Op. 46
Artwork by kind permission of Ted Nasmith
Volante Opera Productions released a complete commercial demo recording of this work. CDs and scores are available from their website.
The formation of the text in Fëanor was the cause of much difficulty; the First Triptych in particular created many problems. In the end, the novel solution was found of giving all the text to the chorus, including the occasional remarks which are actually made by a character in the drama. The text employed was drawn almost exclusively from the published Silmarillion, with only one or two very minor exceptions.
Scene One, which follows the orchestral prelude, opens with the words of Manwë the Elder King, but these are given not to the bass soloist who sings the Elder King later in the work but to the male chorus. The female chorus then describes the work of his spouse Elbereth in the creation of the stars, and the whole chorus then proceeds to the awakening of the Elves. All of the text is drawn, with almost no amendment, from The Silmarillion proper. Scene Two opens with the description of Morgoth drawn from the Valaquenta but then leaps into the middle of the story and treats of the capture of wandering Elves by Morgoth, the creation of the Orcs and the beginning of Time with the blossoming of the Two Trees. It is perhaps noteworthy that Tolkien himself towards the end of his life changed his mind frequently about the creation of the Orcs, and although the text here was fashioned long before these reconsiderations were published, the text as set says nothing about the corruption of the Elves in this context; the music refers fleetingly to the Orcs (in material that then does not recur until much later) and then moves quickly on to other matters: a vagueness of reference which perhaps might not have displeased the author. Again, all the text after the opening of the scene derives exclusively from the published Silmarillion.
Scene Three, treating of the birth of Fëanor and his brothers and the creation of the Silmarils, caused very little difficulty except that of
compression. The whole of the opening triptych of Fëanor covers the greater part of five chapters of the published work, and rely more than most other parts of the cycle upon a degree of background knowledge of Tolkien’s mythology for their comprehension. A deliberate attempt has been made, however, to limit the degree of knowledge required to those members of the reading public who know The Lord of the Rings; words like “Arda”, “Valinor”, “Cuiviénen” and so on have been “glossed” into English as “the earth”, “the Blessed Realm”, “the Waters of Awakening” and similar phrases.
The Second Triptych treats of a much smaller area of original text, the unrest of the Noldor, the Darkening of Valinor and Fëanor’s leading of the rebellious Noldor into exile. Here the text was drawn from three chapters of The Silmarillion forming a continuous narrative, and dividing very neatly into three scenes. Originally the narrative at the end of Scene Five which described Morgoth’s killing of Finwë was given to the chorus, using the exact reported phrases as given in The Silmarillion itself. At a later date, the publication of some of Tolkien’s later sketches in Morgoth’s Ring gave a more detailed and very atmospheric description of the event through the mouth of Maedhros. Using much of the same music, considerably expanded, this later passage was then rewritten.
In the sixth scene, The Silmarillion gives a reported text for the oath of vengeance sworn by Fëanor and his sons. Later, in the chapter devoted to Beren, another text of the same oath is given by Celegorm at the court of Nargothrond. Tolkien at various stages in his life wrote several versions of the same words, but the first version of all, written in about 1920 as part of the incomplete alliterative poem The Flight of the Noldoli, seemed to me to be one of the best of all, with a primitive rhythm and verve which many of the later redraftings seem to lose. It also, because of its peculiar metre and style, has a distinctive quality which clearly marks it out and differentiates it from the surrounding text as a formula, a form of words which is spoken as a quasi-religious rite, and not part of normal speech. Some minor adjustments were made to bring words into line with those used in the remainder of The Silmarillion, but otherwise the original was left unaltered, and further marked out from the surrounding material by a totally distinct musical style, rhythmically unstable and with the eight solo voices accompanied solely by two sets of timpani.
The descriptions of the flight of the Noldor, the Kinslaying, the Curse of Mandos, the quarrel over the Silmarils between Morgoth and
Ungoliant, and Fëanor’s burning of the ships on his arrival at Middle-Earth, are covered in the Third Triptych in the same language and style as in the published Silmarillion. In the epilogue it will be noted that the death of Fëanor bears more than a slight resemblance to that of Fingolfin after the Battle of Sudden Flame, many chapters later in the published Silmarillion. This is deliberate. The death of Fingolfin, one of the great scenes of the legends, could find no place elsewhere in the cycle; and the killing of Fëanor in battle by the Balrog and of Fingolfin in combat by Morgoth had enough similarities to make a merger of the two instances both easy and inevitable. So, as a consequence, the epilogue to Fëanor is, uniquely in The Silmarillion cycle, as devoid of text as the prologue. The orchestra frames the whole work, setting it off as a legend, a distant vision, in which it should be noted, like Wagner’s Rheingold, mortals have not figured at all.
