A Concise List of The Lord of the Rings Textual Changes

from Allen & Unwin 1st edition to HarperCollins 2021 edition

Compiled by zionius

Last updated in Sep. 2023

I used the following editions to compile this list: Houghton Mifflin 1st ed (FR 1/3, TT 1/2, RK 1/1), Ballantine 2nd ed 1970 impression, Allen&Unwin 2nd ed 1977 impression (paperback), HarperCollins 1993 paperback, HC 1994 ed, HC 2005 ed, HC 2021 illustrated by the author ed. The list ignores most “minor” changes such as trivial typo, italics, capitalization and punctuation; many intermediate states are also omitted.

The list is thus compiled: first I extract plain texts from the editions named above (therefore information about indent and italics are lost), and use diff tool to compare them, record every change worthy of note and confirm it with the original book or scan, then check Descriptive Bibliography and Reader’s Companion to see if it is already recorded. If not, I’d search on archive.org for its usage in other editions, and thus make a rough estimation of its time of first appearance. (I don’t have FR 1/1, so the change list from FR 1st impression to unauthorized 2nd impression is purely based on the summaries in DB and RC, and I might mistake some forms that first appeared in FR 1/2 as the earliest forms.) Finally I go over every change recorded in Hammond & Scull’s works to make sure I haven’t missed anything important.

Currently it lists 400+ entries, including 100+ changes unrecorded by others. It also helps me locate three dozen possible errors in the latest edition. Since my methodology is mainly based on editions available on archive.org, which are incomplete and largely reprints, some entries might be inaccurate. So I’ll keep updating this google document.

abc: old version; abc: new version; [abc]: footnote; {abc}: my note

Number (rough estimation of the time of change, could be wrong because the editions available to me are quite limited):

5: changed in reprints of the 1st edition, probably in the 1950s;

6: changed since the 2nd edition (either Ballantine or A&U) in the 1960s;

7: changed since around 1970s;

9: changed since around 1990s (mostly likely in HarperCollins 1994);

0: changed since around 2000s (mostly likely in HarperCollins 2004/2005);

2: changed in 2021 or a few years earlier.

Modifier:

None: change mentioned in Reader’s Companion;

H: only mentioned in History of Middle-earth;

D: only mentioned in Descriptive Bibliography;

E: only mentioned in http://www.hammondandscull.com/addenda/rings.html

F: only mentioned in Steven M. Frisby, “Identifying First Edition Printings of the Houghton Mifflin Lord of the Rings”, The Tolkien Collector 20~22.

*: variation mentioned in none of above (so you probably haven’t known it).

Therefore, “6*” would mean a change in the 2nd ed. unrecorded elsewhere.

I also created a special type “U*” to denote variants found only in A&U’s 2nd edition (and editions based on it), but not in Ballantine’s 2nd edition and the current edition.

Title page

5D: {Five letters in the Tengwar and Cirth inscription on the title page have been modified since 1955.}

Foreword

6: {New foreword in the 2nd ed.}

6*: The Lord of the Rings has been read by many people since it finally appeared in print ten years ago; {Change from Ballantine to A&U’s 2nd ed.}

6*: It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points;  {Change from Ballantine to A&U’s 2nd ed.}

6*: The Lord of the Rings is now issued in a new formedition {Change from Ballantine to A&U’s 2nd ed.}

6D: I hope that those who have read The Lord of the Rings with pleasure will not think me ungrateful: to please readers was my main object, and to be assured of this has been a great reward. Nonetheless, for all its defects of omission and inclusion, it was the product of long labour, and like a simple-minded hobbit I feel that it is, while I am still alive, my property in justice unaffected by copyright laws. It seems to me a grave discourtesy, to say no more, to issue my book without even a polite note informing me of the project: dealings one might expect of Saruman in his decay rather than from the defenders of the West. However that may be, this paperback edition and no other has been published with my consent and co-operation. Those who approve of courtesy (at least) to living authors will purchase it and no other. And if the many kind readers who have encouraged me with their letters will add to their courtesy by referring friends or enquirers to Ballantine Books, I shall be very grateful. To them, and to all who have been pleased by this book, especially those Across the Water for whom it is specially intended, I dedicate this edition. {Change from Ballantine to A&U’s 2nd ed.}

U*: I have considered all their comments and ienquiries…but many ienquiries could only be answered by additional appendices, {In all Tolkien’s works (LR, Lett., UT, HoMe, etc.) “inquiry/inquire/inquirer” are used only 7 times, and 6 of them in LR. But “enquiry/enquire/enquirer” are used about 70 times, including LR drafts in HoMe. I think Tolkien originally used “e”, and A&U’s printer changed most of them to “i” after their spelling guide, but missed 1 “enquiry” in III.3 and 1 “enquire” in IV.10. On the other hand the Foreword in Ballatine’s 2nd ed. preserved Tolkien’s original usage, and was later adopted by HarperCollins. Thus the inconsistent usage (6 “i”s and 4 “e”s) remains in the current edition.}

Prologue

6*: shy of the ‘the Big Folk’,

0: According to the Red Book, Bandobras Took (Bullroarer), son of Isengrim the SecondIsumbras the Third, was four foot five and able to ride a horse.

U*: Most of their earlier settlements had long disappeared and been forgotten in Bilbo’s time;

6: And thenceforward for a thousand years they lived in almost unbroken peace.There for a thousand years they were little troubled by wars, and they prospered and multiplied after the Dark Plague (S.R. 37) until the disaster of the Long Winter and the famine that followed it. Many thousands then perished, but the Days of Dearth (1158–60) were at the time of this tale long past and the Hobbits had again become accustomed to plenty.

6: Fiforty leagues it stretched from the Westmarch under the Tower HillFar Downs to the Brandywine Bridge, and nearly fifty from the northern moors

6: Three Elf-towers of immemorial age were still to be seen on the Tower Hills beyond the western marches.

6: The tallest was furthest away, standing alone upon a green hillmound.

9*: such as their friendship with the Elves.

6D: Hobbits delighted in such things, if they arewere accurate: they liked to have books filled with things that they already knoew,

9*: There is another astonishing thing about the Hobbits of old that must be mentioned, {typo}

6: Outside the Farthings were the East and West Marches: the Buckland and the Westmarch added to the Shire in S.R. 1462. {1462 is further changed to 1452 in 2004}

9*: catching blind fish with his long fingers,

9*: when he lived stillstill lived in the light: {the original version seems better.}

9*: So it was that Gollum passed him without seeing him, and went on to guard the way out, {likely a typo}

6D: his hundred-and-eleventh birthday (S.R. 1401). At thatis point

6: {New “Note on the Shire Records” section in the 2nd ed.}

U*: Note on the Shire Records

I.1

9: But I reckon it was a nasty knockshock for those Sackville-Bagginses. {Restored in 2004.}

6D: but Frodo would say nothing, butonly say no doubt everything will be cleared up in the morning.

I.2

6: but they shook their heads and went away singing sadly to themselveswere leaving Middle-earth and were no longer concerned with its troubles. There were, however, dwarves on the road in unusual numbers.¶The great West Road, of course, ran through the Shire over the Brandywine BridgeThe ancient East-West Road ran through the Shire to its end at the Grey Havens, and dwarves had always used it from time to timeon their way to their mines in the Blue Mountains.

