A Reader's Guide to Tolkien's Middle-earth Background Works

So, let's do what we had promised ourselves to do and, with the frame of the Table of Contents in the previous post, try to give a sort of

reading guide to those Tolkien fans who might have read the novel parts The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings –skipping the Appendices and even maybe the Prologue to the latter– and, avid to explore the those works' rich background, might want to read all of it, in a row.

Related to this post, I strongly recommend reading the detailed, paragraph-by-paragraph, analysis of the published Silmarillion by Douglas Charles Kane, Arda Reconstructed.

This guide owes much to Ninni M. Pettersson's most useful What's in the History of Middle-earth?, which also lists the contents of that "HoMe volume XIII" which Unfinished Tales is, but, since one popular single-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings is that of the six books + Appendix A.I.(v) ("Here Follows a part of the tale of Aragorn and Arwen"), therefore removing from the direct attention of many readers the chronicle parts in the Appendices, below I add to elements listed by Pettersson the sequenced reading of elements in both the Prologue and Appendices to LotR. Also, I have excluded from the list all texts of annalistic kind, both in Pettersson's list and the LotR Appendices, as I consider them more reference than reading texts.

A consistent and more or less neat text, with texts a bit more excerpted and intertwined, could be achieved following my list below –which I of course have produced for my personal and private use–; but with the list alone, one must keep in mind that there are frequent overlappings between texts –something that, in any case, happens to the published Silmarillion. Most of those smaller excerpts I dismiss here for the sake of clarity.

If nothing is said regarding any chapter, it means that it is just the chapter in the published Silmarillion. References to The Nature of Middle-earth are an update after the original posting.

-    O    -

Prologue: The recovery of the frame story of Ælfwine would be one of the oldest (in real life chronology) and less up-to-date stories. It can be read in “The Lost Road” (The Lost Road and Other Writings, HoMe V).

1. Ainulindalë

2. Valaquenta: Straight from the published Silmarillion, except towards its ending:

2.1 Of the Valar

2.2 Of the Maiar

2.3 Of the Enemies: next to this the sections on Melkor and Sauron in “Myths Transformed” (Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X) could be read.

2.4 Of the Entity of the Valar: “On √PHAN, fana and related matters”; “The knowledge of the Valar, or Elvish ideas and theories concerned with them”, and “Powers of the Valar”, from The Nature of Middle-earth.

2.5 Of the Communication of Thought: Ósanwe-kenta, published in Vinyar Tengwar no. 39.

QUENTA SILMARILLION

3. Of the Beginning of Days

4. Of Aulë and Yavanna

5. Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor: this chapter moves on to right before Oromë's finding of the Elves; then we introduce:

5.1 Cuivienyarna: The Legend of the Awaking of the Quendi: published in “Quendi and Eldar” (The War of the Jewels, HoMe XI).

5.2 Of Orcs: the section on Orcs from Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X. Then chapter 5 goes on from when Oromë comes back to Aman.

6. Of the Great Journey and Eldamar: due to additions to surrounding chapters, this one would tell the whole Great Journey from the ending of the "Coming of the Elves..." chapter in the published Silmarillion, together with the very short chapter “Of Thingol and Melian” –which was Tolkien’s temporary choice–, and the chronicle, non-genealogical parts “Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië”; we could also read “Círdan” (“Last Writings”, The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII) at this point.

7. Of the Nature and Lives of the Eldar: a completely new chapter wholly constituted by its sub-chapters, all of essay character.

7.1 Of Elven Languages: “Dangweth Pengolod” (“Teachings of Pengolod”, The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII).

7.2 Of Life in Aman: “Aman” (“Myths Transformed” XI, Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

7.3 Of Growth and Marriage: the rest of the sections of this chapter except “Of Lembas” are from “Of the Laws and Customs Among the Eldar…” (Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

7.4 Of the Begetting and Bearing of Children

7.5 Of Lembas: published in The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII.

7.6 Of Naming

7.7 Of Death and the Severance of Fëa and Hröa

7.8 Of Re-birth and Other Dooms of Those that Go to Mandos

8. Of the Princes of the Noldor: after the genealogical parts of “Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië” (Silmarillion) can be read “The Shibboleth of Fëanor” (The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII).

9. Of Fëanor: after the corresponding half of the Silmarillion chapter, read the “Statute of Finwë and Míriel” (Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

10. Of the Unchaining of Melkor: with the rest of the previous chapter, attached to "Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor" from the Silmarillion.

11. Of the Darkening of Valinor: instead of the Silmarillion chapter, the fuller “Of the Darkening of Valinor” (“The Second Phase”, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

12. Of the Flight of the Noldor: incorporating the fuller “Of the Rape of the Silmarils” (“The Second Phase”, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

13. Of the Doom of Finwë and Míriel: the skilled reader could delay the most anticipating parts of the homonymous chapter from Morgoth's Ring, HoMe X, to this point.