PAUL CORFIELD GODFREY
Orchestra
3 Flutes (1st Flute also on stage, 3rd Flute doubling Piccolo)
2 Oboes
English Horn
2 Clarinets
Bass Clarinet
3 Bassoons (3rd Bassoon with extension to play low A)
4 Horns
3 Trumpets
2 Tenor Trombones
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Timpani
Three Percussion Players (Side Drum, Tenor Drum, Bass Drum, Tamborine, Cymbals, Triangle, Gong, Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Tubular Bells, Wind, Thunder)
Pianoforte (doubling Celesta)
Harp
12 First Violins
12 Second Violins
8 Violas
8 Violoncellos
6 Double Basses
Characters
Valar:
The ELDER KING (Bass), Lord of the Valar in the realm of Middle-Earth
ELBERETH (Soprano), his spouse, Queen of Light
MANDOS (Bass-Baritone), Lord of the Realm of Death
MELKOR later MORGOTH (Bass), the Enemy
Elves:
FINWË (Silent), King of the Noldor in the Blessed Realm
FËANOR (Heroic Tenor), son of Finwë and Miriel
FINGOLFIN (Lyric Barintone), son of Finwë and Indis
FINARFIN (Silent), son of Finwë and Indis
OLWË (Lyric Tenor), King of the Teleri in the Blessed Realm
MAEDHROS (Baritone), son of Fëanor
MAGLOR (Tenor), son of Fëanor
CELEGORM (Tenor), son of Fëanor
CURUFIN (Tenor), son of Fëanor
CARANTHIR (Baritone), son of Fëanor
AMROD (Bass), son of Fëanor
AMRAS (Bass), son of Fëanor
Voices of UNGOLIANT (Sopranos and Altos), the Great Spider
Mixed chorus of Unseen Voices
Synopsis
Ainulindalë (Prologue)
The world is created by Ilúvatar, the One, from primaeval chaos. He introduces the fourteen Valar, the Powers who will govern Arda in his name. The Elder King, his spouse Elbereth, Mandos, Ulmo and Melkor are among their number.
The Awakening (Scene One)
The Elder King declares the hour has come when the Firstborn Children of Ilúvatar, the Elves, will rise from sleep. Elbereth creates new stars to herald their coming. The Elves come into being by the Waters of Awakening, in the far east of Middle-Earth, and look upon the stars.
The Enemy (Scene Two)
Melkor the Enemy descends to the Elves and seeks to corrupt them. The Valar decide to summon the Elves to safety in the Blessed Realm, where the Two Trees give light to the land and the Elves begin the crossing of Middle-Earth to reach the ships that will take them to Valinor.
The Silmarils (Scene Three)
In Tirion, the chief city of the Elves in the Blessed Realm, Finwë the King of the Elves and his wife Miriel have a son, Fëanor; but Miriel’s spirit is consumed in the delivery, and she passes to the kingdom of Mandos the Lord of Death. Finwë remarries and has two further children, Fingolfin and Finarfin, who are therefore Fëanor’s half-brothers. Fëanor shapes three great jewels, the Silmarils, from the blended light of the Two Trees, and they are hallowed by the Valar.
The Banishment (Scene Four)
Melkor covets the Silmarils, and sows dissension between Fëanor and his half-brothers. Fëanor draws his sword on Fingolfin during a debate before his father Finwë, and is banished from Tirion for twelve years. Melkor warns Fëanor that the Silmarils are not safe in the land of the Valar, and Fëanor realising Melkor’s purpose drives him from his door.
The Black Foe of the World (Scene Five)
Melkor seeks out Ungoliant, the Great Spider, and offers her all that she may wish if she will aid him. Fëanor and Fingolfin are reconciled, and Fingolfin promises to follow Fëanor wherever he may lead. But Melkor and Ungoliant come into the Blessed Realm and destroy the Two Trees. Elbereth says that with the use of the Silmarils she could restore light to the Realm, but Fëanor reflecting on Melkor’s words refuses to surrender them. Fëanor’s son Maedhros enters in haste to tell the Valar that Melkor has gone to Fëanor’s stronghold and, after killing Finwë the King, has stolen the Silmarils. Fëanor curses Melkor, naming him Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World, whilst the foe himself takes his prize and crosses the Narrow Ice to Middle-Earth to fortify himself in his stronghold of Angband.
The Flight of the Noldor (Scene Six)
Fëanor summons the Elves to follow him in pursuit of Morgoth, seeking to recover the Silmarils by force. He and his sons swear an oath of vengeance, and that they will destroy anyone who seeks to keep the Silmarils from them. The Elder King warns Fëanor that his pursuit of Morgoth is in vain, but Fëanor is unmoved.
Amongst the Elves who meet with Fëanor and agree to aid him by crossing to Middle-Earth with him are the majority of the Noldor in Valinor, one notable exception is his half-brother Finarfin who chooses to remain behind and not be involved with his war-like sibling.
The Kinslaying (Scene Seven)
Fëanor and Fingolfin seek to persuade Olwë, the King of the Teleri Elves in Valinor, to lend them ships to sail back to Middle-Earth in pursuit of Morgoth. Olwë refuses to do so against the wishes of the Valar, and Fëanor seizes the ships by force in his defiance, killing many of the Elves who resist him. Fëanor, his sons and the first group of his followers board the ships to begin the crossing to Middle-Earth. Their trip across the sea is perilous as a vengeful Ulmo raises a storm and many of the ships are lost.
