Extended Information??????

[Maéglin]

I've read all the normal series, LOTR, The Hobbit, the Silmarillion. Just wondering, is there anymore worthwhile works of Tolkien related to Middle Earth?

Such as the Last Battle when Morgoth escapes from the void etc. Is it in the History of Middle Earth, and if so, what volume? Because I really wanna know...

THanks

[dernhelm]

I've only read the first five books in the History of Middle Earth series, and if my memory serves me right, I don't think there was anything about the Last Battle in any of those. But regarding good Tolkien works in general if you haven't read Unfinished Tales, I would recommend it. I just finished reading it, and I thought it was very good. It had some interesting information about all of the Ages, as well as about the Istari and the Palantiri.

[Manwe Sulimo]

Definetly Unfinished Tales, and there is a *very* short story about the Dagor Dagorath in HoMe IV, The Shaping of Middle-earth.

[Galorme]

As far as I know the only full(ish) account is in HoME II, but a lot of people don't like that as they don't feel it is 'cannon'. Read the histories. Go on. You know you want to. Oh yeah and UT (I always think of Unreal Tournament when I see that)

[Kalessin]

Whilst not exactly sited in Middle Earth, I would VERY STRONGLY recommend reading Tolkien's Farmer Giles of Ham and Leaf By Niggle which are exceptional, charming and touching stories. I would place them alongside The Happy Prince and the other stories of Oscar Wilde as beautiful fairy tales with great pathos, and meaningful for all ages. Not only that, but they are finished, and as the author intended [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img].

Peace.

Kalessin

[Galorme]

Get Tree and Leaf also. That gives you the excellent Leaf by Niggle, which is a lovely, if rather sad piece. But you get the infinitely wonderful essay Oh Fairy Stories, which is, as i said, infinitely wonderful (wonderful to no finite limit).

Plus in some additions you get the story The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, in which you get a glimpse of JRRT's love of the ancient texts.

[Aragorn_The_King]

Don't forget the wealth of info in the appendixes of RotK

[Legolas]

Unfinished Tales definitely.

Of the volumes of The History of Middle-earth, the ones you'll (probably) most enjoy are 1, 2, 4, 5, and 10-12. 6-9 are boring and 3 is full of songs and such.

[ December 10, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]

[HerenIstarion]

songs and such

sounds funny [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

well. some samples:

Ere a week was outworn his wounds were cured,
but his heart's heaviness those hands of snow
nor soothed nor softened, and sorrow-laden
he fared to the forest. No fellows sought he
in his hopeless hazard, but in haste alone
he followed the feet of the foes of Elfland,
the dread daring, and the dire anguish,
that held the hearts of Hithlum's men
and Doriath's doughtiest in a dream of fear.
Unmatched among Men, or magic-wielding
Elves, or hunters of the Orc-kindred,
or beasts of prey for blood pining,
was his craft and cunning, that cold and dead
an unseen slot could scent o'er stone,
foot-prints could find on forest pathways
that lightly on the leaves were laid in moons
long waned, and washed by windy rains.
The grim Glamhoth's goblin armies
go cunning-footed, but his craft failed not
to tread their trail, till the lands were darkened,
and the light was lost in lands unknown.
Never-dawning night was netted clinging
in the black branches of the beetling trees;
oppressed by pungent pinewood's odours,
and drowsed with dreams as the darkness thickened,
he strayed steerless. The stars were hid,
and the moon mantled. There magic foundered
in the gathering glooms, there goblins even
(whose deep eyes drill the darkest shadows)
bewildered wandered, who the way forsook
to grope in the glades, there greyly loomed
of girth unguessed in growth of ages
the topless trunks of trees enchanted.
That fathomless fold by folk of Elfland
is Taur-na-Fuin, the Trackless Forest
of Deadly Nightshade, dreadly named.

that above is 'such'

now for the song:

A! the Trees of Light, tall and shapely,
gold and silver, more glorious than the sun,
than the moon more magical, o'er the meads of the Gods
their fragrant frith and flowerladen
gardens gleaming, once gladly shone.
In death they are darkened, they drop their leaves
from blackened branches bled by Morgoth
and Ungoliant the grim the Gloomweaver.
In spider's form despair and shadow
a shuddering fear and shapeless night
she weaves in a web of winding venom
that is black and breathless. Their branches fail,
the light and laughter of their leaves are quenched.
Mirk goes marching, mists of blackness,
through the halls of the Mighty hushed and empty,
the gates of the Gods are in gloom mantled

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