|image =MorgothsRing.png<!--this image preferred here as visually distinctive and more likely to be recognised by readers--> |
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|caption |
|caption = |
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|editor |
|editor =[[Christopher Tolkien]] |
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|author |
|author =[[J. R. R. Tolkien]] |
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|country |
|country =United Kingdom |
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|language |
|language =English |
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|genre |
|genre =[[High fantasy]]<br />Literary analysis |
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|series=''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' |
|series=''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' |
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|release_number= 10 |
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|subject = [[Tolkien's legendarium]] |
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|subject =[[Tolkien's legendarium]] |
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|publisher =[[George Allen & Unwin]] (UK) |
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|release_date |
|release_date=1993 |
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|media_type = Print (hardback and paperback) |
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|media_type =Print (hardback and paperback) |
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|pages =496 (paperback) |
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|isbn = 978-0261103009 |
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| preceded_by = [[The History of The Lord of the Rings]] |
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|preceded_by=[[The History of The Lord of the Rings]] |
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|followed_by=[[The War of the Jewels]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Morgoth's Ring''''' (1993) is the tenth volume of [[Christopher Tolkien]]'s 12-volume series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' in which he analyses the unpublished manuscripts of his father [[J. R. R. Tolkien]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Whittingham |first=Elizabeth A. |title=The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=22EqDwAAQBAJ |year=2017 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1174-7}}</ref> |
'''''Morgoth's Ring''''' (1993) is the tenth volume of [[Christopher Tolkien]]'s 12-volume series ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' in which he analyses the unpublished manuscripts of his father [[J. R. R. Tolkien]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Whittingham |first=Elizabeth A. |author-link=Elizabeth Whittingham |title=The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=22EqDwAAQBAJ |year=2017 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1174-7}}</ref> |
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== |
== Book == |
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=== Contents === |
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This volume, along with the subsequent ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'', provides detailed writings and editorial commentary pertaining to [[J. R. R. Tolkien's cosmology]] that eventually would become ''[[The Silmarillion]]''. This volume mentions a few characters excluded elsewhere, including Findis and Irimë, the daughters of [[Finwë]]. |
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{{Tolkien's legendarium|upright=1.7|caption=Navigable diagram of [[Tolkien's legendarium]]. ''Morgoth's Ring'' presents materials related to ''Quenta Silmarillion''.}} |
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| ⚫ | The title of this volume comes from a statement in one of |
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''Morgoth's Ring'' presents source materials and editorial commentary on the following: |
''Morgoth's Ring'' presents source materials and editorial commentary on the following: |
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* Later (1951) revisions of ''The Silmarillion'', showing Tolkien's drastic revisiting and rewriting of his legends. |
* Later (1951) revisions of ''The Silmarillion'', showing Tolkien's drastic revisiting and rewriting of his legends. |
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| ⚫ | * ''The Annals of Aman'' — the history of the world from the entry of the [[Valar]] into [[Arda (Middle-earth)|Arda]] until the [[Valinor#The Hiding of Valinor|Hiding of Valinor]] after the revolt and exile of the [[Noldor]]. It is written in the form of year-by-year entries of varying lengths, much like real-world [[annal]]s. [[Tolkien's frame stories|Tolkien attributes the work]] to the Noldorin lore-master and linguist Rúmil of Tirion. According to the second typescript, ''The Annals of Aman'' were remembered by the Noldorin Exiles in Middle-earth, who transmitted their knowledge to the Men of [[Númenor]], whence it eventually reached Arnor and [[Gondor]]. Tolkien wrote ''The Annals of Aman'' after the completion of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. There are three extant versions of the text, including a carefully emended manuscript, a typescript and its carbon copy, each featuring different corrections and notes, and a typescript of the earlier sections of the text that deviates from the previous typescript. Christopher Tolkien surmises that the first typescript was composed in 1958. A reworking of the earlier ''[[Annals of Valinor]]'' and connected closely with the narrative of the incomplete 1937 ''[[Quenta Silmarillion]]'', ''The Annals of Aman'' moves from a compressed narrative style to a fuller accounting of the events of the chronology. |
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* "[[Annals of Aman]]" — a detailed chronology from the creation of the world through to the end of the [[First Age]], including an explanation of time reckoning in [[Valian Years]]. |
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* "Laws and Customs among the Eldar" — several essays and legends on the [[Eldar (Middle-earth)|Eldar]] |
* "Laws and Customs among the Eldar" — several essays and legends on the [[Eldar (Middle-earth)|Eldar]] ([[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]), particularly their mating and naming customs, and their conceptions of the ''fëa'' (soul) and ''hröa'' (body).{{anchor|Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth}} |
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* "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" — A discussion between two characters, [[Finrod Felagund]], an Elven king, and Andreth, a mortal woman, about the |
* "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" — A discussion between two characters, [[Finrod Felagund]], an Elven king, and Andreth, a mortal woman, about the natures of [[Death and immortality in Middle-earth|death and immortality]], and the ways in which Elves and [[Edain|Men]] suffer their different sorrows;{{efn|These themes are discussed further at [[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen#Love and death]].}} and about the healing of death by the [[Resurrection of Jesus|Resurrection]] and the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]]. |
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* "Tale of Adanel" — the Middle-earth version of the Fall, attached to "Athrabeth". |