14. Of the Sindar: this could only be completed with excerpts from “Durin’s Folk” (LotR, Appendix A.III); “Of Dwarves and Men” (The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII); and “Orcs” (“Myths Transformed”, Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

15. Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor: interrupting the Silmarillion chapter, between the part on the Sun and Moon and that on the Hiding (15.2), we could read:

15.1 Of the Beginning of Time and its Reckoning: published in the "Annals of Aman" (Morgoth's Ring, HoMe X).

15.2 Of the Hiding of Valinor

16. Of the Fashion of Arda: another one of the chapters coming from an older phase in the development of the mythology, it is published in The “Ambarkanta” (The Shaping of Middle-earth, HoMe IV).

17. Of Men

18. Of the Return of the Noldor

19. Of Beleriand and Its Realms

20. Of the Noldor in Beleriand

21. Of Maeglin

22. Of the Coming of Men into the West

23. Of the Drúedain: curiously, most of this chapter, published as "The Drúedain" (Unfinished Tales IV), deals about the First Age and fits perfectly here.

23.1 The Faithful Stone: a sub-chapter in the same UT chapter.

24. Of Finrod and Andreth: published as “Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth” (Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X).

24.1 The Tale of Adanel related to the former, given in the same chapter.

25. Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin

26. Of Beren and Lúthien

27. Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad

28. Narn i Hîn Húrin: The Tale of the Children of Húrin: this can be reconstructed from the “Narn” (Unfinished Tales I), and “Ælfwinë and Dírhaval” (The War of the Jewels, HoMe XI); but that is basically what C. Tolkien did in The Children of Húrin, so the full-fledged book instead of the Silmarillion chapter would be the "full reading" here.

28.1 The Childhood of Túrin

28.2 The Words of Húrin and Morgoth

28.3 The Departure of Túrin

28.4 Túrin in Doriath

28.5 Túrin among the Outlaws

28.6 Of Mîm the Dwarf

28.7 The Return of Túrin to Dor-lómin

28.8 The Coming of Túrin into Brethil

28.9 The Journey of Morwen and Nienor to Nargothrond

28.10 The Coming of Glaurung

28.11 The Death of Glaurung

28.12 The Death of Túrin

29. Of the Wanderings of Húrin: published in The War of the Jewels (HoMe XI), it replaces the much shorter account given in the Silmarillion chapter going next.

30. Of the Ruin of Doriath: as told regarding the previous chapter, it goes on from when Húrin has left Menegroth.

31. Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin: the first part of the chapter should be read from “Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin” (Unfinished Tales I).

32. Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

AKALLABÊTH: things get messier in these last two parts, corresponding to the last two chapters in the published Simarillion, because Tolkien entertained himself extensively in expanding on the Second and Third Ages and the events leading to The Hobbit and LotR. In particular, "Akallabêth" could not be read continuously, as we see now.

33. Of the Kingdom of Númenor: the beginning of "Akallabêth" before telling of the Shadow, together with “A Description of the Island of Númenor” (Unfinished Tales II) and "Of the Land and Beasts of Númenor" (The Nature of Middle-earth).

34. Aldarion and Erendis, The Mariner’s Wife: published in Unfinished Tales II.

35. Of the Shadow upon Númenor: continuing "Akallabêth" until before telling of Ar-Pharazôn, and adding “Aman and Mortal Men” (Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X) when we are told of Manwë's embassy to Tar-Atanamir.

36. Lives of the Númenóreans: published in The Nature of Middle-earth.

37. Tal-elmar: published in The Peoples of Middle-earth (HoMe XII).

38. Of the Rebel Kings of Númenor: "Akallabêth" from Tar-Minastir to Sauron defying lightning.

39. Of Isildur and Elendur: the third chapter coming from an older phase of the mythology, it corresponds to the Númenórean chapters of “The Lost Road” (The Lost Road and Other Writings, HoMe V), just replacing the names Elendil and Herendil for Isildur and Elendur, the actual possible match in the final legendarium (a proposal by Reconstruyendo Arda).

40 Of the Downfall of Númenor: the rest of "Akallabêth" in the published Silmarillion.

40.1 The Legend told by Later Men: the "Sketches" in “(v) The theory of the work” (“The Drowning of Anadûnê”, Sauron Defeated, HoMe IX).

