"Glede"

And Rosta scripsit:

> _Glede_, it's normally spelt, I think. I thought it
> meant 'a burning coal'.
Indeed.  Isildur (the guy who cut the One Ring from the Dark Lord's hand)
says that when he got it it was "hot as a glede".  I never knew what
a glede was until now.

In full, he says (and this represents a version of the Common Speech
about *3000* years before the present):

"It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was
scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of
it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though
it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon
it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only
barely to be read. It is fashioned in the Elven-script of Eregion, for
they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language
is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since
it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace
here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe,
the heat of Sauron's hand, which was black, and yet burned like fire,
and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again,
the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to
this thing; of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to
me, though I buy it with great pain."

The writing, of course, says "Ash nazg durbatuluuk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatuluuk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul."

--
John Cowan                                   cowan@ccil.org
One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore
        --Douglas Hofstadter

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