At the forefront of this kinslaying were Fëanor and his Sons. The other Noldor arrive once the deed is done and though horrified by these actions, their oath to Fëanor means that they are also bound to his doom and cannot return to their homes.
The Curse of Mandos (Scene Eight)
Mandos appears to the host of the Elves, laying a doom upon Fëanor and all who follow him. For slaying their kinsfolk unrighteously they are forever banished from Valinor and the Valar will block any that try to return. Though they may not perish by natural causes they shall all be doomed to die and their works will all fade to nothing. Fëanor replies that even if they all perish, their deeds will live after them.
The Burning of the Ships (Scene Nine)
Morgoth and Ungoliant quarrel about the division of the spoils, and Morgoth refuses to surrender the Silmarils to her; with the aid of his Balrogs, spirits of flame, he drives her away. Fëanor and his sons land in Middle-Earth, but Fëanor refuses to send the ships back to convey the rest of the Noldor across the Ocean; he has the ships burned.
The betrayal of Fëanor to the rest of the Noldor meant that the exiled Elves were left with no option but to cross the Narrow Ice to Middle-Earth, with the loss of much life to the perilous frozen paths. The characters that are part of this cycle this affected directly are Fingolfin, Finrod, Orodreth, Galadriel, Turgon (who lost his wife in the crossing), Aredhel and Idril.
The Death of Fëanor (Epilogue)
Fëanor manages to fight his way to Angband to confront Morgoth, but is defeated by him in combat and consumed with flame.
Libretto
Text by J R R TOLKIEN extracted from The Silmarillion and Morgoth’s Ring (edited by C R Tolkien)
used by kind permission of the estate of the late John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and HarperCollinsPublishers
by
PAUL CORFIELD GODFREY ©2022
Ainulindalë (Prologue) and The Awakening (Scene One)
The Curtain rises into total darkness through which dimly shifting shapes alone can be seen. Slowly a central pool of light forms at the centre of the stage; two great trees frame this, but can only be dimly glimpsed in the shadows.
UNSEEN VOICES
In this time the Children of the One* shall come indeed;
the hour approaches, and within this time our hope shall be revealed.
But it is doomed that the Firstborn shall come in the darkness,
and shall look first upon the stars.
Great lights shall be for their waning, but to Elbereth ever shall they call at need.
Slowly starlight begins to shine in the heavens.
UNSEEN VOICES
Then Elbereth beheld the darkness of Middle-earth
beneath the innumerable stars, faint and far.
Then she took the silver dews from the vats,
and therewith she made new stars and brighter against the coming of the Firstborn.
And high in the North as a challenge to Melkor
she set the crown of seven mighty stars to swing,
the Sickle of the Valar and sign of Doom.
Starlight illuminates all the sky; and slowly dimly glimpsed figures on the ground raise themselves.
UNSEEN VOICES
And as blue fire flickered in the mists above the borders of the world,
the children of the Earth awoke, the Firstborn of the One.
By the starlit mere of the Water of Awakening they rose from sleep;
and while they dwelt yet silent their eyes beheld first of all things the stars of Heaven**.
Many waters flowed down thither from heights in the east:
and the first sound that was heard by the Elves was the sound of water flowing,
and the sound of water falling over stone.
Long they walked the earth in wonder; and they began to make speech,
and give names to all that they perceived.
The beauty of the Singers*** in the days of their youth
was beyond all other beauty that the One has caused to be;
it has not perished, but lives, and sorrow and wisdom have enriched it.
* THE CHILDREN OF THE ONE: This is the name given to the creations of ILÚVATAR, the Firstborn being the ELVES and the Second or Younger race being the race of MEN.
** HEAVEN: In the context of MIDDLE-EARTH, HEAVEN is the title for the highest levels of the sky where the stars are set.
*** THE SINGERS: Here the term is used to describe the ELVES who were enchanted with the sound of the waters of ULMO and learnt music from it.
The Enemy (Scene Two)
Suddenly a dark shadow engulfs the stars, like a rising black horse.
UNSEEN VOICES
Last of all is set the name of Melkor.
From splendour he fell through arrogance to contempt for all things save himself,
a spirit wasteful and pitiless.
He began with the desire of Light,
but when he could not possess it for himself alone,
he descended through fire and wrath
into a great burning, down into darkness.
And darkness he used most oft in his evil work upon earth,
and filled it with fear for all living things.
Suddenly a bright light obliterates the black shadows, laying all the secret places bare.
UNSEEN VOICES
This is the counsel of the One:
that we should take up again the mastery of earth, at whatsoever cost,
and deliver the Singers from the shadow of Melkor.
The light fades, and the Elves remain once more in starlight.
UNSEEN VOICES
But fear for the Singers in the dangerous world amid the deceits of the starlit dusk;
gather them to the knees of the Powers in the light of the Trees forever.*
So it is doomed.