6: But now Frodo often met strange dwarves of different kinds, coming out of southern landsfar countries, seeking refuge in the West.

6H: But even the deafest and mostre stay-at-home began to hear queer tales; {Restored to most in 1990s}

7*: Your Hal’s always saying that he’s seen things;

9*: {In the image of the One Ring inscription, the stroke in the last Tengwar letter lambe is always unbroken in editions before the 1990s, and broken in most editions after c.1994. Probably a typo.}

9D: It wouldn’t say

5: when I had given up the chase and turned to other pathsparts, {A typo in 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

I.3

6: They were now in Tookland, and going southwards, but aA mile or two further onsouth they hastily crossed the maingreat road from Michel Delving to Bywater and Brandywine Bridge. Then they struck south-east and began to climb into the Green Hill Country south of Hobbiton. They coulthe Brandywine Bridge; they were now in the Tookland and bending south-eastwards they made for the Green Hill Country. As they began to climb its first slopes they looked back and seeaw the villagelamps in Hobbiton far off twinkling down in the gentle valley of the Water.

6: Woodhall, and Stock, and the Bucklebury Ferry

6: they came back to the road at the end of the long level over which the road ranit had run straight for some miles. At that point it bent somewhat southward, and began to wind again, as it enteredleft and went down into the lowlands of the Yale making for Stock; but a lane branched right. winding through a wood of ancient oak-trees on its way to Woodhall. ‘That is the way for us,’ said Frodo.¶Not far from the edge of the roadroad-meeting they came on the huge hulk of a tree: {also in the following pages 11 “road”s are changed to “lane/path/∅/way” in the 2nd ed. Reader’s Companion mistakenly states only 8 “road”s are changed.}

6D: ‘We have only to wait by the road.’

6: I did not know that anyFew of that fairest folk wereare ever seen

6: omentielmvo

I.4

6: Ferry is south-east from Woodhall; but the hard road

6D: Short cuts may make delays, but inns madke longer ones. At all costs

9H: along the eastern side of the hills

6: ‘We are onThis is Bamfurlong, old Farmer Maggot’s land. That must be’s his farm away there in the trees.’

I.5

0: They can go twenty miles north to Brandywine Bridge

0: I hadve been watching you rather closely ever since he left.

0: There are sixfive ponies in a stable across the fields;

I.6

6D: Suddenly Frodo himself felt the drowsiness attacksleep overwhelming him.

I.7

0: ‘I am no weather-master,’ he said he; ‘nor is aught that goes on two legs.’ {Probably correcting a typo introduced in 1954 2nd impression}

I.8

5: When they reached the bottom it was so chillcold {A typo in the 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

7*: thinking and getting a hold onf himself,

5: glisterned {A typo in the 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

U*: Ho! Tom Bombadil! and with that name his voice seemed to grow stronger:

I.9

9: The landlord hovered round for a little, and then proposedprepared to leave them.

0*: ¶¶Now quicker the fiddle went deedle-dum-diddle; {Typo, this stanza is mistakenly adhered to the previous one. It seems to be corrected in the 2021 new typesetting}

0: the two had been whispering together a good deal during the evening. Harry the gatekeeper also went out just behind them.

I.10

9*: Please remember, said one of them, that the name of Baggins must not be mentioned. {In I.8 there is “Please remember – all of you – that the name of Baggins must NOT be mentioned.”, In The Treason of Isengard the draft says “that the name Baggins must not be mentioned again”, perhaps the “of” in I.8 should be removed as well.}

5F: The crownless again shall be king. ᚠ {Deleted since the 3rd impression. Unsure it is intentional or mistaken. Tolkien didn’t seem to have problems with it in the proof stage. In this proof page, the red pen is from the proofreader, the blue pen is from Tolkien.}

0: Strider shall be your guide. And now I think it is time you went to bed and took what rest you can.

I.11

6*: {Gandalf’s Cirth scratches ended with a dot bigger than the full stop in the 2nd ed., but restored to a standard full stop in the 2000s.}

5: the bride-priece of Lúthien {A typo in 1954 2nd impression, restored in the 1970s.}

6: With a last effort Frodo, dropping his sword, slipped the Ring from his finger

I.12

6D: face downwards on the grass with his sword beneath him.

6*: We must have now come to the River Hoarwell,

6: The Road runs along it for many leaguesthe edge of the hills for many miles from the Bridge to the Ford of Bruinen. But I have not yet thought how we shall cross theat water.

6: The Road bent back again southward towardsbehind held on its way to the River Bruinen,

6: At this point the Road had turned away from the river downleft the Hoarwell far behind in its narrow valley, and now clung close to the feet of the hills, rolling and winding northeastward

6D: Not far fromdown the bank Strider pointed out a stone in the grass.

6: In the dusk its bit and bridleheadstall flickered and flashed,

6: the Road turnedbent right and ran steeply down towards the bottom of the valley, now making once morestraight for the riverBruinen.

II.1

U*: and they went across a wide passage and through other doors,

6: Young she was, and yet not so; for though the. The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost and; her white arms and clear face were haleflawless and smooth, and the light of stars was in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night,;

5: the fmountains, and the pools! {A typo in 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

0: I am getting very old, and I began to wonder if I should ever live to see your chapters of our story. {Probably correcting a typo introduced in 1954 2nd impression}

II.2

0: AiglosAeglos

5: ‘But not yet, I beg, Master!’ criedsaid Bilbo. {A typo in 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

0: And yet there lie in his hoards many records that few now can read, even of the lore-masters now can read,

6D: It is fashioned in thean elven-script of Eregion,

6: Never before had any man bestrodemounted him

0: It took me nearly fourifteen days from Weathertop,

0: But so it was that I came to Rivendell only threetwo days before the Ring,

5: Can’t weyou think of some names now? {A typo in 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

II.3

0: sources of the Gladden River

0: and they had returned over the high pass that was called the Dimrill Stair Redhorn Gate.

6D: ‘Your sword was broken, I believe,’ he said hesitatingly to Frodo, ‘andHere is your sword,’ he said. ‘But it was broken, you know. I took it to keep it safe but I’ve forgotten to ask if the smiths could mend it. No time now. So I thought,

II.4

6D: But we aren’t eatten yet,

6*: Neither sky nor sunset wereas

0: and their own mastkers cannot find them or open them,

6D: ‘How long is that going to take ups?’ {Only corrected in A&U 2nd ed.}

5: and there are tales inof Rivendell of greater deeds of his than any that I have seen. {A typo in 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

9*: {The image of The Doors of Durin uses thicker strokes since c.1994, losing many details, such as double-lines in the arch and the large letter ando. Letter malta was corrected to vala in 1967. An extra dot on letter ando has appeared since c.1990s, probably a typo. Also note, in the final art for printing (Art of LR fig.46), a dot is put on almost every Tengwar long carrier (like j-shape), but since 1st edition two dots are lost, probably a defect in printing.}

6D: Gathering dust still in Michel Delving MuseumMathom-house,

II.5

6D: I suppose, but it is written gard, followedthink; the next word is blurred and burned: probably by room

9*: Ilt is dangerous and narrow. {typo, L for I}

II.6

5: from the lowlands toof the Dwarf-kingdom {A typo in the 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

6: Galadhrim {together with multiple other d>dh.}

U*: We had not heard of – hobbits, orof halflings, for many a long year,

0: ‘I hope, if I do go to sleep in this bebird-loft, that I shan’t roll off,’

6D: the old path onthat still went on along the west side

6: the Elves untied the ropes and coiled two of them. Rúmil, who had remained on the other side, picked one up, drew back the last one,

5: and the thin clear voices of birds high in the sky. {A typo in the 1954 2nd impression, restored in 2004.}

6: vanimaelda

II.7

6D: and they had little speech with any of the Elven-folk; for few of these spoke any but their own silvanknew or would use the Westron tongue.

