The Lost Road

I finished up Tolkien's four chapters of his aborted time travel story: The Lost Road. It's clear what he really wanted to write about was his Middle-earth mythology. It was all over the place in these short writings. It was also very interesting to see Tolkien's interests play into the characters: philology, ancient history, etc. The premise of Lost Road was as follows: sets of father/son duo's that (in a sense) reappeared through history into pre-history and the fall of Atlantis/Númenór.

It begins with Alboin Errol and his father Oswin. Alboin, the main character was as Christopher Tolkien notes: "...closely modelled on my father's own life..." (p. 53, The Lost Road). An interesting conversation is had between father and son where Alboin asks about the origin of his name. His father begins telling him some of the great Lombardic legends: of Audoin and his son Alboin and their wars with the Gepids. Alboin's defeat of the Gepids twice over and his murder by the machinations of his Queen Rosamunda who was the daughter of the Cunimund, Gepid king slain by Alboin. It is said that Alboin gave Rosamunda wine to drink from a cup fashioned from the skull of Cunimund. Paul the Deacon (died circa 790 AD) said: "'I declare that I speak the truth in Christ: I have seen [Radgil] the prince hold this very cup in his hand on a feast day and showing it to those who sat at the table with him'" (p. 54, The Lost Road). It is clear to me I need to read more ancient history.

Alboin told his father that he had Dreams and in them words came to him. First it was Eresseän  (Elf-latin) and then Beleriandic (Alboin called it), and later Old English, and Númenórean. His father was concerned this preoccupation would interrupt the boy's studies. As he grew he would still discuss these things with his father and a common message was beginning to emerge: "a straight road lay westward, now it is bent" (p. 43, The Lost Road). But life moved on, his father passed, and Alboin had a 16 year old son he named Audoin (reversing the Lombard line).

One night, bereft of sleep, more words came to Alboin. Mulling over the new words he peered out his window and saw huge clouds forming and to his great surprise uttered: "'They look like the eagles of the Lord of the West over Númenor" (p. 47, The Lost Road). See what I mean--Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology is all over this story. Alboin wished audibly for a time machine to go back. Finally he fell asleep but found himself in a mysterious dream being addressed by Elendil of Númenor (who reminded Alboin of his father). The mysterious messenger offered Alboin the chance to "go back".

There is a rather philosophical discussion on the ability to go back but in the end the following conditions were given: Alboin's road and halts were predestined and he would not travel alone: Audoin was to travel with him. The choice was Alboin's. But, Audoin could not be protected from the consequences of that choice.

The next day Alboin did not know how to bring this up to Audoin though the son opened the door for such conversation. Alas, the two departed for the day. That evening Alboin drifted off to sleep again and met the messenger having decided to go back with his son. Audoin came home finding his father asleep but roused enough to say goodnight and address him as Herendil. The son was used to strange words slipping from his fathers tongue and did not think much of it. "And he went out, and stepped into sudden darkness" (p. 53, The Lost Road). Tolkien had a natural talent for writing suspense. I found myself longing for more in this read.

Chapters three and four find us in Númenor with a father and son: Elendil and Herendil (presumedly Alboin and Audoin gone back). The father was strolling his garden looking for his son. Their discussion was tense when they met. They were talking of Sauron and his coming to Númenor and his growing power. The father clearly displeased to the dismay of the son. "Thou are mad,' said his son, turning at last upon his side and facing Elendil, with dread and fear in his eyes. 'Do not say such thing to me! They might, they might...'" (p. 61, The Lost Road).

The father took the son inside to being a candid discussion on his assessment of Númenor's dire situation. The deception of Sauron, the pride of the King, of the One and the Lords of the World (the Valar). Elendil ended with: "...if I must choose between Sauron and Manwë, then all else must come after. I will not bow unto Sauron, nor his master" (p. 69, The Lost Road). Herendil noted his father talked as if he were a leader in a rebellion. To his dismay his father said it was such and gave his son a choice: to stay and here more of his plans or to leave and do as he saw fit--even report his father to Sauron's followers.

"'I stay, father'" (p. 70, The Lost Road). And thus the time travel story was abandoned. An entertaining and tense read. But clearly Tolkien was itching for ways to flesh out his Fall of Númenor sketches we looked at last post. As far as my dream to connect the various bits of Tolkiens notes and writings into one continuous chronological whole there is much in chapters three and four of this story that could be caused to fit. That shall be a fun challenge should the day ever arrive.