The two great Trees** at the sides of the scene become slowly illuminated by a serene inner radiance, each in turn bending slowly towards each other and again shrouded their branches so that their lights mingle and fade in a solemn alteration
UNSEEN VOICES
This is the Noontide of the Blessed Realm, the fullness of its glory and its bliss;
long in tale of years, but in memory too brief.
* Being described here are the protective steps the VALAR take to ensure the ELVES do not fall to the evil of MORGOTH. They bring all that will follow them on a great journey across MIDDLE-EARTH to the western shores where they board ships and are taken across the sea to VALINOR. The ELVES that cross the sea to VALINOR become one of three groups: the TELERI, the VANYAR, and the NOLDOR. Those that don’t cross eventually become known as the SINDARIN.
** THE TWO TREES: In the years before the creation of the Sun and Moon, the Two Trees alone give light to the Realm of the Valar.
The Silmarils (Scene Three)
The first individual figure now appears: a tall figure with fiery hair, striding impatiently forth from the midst of the Elves.
UNSEEN VOICES
In that time was born in Eldamar, in the house of Finwë the King,
the eldest of the sons of Finwë, and the most beloved.
Fëanor was his name, Spirit of Fire;
but in the bearing of her son Miriel his mother was consumed in spirit and body,
and though she seemed indeed to sleep,
her spirit departed and passed in silence to the Halls of Mandos.*
Then Finwë lived in sorrow;
and sitting beneath the silver willows beside the body of his wife,
he called her by her names.
But it was unavailing; and alone in all the Blessed Realm he was deprived of joy.
After a while he went to Mandos no more.
And it came to pass that Finwë took to wife Indis the Fair.
He loved her greatly, and was glad again.
But the shadow of Miriel did not depart from the house, nor from Finwë’s heart;
and of all whom he loved Fëanor had ever the chief share of his thought.
But the children of Indis were great and glorious also,
and if they had not lived the history of the world would have been diminished.
Forward to join the sole figure of Fëanor at the front of the stage come Fingolfin and Finarfin, the sons of Indis.
UNSEEN VOICES
And Fëanor grew swiftly, as if a secret fire were kindled within him.
He was tall and fair of face and masterful,
in the pursuit of all his purposes eager and steadfast.
The first gems that he made were white and colourless,
but being set under starlight they would blaze with blue and silver fires,
as with the eyes of eagles.
And, being come to his full might, Fëanor was filled with a new thought,
or it may be that some shadow of foreknowledge
came to him of the doom that drew near;
and he pondered how the light of the Trees,
the glory of the Blessed Realm, might be preserved imperishable.
Then he began a long and secret labour,
and he summoned all his lore and his power and subtle skill;
and at the end he made the Silmarils.
The Silmarils are seen, bound round the head of Fëanor.
UNSEEN VOICES
As three great jewels they were in form.
But not until the End,
when Fëanor shall return who perished ere the Sun was made;
not until the Sun passes and the Moon falls,
shall it be known of what substance they were made.
Like the crystal of diamond it appeared, and yet was harder than adamant;
the house of its inner fire, that is within it and yet in all parts of it, and is its life.
And the inner light of the Silmarils
Fëanor made of the blended light of the Trees of the Blessed Realm,
which lives in them yet, though the Trees have long withered and shine no more.
And Elbereth hallowed the Silmarils**,
so that thereafter no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean,
nor anything of evil might touch them, but it was scorched and withered.
And Mandos foretold that the fates of the world, earth, sea and air,
lay locked within them.
The light of the Silmarils, and the reflected light of the Trees, fill the stage.
The Curtain falls very slowly.
* THE SPIRIT OF MIRIEL: In giving birth to FËANOR MIRIEL is left without strength and wishes to be released from her eternal existence. Her spirit leaves her body, which remains alive, and passes into the HALLS OF MANDOS where it remained. Due to this unprecedented situation the ELDER KING allows FINWË to re-marry, even though his wife’s body still lives.
** THE HALLOWING OF THE SILMARILS: This act by ELBERETH has a much greater bearing in the other works of this cycle. She has made it so that the SILMARILS can only be held by the VALAR, MAIAR or ELVES and may never be held by one of a mortal race or anything evil without being burned and driven mad.
The Banishment (Scene Four)
At first darkness once again covers the scene.
UNSEEN VOICES
And Melkor lusted for the Silmarils,
and the very memory of their radiance was a gnawing fire in his heart.
But he dissembled his purpose with cunning,
and nothing of his malice could yet be seen in the semblance that he wore.
Long was he at work, and slow at first and barren was his labour.
But he that sows lies in the end shall not lack of a harvest,
and soon he may rest from toil while others reap and sow in his stead.
Fingolfin and Finarfin are seen illumined alone in the centre of the stage. And a quiet voice is now heard, as if coming from within the innermost recesses of their own thoughts; but it is the voice of Morgoth, amplified from an insinuating whisper.
Voice of MORGOTH
Beware! small love has the proud son of Miriel ever had for the children of Indis.
