A simple observation on the musical elves

[LadySchmebulock]

This may be academic or mundane to say, I wanted to comment on the contrast between the elf song and the hobbits walking song. the hobbits sing in one group and their song seems to be for entertainment and encouragement along the road. Where the elves start off by singing in harmony and then, what I assume to be Gildor, have a soloist take over. What is interesting to me is that the elves appear to sing a sort of prayer. They invoke the name of Elbereth (or Varda) the lady of light, and the stars themselves, which being her creation, are holy to the elves. It reminds me of a priest in the high church's of the Catholic faith singing a liturgy of praise, worship, and seeking of blessing and guidance of their deity. We know the elves are passing from middle earth to the sea where they will sail away to be with the Valar. It seems to me that this poem may be something like that. A prayer of praise, remembrance, and maybe an announcement of their coming.

On the note of the black rider, I wonder if the black rider could sense the elves coming and hurried away maybe in fear and loathing maybe?


Also, last class, you made the comment you didn't get my name. I thought it might be fun to clue you. It's a reference to a Disney channel tv show called Gravity Falls, about two twins, Mabel and Dipper, who visit their great uncle Stan in Gravity Falls Oregon and encounter many mysteries and magical creatures. One of which is a colony of gnomes who try to kidnap Mabel and make her their queen. One of the more dense gnomes was named Schmebluock.

Many Blessings.
-LS

 

[Lincoln Alpern]

On the note of the black rider, I wonder if the black rider could sense the elves coming and hurried away maybe in fear and loathing maybe?

That's always been my reading. Indeed, in a later chapter, Frodo invokes the name of Elbereth against some of the riders, and Strider strongly implies this hurts them somehow.

Still a mighty convenient happenstance that the Elves should come by, singing of Elbereth, when the rider was just seconds away from detecting Frodo and acquiring the Ring.

 

[MithLuin]

...if chance you call it.

 

[Lincoln Alpern]

Y'know, I think that joke is starting to wear out its welcome.

Sometime, though, I would like to get the Professor's thoughts on the subject of miraculous saves in Lord of the Rings. Generally, in fiction, having an omnipotent, supernatural being on the side of your heroes is a bad idea, because it removes all the tension of how they're going to overcome the latest challenge - worst comes to worst, the reader can be pretty sure Iluvatar will step in and sort it out. (This is why it's crucial in The Hobbit to have Gandalf absent all through the adventures in Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain, so that Bilbo and the dwarves have to solve their own problems for a while.)