9*: the Lady went into athe deep green hollow, {Could be a mistake.}

9*: and they seem also to use the same word of the deceits of the Enemy. {Could be a mistake.}

9: why cannot II see

9H: I saw a star through your fingers.

II.8

0: On the further shores the woodlands still marched on southwards as far as the eye could see,

2E: They are all resolved to go forward, {The draft in HoMe has “are”, but I think all previously published editions don’t have it.}

9*:We have come to bid you our last farewell

2E:We have come to bid you our last farewell

6: avánier

6D: like gold fall the leaves in the wind! And, long years numberless as the wings of trees are the years.! The long years have passed like sweet swift draughts of the whitesweet mead in lofty halls beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda, wherein the stars tremble in the song of her voice, holy and queenly. Who now shall refill the cup for me? For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars, from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds, and all paths are drowned deep in shadow,; {Descriptive Bibliography p.110 says the second added “long” in the 2nd ed. is an error without explaining, and it is deleted since the 1990s. But it seems Tolkien added the two “long” on purpose to translate yén(144 years). His translation in RGEO and DTS 55, both written in the 1960s as the 2nd ed., is also “The long years have passed like swift draughts of the sweet mead in lofty halls beyond the West”.}

6D: Never did Frodo see that fair landTo that fair land Frodo never came again.

II.9

0H: Nonetheless they saw no sign of any enemy that day,

U*: I hadve tried to catch him once or twice at night; but he is slier than a fox,

0: Slow, because they needdo not count the running years, not for themselves.

II.10

6*: I urged him to come to Minas Tirith and not go toto go east.

III.2

0: He is smaller than the others.

6: GrayhameGreyhame

0: But scouts warned me of the orc-host coming down out of the East Wall threefour nights ago,

III.3

6D: Anyway they’ll eachboth be questioned.

6: Third Marshal of Rohanthe Mark

III.4

6D: Laurelindórienan {Also in IV.5, VI.6.}

6D: Taurielilómëa-tumbalemorna Tumbaletaurëa Lómeëanor

6: There is noaught that an old Ent {also several other o>a from 1950s to 2000s}

6*: For many many years we used to go out every now and again {only changed in A&U 2nd ed}

6D: Carneimírië!

III.5

0: I have seen an eagle high and far off: the last time was threefour days ago, above the Emyn Muil.

III.6

5: I have not passed through fire and blooddeath

U*: We are all friends here.

U*: I believe you are friends and folk worthy of honour,

III.7

0: Still some miles away, on the far side of the Westfold Vale, lay a green coomb, a great bay in the mountains, lay a green coomb, out of which a gorge opened in the hills.

0: many of their timbers were cracked.¶‘The doors will not withstand another such battering.’

5F: At that moment some dozen Orcs that had laidlain motionless among the slain leaped to their feet,

7: Deeping C-coomb

III.8

7: Deeping S-stream

0: There the Lord of the Mark would hold an assembly of all that could bear arms, on the secondthird day after the full moon.

0: those of the East Dales upon one side, and those of Westfold upon the other. But the men of Dunland were set apart in a mound below the Dike. 

6: Some of them I sentmen I sent with Grimbold of Westfold to join Erkenbrand; s. Some I set to this labour that you see, and they by now have gone back to Edoras. Many others alsomake this burial. They have now followed your marshal, Elfhelm. I sent thither before to guard your househim with many Riders to Edoras. {only changed in A&U 2nd ed}

III.9

6D: All this about the Orcs of MordorBarad-dûr, Lugbúrz as they call it,

5: then late in the afternoon in the secondthird day of their moot,

6*: there was a wood full of them {only changed in A&U 2nd ed}

6: It was gettingalready dark

III.10

6: Remember Théodred at the Fords, and the grave of Háma in Helm’s Deep!

6: It is not a thing, I guess, that Saruman would have chosen to cast away.

6: I fancyguess that, even if we had entered in,

III.11

6: He had never met a hobbit before and did not know what kind of thing to say to you. But he had his eyes on you.

6*: said Pippin softly, after a long pause. {only changed in A&U 2nd ed}

0: said Pippin softly, after a long pause.

6: and I did not at once guess the nature of the sStone until it was too late. Only now have I become sure of it.. Then I was weary, and as I lay pondering it, sleep overcame me. Now I know!

6: It was not known to us that any of the palantíri had escaped the ruin of Gondor. Outside the Council it was not even remembered among Elves or Men that such things had ever been, saveWe had not yet given thought to the fate of the palantíri of Gondor in its ruinous wars. By Men they were almost forgotten. Even in Gondor they were a secret known only to a few; in Arnor they were remembered only in a Rrhyme of Llore preserved among Aragorn’s folkamong the Dúnedain.

6: The three others were far away. Few now know where, for no rhyme says. But i in the North. In the Hhouse of Elrond it is told that they were at Annúminas, and Amon Sûl, and Elendil’s Stone was on the Tower Hill

6: Each palantír spokereplied to each, but at Osgiliath they could survey them all together at one timeall those in Gondor were ever open to the view of Osgiliath.

6: Who knows where all those other stones now lie, broken, orthe lost Stones of Arnor and Gondor now lie, buried, or drowned deep?

6: Or that an heir of Elendil lives and stood beside me. If Wormtongue was not deceived by the armour of Rohan, he would remember Aragorn and the title that he claimed.

0: And in twothree days thence you shall see the purple shadow of Mount Mindolluin and the walls of the tower of Denethor white in the morning.

IV.1

U*: The hurrying darkness, now gathering great speed,

IV.2

6: Nomen’s Lthe Noman-lands

U*: To Frodo and Sam it seemed that they had heard, far away, a long wailing cry, high and thin and cruel.

U*: The marshes were at an end, dying away into dead peats and wide flats of dry cracked mud.

