Nette
New Member
A couple of weeks ago we were looking at the seating arrangements for the feast. I’ve been puzzling over this and have a couple of points I would like to add.
A suitable chair as well as meaning one suitable to his size I have always taken to mean one in a suitable location to make Frodo feel at ease. He is not seated next to Elrond or Arwen in one of the places of highest honour. I have always pictured that he would be near the foot of the table. Still a place of dignity but not one where he would feel conspicuously out of place.
The seating arrangements seem to me unusual. Picturing the seating it seems to be a blend of medieval and more modern (in our sense) practices. A medieval hall would be arranged high table, Lord and Lady in the middle looking out with suitable guests and retainers arranged to the right and left in order of descending importance. A mid eighteenth century table would be Head of Household at the head, with the male members arranged to his right and left in descending order. Lady at the foot and the female members arranged to her right and left in descending order with the four men and woman of least importance (usually unmarried guests) meeting in the middle. A later and more familiar arrangement is Head of Household at the head, Lady at the foot with alternating sexes going around, still in order of descending importance.
Elrond's seating does not fit any of these patterns. What seems to be the arrangement is seating along both sides of the table (so there are some sitting there with their backs to the other guests in the hall, presumably Glorfindel seated at Elrond’s right is one of these). The foot of the table may be ceremonially empty as Celebrian the Lady of the house is absent. Arwen is not seated at the foot as she is not the Lady of the house but instead placed in the middle as the unwed lady of the household. However she is set back with a canopy etc reflecting her importance. The guests are then arranged in order of descending importance from Elrond.
A suitable chair as well as meaning one suitable to his size I have always taken to mean one in a suitable location to make Frodo feel at ease. He is not seated next to Elrond or Arwen in one of the places of highest honour. I have always pictured that he would be near the foot of the table. Still a place of dignity but not one where he would feel conspicuously out of place.
The seating arrangements seem to me unusual. Picturing the seating it seems to be a blend of medieval and more modern (in our sense) practices. A medieval hall would be arranged high table, Lord and Lady in the middle looking out with suitable guests and retainers arranged to the right and left in order of descending importance. A mid eighteenth century table would be Head of Household at the head, with the male members arranged to his right and left in descending order. Lady at the foot and the female members arranged to her right and left in descending order with the four men and woman of least importance (usually unmarried guests) meeting in the middle. A later and more familiar arrangement is Head of Household at the head, Lady at the foot with alternating sexes going around, still in order of descending importance.
Elrond's seating does not fit any of these patterns. What seems to be the arrangement is seating along both sides of the table (so there are some sitting there with their backs to the other guests in the hall, presumably Glorfindel seated at Elrond’s right is one of these). The foot of the table may be ceremonially empty as Celebrian the Lady of the house is absent. Arwen is not seated at the foot as she is not the Lady of the house but instead placed in the middle as the unwed lady of the household. However she is set back with a canopy etc reflecting her importance. The guests are then arranged in order of descending importance from Elrond.
Last edited:
