Lay of Leithian: Canto Five

In the next stage of The Lay of Lethian Lúthien goes to her mother Melian to ask of news of Beren who has been long away. Melian reveals he is imprisoned by the Lord of Wolves. Lúthein resolves to rescue her love and asks her friend Dairon to help. He vows to protect her but she misunderstands--as Dairon went directly to Thingol betraying Lúthien's trust to warn the King of her plans. Thingol is distraught and has a house built in a large tree where Lúthien is taken. The ladders are removed and there is no way down.

There Lúthien stays but her thoughts are ever with Beren and she simply cannot leave him in danger. She devises a plan and coyly asks for several items from her wardens (Dairon included) to begin creating a magical escape (being the daughter of Melian the Maia she understood magics better than most). We will pick up the poem as she is singing her magical song:

"...And all the names of things

tallest and longest on earth she sings:

the locks of the Longbeard dwarves; the tail

of Draugluin the werewolf pale;

the body of Glómund the great snake;

the vast upsoaring peaks that quake

above the fires in Angband's gloom;

the chain Angainor that ere Doom

for Morgoth shall by Gods be wrought

of steel and torment. Names she sought,

and sang of Glend the sword of Nan;

of Gilim the giant of Eruman;

and last and longest named she then

the endless hair of Uinen,

the Lady of the Sea, that lies

through all the waters under skies"

(p. 205, The Lays of Beleriand).

Essentially, Lúthien sings a song of growth and sleep (I didn't quote that part) over her hair and it grows  super long. She is able to weave it into a ladder, of sorts, and swing it down from her tree house putting the guards to sleep and allowing her to climb down and escape. A very good plan by Lúthien, indeed. 

We can see in this small quotation some characters that remain in the published works (names may be slightly altered): Draugluin and Glómund. But we are also introduced to a couple of giants--Nan and Gilim--who appear no where else. I would like some Middle-earth stories featuring giants please (although it could be argued that that's exactly what the Ents are)!