The End of the Lost Tales: The Aelfwine Story

As Tolkien sought to reconstruct his mythology Eriol was replaced by Aelfwine (elf-friend). And while there are similarities between the two narratives (names, places, and events) there are key differences. Two I will note: Tol Eressëa is no longer associated with England at all and the Faring Forth now refers to the Elvish exodus from Valinor. Once again, Christopher Tolkien does an admirable job of tying together the loose notes his father jotted in regards to this story in a (somewhat artificial) plot line:

• The Faring Forth from Valinor to the Great Lands landing in Luthany (England) and wars with evil Men
• Retreat to Luthany (not and island yet) and a mysterious character Ing became king
• Many Elves flee west and settle in Tol Eressëa (Elwing is lost)
• Towns and villages in Tol Eressëa were given names of towns and villages in Luthany
• Eärendel sought refuge in Luthany with Ing
• Ing drinks limpë from Eärendel (or the Elves before they left)
• Eärendel blesses Ing before he departs
• Ing and many of his people sought for Tol Eressëa, shipwrecked, but Ing survived far in the East. Became the King of the Ingwaiwar--the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain
• Ing taught the Ingwaiwar true knowledge of the Gods (Valar) and Elves, turned their hearts ever to the West, prophesied his kin would return to Luthany
• Ing departed and was never heard from again (possibly reached Tol Eressëa)
• Luthany becomes an isle after a channel was dug
• Seven invasions of Luthany began (including the Romans), with each invasion more Elves fled
• The last invasion was of the Ingwaiwar who were not hostile toward Elves
• The Elves of Luthany (now called England) remained and conversed with the Ingwaiwar in Old English
• Aelfwine was of the Anglo-Saxon period who learned and loved the Elves though family traditions
• Aelfwine came to Tol Eressëa, was able to speak Old English with the Elves there, and named Lúthien (not a precursor to Beren and Lúthien) from Luthany (the Isle of Friendship)

The last notes record that Aelfwine drank limpë but longed for his home and eventually returned writing the Golden Book of Tavrobel. 

Lastly a narrative was begun concerining Aelfwine and how he reached Tol Eressëa. It incorporates much of Eriol's backstory. However, more light is given to the curious Man of the Sea character. Aelfwine was thrown overboard in a great storm and awoke on an island with an old man inhabiting it. The man possessed great strength and pulled wreckage from the reef to fashion a boat for Aelfwine and sailed with him to a strange island of Men and commanded them to build Aelfwine and his companions (who survived the storm and landed on the strange island) and bid and blessed them to sail West. As they left he strode to the top of a great cliff and jumped off and disappeared into the water. Aelfwine thought the man had committed suicide but the island inhabitants smiled and said nothing. It's noted in Eriol's backstory that this character was Ulmo himself. 

After long sailing and little luck Aelfwine and his crew were ready to turn back when suddenly everything crew calm and it was as if a mist parted and they spied a distant island with many twinkling lights. "Then there came a music very gently over the waters and it was laden with unimagined longing, that Aelfwine and his comrades leant upon their oars and wept softly each for his heart's half-remembered hurts, and memory of fair things lost, and each for the thirst that is in every child of Men for the flawless loveliness they seek and do not find" (p. 321, The Book of Lost Tales - Volume II). But no sooner had they seen and heard things began to fade. Aelfwine gave a great cry and jumped from the boat--never to be seen again. 

I have an idea how I could incorporate the Eriol/Aelfwine Lost Tales element into Tolkien's writing; that will be my goal to work on in the coming years.