** General Comments on the Project & Sign Up Thread **

[Eruhen]

OK, so I'm back on the Downs after an (extremely) extended hiatus. Where does TtfE stand and what still needs doing?

I seem to have misplaced most of my HoME books in my many moves, so all I've got left are the canon and UT. I'll help where I can, though.

[Findegil]

I took very long time for an answer were we stand. My Appologies for that. But that is the way it has gone.

The last discussions were held in the chapter The Ruin of Beleriand. I gave posting of state of afairs in that thread. Here I only will say that we finished the first (unnamed) sub-chapter and nearly finished The death of Fingofin. The other two (short) sub-chapters are drafts untouched by the group.

Beside that we have (at least) two open points in the General Changes thread:
Bauglir -> Baugron
and
Gwarestrin -> Gwarestirin

For the rest of the work I update my resumee from post 100:

The Fall of Gondolin (FoG): Done.

The Darkening of Valinor (DoV): Done. But needs another look into it.

Ainulindalë (AINU): Done.

Valaquenta (Vala): Done.

Of the Voyage of Eärendil & Of the Great Battle and the War of Wrath (VE): Done.

Of the Ruin of Doriath (RD): Done.

Narn i Chîn Húrin (Narn; NA): Done. With the single exception of the snippets of the Lay that I would wish for and that have been once voted down, but are still on my mind as worthy additions.

Narn Beren ion Barahir or Narn e•Dinúviel (BL): Done.

For the Silmarillion chapters up to „11 Of the flight of the Noldor“ I have drafts ready for posting. But I will not undertake the work to bring it in postable form before the discussion has reached that point. As a matter of fact Aiwendil had suggested to start from the Ainulindalë and go to all the texts we hav done sofare before starting any new material.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[blue]

Hi, I'd like to help, but I'm a bit overwhelmed with reading through the threads here.

Has someone put together (other than the FAQ thread) an index of pertinent threads to read to get up to speed?

I'm afraid I'm drowning!

A quick initial thought - from Tolkien's letter 131, he did state his desire to see the Silmarillion published with LotR and, to me, that would seem to be (along with the previously published Hobbit) the core set of canonical works.

Thanks and looking forward to assisting!

[Findegil]

Welcome to this quiete part of Downs blue!

There is no Index or somethings else to speed you up, sorry. But I will try to help if possible. Anyhow as you may have observed the forum has long periods of silents in which nothing goes forward. Compared to my last post in this thread we hav now finished our work on The Ruin of Beleriand. After that we started a rediscussion of open points in the previously worked on chapters. In particular The Lay Beren and Lúthien.

To get started you should read the thread Beren and Lúthien - Changes needed.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[Aiwendil]

Well, I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. But with Christmas break approaching, I thought it might be a good time to try and pick up the thread of things here again.

I guess where we left off was reviewing the changes to some of the already finished chapters, and I gather that we were on Beren and Luthien. This week, I will take a look and remind myself where things stand there.

I think I've seen Findegil posting in other corners of the forum fairly recently. Is anyone else still around?

[aravanessë]

Sometimes, sometimes..

[Aiwendil]

Good to see you, aravanesse!

[gandalf85]

Are you guys still working on this? It's been a while since anyone has posted in the public forums. I honestly don't think I'd have time to write anything myself, but I'd love to review anything you guys have and provide suggestions. I love the idea of re-creating Bilbo's Translations as 3 volumes using the most up-to-date and consistent material we have from HoME and UT and the Sil.

[lindil]

Hi G85

Yes, this can be the quietist barrow of them all sometimes. But the work done over the 12 plus yeears, egads! well the work aiwendil and I and a few others started way back has gone on and I would love to join you in a top to bottowm review.

i think I am ready to do my end which was turn the rough footnote-ridden edits back into readable prose - with the hopeful help of some fellow editors.

But a thorough review is a great idea.

welcome to the weightiest, most ponderous and obscure corner of the downs!

[lindil]

oh, another little bit of celebratory data! over 20, 800 visits to this thread, seeing what we are up to. Impressive. as is the project. Still to my knowledge the only one like it on the net. Anyone know of others?

[Eruhen]

OK, wights, it's time to get dem bones up and moving again!

I'm back and ready for this with a will. I'm going to dig down through the threads and try and work things into a readable text. I'll post PDFs of chapters as I finish them. There's been a lot of work done, but there's still much more to do.

[lindil]

Sounds perfect eruhen. Recovering from. Multiple fractures so j got some time! Just how do u picture chapters? Without apparatus? Just straight text? That was always my vison of final version. On phone now so limited but will have laptop back in a few days. Beautiful to see the enthusiaam! Yes Lot has been done since this was launched in 2oo1 or 2.

