Lampes Fëanoriennes

[Laegalad]

Dans les UT, on a :

Then Tuor followed the Noldor down the steps and waded in the cold water, until they passed into the shadow beyond the arch of stone. And then Gelmir brought forth one of those lamps for which the Noldor were renowned; for they were made of old in Valinor, and neither wind nor water could quench them, and when they were unhooded they sent forth a clear blue light from a flame imprisoned in white crystal. (2)

Avec en note :

(2) The blue-shining lamps of the Noldorin Elves are referred to elsewhere, though they do not appear in the published text of The Silmarillion. In earlier by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1979, no.37); and it was the overturning and uncovering of Gwindor's lamp so that its light shone out that showed Turin the face of Beleg whom he had killed. In a note on the story of Gwindor they are called "Fëanorian lamps," of which the Noldor themselves did not know the secret; and they are there described as "crystals hung in a fine chain net, the crystals being ever shining with an inner blue radiance."

Le texte est donc clair : elles étaient fabriquées en Valinor ; il ne s'agit donc pas de gemmes ayant la propriété de briller bleu, mais d'un artefact, probablement inventé par Fëanor, si l'on en croit le nom.

Dans le Book of Lost Tales, l'origine de ces lampes est un peu différente :

Now the Noldoli that laboured in the earth and aforetime had skill of crafts in metals and gems in Valinor were the most valued of the thralls of Melko, and he suffered them not to stray far away, and so it was that Beleg knew not that these Elves had little lanterns of strange fashion, and they were of silver and of crystal and a flame of a pale blue burnt forever within, and this was a secret and the
jewel-makers among them alone knew it nor would they reveal it even to Melko, albeit many jewels and many magic lights they were constrained to make for him.
Aided by these lamps the Noldoli fared much at night, and seldom lost a path had they but once trodden it before. So it was that drawing near Beleg beheld one of the hill-gnomes stretched upon the needles beneath a great pine asleep, and his blue lantern stood glimmering nigh his head.

Et un peu plus loin :

But from the capture of Turin to the death of Beleg the old tale was scarcely changed afterwards in any really important respect, though altered in many details: such as Beleg's shooting of the wolf-sentinels silently in the darkness in the later story, and the flash of lightning that illuminated Beleg's face -- but the blue-shining lamps of the Noldor appear again in much later writings: one was borne by the Elves Gelmir and Arminas who guided Tuor through the Gate of the Noldor on his journey to the sea (see Unfinished Tales pp. 22, 51 note z). In my father's painting (probably dating from 1927 or 192 of the meeting between Beleg and Flinding in Taur-nu-Fuin (reproduced in Pictures by J. R.R. Tolkien, no. 37) Flinding's lamp is seen beside him.

Cette fois-ci, les lampes sont fabriquées par les Noldoli, ils n'en dévoilent pas le secret, mais elles ne sont pas appelées "Lampes de Fëanor". On déduit de leur similitude qu'il s'agit des mêmes, mais peut-être s'agit-il d'une autre sorte de lampes, faites à la façon des lampes fëanoriennes, dont le secret s'est perdu... Belle imitation, en ce cas !

S. -- s'agissant de lampes et autres lanternes, et même s'il ne s'agit pas des mêmes, je me permet de faire le lien vers un de ces articles dont Didier Willis, dit Hisweloke, a le secret : Lanterniers, portiers et hôteliers de Minas Tirith.