[citation]The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.
Letters, L142 (2 décembre 1953), p.172[/citation]
Cet aveu éclaire d’une lumière nouvelle l’affirmation, certes rhétorique mais significative, que Tolkien aurait volontairement choisi chacun de ses mots au cours des multiples révisions :
[citation]The Lord of the Rings […] was begun in 1936, and every part has been written many times. Hardly a word in its 600,000 or more has been unconsidered.
Letters, L131 (c.1951), p.160[/citation]
Mais de quelle révision parle Tolkien dans la première citation? Il ne s’agit pas de la grande série de révisions du texte commencée en 1965 pour traquer les fautes ou compléter appendices et index puisque la lettre est datée de décembre 1953. Et puisque The Fellowship of The Ring ne paraîtra qu’en juillet 1954, il faut comprendre qu’il s’agit d’une réécriture majeure effectuée par Tolkien au cours de la lente création du SdA, lente création au cours de laquelle tous les ajouts, au mot près, on été pesés par l’auteur, selon ses dires.
Si donc il apparaît entre la version finale et certains manuscrits correspondant à des rédactions transitoires des ajouts de mots ou autres modifications, nous devons a priori supposer que ces changements avaient une signification précise.
Heureusement pour nous, nous avons accès, grâce à Christopher Tolkien, à de nombreux manuscrits nous permettant de voir l’œuvre se mettre en place au fil de ces révisions et réécritures du texte.
Ainsi, dans les volumes VI et VII de The History of Middle Earth (resp. The Return of the Shadow et The Treason of Isengard), ce n’est pas moins de cinq versions du Conseil d’Elrond qui nous sont (partiellement) présentées et rapportées!
…Nous y trouvons trois mentions primitives du passage où Frodo prend la décision de porter l’Anneau en Mordor.
Toutes se trouvent dans la première version (datée d’avant 1940). Les quatre autres versions (datées d’après 1940, cf. VII.111) se trouvent dans le volume VII. Christopher Tolkien ne citant pas, pour ces versions, le passage de la prise de décision de Frodo, nous ne pouvons rien conclure quant au moment exact de l’apparition du passage dans sa rédaction définitive.
La première mention de la prise de décision de Frodo se trouve dans des notes préparatoires :
[citation]They decide that the Ring must be taken to the Fiery Mountain. How ? – it can hardly be reached by passing over the borders of the Land of Mordor. Bilbo ? – No – ‘It would kill me now. My years are streched, and I shall live some time yet. But I have no longer strenght for the Ring.’
Frodo volunteers to go.
Who shall go with him ? Gandalf. Trotter. Sam. Odo. Folco. Merry.(7) Glorfindel and Frár son of Balin.
[VI.397][/citation]
Suivent, quelques pages plus loin, deux modèles du passages, l’un devant conduire à la version définitive que nous connaissons :
[citation][§5a] There was a long silence. Frodo glanced around at all the faces, but no one looked at him – except Sam ; in whose eyes there was a strange mixture of hope and fear. All the others sat as if in deep thought with their eyes closed or upon the ground. A great dread fell on Frodo, and he felt an overmastering longing to remain at peace by Bilbo’s side in Rivendell.
These words stand at the foot of a page. The next page, beginning ‘At last with an effort he spoke’, continues only a brief way, and was replaced by another beginning with the same words. I give both forms.
[Il est sympa Christopher !]
[§5b] At last with an effort he spoke. ‘If this task is fated to fall to the weak,’ he said, ‘I will attempt it. But I shall need help of the strong and the wise.’
[§6] ‘I think, Frodo,’ said Elrond, looking keenly at him, ‘that this task is appointed for you. But it is very well that you should offer yourself unbidden. All the help that we can contrive shall be yours.’
[§7] ‘But you won’t send him alone, surely, master !’ cried Sam.
[…]
[§5b’] At last with an effort he spoke. ‘I will take the Ring,’ he said. ‘Though I don’t know the way.’
[§6] Elrond looked keenly at him. ‘If I understand all the tale that I have heard,’ he said, ‘I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo, and that if you do not find the way, no other will.’