Now he has become great, and he has his father in the palm of his hand.
UNSEEN VOICES
And Fëanor began to speak openly words of rebellion against the Powers,
crying aloud that he would depart back to the world
and deliver the Elves from thraldom, if they would follow him.
Fingolfin and Finarfin have turned their faces towards the back during the foregoing; now Finwë the King is seen, seated beneath the light of the Trees. Both the younger sons turn to him.
FINGOLFIN
King and father, wilt thou not restrain the pride of our brother Fëanor,
who is called the Spirit of Fire, and all too truly?
Thou it was who long ago spake before the Singers,
bidding them accept the summons of the Valar.
If thou dost not repent of it, two sons at least thou hast to honour thy words.
Fëanor suddenly appears, and he is fully armed; a high helm on his head, a sword at his side, and girt in golden armour.
FËANOR
So it is, even as I guessed! My brother would be before me with my father,
in this as in all other things.
[He turns to Fingolfin]
Get thee gone, and find thy place!
Fingolfin turns away from Finwë; but as he comes towards the front of the stage, taking his departure from his father, Fëanor suddenly runs after him, setting the point of his sword against his brother’s breast.
FËANOR
See, half brother! this is sharper than thy tongue.
Try but once more to usurp my place and the love of my father,
and maybe it will rid the Elves of one who seeks to be the master of thralls.
UNSEEN VOICES
Then at last the root was laid bare, and the malice of Melkor revealed.
Voice of MANDOS
Thou speakest of thraldom.
If thraldom it be, thou canst not escape it;
for the Elder King is Lord of the Earth, and not of Eldamar only.
Therefore this doom is now made:
for twelve years thou shalt leave Tirion where this threat was uttered.
In that time take counsel with thyself,
and remember who and what thou art.
But after that time this matter shall be set in peace, if others will release thee.
FINGOLFIN
I will release my brother.
But Fëanor turns away with a gesture in silence. Darkness veils the back of the stage, and Fëanor hears the words of Morgoth as if in his ear.
Voice of MORGOTH
Behold the truth of all that I have spoken, and how thou art banished unjustly.
But if the heart of Fëanor is yet free and bold as were his words in Tirion,
then I will aid him, and bring him far from this narrow land.
For am I not Valar also?
Yes, and more than those that sit in pride, for I have ever been thy friend.
Fëanor halts, pondering as if in doubt.
Voice of MORGOTH
Here is a strong place, and well guarded;
but think not that the Silmarils will lie safe in any treasury
within the realm of the Valar!
FËANOR [his eyes light with a sudden suspicion and revulsion]
Get thee gone from my gate, thou jail-crow of Mandos!
He too disappears into a complete darkness.
The Black Foe of the World (Scene Five)
Light, filtering as if through heavy clouds, reveals a desolate mountain landscape. Slowly there appears alone at the front of the stage the figure of Ungoliant. When first discerned she takes the tall, stately and tragic form of a dark and hungry woman of greater than human stature.
UNSEEN VOICES
Beneath the sheer walls of the mountains by the cold sea,
the shadows were deeper and thickest in the world;
and there, secret and unknown, Ungoliant* had made her abode.
In a ravine she lived, and took shape as a spider of monstrous form,
weaving her black webs in a cleft of the mountains.
There she sucked up all the light that she could find,
until no light more could come to her abode;
and she was famished.
Ungoliant is seen transformed into a monstrous creature of spider form.
UNSEEN VOICES
Now Melkor came and sought her out there in the black shadows.
But when Ungoliant understood his purpose
she was torn between lust and great fear,
for she was loath to dare the perils of the power of the dreadful Lords,
and she would not stir from her hiding.
Voice of MORGOTH [now heard as a dark and terrible sound, hugely amplified]
Do as I bid; and if thou hunger still when all is done,
then I will give to thee whatsoever thy lust may demand, yea, with both hands.
UNSEEN VOICES
A cloak of darkness wove Ungoliant when she with Melkor set forth;
an Unlight which eye could not pierce, for it was void.
Then slowly she wove her nets, rope by rope from cleft to cleft,
from jutting peak to pinnacle of stone, ever climbing upwards,
crawling and clinging, until she reached the very summit
upon the dim waters of the pathless sea.
But now upon the mountain top dark Ungoliant lay;
and she made a ladder of woven ropes and cast it down,
and Melkor came to that high place and stood beside her,
looking down upon the Guarded Realm.
Fëanor and Fingolfin are seen within the Ring of Doom at the foot of the Trees.
FINGOLFIN
As I promised, do I now. I release thee, and remember no grievance.
[Fëanor takes his hand in silence]
Half-brother in blood, full brother in heart will I be.
You shall lead, and I shall follow.
May no new grief divide us.
FËANOR
I hear thee. So be it.
UNSEEN VOICES
And even as Fëanor and Fingolfin stood there came the mingling of the Lights
when both the Trees were shining,
and the silent city was filled with a radiance of silver and gold.