The Dominion of Men

40. Of the Rings of Power and the Last Alliance: messier we had said. To the beginning of the Silmarillion "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" we can add “Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn”, “The Sindarin princes of the Silvan Elves” and “The Elessar” (“The History of Galadriel and Celeborn”, Unfinished Tales II), and "Galadriel and Celeborn" and "Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish" (The Nature of Middle-earth); the beginning of “The Realms In Exile” (Appendix A.I of The Lord of the Rings); the chronicle paragraphs at the beginning of “The Third Age” (Appendix B); “The Palantíri” (Unfinished Tales IV), and excerpts from “Orcs” (“Myths Transformed”, Morgoth’s Ring, HoMe X) and “Glorfindel” (“Last Writings”, The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII).

41. The Disaster of the Gladden Fields: the main text and notes of “The Disaster of the Gladden Fields” (Unfinished Tales III), with parts from “The Tradition of Isildur” (ibid.) and “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” (Silmarillion).

42. Of Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur: Appendix A.I.iii of The Lord of the Rings as it appears in “The Heirs of Elendil. The Northern Line of Arnor: the Isildurioni” (The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII).

43. Of the Istari: “The Istari” (Unfinished Tales IV) and bits from “The Sindarin princes of the Silvan Elves” (“The History of Galadriel and Celeborn”, Unfinished Tales II), and “The Five Wizards” (“Last Writings”, The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII).

44. Of Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion: to a continuation of the Silmarillion "Of the Rings..." we can add the Appendix A.I.iv of The Lord of the Rings.

45. Of the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan: “The Northmen and the Wainriders”, “The Ride of Eorl”, and “Cirion and Eorl” (Unfinished Tales III); and “The House of Eorl” (Appendix A.II of The Lord of the Rings).

46. Of Amroth and Nimrodel: published in “Amroth and Nimrodel” (“The History of Galadriel and Celeborn”, Unfinished Tales II).

47. Of the Periannath: “Concerning Hobbits” (Prologue to The Lord of the Rings).

48. Of Durin’s Folk and the Kingdom of Erebor: “Durin’s Folk” (Appendix A.III of The Lord of the Rings) almost in full, parts of “Of Dwarves and Men” (The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII) and “The Quest of Erebor” (Unfinished Tales III).

49. Of the Decline of the Third Age: continuing the Silmarillion "Of the Rings..." we add “Of the Finding of the Ring” (Prologue to The Lord of the Rings), “The Hunt for the Ring” (Unfinished Tales III). As an example of the messiness of this point, we can say that even “The Shibboleth of Fëanor” (The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII) has something to say here.

50. The Battles of the Fords of Isen: from “The House of Eorl” (Appendix A.II of The Lord of the Rings) and “The Battles of the Fords of Isen”, (Unfinished Tales III).

51. Of the End of the Third Age: the rest of the Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings and “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” (Silmarillion).

52. The New Shadow: published in The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe XII.

Philological Appendices

I. Quendi and Eldar: published in The War of the Jewels, HoMe XI.

A. The principal linguistic elements concerned.

B. Meanings and use of various terms applied to the Elves and their varieties.

C. The Clan-names, with notes on other names for divisions of the Eldar.

D. Elvish names for Men.

E. Elvish names for the Dwarves.

F. Elvish names for the Orcs.

G. *Kwen, Quenya, and the Elvish (especially Ŋoldorin) words for ‘Language’.

II. On the “Language of the Valar”: the last, more detached and differently structured, part of "Quendi and Eldar".

III. The Eldarin Numerals: Final excursus to “The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor” (Vinyar Tengwar no. 41).

IV. The Languages and Peoples of The Third Age: Appendix F.I of The Lord of the Rings.

IV.1 Of the Elves

IV.2 Of Men

IV.3 Of Hobbits

IV.4 Of Other Races

V. Gondorian Toponomastics: the part on toponymy from “The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor” can be reconstructed from what is published in Vinyar Tengwar no. 41 and Unfinished Tales II.

V.1 The names of the Rivers
V.2 Indigenous Region-names

V.3 The names of the Beacon hills

VI. Writing Systems: Appendix E.II of The Lord of the Rings.

-    O    -

We see that we could get a much expanded Silmarillion, and the avid reader who has just finished The Lord of the Rings, being determined to read everything in the background in due sequence, can take this as a guide. Also the reader of Hobbit, LotR and Silmarillion, who might want to ease the thirst for more background, can follow this guide.

All in all, we also see that half the volumes of The History of Middle-earth are involved (IV, V, IX, X, XI, XII), logically concentrated in the last of them, with Tolkien's more developed definitive concepts on the mythology.

But one thing we necessarily miss in order not to discard all the Silmarillion cosmogony, because in "Myths Transformed" (Morgoth's Ring, HoMe X) we see how Tolkien intended to remake the whole of it, leaving his old flat world versions as myths transformed by the filter of Men. That was no doubt the next stage in Tolkien's development of his mythology, of which he only had time to leave us a glimpse.