IV.3

6D: Nûúrnen

6D: and athrust forward from its mouth were two sheer hills,

6: The hollow in which they had taken refuge was delved in the side of a low hill and lay, at some little height above the level of the plain. Aa long trench-like valley ranthat lay between it and the outer buttresses of the mountain-wall. In the midst of the valley stood the black foundations of the western watch-tower. By morning-light the roads that converged upon the Gate of Mordor could now be clearly seen, pale and dusty; one winding back northwards; another dwindling eastwards into the mists that clung about the feet of Ered Lithui; and another that, bending third that ran towards him. As it bent sharply, ran close ounder the western watch-tower, and then passed along the valley at the foot oftower, it entered a narrow defile and passed not far below the hiollsideow where the hobbits lay and not many feet below them. Soonstood. Westward, to his right, it turned,

6*: beyond theirhis sight it journeyed on into the narrow land {only changed in A&U 2nd ed}

6*: The voices and the clink of weapons and harness wasere very close. {only changed in A&U 2nd ed}

IV.5

6D: Tolb Brandir

0: yet from such of his sons and people as went not over Sea into the West, refusing the call.

IV.9

0: but at its edges a blue fire flickered.

6*: and the uppper portion blew and swayed

9*: Ilt may well be, O yes, {typo, L for I}

IV.10

6D: OA Elbereth Gilthoniel / o menel palan-díiriel, / le nallaon sí di’nguruthos! / A tíiro nin, Fanuilos!

Synpsis

0: This proved to be one of the threefour surviving palantíri

6*: until the great darkness is removed in the hour of final defeatfinal catastrophe and the end of the great darkness.

V.1

6:  tall and shapely it was, one hundred and, fifty fathoms from its base to the pinnacle, where floated the banner of the Stewards floated a thousand feet above the plain.

0: and far above in shadow the wide vaulting gleamed with dull gold. The floor was of polished stone, white-gleaming, inset with flowing traceries of many colours.

0: For I saw the beacons last nighttwo nights ago and the errand-riders;

0: ‘But why were the beacons lit lasttwo nights ago?’

0: it was the news that came yesterthat eve out of Lebennin.

V.2

0: The Moon will then be one two nights past his full,

6: ‘What do you fear that I should say: that I had a rascal of a rebel dwarf here that I would gladly exchange for a serviceable orc? to him? Did I not openly proclaim my title before the doors of Edoras? Nay, Gimli,’

6: But heThe eyes in Orthanc did not see through the armour of Théoden; but Sauron has not forgotten Isildur and the sword of Elendil.

9: which was the GateDoor of the Dead.

6D: Aragorn rose in hasteat once,

V.3

0: Last Two nights ago the moon was full,

6D: IÍrensaga {Descriptive Bibliography says “Í” is introduced in A&U’s 2nd edition. Though it seems to be still “I” in most editions till 1994. It is “I” in HoMe and manuscript (Art LR fig.128). OED lists both íren and iren as old forms of iron.}

9*: For what purpose they had made this place, as a town or secret temple or a tomb of kings, none in Rohan could say.

V.4

6: he saw in the middle airs below him huge five birdlike forms,

6: ‘His ‘The house of his spirit crumbles.’

6*: ‘They said that he ways dying,’

6D: ‘Well, you must choose between orders and the life of Faramir,’ said Pippin. ‘And as for othersorders, I think you have a madman to deal with, not a lord. I must run. I will return if I can.’

V.5

6: The king was not well pleased, and Dernhelm was He wondered, too, if the old King knew that he had been disobeyed and was angry. Perhaps not. There seemed to be some understanding between Dernhelm and Elfhelm, the Marshal who commanded the éored in which they were riding. He and all his men ignored Merry and pretended not to hear if he spoke. He might have been just another bag that Dernhelm was carrying. Dernhelm was no comfort: he seldomnever spoke a wordto anyone. Merry felt small, unwanted, and lonely.

6D: He recognized the voice of Elfhelm, captain of the company with which he was riding. the Marshal.

6D: I am not a tree-root, CaptainSir,’ he said, ‘nor a bag,

6D: And now I must busy myself with my lord’s commands. Pack yourself up, Master Bag!

V.7

6: Authority is not given to you, nor to any other lordSteward of Gondor, to order the hour of your death,

0: Do I not know that you commanded this halfling was commanded by there to keep silence? That youhe was brought him hither to be a spy within my very chamber?

6: long have I knownago I guessed that here in the White Tower, as at Orthanc, oneone at least of the Seven Seeing Stones was preserved.

6: In the days of his wisdom Denethor did would not presume to use it, nor to challenge Sauron, knowing the limits of his own strength.

6D: and I fear that as the peril of his realm grew he looked in the Stone and was deceived: more than oncefar too often, I guess, since Boromir departed.

V.8

6: I am Elessar, the Elfstone, and Envinyatar, the Renewer

6*: and her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff that he leaned on.

6: and he took her right hand in his and felt it warm with life returning.

V.9

6D: Hope oftOft hope is born, when all is forlorn.

6D: among which should ride the sons of Elrond with the Dúnedain and the knights of Dol Amroth:

6: some three thousand under the command of Elfhelm,

V.10

6*: Everyone that he cared for had gone away into thate gloom

6*: because of the evil that dwelt in thatthe valley,

6: The threetwo vast iron doors of the Black Gate under theirits frowning arches were fast closed.

9: And thereupon the middle door of the Black Gate was thrown open with a great clang,

6: he held up first athe short sword such asthat Sam had carried,

6*: and now he seemed an old and wizened man, crushed, defeated at the last.

6: All theThe great doors of the MorannonBlack Gate swung back wide. Out of ithem streamed a great host as swiftly as swirling waters when a sluice is lifted.

VI. 1

9*: He ran forward to the crown of the climbing path, and over it. {Could be a typo.}

9*: and from it rose in huge columns a swirling smoke, duskty red at the roots, black above where it merged into the billowing canopy that roofed in all the accursed land. {All the drafts and proofs at Marquette has “dusky”, the current edition is probably in error}

VI.2

6: Then he pitched down into a shallow pit that opened unexpectedly before them,

VI.4

6: ‘The clothes that you journeyed inwore on your way to Mordor,’said Gandalf. ‘Even the orc-rags that you bore in the black land, Frodo, shall be preserved. No silks and linens, nor any armour or heraldry could be more honourable. But later we shall seeI will find some other clothes, perhaps.’¶ Then he held out his hands to them, and they saw that one shone with light. ‘What have you got there?’ Frodo cried. ‘Can it be—?’ ¶ ‘Yes, I have brought your two treasures. They were found on Sam when you were rescued, the Lady Galadriel’s gifts: your glass, Frodo, and your box, Sam. You will be glad to have these safe again.’ When they were washed and clad, and had eaten a light meal, the Hobbits followed Gandalf.

6: and when the Hobbits were made ready, and circlets of silver were set upon their heads,then he laid before them two swords.¶‘I do not wish for any sword,’ said Frodo.¶‘Tonight at least you should wear one,’ said Gandalf.¶Then Frodo took the small sword that had belonged to Sam, and had been laid at his side in Cirith Ungol. ‘Sting I gave to you Sam,’ he said.¶‘No, master! Mr. Bilbo gave it to you, and it goes with his silver coat; he would not wish anyone else to wear it now.’¶Frodo gave way; and Gandalf, as if he were their esquire, knelt and girt the sword-belts about them, and then rising he set circlets of silver upon their heads. And when they were arrayed they went to the King’sgreat feast,; and they sat at histhe King’s table with Gandalf,

6: But when, after the Standing Silence, wine was brought there came in two esquires to serve the kings;

VI.5

0: her right hand clenched as she turned and gazed out of his window that opened to the East.