* "Tale of Adanel" — the Middle-earth version of the Fall, attached to "Athrabeth". |
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* "Myths Transformed" — several fragments on Morgoth, Sauron, and the problem of the origin of the |
* "Myths Transformed" — several fragments on Morgoth, Sauron, and the [[Tolkien's moral dilemma|problem of the origin of the Orcs]]. This section, which proposes inconsistent solutions to the problem, is frequently cited in discussions of [[Tolkien's legendarium]], and represents the author's later-evolved views on some central topics. |
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=== |
=== Title and inscription === |
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| ⚫ | The title of this volume comes from a statement in one of Tolkien's essays: "Just as [[Sauron]] concentrated his power in the [[One Ring]], [[Morgoth]] dispersed his power into the very matter of [[Arda (Tolkien)|Arda]], thus the whole of [[Middle-earth]] was Morgoth's Ring".<ref>{{cite book |author=J. R. R. Tolkien |author-link=J. R. R. Tolkien |editor=Christopher Tolkien |editor-link=Christopher Tolkien |year=1993 |title=Morgoth's Ring |location=Boston & New York |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin]] |isbn=0-395-68092-1 |page=xi |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/morgothsringlate00tolk}}</ref> |
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'''''The Annals of Aman''''' date to the period following the completion of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. There are three extant versions of the text, including a carefully emended manuscript, a typescript and its carbon copy, each featuring different corrections and notes, and a typescript of the earlier sections of the text that deviates from the previous typescript. Christopher Tolkien surmises that the first typescript was composed in 1958. |
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| ⚫ | The title page of each volume of ''The History of Middle-earth'' displays an inscription in the [[Fëanorian]] characters ([[Tengwar]], an alphabet devised by Tolkien for [[High-elven]]), written by Christopher Tolkien and describing the contents of the book. The inscription in Volume X reads: "In this book are given many of the later writings of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien concerning the history of the Elder Days from the [[Music of the Ainur]] to the [[Valinor#The Hiding of Valinor|Hiding of Valinor]]; here much is told of the Sun and Moon; of the immortal Eldar and the death of the Atani; of the beginning of the [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orcs]] and of the evil power of [[Melkor]], the Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World." |
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A reworking of the earlier ''[[Annals of Valinor]]'' (which was the working title of the manuscript until Tolkien changed it) and connected closely with the narrative of the incomplete 1937 ''[[Quenta Silmarillion]]'', ''The Annals of Aman'' moves from a compressed narrative style to a fuller accounting of the events of the chronology. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ''The Annals of Aman'' |
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==Title page== |
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The title page of each volume of ''The History of Middle-earth'' displays an inscription in the [[Fëanorian]] characters ([[Tengwar]], an alphabet devised by Tolkien for [[High-elven]]), written by Christopher Tolkien and describing the contents of the book. The inscription in Volume X reads: |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
Reviewing the book for ''[[Mythlore]]'', [[Glen GoodKnight]] wrote that in it, Christopher Tolkien leads the reader into "new third phase of his father's concept of Middle-earth after the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings'' — his recasting and adding to the mythos." In his view, the book is a major "earthquake" bringing "astounding revelations" about Tolkien's development of Middle-earth. One is the "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" (The Debate of |
Reviewing the book for ''[[Mythlore]]'', [[Glen GoodKnight]] wrote that in it, Christopher Tolkien leads the reader into "new third phase of his father's concept of Middle-earth after the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings'' — his recasting and adding to the mythos." In his view, the book is a major "earthquake" bringing "astounding revelations" about Tolkien's development of Middle-earth. One is the "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" (The Debate of |
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Finrod and Andreth), meant to be the last item in ''The Silmarillion's'' appendix, Tolkien's authoritative last word on the subject; it reveals that death was the product of the evil will of [[Morgoth]]. GoodKnight comments that the materials in the book could have radically changed ''The Silmarillion'', had Tolkien lived to finish it "to his satisfaction".<ref> |
Finrod and Andreth), meant to be the last item in ''The Silmarillion's'' appendix, Tolkien's authoritative last word on the subject; it reveals that death was the product of the evil will of [[Morgoth]]. GoodKnight comments that the materials in the book could have radically changed ''The Silmarillion'', had Tolkien lived to finish it "to his satisfaction".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=GoodKnight|first=Glen|date=1994-03-15|title=A Thing Wholly Different|url=https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol20/iss2/10|journal=[[Mythlore]]: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature|volume=20|issue=2|issn=0146-9339}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
== See also == |
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* [[Aman (Middle-earth)|Aman]] |
* [[Aman (Middle-earth)|Aman]] |
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* [[History of Arda]] |
* [[History of Arda]] |
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==Notes== |
== Notes == |
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{{notelist}} |
{{notelist}} |
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==References== |
== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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Latest revision as of 07:40, 4 September 2024
 | |
| Editor | Christopher Tolkien |
|---|---|
| Author | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Language | English |
| Series | The History of Middle-earth |
Release number | 10 |
| Subject | Tolkien's legendarium |
| Genre | High fantasy Literary analysis |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin (UK) |
Publication date | 1993 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 496 (paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0261103009 |
| Preceded by | The History of The Lord of the Rings |
| Followed by | The War of the Jewels |
Morgoth's Ring (1993) is the tenth volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth in which he analyses the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien.[1]
Book
[edit]Contents
[edit]
Morgoth's Ring presents source materials and editorial commentary on the following:
- Later (1951) revisions of The Silmarillion, showing Tolkien's drastic revisiting and rewriting of his legends.