[Eruhen]

I'm just planning on straight text for now, but I'll confess that my vision since the beginning has honestly been a four-volume set bound in red leather with illuminated frontispieces for each chapter, illuminated capitals, and decorative borders. I'm talking full-on Medieval codex, here.

For now, though, I'm just aiming on a working, readable copy without paragraph headings and editors' marks.

[Findegil]

Eruhen, I can in one point only echo Lindil: It is nice to see your enthusiaam.

I'm going to dig down through the threads and try and work things into a readable text.

You my do so, if you like but it is unnecessary. The porject has not worked without producing what you are seaching for. It is a long time since the last time I made a plain text document out of my working copy, but that will be much easier and faster then going through all the threads and work out our last version.

I'll post PDFs of chapters as I finish them.

If that wouldn't violate the copy right law, we would have done so years ago. So please don't do this.
If you really want to wake this project out of its very long time of deep silence, please read to the follwoing thread (at least the last pages). That is were open points of discussions are left over from the last phase of activity.
*A project ~~~~Revising the Fall of Gondolin*
Narn I Chîn Húrin 1: Túrins Fostering
Anyhow, as I told already in post #100, I have drafts ready for the chapters of the Silmarillion up to chapter 11. If you would like to start the discussion with one of these, please speak up and we will see if any body comes up with a good reason to hold back.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[Aiwendil]

It's wonderful to see all of you here!

I must apologize for this last long period of inactivity; real life circumstances have been preventing me from being able to find the time for this project. But for a while now I have been meaning to try and make the time for it.

I'll take a look at those threads to try to remind myself of the outstanding points.

I think that I also still have some notes kicking around on my hard drive on issues I had found in the other finished chapters, which I think it would be good to look at before moving on.

[Eruhen]

I'll take a look at the links, too. Also, what happened to the private forum with the drafts and other such sausage-making? Did it get lost in the shuffle?

[lindil]

I think we should move any discussion of texts to private forum. I hear u findegil...not looking rk cause trouble!

[Eruhen]

I would love to move to the private forum, lindil; however, I can't seem to find it. If someone would like to send me a link, I would be eternally grateful.

[lindil]

Lol it has been so long I forget how access works. Aiwendil or I will get you in asap. Apologies.

~ the rusty mod.

[Eruhen]

Hey, folks. Any word on the getting me back into the private forum front?

[The Barrow-Wight]

Eruhen,

I've given you access to the Private forum. Let me know if it doesn't work.

Thanks,
BW

[Findegil]

To clear upo what I meant: Discussion should be held here in the public forum. There are no matters that need be hidden in our search for the real story of Middel-earth. As seen in all threads we are able to keep the amount of text included as quote in the discussion low and with that, as I think, well inside the boundary of copy right law.
What should be restricted to the privat forum is the full quote text as a result of our editing.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Corsair_Caruso]

Hello. I've been a somewhat inconsistent member of the forum for a short time, but I would love to be a part of this project. I'll make my way through the threads and put my two cents in if and when I see the opportunity. I hope I can make some kind of meaningful contribution to this worthy endeavor.

[Findegil]

Welcome to this very obscure part of the Downs Corsair_Caruso!

We will appriciate each and every contribution. Don't by shy! And if our answers do not allways come imediatly or are some times short and sound as if our minds are fixed in a what has been discussed before, let that not dount you! The first and formost thing that this project needs are active members! And since it seems that some of the longer time members are no longer very active, input from new members is very welcome.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[Aiwendil]

Welcome! I'll second everything Findegil said. Please don't hesitate to comment on anything, and feel free to ask questions.

[gondowe]

I had lost the "estel" for the forum, trying to communicate with both Aiwendil and Findegil. But now I was watching in TV the Russian version of Hamlet, and remembered Alas, poor Yorick, ;and I tried luck, and here is again ¡¡¡¡¡.
I'll try to retake the lost threads, I'm very busy with the real Middle-earth and my kids but I'm happy to read you again.

Greetings.

[Arvegil145]

Hello everyone!

I have been following this project for some time, and I am also doing my own private revision of The Silmarillion. As it turned out, I have already made a profile on this site years ago, and found, while trying to register, that my email was already in use.

Anyway, I'm quite excited to contribute as I may to the project, if you wouldn't mind another nuisance on the board.

[Findegil]

Welcome Arvegil145,

will allway love nuisance on the board other wise we would not try to keep this project alive.

As the project has long been in stasis it is not easy to advise were to start, so for the time beenig I can only say feel free to comment were ever you see a reason for it.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[Arvegil145]

Hello Findegil!

I sincerely thank you for your reply, especially considering how lively this forum is lately. Just one thing, if you could be so kind to tell where you guys currently are? I'd like to keep up with the project as well as I can.

Thank you in advance!

[Findegil]

Post 134 in this thread sume it still up very nicely.