6: There is a captainmarshal over the Riders of Rohan;

6: but his head was bare save for a star upon his forehead bound by a slender fillet of silver.

6: They are PeriannathThose are Periain

6: chieftain of the Dúnedain of the NorthArnor, Captain of the Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, 

6: and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!

6D: And then Faramir saidcried: ‘Behold the King!’

6D: and on the eighth day of May the Riders of Rohan made ready, and rode awayoff by the North-way;, and with them went the sons of Elrond. All the road was lined with people to do them honour and praise them,

6*: AndThen all others that dwelt afar went back to their homes rejoicing;

6: I mayshall have life far longer than other men,

VI.6

6D: Lady ofin the Golden Wood

6: and Léofa, and Walda, and Folca, and Folcwine,

6: Yes, he is gone seven days.

6: Soon the dwindling company came to the Isen, and crossed over it, and came, following the Isen, turned west and rode through the Gap into the waste lands beyond, and then they turned northwards, and passed byover the borders of Dunland. And tThe Dunlendings fled and hid themselves,

6: ; and as they went the summer wore away.¶After they had passed by Dunland and were come to places where few folk dwelt, and even birds and beasts were seldom to be seen,. On the sixth day since their parting from the King they journeyed through a wood climbing down from the hills at the feet of the Misty Mountains that now marched on their right hand. As they came out again into the open country at sundown they overtook an old man leaning on a staff,

6: September came in with golden days and silver nights. At Next day they went on into northern Dunland, where no men now dwelt, though it was a green and pleasant country. September came in with golden days and silver nights, and they rode at ease until they reached the Swanfleet river, and found the old ford, east of the falls where it went down suddenly into the lowlands. Far to the west in a haze lay the meres and eyots through which it wound its way to the Greyflood: there countless swans housed in a land of reeds.¶So they passed into Eregion, and at last a fair morning dawned,

6D: It was littered with papers and pens and pencils;

6: and he gave him also somethree books of lore that he had made at various times,

6: Collect all my notes and papers, and my diary too,

9*: And with that he fell fast asleep again. {Could be a typo.}

VI.8

6: One came in from BamfurlongWhitfurrows last night with a “secret message”,

6D: sharkūsharkû

VI.9

6: and upon the quay beside a great grey horse stood a figure robed all in white awaiting them. As he turned and came towards them Frodo saw that it was Gandalf; andGandalf now wore openly on his hand he wore the Third Ring,

A

6: Until the War of the Ring the people of the Shire had little knowledge of the history of the Westlands beyond the traditions of their own wanderings; but afterwards all that concerned the King Elessar became of deep interest to them; while in the Buckland the tales of Rohan were no less esteemed. Thus the Red Book contained many annals, genealogies, and traditions of the realms of the South and the North, derived through Bilbo from the books of lore in Rivendell; or through Frodo and Peregrin from the King himself, and from the records of Gondor that he opened to them: such as The Book of the Kings, The Book of the Stewards, and the Akallabêth (that is, The Downfall of Númenor). From Gimli no doubt is derived the information concerning the Dwarves of Moria, for he remained much attached to both Peregrin and Meriadoc. But through Meriadoc alone, it seems, were derived the tales of the House of Eorl; for he went back to Rohan many times, and learned the language of the Mark, it is said. For this matter the authority of Holdwine is often cited, but that appears to have been the name which Meriadoc himself was given in Rohan. Some of the notes and tales, however, were plainly added by other hands at later dates, after the passing of King Elessar.¶Much of this lore appears as notes to the main narrative, in which case it has usually been included in it; but the additional material is very extensive, even though it is often set out in brief and annalistic form. Only a selection from it is here presented, again greatly reduced, but with the same object as the original compilers appear to have had: to illustrate the story of the War of the Ring and its origins and fill up some of the gaps in the main account. Concerning the sources for most of the matter contained in the following Appendices, especially A to D, see the note at the end of the Prologue. The section A III, Durin’s Folk, was probably derived from Gimli the Dwarf, who maintained his friendship with Peregrin and Meriadoc and met them again many times in Gondor and Rohan. ¶The legends, histories, and lore to be found in the sources are very extensive. Only selections from them, in most places much abridged, are here presented. Their principal purpose is to illustrate the War of the Ring and its origins, and to fill up some of the gaps in the main story. The ancient legends of the First Age, in which Bilbo’s chief interest lay, are very briefly referred to, since they concern the ancestry of Elrond and the Númenórean kings and chieftains. Actual extracts from the longer annals and tales that are found in the Red Book are placed within quotation marks. These can often be seen to be copies of matter not composed in the Shire. Notes made at later times are printed as notes or placed in square brackets.Insertions of later date are enclosed in brackets. Notes within quotation marks are found in the sources. Others are editorial. The dates given are those of the Third Age, according to the reckoning of Gondor, unless they are marked S.A. (Second Age) or F.A. (Fourth Age). The Second Age was held to have ended with the year 3441; but although a new era and calendar was begun in Gondor from the day of the final overthrow of Sauron, March 25, 3019, theThe Third Age was held to have ended with the year 3021 in whichwhen the Three Rings passed away in September 3021, but for the purposes of records in Gondor F.A.1 began on March 25, 3021. On the equation of this reckoning withthe dating of Gondor and Shire Reckoning see I, 14.Vol. I p. 4 and III p. 1112. In lists the dates set afterfollowing the names of kings and rulers are the dates of their deaths, whereif only one date is given. The sign † indicates a premature death, in battle or other violent mannerwise, though an annal of the event hasis not always been included.

6: Fëanor was the greatest of the Eldar in arts and lore, but also the proudest and most selfwilled. He wrought the Three Jewels, the Silmarilli, and filled them with the radiance of the Two Trees, Telperion and Laurelin, that gave light to the land of the Valar. The Jewels were coveted by Morgoth the Enemy, who stole them and, after destroying the Trees, took them to Middle-earth, and guarded them in his great fortress of Thangorodrim. Against the will of the Valar Fëanor forsook the Blessed Realm and went in exile to Middle-earth, leading with him a great part of his people; for in his pride he purposed to recover the Jewels from Morgoth by force. Thereafter followed the hopeless war of the Eldar and the Edain against Thangorodrim, in which they were at last utterly defeated. The Edain (Atani) were three peoples of Men who, coming first to the West of Middle-earth and the shores of the Great Sea, became allies of the Eldar against the Enemy.

6: There were only three unions of the High Elves and Men;Eldar and the Edain: 

6: , as. Of these things the full tale, and much else concerning Elves and Men, is told in tThe Silmarillion.

6: Elros chose to be of Man-kind and remain with the Edain; but a great life-span was granted to him (and to his descendants), many times that of lesser men.

6*: Tar-Vanimaeldë

0: Tar-Alcarin, Tar-Calmacil, Tar-Ardamin.

