The Hiding of Valinor

In our next Tale Vairë takes over the telling. Essentially she tells Eriol of how Valinor became sundered from the world. It's much different than I can remember from what ultimately became the published story and this particular story left me with many "what's going on" moments. I will highlight different moments:

• The paths of the Sun and the Moon were hard to govern
• The Elves remaining in Valinor were questioning the Valar and angry with the Noldoli
• Manwë, grieved to know the lies of Melko were at work, called a council and it was decided Valinor must be hidden.
• It's noted that Manwë, Varda, and Ulmo played no role in this. 
• Seas were made treacherous by mist, fog, and eddies making travel by sea nearly impossible
• Still the Eldar called for the Valar to destroy the ice paths in the North travelled by the Noldoli and Aulë and Tulkas obliged.
• Manwë called Lórien and Oromë to himself to do his bidding wishing not to undue the work of the other Valar
• "...Lórien wove a way of delicate magic, and it fared by winding roads most secret from the Eastern lands and all the great wildernesses of the world even to Kôr, and it ran past the Cottage of the Children of the Earth and thence down 'the lane of whispering elms' until it reached the sea" (p. 211, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume I). 
• This was Olóre Mallë or the Path of Dreams
• Oromë crafted a rope from the hair of another Valar (Vána) and calling Valar and Eldar to himself the thrust his rope across the seas and lassoed a mountain of the Great Lands and affixing his end to Taniquetil (the Mountain of Valinor) he ran across his slender bridge, uncoiled the rope, and ran back as he coiled it. 
• Of Oromë's rope it is said: "Now because it glistens most marvellously in the slanting rays of the Sun, and when the rains of heaven moisten it it shines most magically therein and the gold light breaks upon its dripping cords to many hues of purple, green, and red, so do men most often name it the Rainbow, but many other names have they fashioned also, and the fairies call it Ilweran the Bridge of Heaven" (p. 212, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume I).
• Two paths were made, though treacherous and long, by Manwë's will as he did not wish to cut Valinor off completely from the Great Lands. 
• One other path, the quickest route, was there to Valinor: "Qalvanda is it called, the Road of Death, and it leads only to the halls of Mandos and Fui" (p. 213, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume I).
• With Eldar at peace the Valar turned their attention to the Great Lands for they knew the time of Men was nigh; they sought to govern the paths of the Sun and Moon. 
• Their first great work was in the West: the Door of Night with gates unbreakable and carved dragons with black smoke issuing ever from their jaws. Urwendi speaks the magic word to open the Door and passes through. She speaks the same word in the East and the Gates of Morn open for her. To somewhat oversimplify think of the early mythological land Tolkien is creating as flat--these doors allow the Sun to pass out of the world and under it, in a sense, and enter back in on the other side. It does give an explanation to why the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. 
• The Moon also travels under the world but remains in it--for it does not have enough light to enter and survive the void. 
• Vairë ends her Tale (or begins a new Tale) concerning the making of time. 
• As the Valar pondered the Sun and Moon three aged men stood before them: Danuin, Ranuin, and Fanuin (Day, Month, and Year) and, cutting out the last couple of pages, they introduce time into the world.

I've saved the reading of Christopher Tolkien's commentary to just now as I type and I'm pleased to see some of the things I highlighted (for genuine peculiarity or fascination) were included for good reason. He noted that in The Silmarillion there is no great council and disagreement among the Valar. Indeed the hiding of Valinor in the published work was spurred by Melko's assault on the Moon not the anger of the Eldar and some Valar towards the Noldoli. 

The three roads to Valinor after it's hiding are completely absent in the published works but Christopher Tolkien notes it's difficult to understand what was figurative in these ideas. Also, in terms of the paths of the Sun and Moon and introduction of time Christopher Tolkien asserts that in his father's earliest writings the astronomical myth was central to his writing and this would continue to diminish as J.R.R. Tolkien wrote.