HarperCollins will re-publish a J.R.R. Tolkien poem entitled “The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun.” The piece was originally published in a 1945 issue of a literary journal called The Welsh Review.
Here’s more from TIME: “The lengthy poem tells of a desperate couple wishing to have a child, who seek the help of a witch. The witch gives them a potion allowing them to have children, but of course it comes at a cost…The story’s witch may be familiar to LOTR fans, as Tolkien eventually turned the character into the Elven queen Galadriel in his later works, as the earliest manuscript for the poem dates back to September 1930.”
The Guardian reports that Tolkien drew inspiration for “The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun” from Celtic legends. It will be featured in a book alongside several other Tolkien poems about the witch. This poetry book will also include “The Story of Kullervo” (a retelling of a Finnish poem) and “The Fall of Arthur” (a 200-page poem). The release date has been scheduled for November 3. (via Entertainment Weekly)