9*: and they were borne on the wingswind of a great storm and cast up on the shores of Middle-earth. {up on>upon is made in A&U 2nd edition. wings>wind is likely a typo. The draft in PoMe has “wings”.}

6*: Orodrúuin {This form only appears once in 1st edition.}

2*: Arveleg I † 1409 {For consistency.}

8*: Arvedui Last-king † 19745

6: Aragorn II F.A. 1020.

6H: Ostohier / Ciryahier / Ondohier

6: Calmacil 1304, Minalcar (regent 1240–1304), crowned as Rómendacil II 1304, died 1366,

0: Valacar 1432.

6*: the star of Elendil, and the star and sceptre of Annúminas.

6: There were fourifteen Chieftains, before the fifsixteenth and last was born,

9*: the length of the lives of the Dúnedain

6: Aragorn indeed lived to be one two hundred and ninetyten years old,

0: The realm then extended north to the field of Celebrant and the southern eaves of Mirkwood;

6*: But Atanatar loved ease and did nothing to maintain the power that he had inherited, and his two sons were of like temper.

6: ¶Nonetheless it was not until the days of Rómendacil IIValacar that the first great evil came upon Gondor:

6: “The NorthmenMinalcar, son of Calmacil, was a man of great vigour, and in 1240 Narmacil, to rid himself of all cares, made him Regent of the realm. From that time onwards he governed Gondor in the name of the kings until he succeeded his father. His chief concern was with the Northmen.¶These had increased greatly in the peace brought by the power of Gondor.

6: In the days of RómendNarmacil II their attacks began again, though at first with little force; but it was learned by the Kingregent that the Northmen did not always remain true to Gondor,

6: Rómendacil therefore Minalcar therefore in 1248 led out a great force, and between Rhovanion and the Inland Sea he defeated a large army of the Easterlings and destroyed all their camps and settlements east of the Sea. He then took the name of Rómendacil.¶On his return Rómendacil fortified the west shore of Anduin

6: In return he sent his son Valacar to dwell for a while withRómendacil showed especial favour to Vidugavia, who had aided him in the war. He called himself the King of Rhovanion, and was indeed the most powerful of their Northern princes, though his own realm lay between Greenwood and the River Running. There Valacar was wedded to Vidugavia’s daughter, and so caused later the evil war of the Kin-strife.Celduin*[*The River Running.]. In 1250 Rómendacil sent his son Valacar as an ambassador to dwell for a while with Vidugavia and make himself acquainted with the language, manners, and policies of the Northmen. But Valacar far exceeded his father’s designs. He grew to love the Northern lands and people, and he married Vidumavi, daughter of Vidugavia. It was some years before he returned. From this marriage came later the war of the Kin-strife.

6*: To the lineage of his fatherGondor he added the fearless spirit of the Northmen. He was handsome and valiant, and showed no sign of ageing more swiftly than his father.

7: StoneDome of Osgiliath was destroyed

2E: the twenty-sixth king, whose father Minardil, great-grandson of Eldacar, 

9H: They were led by Angoamaitë and Sangahyandao,

6*: Calimehtar, son of Narmacil II,

7*: high king of all the lands of the Dúnedain.

6*: He sent messages to Arvedui announcing that he had received the crown of Gondor,

6*: There was fighting for many years in the dales before that danger was ended.

6*: Denethor II was a proud man,

6*: but to you hope of joy for a while. For a while.

6: As Queen of Elves and Men she dwelt with Aragorn for fivesix-score years

6: ; for Galadriel until winter came. Galadriel had passed away and Celeborn also was gone, and the elven-leaves were withering.¶‘There at lastland was silent.¶‘There at last when the mallorn-leaves were falling, but spring had not yet come, she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth;

6*: the invaders inof the Wold were also thrown into panic,

6*: There was no great love between the Éothéod and the Dwarves.’

6*: which was ever after known as Helm’s Deep {changed only in Ballantine 2nd ed}

7*: In Helm’s Deep there was a great hunger after Yule;

6: Brytta. He was called by his people Léofa, for he was loved by all; he was openhanded and a help to all the needy. In his time there was war with Orcs that, driven from the North, sought refuges in the White Mountains.3 When he died it was thought that they had all been hunted out; but it was not so.¶Walda. He was king only nine years. He was slain with all his companions when they were trapped by Orcs, as they rode by mountain-paths from Dunharrow.¶Folca. He was a great hunter, but he vowed to chase no wild beast while there was an Orc left in Rohan. When the last orc-hold was found and destroyed, he went to hunt the great boar of Everholt in the Firien Wood. He slew the boar but died of the tusk-wounds that it gave him.

6*: Durin is the name that the Dwarves used for the eldest of the Seven Fathers of all their race.their race, and the ancestor of all the kings of the Longbeards.

6*: Grór, Dáin’s third son

6*: But Náin was half blind with rage, and also very weary with battle,

6*: and the reek of the burning was seen even in Lórien.

6*: but to make such tombs as they were accustomed to build (since they will lay their dead only in stone not in earth) would have taken manylong years.

6*: but among the kindred of Durin’s Heir it was believed (wrongly) that Thrór had worn it when he rashly returned there.

5*: The Line of the Dwarves of Erebor, in the draft (PoMe 277) and 1st impression, has a dotted line between Durin the Deathless and Durin VI, suggesting there are generations between them, just as the line between Thorin III and Durin VII (1994 edition mistakenly changed this line to solid line, which is then restored in the 2000s). By 1st edition 10th impression it already becomes a solid line. This seems to be a typo.

6: Gimli Elf-friend 2879-31241 (EA. 1020)

B

6: The exiled Noldor dwelt in Lindon, butMost of these dwelt in Lindon west of the Ered Luin; but before the building of the Barad-dûr many of the Sindar passed eastward, and some established realms in the forests far away. The chief of these were, where their people were mostly Silvan Elves. Thranduil, king in the north of Greenwood the Great, and Celeborn in the south of the forest. But the wife of Celeborn was Noldorin: Galadriel, sister of Felagund of the House of Finrodwas one of these. In Lindon north of the Lune dwelt Gil-galad, last heir of the kings of the Noldor in exile. He was acknowledged as High King of the Elves of the West.In Lindon south of the Lune dwelt for a time Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol; his wife was Galadriel, greatest of Elven women. She was sister of Finrod Felagund, Friend-of-Men, once king of Nargothrond, who gave his life to save Beren son of Barahir.

6: Celebrimbor was Lord of Eregion and the greatest of their craftsmen; he was descended from Fëanor.

0: 548521 Birth in Númenor of Silmariën.

0: 2251 Death of Tar-Atanamir. Tar-Ancalimon takes the sceptre.

6*: 3430 The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is formed.

6: The ring of Gil-galad was given by him to Elrond; but CirdanGil-galad before he died gave his ring to Elrond; Círdan later surrendered his to Mithrandir.

6: 100109 Elrond weds Celebrían of Lórien., daughter of Celeborn.

6: 139130 Birth of Elladan and Elrohir, sons of Elrond.

6: 1149 Reign of Atanamitar Alcarin begins.