And in that very hour Melkor and Ungoliant came hastening,
as the shadow of a black cloud floats over the sunlit earth.
Then the Unlight of Ungoliant rose up even to the roots of the Trees,
and Melkor with his black spear smote each Tree to its core, wounded them deep,
and their blood spilled forth on the ground.
And the poison of death went into them and withered them, root and leaf.
In that hour was made a Darkness by malice out of Light,
and it has power to pierce the eye,
and to enter heart and mind, and strangle the very will.
And Elbereth beheld the shadow soaring up in sudden towers of gloom.
All song ceased. There was silence, and no sound could be heard,
save only from afar there came on the wind the cold cry of gulls.
For it blew chill from the East in that hour,
and the vast shadows of the sea were rolled against the walls of the shore.
Slowly a dim scene is illuminated, as if seen by a faint and overcast starlight. In this light the Elder King, Elbereth, Mandos and others of the Valar are seen, gathered in the Ring of Doom. Before them, head bowed, stands Fëanor.
ELBERETH
The Light of the Trees has passed away,
and lives now only in the Silmarils of Fëanor.
Far-sighted was he!
The Light of the Trees I brought into being,
and within the world I can do so never again.
Yet had I but a little of that Light I could recall life to the Trees,
ere their roots decay;
and then would the malice of Melkor be confounded.
THE ELDER KING
Hearest thou, Fëanor son of Finwë? But who shall deny Elbereth?
Wilt thou not grant what she would ask?
Did not the Light of the Silmarils come from her work in the beginning?
FËANOR
For the less, even as for the greater,
there is some deed that he may accomplish but once only;
and in that deed his heart shall rest.
It may be that I can unlock my jewels, but never again shall I make their like;
and if I must break them, then I shall break my heart
and I shall die - the first of all the Elves in the Blessed Realm.
The voice of MANDOS
Not the first.**
The voice of MORGOTH [unseen, as if heard from within Fëanor’s thoughts]
The Silmarils are not safe, if the Valar would possess them.
FËANOR [to himself]
And is he not Valar as they are, and does he not understand their hearts?
[aloud]
This thing I will not do of free will. But if the Valar will constrain me,
then shall I know indeed that Melkor is of their kindred.
The voice of MANDOS
Thou hast spoken.
MAEDHROS [hastening in through the throng]
Blood and darkness! Finwë the King is slain, and the Silmarils are gone!
Fëanor falls prostrate upon his face, while Maedhros turns towards the Elder King.
MAEDHROS
My Lord, it was the day of festival,
but the King was heavy with grief at the departure of my father;
a foreboding was on him.
We were irked by the idleness and silence of the day,
and rode northward toward the Green Hills.
Suddenly we were aware that all was growing dim. The light was fading.
We turned and rode back, seeing great shadows rise up before us,
a blackness like a cloud and a sudden flame of fire.
We heard the sound of great blows struck. And then there was a piercing cry.
We lay upon our faces without strength.
When we could move again we came to the house.
There we found the King, his head crushed as with a great mace of iron.
The chamber of iron*** is torn apart, and the Silmarils are taken.
FËANOR [rising in wrath and raising his hand]
And here I curse Melkor, naming him Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World.
* UNGOLIANT: An evil spirit in the form of a giant spider, able to spin webs of pure darkness, she craves to swallow up all great sources of light.
** “NOT THE FIRST”: This is not a reference to FËANOR’s mother MIRIEL, who though without spirit is technically still alive. Here MANDOS is foreshadowing the news that MAEDHROS is about to bring. As the keeper of the dead he would be the first to know of the passing of FINWË
*** THE CHAMBER OF IRON: The treasury where FËANOR kept the SILMARILS locked away.
The Flight of the Noldor (Scene Six)
In the light of flaming torches Fëanor is seen standing upon a high place; below him is gathered a great multitude of the Elves*.
FËANOR
Why, O People of the Stars, why should we longer serve the jealous Valar,
who cannot keep us nor even their own Realm secure from their Enemy?
And though he be now their foe, are not they and he of one kin?
Vengeance calls me hence; but even were it otherwise
I would not dwell longer in the same land with the kin of my father’s slayer
and the thief of my treasure. And have ye not all lost your King?
And what else have ye not lost,
cooped here in a narrow land between the mountains and the sea?
Here once was light, that the Valar begrudged to Middle-earth,
but now darkness levels all.
Shall we mourn here deedless for ever, a shadow-folk, mist-haunting,
dropping vain tears in the thankless sea; or shall we return to our homes?
There sweet ran the waters under unclouded stars,
and wide lands lay about where a free people might walk.
There they lie still and await us who in our folly forsook them.
Come away! let the cowards keep this city!
Fair shall the end be, though long and hard shall be the road!
Say farewell to bondage; but say farewell also to ease, say farewell to the weak,
say farewell to your treasures! More still we shall make.
Journey light; but bring with you your swords!
After Morgoth to the ends of the earth!
War shall he have and hatred undying.
But, when we have conquered and regained the Silmarils,
then we and we alone shall be lords of the unsullied light,
and masters of the bliss and beauty of earth.
