Another thought on Frodo's Dream at the start of Fog on the Barrow Downs

Bruce N H

Active Member
Hi all,

One additional thought, or at least a piece of data on Frodo's Dream at the start of Fog on the Barrow Downs. This was discussed in Episodes 36 and 37 of Exploring LotR. The dream ends with a "far green country open[ing] before him under a swift sunrise." In the episode Corey discussed whether or not this was Valinor, or perhaps something more symbolic of the healing of Arda. One piece of data to add to the mix: I'm trying to get caught up on the Treason of Isengard class and in "The story foreseen from Moria" the projected book ending has "Sam and Frodo go[ing] into a green land by the sea?" after the elves sail from the Havens. My reading of Tolkien's initial plan is that after the elves, and Bilbo, leave, Frodo and Sam keep going west, as far as they can on land, ending up in Lindon. Of course eventually this gets revised to them each taking the straight path to the True West. If the the "far green country" can be linked to the "green land by the sea", this gives some evidence that the dream points towards the end of the story. Of course this doesn't contradict the possibility that it could also point to a larger symbolic healing.

A couple of other thoughts from the last few episodes in the house of Tom and Goldberry:

- In episode 36 there was some discussion of Tom's advice to go around the Barrows on the west side. While I appreciate the symbolic distinction between the East and the West, I think there's a more simply practical aspect. They are traveling northward along a relatively narrow strip of land between the danger of the Old Forest to the west and the danger of the Barrow Downs to the east. It's a countryside of rolling hills that they're going around, so it would be possible to get turned around (particularly if it gets foggy). The simple direction of keeping the forest to their left and the barrows to their right keeps them pointed northward. To go east around a barrow entails them turning to the right, which takes them towards the heart of the Downs rather than continuing on towards the road.

- One other observation that I thought was interesting. When Tom was telling them the tale of the Forest, his story turned and "Suddenly Tom's talk left the woods and went leaping up the young stream, over bubbling waterfalls, over pebbles and worn rocks, and among small flowers in close gras and wet crannies, wandering at last up on to the Downs." Contrast this in reverse with Goldberry's song "as sweet as showers on dry hills, that told the tale of a river from the spring in the highlands to the Sea far below." or elsewhere her footsteps are "like a stream falling gently away downhill over cool stones in the quiet of the night". or again she has songs "that began merrily in the hills and fell softly down into silence; and in the silences they saw in their minds pools and waters wider than they had known." It's interesting that Tom starts low and and travels up, and Goldberry starts high and travels down, perhaps to meet each other somewhere in the middle.

Bruce / Bricktales
 
I think it makes sense that Goldberry's songs travel down, given that water rolls downhill. That Tom's song rises up to meet her is not as obvious (to me, at least). I wonder if this is another small hint that Tolkien put in to point toward Tom's nature, whether it's a reflection of the nature of their relationship or whether it's just a coincidence.
 
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