2*: 1409 The Witch-king of Angmar invades ArnorArthedain. {This change only appears in the kindle version. But HarperCollins confirmed the Estate asked for it.}

6*: 1977 Frumgar leads the Éothéod into the North.

6: They settle in the South of Ered Luin beyond the Shire (2802).¶2800–64 Orcs from the North trouble Rohan. King Walda slain by them (2861). {“2861” was changed to “2851” in the 2010s.}

0: 28572 Belecthor II of Gondor dies.

6*: 2931 Aragorn son of Arathorn II born on March 1st.

2E: 2952 Elrond reveals to ‘Estel’ his true name and ancestry, and delivers to him the shards of Narsil. {The reason for this change can be found in https://wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/2015/12/25/tolkien-notes-13/. Tolkien had "2952" in the typescript three proofs but deleted it in one proof. However, maybe Tolkien deleted 2952 because he was undecided on Aragorn’s birthday. 1st edition of Appendix B only said he was born in 2931. And Appendix A said he was “only twenty years of age” when he met Arwen “on a greenward”. So they'd meet in the spring or summer of 2951 if Aragorn was born in, say, March; or in 2952 if he was born in August. After the 2nd edition Aragorn’s birthday is fixed on March 1, so they could only meet in 2951.}

6: As Thorongil heHe serves in disguise both 'Thengel of Rohan and Ecthelion II of Gondor.

6: 2968 Birth of Frodo.

0: 2980 Birth of Samwise. {It was mistakenly adhered to entry 2983 in 1965.}

6: ¶3016 Elrond sends for Arwen, and she returns to Imladris; the Mountains and all lands eastward are becoming dangerous.

2E: ¶3016 Elrond sends for Arwen, and she returns to Imladris; the Mountains and all lands eastward are becoming dangerous.

0: 29Mid-year's Day Gandalf meets Radagast.

9: The Company reaches the West-gate of Moria at nightfall.

6: 145 The Mirror of Galadriel. Gandalf returns to life, and lies in a trance.

9: Éomer hears of the descent of the Orc-band from the Emyn Muil.

6*: Théoden is slain. Aragorn raises the standard of Arwen.

6*: along the road to the Barad-dûr.

9*: and Celeborn took all the southern wood below the Narrows,

6*: but all the wide forest between was given to the Beornings and the Woodmen.

6: But after the passing of Galadriel in a few years Celeborn grew weary of his realm and went to Imladris to dwell with the sons of Elrond. In the Greenwood the Silvan Elves remained untroubled, but in Lórien there lingered sadly only a few of its former people, and there was no longer light or song in Caras Galadhon.

6D: [1 Months and days are given according to the Shire Calendar.]

6: May 8. Éomer and Éowyn depart for^[a][b] Rohan. with the sons of Elrond.

6: June 14. The sons of Elrond meet the escort and bring Arwen to Edoras.¶16. They set out for Gondor.¶25. King Elessar finds the sapling of the White Tree

0: 1922. The funeral escort of King Théoden sets out.

0: 15. Treebeard releases Saruman.18. They come to Helm’s Deep.

6: 1451 Elanor the Fair marries Fastred of Greenholm. on the Far Downs.¶1452 The Westmarch, from the Far Downs to the Tower Hills (Emyn Beraid), is added to the Shire by the gift of the King. Many hobbits remove to it.

6: 1462: Master Samwise becomes Mayor for the sixth time. At his request the Thain makes Fastred and Elanor Wardens of the Westmarch(a region newly inhabited); they take up their dwelling on the slopes of. Fastred and Elanor make their dwelling at Undertowers on the Tower Hills, where their descendants, the Fairbairns ofWestmarch the Towers, dwellt for many generations.

6*: and offices to their sons and rode away over the Sarn Ford,

6: 15211541 In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. [Fourth Age (Gondor) 120.]

C

9*: Baggins Tree: add underline to Minto. {I don’t know if this is Tolkien’s idea. In the 1st and 2nd editions Minto has no underline. Indeed, it’s reasonable to assume he was at Bilbo’s party, but maybe he was absent for some reason? He was 5 then, smaller than any other guests. In Marquette files, Minto is not underlined as his siblings in 4 versions but underlined in 1 version.}

0E: Baggins Tree: add underline to Prisca. {Because she is underlined in Bolger tree.}

9E: Baggins Tree: death date of Bingo Baggins was mistakenly changed to “1363”, and restored to “1360” in the 2010s.

0: Bolger & Boffin Trees added.

0: Took Tree: 3 daughters > 2 daughters

6: Took Tree: add Estella Bolger

6: Brandybuck Tree: add Estella Bolger

0*: Brandybuck Tree: add underline to Esmeralda Took {Because she is underlined in Took tree.}

D

6: [365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds.]

6*: they adopted the rKings’ Reckoning of the Dúnedain of the North-kingdom,

6: [The ré contained aurë day(light) and lómë night; in Sindarin the terms were aur containing calan and fuin.]

6*: The Númenórean system, as used in Númenor, and in Arnor and Gondor until the end of the kings,

6: This system was originally reckoned from Year 1 of the Second Age, not from 32, the date of the foundation of Númenor. Millennial adjustments were made by adding 2 days to S.A. 1000, 2000 and 3000. A new numeration, however, was begun with Third Age 1. No addition was made until T.A. 1000 (repeated in 2000). Also S.A. 3440 had been an atendëa ('double-middle' or leap-year), but the first atendëa of the Third Age was in T.A. 4 (that is, in 3445). It was probably to correct this and other inaccuracies accruing since S.A. 3000 that Mardil the Steward added 2 days to T.A. 2060. Hador added another in 2360. These alterations seem to have become recognized eventually throughout the westlands; but there were no further corrections during the Third Age. ¶Mardil also in the same year, 2060, introduced a revised system which In Númenor calculation started with S.A. 1. The Deficit caused by deducting 1 day from the last year of a century was not adjusted until the last year of a millennium, leaving a millennial deficit of 4 hours, 46 minutes, 40 seconds. This addition was made in Númenor in S.A. 1000, 2000, 3000. After the Downfall in S.A. 3319 the system was maintained by the exiles, but it was much dislocated by the beginning of the Third Age with a new numeration: S.A. 3442 became T.A. 1. By making T.A. 4 a leap year instead of T.A. 3 (S.A. 3444) 1 more short year of only 365 days was intruded causing a deficit of 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds. The millennial additions were made 441 years late: in T.A. 1000 (S.A. 4441) and 2000 (S.A. 5441). To reduce the errors so caused, and the accumulation of the millennial deficits, Mardil the Steward issued a revised calendar to take effect in T.A. 2060, after a special addition of 2 days to 2059 (S.A. 5500), which concluded 5½ millennia since the beginning of the Númenórean system. But this still left about 8 hours deficit. Hador to 2360 added 1 day though this deficiency had not quite reached that amount. After that no more adjustments were made. (In T.A. 3000 with the threat of imminent war such matters were neglected.) By the end of the Third Age, after 660 more years, the Deficit had not yet amounted to 1 day.¶The Revised Calendar introduced by Mardil was called Stewards' Reckoning and was adopted eventually by most of the users of the Westron language, except the Hobbits.