Fëanor’s sons leap to his side with drawn and raised swords.
FËANOR and his SONS
Be he friend or foe or foul offspring of Morgoth Bauglir,
be he mortal dark that in after days on earth shall dwell,
shall no law nor love nor league of Powers nor might nor mercy nor moveless fate,
defend him forever from the fierce vengeance of the sons of Fëanor.
Whoso seize or steal or finding keep the fair enchanted globes of crystal
whose glory dies not, the Silmarils, is cursed for ever!**
There is a great sounding of trumpets. Fëanor and his sons lower their swords, and Fëanor is about to descend when the voice of the Elder King resounds out of the darkness.
THE ELDER KING
Against the folly of Fëanor shall be set my counsel only. Go not forth!
For the hour is evil, and your road leads to sorrow that ye do not foresee.
The lies of Morgoth thou shalt unlearn in bitterness.
Valar he is, thou saiest: then thou hast sworn in vain,
for none of the Valar canst thou overcome now or ever within the halls of earth,
not though the One whom thou namest had made thee thrice greater than thou art.
FËANOR
Say this to the Elder King, High Prince of Earth: is sorrow foreboded to us?
In this land we have seen it.
In this land we have come through bliss to woe.
The other now we shall try; through sorrow to find joy, or freedom.
And it may be that the One has set in me a fire greater than thou knowest.
Such hurt at the least will I do to the foe of the Valar
than even the mighty in the Ring of Doom shall wonder to hear it.
Yea, in the end they shall follow me. Farewell!
A great tumult of voices. Fëanor leads the Elves forth in a great company. Quick Curtain.
* MULTITUDE OF ELVES: The ELVES in attendance on FËANOR’s entreaty here are the NOLDOR, who have just lost their King. This loss is significant as FINWË is the first ELF to ever die whilst in the protected lands of the VALAR. Their protection now seeming to be for naught, the NOLDOR are roused into rebellion by FËANOR and they agree to follow him into MIDDLE-EARTH. As a reference point, this assembly includes FINGOLFIN whom we have already met, and FINROD , GALADRIEL, ORODRETH, TURGON, AREDHEL and IDRIL who come into greater significance through the rest of the cycle. One notable exception is FINARFIN, who disagrees with his half-brother and remains in VALINOR.
** THE OATH OF FËANOR: This oath is the beginning of the ultimate downfall of every ELF for the remainder of this cycle and a turning point for FËANOR and his SONS. Its unyielding nature leads them on a downwards spiral towards evil.
The Kinslaying (Scene Seven)
A long seashore is seen, calm and still. On the tide float many tall white ships, shaped in the likeness of swans.
UNSEEN VOICES
Others of the Elves were grieved indeed
at the going of their kinsfolk and long friends,
but would rather dissuade them than aid them; and no ship would they lend,
nor help in the building, against the will of the Valar;
for they desired no other home but the strands of the Blessed Realm.
Fëanor and Fingolfin are seen in violent argument with Olwë.
FËANOR [angrily]
You renounce your friendship, even in the hour of our need!
OLWË [calmly]
We renounce no friendship.
But it may be the part of a friend to rebuke a friend’s folly.
And as for our white ships, I say to you Fëanor son of Finwë:
these are to us as the gems of the Noldor,
the work of our hearts whose like we shall not make again.
UNSEEN VOICES
Then swords were drawn, and a bitter fight was fought upon the ships,
and about the lamplit quays and piers;
but at last the Teleri were overcome,
and a greater part of their mariners were wickedly slain.*
And the sea rose in wrath against the slayers,
so that many of the ships were wrecked, and those in them drowned.**
A great storm rises and rages across the stage. Darkness covers the scene.
* THE KINSLAYING: The OATH OF FËANOR claims its first victims. Because OLWË and the TELERI refuse to give up their ships they are seen as getting in the way of the fulfilment of the oath. FËANOR and his SONS see this as justification for the first slaying of ELF by others of their kin. The KINSLAYING is witnessed by the rest of the NOLDOR who agreed to follow them, but due to their agreeing to follow FËANOR in defiance of the VALAR they are now doomed to share the fate of FËANOR and his SONS.
** THE FIRST GROUP: FËANOR and his SONS are first to board the ships, along with all who took part in the KINSLAYING, and take them to MIDDLE-EARTH. The rest of the NOLDOR, will remain behind to await the return of the ships for their crossing.
The Curse of Mandos (Scene Eight)
Finally the storm is assuaged; the empty waste is once more seen, mountainous and cold.
UNSEEN VOICES
The way was long, and ever more evil
as they went forward in the unmeasured night, mountainous and cold.
Then they heard a voice, solemn and terrible, that bade them stand and give ear:
the Prophecy of the North, and the Doom of Mandos.
The voice of MANDOS [hugely amplified]
Tears unnumbered shall ye shed;
and the Valar shall fence the Realm against you, and shut you out,
so that not even the echo of your lamentation shall pass over the mountains.
