When then Ailios had spoken his fill the time for the lighting of candles was at hand, and so came the first day of Turuhalmл to an end; but on the second night Ailios was not there, and being asked by Lindo one Eltas began a tale, and said:
‘Now all folk gathered here know that this is the story of Turambar and the Foalуkл, and it is,’ said he, ‘a favourite tale among Men, and tells of very ancient days of that folk before the Battle of Tasarinan when first Men entered the dark vales of Hisilуmл.
In these days many such stories do Men tell still, and more have they told in the past especially in those kingdoms of the North that once I knew. Maybe the deeds of other of their warriors have become mingled therein, and many matters beside that are not in the most ancient tale—but now I will tell to you the true and lamentable tale, and I knew it long ere I trod Olуrл Mallл in the days before the fall of Gondolin.
In those days my folk dwelt in a vale of Hisilуmл and that land did Men name Aryador in the tongues they then used, but they were very far from the shores of Asgon and the spurs of the Iron Mountains were nigh to their dwellings and great woods of very gloomy trees. My father said to me that many of our older men venturing afar had themselves seen the evil worms of Melko and some had fallen before them, and by reason of the hatred of our people for those creatures and of the evil Vala often was the story of Turambar and the Foalуkл in their mouths—but rather after the fashion of the Gnomes did they say Turumart and the Fuithlug.
For know that before the Battle of Lamentation and the ruin of the Noldoli there dwelt a lord of Men named Ъrin, and hearkening to the summons of the Gnomes he and his folk marched with the Ilkorindi against Melko, but their wives and children they left behind them in the woodlands, and with them was Mavwin wife of Ъrin, and her son remained with her, for he was not yet war-high. Now the name of that boy was Tъrin and is so in all tongues, but Mavwin do the Eldar call Mavoinл.
Now Ъrin and his followers fled not from that battle as did most of the kindreds of Men, but many of them were slain fighting to the last, and Ъrin was made captive. Of the Noldoli who fought there all the companies were slain or captured or fled away in rout, save that of Turondo (Turgon) only, and he and his folk cut a path for themselves out of that fray and come not into this tale. Nonetheless the escape of that great company marred the complete victory that otherwise had Melko won over his adversaries, and he desired very greatly to discover whither they had fled; and this he might not do, for his spies availed nothing, and no tortures at that time had power to force treacherous knowledge from the captive Noldoli.
Knowing therefore that the Elves of Kфr thought little of Men, holding them in scant fear or suspicion for their blindness and lack of skill, he would constrain Ъrin to take up his employ and go seek after Turondo as a spy of Melko. To this however neither threats of torture nor promises of rich reward would bring Ъrin to consent, for he said: “Nay, do as thou wilt, for to no evil work of thine wilt thou ever constrain me, O Melko, thou foe of Gods and Men.”
“Of a surety,” said Melko in anger, “to no work of mine will I bid thee again, nor yet will I force thee thereto, but upon deeds of mine that will be little to thy liking shalt thou sit here and gaze, nor be able to move foot or hand against them.” And this was the torture he devised for the affliction of Ъrin the Steadfast, and setting him in a lofty place of the mountains he stood beside him and cursed him and his folk with dread curses of the Valar, putting a doom of woe and a death of sorrow upon them; but to Ъrin he gave a measure of vision, so that much of those things that befell his wife and children he might see and be helpless to aid, for magic held him in that high place. “Behold!” said Melko, “the life of Turin thy son shall be accounted a matter for tears wherever Elves or Men are gathered for the telling of tales” but Urin said: “At least none shall pity him for this, that he had a craven for father.”
Now after that battle Mavwin got her in tears into the land of Hithlum or Dor Lуmin where all Men must now dwell by the word of Melko, save some wild few that yet roamed without. There was Nienуri born to her, but her husband Ъrin languished in the thraldom of Melko, and Tъrin being yet a small boy Mavwin knew not in her distress how to foster both him and his sister, for Ъrin’s men had all perished in the great affray, and the strange men who dwelt nigh knew not the dignity of the Lady Mavwin, and all that land was dark and little kindly.
The next short section of the text was struck through afterwards and replaced by a rider on an attached slip. The rejected passage reads:
At that time the rumour [written above: memory] of the deeds of Beren Ermabwed had become noised much in Dor Lуmin, wherefore it came into the heart of Mavwin, for lack of better counsel, to send Tъrin to the court of Tintoglin,1 begging him to foster this orphan for the memory of Beren, and to teach him the wisdom of fays and of Eldar; now Egnor2 was akin to Mavwin and he was the father of Beren the One-handed.
The replacement passage reads:
Amended passage to fit better with the story of Tinъviel and the afterhistory of the Nauglafring:
The tale tells however that Ъrin had been a friend of the Elves, and in this he was different from many of his folk. Now great had his friendship been with Egnor, the Elf of the greenwood, the huntsman of the Gnomes, and Beren Ermabwed son of Egnor he knew and had rendered him a service once in respect of Damrod his son; but the deeds of Beren of the One Hand in the halls of Tinwelint3 were remembered still in Dor Lуmin. Wherefore it came into the heart of Mavwin, for lack of other counsel, to send Tъrin her son to the court of Tinwelint, begging him to foster this orphan for the memory of Ъrin and of Beren son of Egnor.4
Very bitter indeed was that sundering, and for long [?time] Tъrin wept and would not leave his mother, and this was the first of the many sorrows that befell him in life. Yet at length when his mother had reasoned with him he gave way and prepared him in anguish for that journey. With him went two old men, retainers aforetime of his father Ъrin, and when all was ready and the farewells taken they turned their feet towards the dark hills, and the little dwelling of Mavwin was lost in the trees, and Tъrin blind with tears could see her no more. Then ere they passed out of earshot he cried out: “O Mavwin my mother, soon will I come back to thee”—but he knew not that the doom of Melko lay between them.
Long and very weary and uncertain was the road over the dark hills of Hithlum into the great forests of the Land Beyond where in those days Tinwelint the hidden king had his abode; and Tъrin son of Ъrin5 was the first of Men to tread that way, nor have many trodden it since. In perils were Tъrin and his guardians of wolves and wandering Orcs that at that time fared even thus far from Angband as the power of Melko waxed and spread over the kingdoms of the North. Evil magics were about them, that often missing their way they wandered fruitlessly for many days, yet in the end did they win through and thanked the Valar therefor—yet maybe it was but part of the fate that Melko wove about their feet, for in after time Tъrin would fain have perished as a child there in the dark woods.
Howso that may be, this was the manner of their coming to Tinwelint’s halls; for in the woodlands beyond the mountains they became utterly lost, until at length having no means of sustenance they were like to die, when they were discovered by a wood-ranger, a huntsman of the secret Elves, and he was called Beleg, for he was of great stature and girth as such was among that folk. Then Beleg led them by devious paths through many dark and lonely forestlands to the banks of that shadowed stream before the cavernous doors of Tinwelint’s halls. Now coming before that king they were received well for the memory of Ъrin the Steadfast, and when also the king heard of the bond tween Ъrin and Beren the One-handed6 and of the plight of that lady Mavwin his heart became softened and he granted her desire, nor would he send Tъrin away, but rather said he: “Son of Ъrin, thou shalt dwell sweetly in my woodland court, nor even so as a retainer, but behold as a second child of mine shalt thou be, and all the wisdoms of Gwedheling and of myself shalt thou be taught.”
After a time therefore when the travellers had rested he despatched the younger of the two guardians of Tъrin back unto Mavwin, for such was that man’s desire to die in the service of the wife of Ъrin, yet was an escort of Elves sent with him, and such comfort and magics for the journey as could be devised, and moreover these words did he bear from Tinwelint to Mavwin: “Behold O Lady Mavwin wife of Ъrin the Steadfast, not for love nor for fear of Melko but of the wisdom of my heart and the fate of the Valar did I not go with my folk to the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, who now am become a safety and a refuge for all who fearing evil may find the secret ways that lead to the protection of my halls. Perchance now is there no other bulwark left against the arrogance of the Vala of Iron, for men say Turgon is not slain, but who knoweth the truth of it or how long he may escape? Now therefore shall thy son Tъrin be fostered here as my own child until he is of age to succour thee—then, an he will, he may depart.” More too he bid the Lady Mavwin, might she o’ercome the journey, fare back also to his halls, and dwell there in peace; but this when she heard she did not do, both for the tenderness of her little child Nienуri, and for that rather would she dwell poor among Men than live sweetly as an almsguest even among the woodland Elves. It may be too that she clung to that dwelling that Ъrin had set her in ere he went to the great war, hoping still faintly for his return, for none of the messengers that had borne the lamentable tidings from that field might say that he was dead, reporting only that none knew where he might be—yet in truth those messengers were few and half-distraught, and now the years were slowly passing since the last blow fell on that most grievous day. Indeed in after days she yearned to look again upon Tъrin, and maybe in the end, when Nienуri had grown, had cast aside her pride and fared over the hills, had not these become impassable for the might and great magic of Melko, who hemmed all Men in Hithlum and slew such as dared beyond its walls.