- The Annals of Aman — the history of the world from the entry of the Valar into Arda until the Hiding of Valinor after the revolt and exile of the Noldor. It is written in the form of year-by-year entries of varying lengths, much like real-world annals. Tolkien attributes the work to the Noldorin lore-master and linguist Rúmil of Tirion. According to the second typescript, The Annals of Aman were remembered by the Noldorin Exiles in Middle-earth, who transmitted their knowledge to the Men of Númenor, whence it eventually reached Arnor and Gondor. Tolkien wrote The Annals of Aman after the completion of The Lord of the Rings. There are three extant versions of the text, including a carefully emended manuscript, a typescript and its carbon copy, each featuring different corrections and notes, and a typescript of the earlier sections of the text that deviates from the previous typescript. Christopher Tolkien surmises that the first typescript was composed in 1958. A reworking of the earlier Annals of Valinor and connected closely with the narrative of the incomplete 1937 Quenta Silmarillion, The Annals of Aman moves from a compressed narrative style to a fuller accounting of the events of the chronology.
- "Laws and Customs among the Eldar" — several essays and legends on the Eldar (Elves), particularly their mating and naming customs, and their conceptions of the fëa (soul) and hröa (body).
- "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" — A discussion between two characters, Finrod Felagund, an Elven king, and Andreth, a mortal woman, about the natures of death and immortality, and the ways in which Elves and Men suffer their different sorrows;[a] and about the healing of death by the Resurrection and the Incarnation.
- "Tale of Adanel" — the Middle-earth version of the Fall, attached to "Athrabeth".
- "Myths Transformed" — several fragments on Morgoth, Sauron, and the problem of the origin of the Orcs. This section, which proposes inconsistent solutions to the problem, is frequently cited in discussions of Tolkien's legendarium, and represents the author's later-evolved views on some central topics.
Title and inscription
[edit]The title of this volume comes from a statement in one of Tolkien's essays: "Just as Sauron concentrated his power in the One Ring, Morgoth dispersed his power into the very matter of Arda, thus the whole of Middle-earth was Morgoth's Ring".[2]
The title page of each volume of The History of Middle-earth displays an inscription in the Fëanorian characters (Tengwar, an alphabet devised by Tolkien for High-elven), written by Christopher Tolkien and describing the contents of the book. The inscription in Volume X reads: "In this book are given many of the later writings of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien concerning the history of the Elder Days from the Music of the Ainur to the Hiding of Valinor; here much is told of the Sun and Moon; of the immortal Eldar and the death of the Atani; of the beginning of the Orcs and of the evil power of Melkor, the Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World."
Reception
[edit]Reviewing the book for Mythlore, Glen GoodKnight wrote that in it, Christopher Tolkien leads the reader into "new third phase of his father's concept of Middle-earth after the writing of The Lord of the Rings — his recasting and adding to the mythos." In his view, the book is a major "earthquake" bringing "astounding revelations" about Tolkien's development of Middle-earth. One is the "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" (The Debate of Finrod and Andreth), meant to be the last item in The Silmarillion's appendix, Tolkien's authoritative last word on the subject; it reveals that death was the product of the evil will of Morgoth. GoodKnight comments that the materials in the book could have radically changed The Silmarillion, had Tolkien lived to finish it "to his satisfaction".[3]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ These themes are discussed further at The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen#Love and death.
References
[edit]- ^ Whittingham, Elizabeth A. (2017). The Evolution of Tolkien's Mythology: A Study of the History of Middle-earth. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-1174-7.
- ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1993). Christopher Tolkien (ed.). Morgoth's Ring. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. xi. ISBN 0-395-68092-1.
- ^ GoodKnight, Glen (15 March 1994). "A Thing Wholly Different". Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature. 20 (2). ISSN 0146-9339.