9*: The additional Litheday was added after Mid-year’s Day, and so the 184th day of the Leap-years was called Overlithe and was a day of special merrymaking. {Probably a mistake}

6:It appears, however, that Mid-year’s Day and Year’s End were originallywas intended to correspond as nearly as possible to the summer and winter solstices, and still did sosolstice. In that case the Shire dates were actually in advance of ours by some nineten days, and our New Year’s Day corresponded more or less to the Shire January 8.9.

6*: and the forms of the names wasere much obscured in consequence:

6: (7) Highdei.In the language of the time of the War of the Ring these had become Sterday, Sunday, Monday, Trewsday, Hevensday (or Hensday), Mersday, Highday.

6*: The last day of the week, Friday (Highday), was the chief day, and one of holiday (after noon) and evening feasts. Saturday thus corresponds more nearly to our Monday, and Sunday to our Tuesday.Thursday to our Saturday.¶[ I have therefore in Bilbo’s song (pp. 158-60) used Saturday and Sunday instead of Thursday and Friday.]

6: and quellë (or lasselanta) was also used for the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter.

6: All the days, months, and dates are in the Red Book translated into Shire terms,

6*: It represented a return to Kings’ Reckoning (but with equalization of the months) adapted to fit a spring-beginning as in the Eldarin loa.

6*: they maintained that it began with January2 Yule 1422,

6: [Anniversary of its first blowing in the Shire in 3019.]

E

6*: In the middle of wordsExcept at the end of words and before t this sound was weakened to h in the speech of Gondor,

6: (d) in Adûnaic and Westron,

6*: the z-sound did not occur in contemporary Quenya or Sindarin. SH, occurring in Westron, Dwarvish and Orkish,

6: TH represents the voiceless th of English in thin cloth. This had becaome s in Quenya of the Third Age s spoken Quenya,

6: and represents a sound like that often heard in English hew, huge;

9*: represent long or, ‘double’ consonants. {likely a typo}

6: ng remained unchanged except initially and finally

9*: or their equivalents in the contemporary scripts {likely a typo}

6:To mark this final e it is often (but not consistently) written ë.

6*: but rather as English eerair, aireer, oor.

6*: This is often indicated by writing ëa (Eä), ëo, oë.

6*: Note that Sindarin dh, th, ch are single consonants

9: Many of them appear in the examples on the jacket and title-page,

6: [The representation of the sounds is not strictly phonetic, buthere is the same as that employed in transcription and described on pp. 391-5above, except that here ch represents the ch in English church, and to distinguish it the back ‘spirant’ ch is represented by kh; j represents the sound of English j, and zh the sound heard in azure and occasion; ŋ is used for ng in sing.]

6: Grade 3 (9–12)=th, f, sh, kch

6: NOTE¶The standard spelling of Quenya diverged from the applications of the letters above described. Grade 2 was used for nd, mb, ng, ngw, all of which were frequent, since b, g, gw only appeared in these combinations, while for rd, ld the special letters 26, 28 were used. (For lv, not for lw, many speakers, especially Elves, used lb: this was written with 27+6, since lmb could not occur.) Similarly, Grade 4 was used for the extremely frequent combinations nt, mp, nk, nqu, since Quenya did not possess dh, gh, ghw, and for v used letter 22. See the Quenya letter-names pp. 1122–3.

6:  (1) tinco metal, parma book, calma lamp, quesse feather; (2) ando gate, umbar fate, anga iron, ungwe spider’s web;(3) thúle (súle) spirit, formen north, harma treasure (or aha rage), hwesta breeze; (4) anto mouth, ampa hook, anca jaws, unque a hollow; (5) númen west, malta gold, noldo (older ŋngoldo) one of the kindred of the Noldor, nwalme (older ngwalme) torment; (6) óre heart (inner mind), vala angelic power, anna gift, vilya air, sky (older wilya); rómen east, arda region, lambe tongue, alda tree,; silme starlight, silme nuquerna (s reversed), áre sunlight (or esse name), áre nuquerna; hyarmen south, hwesta sindarinwa, yanta bridge, úrúre heat.

9*: Where there are variants this is due to the names being given before certain changes that affected Quenya as spoken by the Exiles. {likely a typo}

6: Thus No. 11 was called harma when it represented the spirant khch in all positions,

6: and distinct signs for kchw and hw were not required.

F

6: [In Lórien at this period Sindarin was spoken, though with an ‘accent’, since most of its folk were of Silvan origin. This ‘accent’ and his own limited acquaintance with Sindarin misled Frodo (as is pointed out in The Thain’s Book by a commentator of Gondor). All the Elvish words cited in Book Two chs 6, 7, 8 are in fact Sindarin, and so are most of the names of places and persons. But Lorien, Caras Galadhon, Amroth, Nimrodel are probably of Silvan origin, adapted to Sindarin.]

6: Noblest of all was the Lady Galadriel of the royal house of Finrod, father ofarphir and sister of Finrod Felagund, lord King of Nargothrond.

7: FinarphirFinarfin

6: TMost of the names of other lordsthe other men and women of the Dúnedain, such as Aragorn, Denethor, Faramir, Gilraen are of Sindarin form, being often the names of Elves or Men remembered in the songs and histories of the First Age (as Beren, Húrin). Some few are of mixed forms, as Boromir.

6*: so that at the time of the War of the Ring the Eelven-tongue was known to only a small part of the peoples of Gondor, and spoken daily by fewer.

9*: A few were of forgotten origin, and descended doubtless from the days before the ships of the Númenóreans sailed the Sea;

6*: and by the time of their settlement at Bree somethey had already begun to forget their former tongue.

9*: formed of a multiplicity of vowel-shades and distinctions of tone and quantlity which even the lore-masters of the Eldar had not attempted to represent in writing. {All the drafts and proofs at Marquette has “quantity”, the current edition is probably in error}

9*: made some attempts to represent the shorter murmurs {s is added in 2nd edition, the missing the seems like a typo}

6:  In this jargon tark, ‘man of Gondor’, was a debased form of tarkil, a Quenya word used in Westron for one of Númenórean descent; see p. 906.

6:  Sharkû in that tongue means old man.

6*: but of this tale the lesser Elves of Middle-earth had no knowledge,

9*: of things that take shape under the hands of the craftsmean rather than of things that live by their own life. {likely a typo. “of” was first dropped in A&U 2nd ed.}

9*: Some attempt has been made to represent these varieties by variations in the kind of English used; {likely a typo}

9*: One point in the divergence may here be noted, since, though often important, it has proved impossible to represent. {likely a typo}

9*: in his first few days in Minas Tirith used the familiar forms to people of all ranks, {likely a typo}

6: or Mirkwood for Taur e-Ndaedelos ‘forest of the great fear’.

9*: There are many inevitable but accidental resemblances to names that we now have or know: {likely a typo}

9*: I have ventured to use the form dwarves, and so remove them a little, {likely a typo}

0: house of Finrod;arfin; [These words describing characters of face and hair in fact applied only to the Noldor: see The Book of Lost Tales, Part One, p. 44.]