Bruce N H
Active Member
Hey all,
I was just re-listening to last week's class (session 209), the discussion between Bilbo and Frodo after Bilbo gives the mithril coat. After putting on his old traveling clothes over top, Bilbo notes: "‘Just a plain hobbit you look,’ said Bilbo. ‘But there is more about you now than appears on the surface." Frodo is a plain hobbit on the surface, while being armored as an elf-lord underneath.
"Elf-lord" made me think of the "elf-friend" title. Something underneath the surface that some can perceive. Is there a connection here?
BTW, searching through Fellowship, Frodo is specifically named as elf-friend by three people:
Gildor uses the term twice, first upon greeting Frodo: "Hail, Elf-friend!’ he said, bowing to Frodo. ‘Come now with your friends and join our company!" and then at their goodbye: "I name you Elf-friend; and may the stars shine upon the end of your road!" Hmm, was Gildor bestowing the title upon Frodo (the second instance seems like that), or just recognizing something that was already there (the first instance sounds more like that).
Goldberry also uses the term twice, at hello: "But I see that you are an Elf-friend; the light in your eyes and the ring in your voice tells it." and goodbye "And to Frodo she said: ‘Farewell, Elf-friend, it was a merry meeting!’ " Interesting that both Gildor and Goldberry use this title at transitional points, where arguably Frodo is entering and leaving Faerie.
Finally, Elrond uses the term at the Council: "and though all the mighty Elf-friends of old, Hador, and Hu´rin, and Tu´rin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them."
The term gets used two more times in Fellowship.
At Weathertop Frodo talks about the Last Alliance: "With Elendil, the Elf-friend, he went to the land of—— " (here Strider cuts him off). BTW, in that instance, elf-friend is just a translation.
Later, on the borders of Lorien, Legolas is introducing the company: "‘Eight,’ said Legolas. ‘Myself, four hobbits; and two men, one of whom, Aragorn, is an Elf-friend of the folk of Westernesse.’"
So the official Fellowship list of named elf-friends is Hador, Hurin, Turin, Beren, Elendil, Aragorn, and Frodo.
Bruce
I was just re-listening to last week's class (session 209), the discussion between Bilbo and Frodo after Bilbo gives the mithril coat. After putting on his old traveling clothes over top, Bilbo notes: "‘Just a plain hobbit you look,’ said Bilbo. ‘But there is more about you now than appears on the surface." Frodo is a plain hobbit on the surface, while being armored as an elf-lord underneath.
"Elf-lord" made me think of the "elf-friend" title. Something underneath the surface that some can perceive. Is there a connection here?
BTW, searching through Fellowship, Frodo is specifically named as elf-friend by three people:
Gildor uses the term twice, first upon greeting Frodo: "Hail, Elf-friend!’ he said, bowing to Frodo. ‘Come now with your friends and join our company!" and then at their goodbye: "I name you Elf-friend; and may the stars shine upon the end of your road!" Hmm, was Gildor bestowing the title upon Frodo (the second instance seems like that), or just recognizing something that was already there (the first instance sounds more like that).
Goldberry also uses the term twice, at hello: "But I see that you are an Elf-friend; the light in your eyes and the ring in your voice tells it." and goodbye "And to Frodo she said: ‘Farewell, Elf-friend, it was a merry meeting!’ " Interesting that both Gildor and Goldberry use this title at transitional points, where arguably Frodo is entering and leaving Faerie.
Finally, Elrond uses the term at the Council: "and though all the mighty Elf-friends of old, Hador, and Hu´rin, and Tu´rin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them."
The term gets used two more times in Fellowship.
At Weathertop Frodo talks about the Last Alliance: "With Elendil, the Elf-friend, he went to the land of—— " (here Strider cuts him off). BTW, in that instance, elf-friend is just a translation.
Later, on the borders of Lorien, Legolas is introducing the company: "‘Eight,’ said Legolas. ‘Myself, four hobbits; and two men, one of whom, Aragorn, is an Elf-friend of the folk of Westernesse.’"
So the official Fellowship list of named elf-friends is Hador, Hurin, Turin, Beren, Elendil, Aragorn, and Frodo.
Bruce