[§7] ‘But you won’t send him off alone surely, master !’ cried Sam, unable to contain himself.
[VI.406-7][/citation]
Rappelons maintenant la version définitive de ce passage en le replaçant dans son contexte [FR, II.2, p.263-4 de l’éd. Houghton Mifflin]. Comme le forum ne se prête pas à une présentation en synopse, j’ai décidé d’utiliser le code suivant :
Texte cramoisi = texte se retrouvant, à l’identique dans la première version
Texte bleu = texte remanié mais n’ajoutant pas un sens ou des détails supplémentaires
Texte en gras = texte au sens introuvable dans la première version
Texte [// texte] = texte remanié de la version finale avec le texte de la première version dont il dérive.
crochet caratère html[*]= suppression d’un passage de la première version.
*texte* = texte présent dans la version de1966 (dernière à être révisée par Tolkien et utilisée par Bourgois en 1972) mais absent de l’éd. Houghton Mifflin basé sur les révisions de 1982, 1993 et 1994 opérées, entre autres, par C. Tolkien.
couron y va :
[FR§1]'Very well, very well, Master Elrond!' said Bilbo suddenly. 'Say no more! It is plain enough what you are pointing at. Bilbo the silly hobbit started this affair, and Bilbo had better finish it, or himself. I was very comfortable here, and getting on with my book. If you want to know, I am just writing an ending for it. I had thought of putting: and he lived happily ever afterwards to the end of his days. It is a good ending, and none the worse for having been used before. Now I shall have to alter that: it does not look like coming true; and anyway there will evidently have to be several more chapters, if I live to write them. It is a frightful nuisance. When ought I to start? '
[FR§2]Boromir looked in surprise at Bilbo, but the laughter died on his lips when he saw that all the others regarded the old hobbit with grave respect. Only Gluin smiled, but his smile came from old memories. [//Elrond smiled, and Gandalf laughed loudly. ]
[FR§3]`Of course, my dear Bilbo,' said Gandalf. [// the wizard] `If you had really started this affair, you might be expected to finish it. But you know well enough now that starting is too great a claim for any, and that only a small part is played in great deeds by any hero. You need not bow! Though the word was meant, and we do not doubt that under jest you are making a valiant offer. But one beyond your strength, Bilbo. You cannot take this thing back. It has passed on. If you need my advice any longer, I should say that your part is ended, unless as a recorder. Finish your book, and leave the ending unaltered! There is still hope for it. But get ready to write a sequel, when they come back.'
[FR§4] Bilbo laughed. `I have never known you give me pleasant advice before.' he said.[*] `As all your unpleasant advice has been good, I wonder if this advice is not bad. Still, I don't suppose I have the strength or luck left to deal with the Ring. It has grown, and I have not. But tell me: what do you mean by they?'
`The messengers [// adventurers] who are sent with the Ring.'
`Exactly! And who are they to be? That seems to me what this Council has to decide, and all that it has to decide. Elves may thrive on speech alone, and Dwarves endure great weariness; but I am only an old hobbit, and I miss my meal at noon. Can't you think of some names now? Or put it off till after dinner?'
[FR§5] No one answered. [// There was a long silence] The noon-bell rang. Still no one spoke. Frodo glanced *round* at all the faces, but they were not turned to him. [*] All the Council [//others] sat with downcast eyes, as if in deep thought. A great dread fell on him [//Frodo], as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.
`I will take the Ring,' he said, `though I do not know the way.'
[FR§6] Elrond raised his eyes and looked [*] at him, and Frodo felt his heart pierced by the sudden keenness of the glance. `If I understand aright all that I have heard,' he said, `I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will.This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?
`But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Húrin, and Túrin, and Beren himself were assembled together your seat should be among them.'
[FR§7] 'But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?' cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping up from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor. `No indeed!' said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. `You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.'
Si je n'ai rien fait de travers dans mes tags, vous devez tous avoir une idée de là où je veux en venir...mais il est décidément trop tard, suis un peu fatigué, voilà deux jours que je travaille à ce message et d'autres affaires, en cette rentrée, m'appellent plus urgemment que le commentaire que je souhaiterais faire mais qui devra attendre ;-)
Sosryko