The Tower of Pearl was located in one of the Twilit Isles according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.
Like the Twilit Isles, it was in the Shadowy Seas, west of Tol Eressëa. There the tower rose pale upon the most western cape of the Twilit Isles.[1] It was built in later days after Tol Eressëa was established, and was much sung in song.[2] During his travels, Eärendel was driven there, where he found the Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl and woke them up with Littleheart's gong.[3]
Other names
Its name in Gnomish was Tirimbrithla, from tirin ("tower") + brithla ("pearl").[4]
Other versions of the legendarium
In 1915, before any narrative, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a poem whose main subject is the Tower of Pearl in the Twilit Isles, titled The Happy Mariners, which gives some details about its appeareance: the tower was white, glimmering like a spike in the evening, and it stood upon a dark rock.[5]
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "III. The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor", p. 68
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "V. The Coming of the Elves and the Making of Kôr", p. 125
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "V. The Tale of Eärendel", pp. 254, 260. Cf. also The Book of Lost Tales Part One, p. 15
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, entries "Kortirion", "Silmarilli"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "V. The Tale of Eärendel", (iv) The Happy Mariners, pp. 273-275