Bruce N H
Active Member
Hi all,
I've been thinking about a few things in relation to past discussions and discussions yet to come. A few data points:
Back in "Strider", Aragorn says the Nazgul won't attack the inn because it is "not their way. In darkness and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people ..."
We see at the start of "A Knife in the Dark" that the approaching Nazgul fill Fatty Bolger with terror. Of course later at Minas Tirith the flying Nazgul will fill the city's defenders with fear and despair, one of their chief weapons.
When we discussed the assault on Crickhollow, Corey made the point that this is a spiritual battle, that the Nazgul are terrible not just because they're amazing fighters (though we're not denying that), but because of their impact on the spirits of those they are attacking. When they do attack on Weathertop they're not trying to kill the hobbits, just wound Frodo and let him succumb to their will.
By contrast, the hobbits of Buckland raising the alarm is a weapon against the Nazgul, not because they're going to raise an army of hobbit warriors to fight them off, but the very communal spirit of cooperation and goodness is itself the weapon. Later after Weathertop Strider will say the name of Elbereth was a more powerful weapon against the Witch King than any sword.
In the wilderness between Bree and Weathertop Strider doesn't want Frodo to speak of becoming a wraith, and later he doesn't want to further tell the story of the fall of Gil-galad or speak the name of Mordor. Instead he tells the story of Beren and Luthien, a tale of the triumph of love and one of Morgoth's greatest defeats. "It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts." This is in response to Sam's request for a tale of the elves of old, because "the dark seems to press round so close."
Anyway, here's my proposal. Aragorn doesn't want them to speak of being wraiths or mention Mordor or tell tales of defeat not because he is afraid that speaking the names will draw the Nazgul to them, like repeating the name of Beetlejuice or Tom Bombadil. Rather he doesn't want to depress their spirits, because this spiritual depression would make them more susceptible to the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Instead he wants to raise their spirits to and push back against the pressing darkness (literal and metaphorical), to make them more resistant. He knows that ultimately it won't be through feats of arms that the hobbits can triumph, both here and ultimately later in Mordor, but rather through the strength of their spirits.
Bruce
I've been thinking about a few things in relation to past discussions and discussions yet to come. A few data points:
Back in "Strider", Aragorn says the Nazgul won't attack the inn because it is "not their way. In darkness and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people ..."
We see at the start of "A Knife in the Dark" that the approaching Nazgul fill Fatty Bolger with terror. Of course later at Minas Tirith the flying Nazgul will fill the city's defenders with fear and despair, one of their chief weapons.
When we discussed the assault on Crickhollow, Corey made the point that this is a spiritual battle, that the Nazgul are terrible not just because they're amazing fighters (though we're not denying that), but because of their impact on the spirits of those they are attacking. When they do attack on Weathertop they're not trying to kill the hobbits, just wound Frodo and let him succumb to their will.
By contrast, the hobbits of Buckland raising the alarm is a weapon against the Nazgul, not because they're going to raise an army of hobbit warriors to fight them off, but the very communal spirit of cooperation and goodness is itself the weapon. Later after Weathertop Strider will say the name of Elbereth was a more powerful weapon against the Witch King than any sword.
In the wilderness between Bree and Weathertop Strider doesn't want Frodo to speak of becoming a wraith, and later he doesn't want to further tell the story of the fall of Gil-galad or speak the name of Mordor. Instead he tells the story of Beren and Luthien, a tale of the triumph of love and one of Morgoth's greatest defeats. "It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts." This is in response to Sam's request for a tale of the elves of old, because "the dark seems to press round so close."
Anyway, here's my proposal. Aragorn doesn't want them to speak of being wraiths or mention Mordor or tell tales of defeat not because he is afraid that speaking the names will draw the Nazgul to them, like repeating the name of Beetlejuice or Tom Bombadil. Rather he doesn't want to depress their spirits, because this spiritual depression would make them more susceptible to the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Instead he wants to raise their spirits to and push back against the pressing darkness (literal and metaphorical), to make them more resistant. He knows that ultimately it won't be through feats of arms that the hobbits can triumph, both here and ultimately later in Mordor, but rather through the strength of their spirits.
Bruce
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