The History of Middle-earth Vol-8- The War of the Ring J.R.R Tolkien by Tolkien J.R.R

Author:Tolkien, J.R.R. [J.R.R., Tolkien,]
Language: spa
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2010-12-27T14:12:08.827000+00:00

BOOK FIVE BEGUN AND ABANDONED 239

240 THE WAR OF THE RING

Dunharrow’ is on their right; Dunharrow is the name of the mountain (on the First Map, IVE, VII.319, ‘Dunharrow’ is written against the mountain at the head of the great valley extending south-west from Edoras). They crossed the Snowbourn by a stone bridge; the path, steep and winding, then led them up to the Hold ‘on the mountain's knee’; and the ‘amphitheatre’ was open to the west. The most natural interpretation is that the Hold was on the far (eastern) side of Harrowdale, and near the head of the valley.

The references in A to the Hold having been preserved as a refuge, and to ‘the torchlit stone hall’ in which the feast was held, are explained and expanded in subsequent texts.

Text B was followed, no doubt immediately, by a third version ('C'), clearly written in ink, which however again stops at the same point. Here the entry of the Riders into Harrowdale is described in very much the same way as it is in B:

They followed it [the mountain-stream] and saw it spring with a last leap into the Snowbourn River that white and fuming on its stones rushed down upon its swift journey to Edoras far below To their right, dark and swathed in cloud, loomed the vast tumbled mass of great Dunharrow, but its peak and cap of snow they could not see, for they were crawling under the shadow of its knees.

Across the valley upon the mountain-side lights were twinkling.

It was now Éomer, not Aragorn, who replied to Théoden's question ‘But was it not the full moon last night?’; for Aragorn was no longer a member of the King's company.

‘No, the night before,’ said Éomer. ‘Five days we have passed on the road: it has been slow since we took to the mountain-paths; five days remain until the day that you appointed for the muster at Edoras.’

‘Then here at Dunharrow maybe we can rest a while,’ said the King.

•‘If you would take my counsel, lord,’ said Éomer, ‘you would remain here until the war that threatens is over, lost or won. [Struck out at once: You have ridden far and taxed your strength in the war with Saruman. Victory will have little joy for me, or for your people, unless we can lay our swords at your feet.]’

‘We will speak of that later,’ said Théoden.

They rode on. Merry looked about him. He was tired, for he was riding himself now, on a sturdy hill-pony furnished for him

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