On the House of Fëanor lieth the wrath of the Valar
from West unto the uttermost East,
and upon all that follow them shall it be laid also.
Their oath shall drive them, and yet betray them;
and ever snatch away the very treasures that they have sworn to pursue.
To evil end shall all things turn that they begin well.
And by treason of kin unto kin, and the fear of treason, shall this come to pass.
The Dispossessed shall they be forever.
Ye have spilled the blood of your kindred unrighteously
and have stained the Blessed Realm.
For blood ye shall render blood,
and beyond the land ye shall dwell in death’s shadow.
For though no sickness may assail you, yet slain ye may be,
and slain ye shall be, by weapon and by torment and by grief;
and those that endure in Middle-Earth
shall grow weary of the world as with a great sorrow, and shall wane,
and become as shadows of regret before the younger race that cometh after.
The Valar have spoken.*
FËANOR [proud]
We have sworn, and not lightly. This oath we will keep.
We are threatened with many evils, and treason not least;
but we will go on. And this too I add:
the deeds that we do shall be the matter of song until the last days of the earth.
Sudden darkness veils the scene. The voice of the Elder King is heard, resigned and full of pity.
THE ELDER KING
So shall it be!
Dear-bought those songs shall be accounted, and yet shall be well-bought.
For the price could be no other.
Thus shall beauty not before conceived be brought into the world,
and evil yet be good to have been.
The voice of MANDOS
And yet remain evil. To me will Fëanor come soon.**
* THE DOOM OF MANDOS: Here now is the judgement and curse for the rebellion and kinslaying. All of the NOLDOR must leave VALINOR, to never return; and all of their deeds will be for nothing. Though immortal, many shall meet their ends through war and grief. If they survive they shall regret their actions and fade before the oncoming race of MEN.
** “TO ME WILL FËANOR COME SOON”: Here MANDOS is giving a glimpse of the future and foretelling that FËANOR will soon die.
The Burning of the Ships (Scene Nine)
The dark shores of the Great Ocean, beneath the mountains of Middle-Earth. In the night darkness something stirs: the black monstrous shape of Ungoliant. Beside her stands the tall and dreadful Morgoth.
Voices of UNGOLIANT
Blackheart! I have done thy bidding. But I hunger still.
MORGOTH
What wouldst thou have more? Dost thou desire all the world for thy belly?
I did not vow to give thee that. I am its Lord.
Voices of UNGOLIANT
Not so much. But thou hast a great treasure from Tirion; I will have all that.
Yea, with both hands thou shalt give it.
MORGOTH
Nay! thou hast had thy share.
For with my power that I put into thee thy work was accomplished.
I need thee no more.
These things thou shalt not have, nor see. I name them unto myself for ever.*
He raises his arms; there is a roar of thunder and fire flares from the mountains.
Ungoliant shrinks away and Morgoth fades into the returning darkness. Slowly a faint light begins to grow across the sea, a faint shimmer of moonlight. In this light are seen arriving some of the shadowy swan-ships; Fëanor and Maedhros step ashore.
MAEDHROS
Now what ships and rowers will you spare to return,
and whom shall they bear hither first?
Finrod the valant?
FËANOR [laughing, as one fey]
None and none!
What I have left behind I count now no loss;
needless baggage on the way it has proved.
Let those that cursed my name, curse me still,
and whine their way back to the cages of the Valar! Let the ships burn!**
Fire is set to the ships, and Fëanor with his followers depart into the mountains. Fingolfin alone remains, looking out with despair across the sea.
UNSEEN VOICES
And Finrod and his people saw the light afar off, red beneath the clouds;
and they knew that they were betrayed.
Small love for Fëanor or his sons had those that marched at last behind him,
and blew their trumpets in Middle-earth at the first rising of the moon.
* THE THIEVES QUARREL: MORGOTH here betrays his accomplice after they have fled across the NARROW ICE with the SILMARILS.
** THE BURNING OF THE SHIPS: Now FËANOR in his madness decides to betray the rest of the NOLDOR who agreed to follow him. By burning the ships instead of returning them, he has left them cursed and forced to leave VALINOR with only one option: to cross the NARROW ICE to the north, a perilous journey that will claim the lives of a great number of them.
The Death of Fëanor (Epilogue)
The flames die down into a further darkness. Now at last is seen the full majesty and terror of the shape of Morgoth, standing amidst the flames and looking with contempt and scorn upon Fëanor who confronts him. Fëanor raises his sword, but is overcome by the flames and falls, struggling backwards. Then he raises his sword again in a helpless defiance. Morgoth’s shadow casts a shade over Fëanor like a stormcloud; thunder and lightning smite down upon him, but Fëanor hews at the shadow with his sword. Thrice he attacks, and thrice is driven back. Finally he falls prone and helpless before the feet of Morgoth. He dies, and the flames consume him.*
Fast Curtain.
* “THE DEATH OF FËANOR”: The death of FËANOR in conflict with MORGOTH leaves his followers committed to a war against an Enemy that they cannot hope to defeat.