Three Great Tales
They had shown the entire on Lord of the Rings trilogy on TBS. I also own the first set of DVDs of the movies. I can’t wait for the latest book from the Tolkien estate, The Children of Hurin. It is supposedly one of the three Great Tales that Tolkien had planned on writing about the First Age of Middle Earth. (That sentence will go over the heads of the you out there.) The three are The Children of Hurin, The Fall of Gondolin, and Beren & Luthien. All are supposed tales passed down from the Numenoreans about the great men of the First Age. Surprisingly enough none concern the First Children, the elves. They are somewhat connected (Luthien being the most beautiful of all Illuvatar’s children as an elf maiden), but the central character revolves around men.
They are epic stories to tell. If you haven’t read the Silmarillion, you’re missing out. It contains condensed versions of these tales. They’re all great to read as is knowing the history of the First Age of Middle Earth.
My favorite has always been Beren & Luthien. It’s actually written as a poem and it’s real title is the Lay of Leithan. It tells the tale of Beren of the house of Beor, the first house of man, and his quest to wrench a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth as the price for the marriage to Luthien. He succeeds.
The Children of Hurin is also a favorite since reading it in the form of the Narn i Hin Hurin in Unfinished Tales. This one more sadder. Turin a great warrior who happiness eludes him. Hurin, his father, witness to Turin’s fate from the eves of Thangorodrim watches as the curse of Morgoth robs his family of peace and happiness. Morwen, his mother, has felt a loss unbearable. Turin suffering the greatest curse with his sister. He also kills Glaurung. Great tale. Yet sad.
The Fall of Gondolin is hard to assemble, because it comes in pieces. The tale is of Tuor, kinsman to Turin, who escapes the fate of man. He secures himself a place in the last elven kingdom of Gondolin in the twilight of the First Age. Through him the savior of the Children of Illuvatar in Beleriand is born. Yet, it is an incomplete tale.
Now all three should be a movie. I would like to see it as an animated one. I haven’t geeked out enough on Tolkien hoping that you’ll read these other works of his.
