List of Christopher Tolkien's regrets about The Silmarillion

A short list: https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/c ... arts_of_the_silmarillion/
More comprehensive discussion can be found in Arda Reconstructed.

Here is a list of page numbers from my notes on such 'regrets' and other corrections Christopher Tolkien mentions, whether regarding the Silmarillion or other works, e.g., Unfinished Tales, the LR maps, etc. I omit the quotations and my commentary; they are part of an article/chapter in preparation.

The reasons for his 'regrets' noted in the HM volumes mainly fall into three interconnected categories: 1.) greater familiarity with the history of the documents than he had in 1975, 2.) having documents he didn't have in 1975, 3.) a changed editorial approach (earlier 'heavy', later 'light'). His comments on changed approaches to the material are fascinating reading, considering the welter of material he was faced with. Given these 'regrets'—which are not many considering the length of the book—had he undertaken to assemble The Silmarillion after having completed The History of Middle-earth volumes, in, say, 2000, it would be only a slightly different book, largely indentical to the published edition.

1: 5–6, 82 n
4: 222, 229, 296, 299, 300, 301, 302, 305, 306, 322, 338
6: 72, 107–8
10: 201, 202, 203, 204
11: 136, 139–40, 149, 159, 180, 210, 232, 302 n. 27, 309–10 n. 55, 315 n. 3, 315 n. 5, 318, 319, 322, 333-4, 340, 354–6
12: 14, 143, 144, 145, 146, 146–7, 148, 149, 152–3, 154, 155, 156, 186, 222, 283, 349–51, 357 n. 17

That's great! Thanks a lot to both of you :)

The most heavily edited chapter of the Silmarillion is allegedly that concerning the "Fall of Doriath". Indeed, Christopher expressed explicit regrets concerning the editing of that chapter. I guess that if at that time he had known the content of Concerning..."The Hoard" he would have written a completely different story for that part.

Well, about this subject, I've already published an article (in French) : https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/etudes/concernant_le_tresor
Actually I ask about all his regrets, because I consider an another article in the same vein.

Thank you for sharing the link to your article. Very nice work! I look forward to anything further you may write on the matter.

Please note that the page numbers I listed have, occasionally, more than one 'regret' appearing on the page. For expediency, I merely noted for you the different page numbers. Most refer only to a word or phrase to be changed. The inter-reliant Nauglamir/Doriath/Húrin material would require the most revision, but even so, the majority of the text of each of the relevant tales/chapters would be largely unaffected.

It is only to be regretted that the letter to Mrs Elgar was not available to Christopher Tolkien in his work; it would certainly have helped. One wonders how many such relevant letters remain in private hands, letters which may include other effective 'editions' of 'Silmarillion' material.

oxonianus wrote:

One wonders how many such relevant letters remain in private hands, letters which may include other effective 'editions' of 'Silmarillion' material.

I think one of the benefits of the Internet is that it is much easier to find out about extant letters, Carpenter's job would have much easier today than in the late 1970's.

oxonianus wrote:

Here is a list of page numbers from my notes on such 'regrets' and other corrections Christopher Tolkien mentions, whether regarding the Silmarillion or other works, e.g., Unfinished Tales, the LR maps, etc. I omit the quotations and my commentary; they are part of an article/chapter in preparation.

The reasons for his 'regrets' noted in the HM volumes mainly fall into three interconnected categories: 1.) greater familiarity with the history of the documents than he had in 1975, 2.) having documents he didn't have in 1975, 3.) a changed editorial approach (earlier 'heavy', later 'light'). His comments on changed approaches to the material are fascinating reading, considering the welter of material he was faced with. Given these 'regrets'—which are not many considering the length of the book—had he undertaken to assemble The Silmarillion after having completed The History of Middle-earth volumes, in, say, 2000, it would be only a slightly different book, largely indentical to the published edition.

1: 5–6, 82 n
4: 222, 229, 296, 299, 300, 301, 302, 305, 306, 322, 338
6: 72, 107–8
10: 201, 202, 203, 204
11: 136, 139–40, 149, 159, 180, 210, 232, 302 n. 27, 309–10 n. 55, 315 n. 3, 315 n. 5, 318, 319, 322, 333-4, 340, 354–6
12: 14, 143, 144, 145, 146, 146–7, 148, 149, 152–3, 154, 155, 156, 186, 222, 283, 349–51, 357 n. 17

Just because I happened to be reading this just now, and don’t see them listed here or in the reddit post, two more editorial interventions involving the Fall of Gondolin: BoLT II.211 and ShoMe (IV) p.194, respectively on the excision of Rog from S p.242 and the addition of the sentence in S p.240 about the blocking up of the Way of Escape (and removal of the reference to some Elves being killed by a dragon when they tried to escape that way during the sack of Gondolin). These seem to be editorial decisions he stood by, rather than “regrets”, but possibly of interest nonetheless.

Yes, I don't know what the reddit writer's selection process entailed, but my list above includes only those items Christopher Tolkien explicitly noted as either corrections (e.g., misprinted diacritics) or—the more interesting corpus—editorial decisions that he would make differently given his later perspective. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes in regards to the latter.

I don't recall him giving an explanation for his not revisiting the text of The Silmarillion to effect these changes for a 'third edition'. Such changes are hardly out of keeping with the handful of emendations he implemented in the second edition of 1999, some of which appeared in earlier paperbacks.

Whatever the case, the book remains a pleasure.