Respectfuly
Findegil

[gondowe]

Hello Arvegil145 it's nice to have another collaborator with the project, I hope you have more time to dedicate than me. I'm going to show you my complete structure of the 5 volumes of the texts of Arda, The Thain's Book, posting it in the thread started by me about my personal project (in spanish). And i'll try to write post replies on the rest of the threads reopened by you.

Greetings

[Drorin]

Hi!
I'm an spanish follower of Tolkien's work since he was 11, yeah, I started the hobby with Jackson's films, but that was just the beginning. I've read all the books that a normal fan has read and now I'm with HOME.
I will found the project a couple of years, but the messages were very old. I am glad that you have returned to the project. I will not be much help because my English is not very high and only gives me to understand what I read.
So I just want to inform you that here you have someone who expects this fantastic project and goes on to say that thanks to you I learned things I did not even know.

Forgive my English and good job guys!

[Gothmog, LoB]

I'd like to sign up, too, assuming this whole thing is still a thing. And even if it is not it might still be of some use to assess what you have done and to give some sort of input. Findegil might still remember despite the fact that it has been quite some time...

A few years ago I dabbled myself a little bit in this kind of thing, although on a much smaller scale. I created two emendations of the Tale of Years of the Second and Third Age, mostly but not exclusively on the basis of cut material published in PoME (other sources were 'Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn', 'The Line of Elros', and details only touched upon in Appendix A.

I'm not sure if this can be any help in this kind of thing but whoever wants to read the finished versions (which still contain a few errors here and there) can do so in issue #11 of the Other Minds magazine, to be found here http://othermindsmagazine.com/downlo..._download/file

[Findegil]

Welcome to this very quiet dungeon in the Barrow Downs, Gothmog!

If you succeed in stirring some life back into this project, I will gladly join up in what ever goes forward.

Respectfully,
Findegil

[Gothmog, LoB]

Thank you, Findegil!

I'd gladly begin by assessing whatever you already have done. The impression I get is that you have done some work in some fashion in some places I cannot yet access ;-).

And I'd prefer beginning by commenting on work that has already been done rather by suggesting or bringing up stuff you have already done.

Edit: You might want to delete some PMs so that you can be contacted directly via the board ;-).

[Findegil]

It is not so that we have done work in a place that you cannot access. The work is done here in the public forum (only in earlier times some small parts were done in a private part of the forum, more by exident then by intention). But as you of course know, copy right resrictes us from giving very body open access to the resulting text.

Respectfully
Findegil

P.S.: I have clean up my private message box.

[natedeug]

I'm not sure how much help I would be, but I would love to get a chance to check out your progress in the private forum. I've only read Silmarillion twice, Children of Hurin once, and none of HoME, but I'm really intrigued with what you're trying to accomplish here.

[natedeug]

I want to begin reading through some of the chapters that are still in progress, but the notation system seems rather oblique to an outsider.

I've read the stickied notation post, but it still doesn't seem to cover all the points about what is actually a part of the intended draft, and what is the removed or replaced sections.

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong section. Any guidance would be appreciated.

But then, as I've only read The Silmarillion twice and CoH once, perhaps you don't actually want me leaving comments? I know that you are trying to be guarded in respect to the password for the private forum, but I would be happy to stay around and comment. I'm interested in seeing some of the finalized chapters, as the working posts for each chapter don't show how these things end up as "completed" works.

[Findegil]

I want to begin reading through some of the chapters that are still in progress, but the notation system seems rather oblique to an outsider.

I've read the stickied notation post, but it still doesn't seem to cover all the points about what is actually a part of the intended draft, and what is the removed or replaced sections.

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong section. Any guidance would be appreciated.

My posting #16 in that thread is probably still a good condensation.

But then, as I've only read The Silmarillion twice and CoH once, perhaps you don't actually want me leaving comments?

Be asured that we all like to get any input we can get! And we all knew that it is quite difficult to start (since not many of the active members have been starting members).

I know that you are trying to be guarded in respect to the password for the private forum, but I would be happy to stay around and comment. I'm interested in seeing some of the finalized chapters, as the working posts for each chapter don't show how these things end up as "completed" works.

It might be that you would be disapointed with what you would/will find in the private forum. There are not (at least only in some cases) clean text versions of the chapters. Mostly it is only complete draft texts in the editied fromat. Any chapter that is started here is there in first draft version, the more finished chapters in more than one version. But your are of couse right that it is not easy to work through our often fare ranging discussion and keep track of how the editing evolved. Name the chapter you would like to start with and I will see how I can get you going.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Aiwendil]

Once again, I've got to apologize for my long absence.

I hope everyone's doing well. Who's around? I wonder if we can try to refresh our memories about where we were and try to make progress on this again. I should, I hope, have a bit more time to devote to this now.