Then, when she is laden, of her own accord she spreads her sable sails and before a slow wind coasts down those shores. Then do all aboard as they come South cast looks of utter longing and regret to that low place amid the hills where Valinor may just be glimpsed upon the far off plain; and that opening is nigh Taniquetil where is the strand of Eldamar. No more do they ever see of that bright place, but borne away dwell after on the wide plains of Arvalin. There do they wander in the dusk, camping as they may, yet are they not utterly without song, and they can see the stars, and wait in patience till the Great End come.
Few are they and happy indeed for whom at a season doth Nornorл the herald of the Gods set out. Then ride they with him in chariots or upon good horses down into the vale of Valinor and feast in the halls of Valmar, dwelling in the houses o1f the Gods until the Great End come. Far away are they from the black mountains of the North or the misty plains of Arvalin, and music and fair light is theirs, and joy.
And lo! Now have I recounted the manner of the dwellings of all the great Gods which Aulл of his craftsmanship raised in Valinor, but Makar and his fierce sister Meбssл built them a dwelling of themselves, aided only by their own folk, and a grim hall it was.
Upon the confines of the Outer Lands did it stand, nor was it very far from Mandos. Of iron was it made, and unadorned. There fought the vassals of Makar clad in armour, and a clash there was and a shouting and a braying of trumps, but Meбssл fared among the warriors and egged them to more blows, or revived the fainting with strong wine that they might battle still; and her arms were reddened to the elbow dabbling in that welter. None of the Gods fared ever there, save Tulkas, and did they seek to visit Mandos they went thither by circuitous paths to avoid passing nigh to that clamorous hall; but Tulkas would at times wrestle there with Makar or deal sledge-blows among the fighters, and this he did that he might not grow soft in his fair living, for he loved not that company nor in sooth did they love him and his great unangered strength. Now the battle of the courts of Makar was waged unceasingly save when men gathered in the halls for feasting, or at those times when Makar and Meбssл were far abroad hunting together in the black mountains wolves and bears. But that house was full of weapons of battle in great array, and shields of great size and brightness of polish were on the walls. It was lit with torches, and fierce songs of victory, of sack and harrying, were there sung, and the torches’ red light was reflected in the blades of naked swords. There sit often Makar and his sister listening to the songs, and Makar has a huge bill across his knees and Meбssл holds a spear. But in those days ere the closing of Valinor did these twain fare mostly about the Earth and were often far from the land, for they loved the unbridled turmoils which Melko roused throughout the world.
Therefore is Valinor now built, and there is great peace there, and the Gods in joy, for those quarrelsome spirits dwell not much among them, and Melko comes not nigh.’
Then said a child among the company, a great drinker-in of both tales and poesies: ‘And would that he had never come there since, and would that I might have seen that land still gleaming new as Aulл left it.’ Now she had heard Rъmil tell his tale before and was much in thought of it, but to the most of the company it was new, even as it was to Eriol, and they sat amazed. Then said Erioclass="underline" ‘Very mighty and glorious are the Valar, and I would fain hear yet more of those oldest days, did I not see the glimmer of the Candles of Sleep that fare now hither’ but another child spoke from a cushion nigh Lindo’s chair and said: ‘Nay, ’tis in the halls of Makar I would fain be, and get perchance a sword or knife to wear; yet in Valmar methinks ’twould be good to be a guest of Oromл’, and Lindo laughing said: ’Twould be good indeed,’ and thereat he arose, and the tale-telling was over for that night.
NOTES
Changes made to names in
The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor
Уnen < уwen (at the first occurrence only; subsequently Уnen is the name as first written).
Eruman and Arvalin The names of this region were originally written Habbanan and Harmalin, but were emended throughout the tale (except in two cases where Habbanan was overlooked) to Eruman (once Erumбni, p. 70) and Arvalin. (In the last three occurrences Habbanan > Arvalin, whereas in the earlier ones Habbanan > Eruman; but the difference is presumably without significance, since the names Habbanan / Harmalin and later Eruman / Arvalin were interchangeable.) In The Cottage of Lost Play the changes were Harwalin > Harmalin > Arvalin (p. 22). Lomendбnar < Lome Danar.
Silindrin < Telimpл (Silindrin) (at the first occurrence only; subsequently Silindrin is the name as first written).
Lindeloksл < Lindelуtл (cf. p. 22).
Commentary on
The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor
The abundant instruction provided by Rъmil on this occasion is best discussed in sections, and I begin with:
(i) The Coming of the Valar and their encounter with Melko (pp. 65–7)
The description of the entry of the Valar into the world was not retained, though the account of them in this passage is the ultimate origin of that in the Valaquenta (The Silmarillion pp. 25–9): not, however, by continuous manuscript progression. The passage is of much interest, for here appear all at once many figures of the mythology who were to endure, beside others who were not. It is remarkable how many of the names of the Valar in the earliest writings were never afterwards displaced or reshaped: Yavanna, Tulkas, Lуrien, Nienna, Oromл, Aldaron, Vбna, Nessa, first appearing in this tale, and Manwл, Sъlimo, Varda, Ulmo, Aulл, Mandos, Ossл, Salmar, who have appeared previously. Some were retained in a modified form: Melkor for Melko, Uinen (which appears already later in the Lost Tales) for Уnen, Fлanturi for Fбnturi; while yet others, as Yavanna Palъrien and Tulkas Poldуrлa, survived long in the ‘Silmarillion’ tradition before being displaced by Kementбri (but cf. Kйmi ‘Earth-lady’ in this tale) and Astaldo. But some of these early Valar had disappeared by the next stage or phase after the Lost Tales: Уmar-Amillo, and the barbaric war-gods Makar and Meбssл.