Episode 124 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 124

A vision from the threshold:

• Note: Elrond’s description of being “as kind as summer” in the revised version of The Hobbit is recalled here with the description of the firelight as “like summer-light upon the trees”, though this simile in The Lord of the Rings predates that revision. The hyphenated Westron word “summer-light” emphasizes the endless summer of Elrond’s life among the Elves and is opposed to the autumnal imagery of the landscape, or the earlier comparison to Christmas.
• It’s unclear how the firelight up on his face is like light upon trees. This can be literal, but the significance is unknown, and if it is metaphorical, what concept this represents is also unclear.
• While the Elves are in the autumn of their time as a people in Middle-earth, their individual experiences are like a lingering summer, and that summer will linger as long as they remain.
• Frodo is seeing this vision while looking in from the outside from the threshold, so he is seeing this as a mortal outsider trying to process this vision of Elvishness.
• Elrond is not only being compared to a tree, but a tree in the fullness of its leaves and strength. This kind of tree is nourished by the summer sun, so there’s a connection, as Elrond with his fire.
• Since, Elrond is the great lore master, this implies that the center of his power in Middle-earth is here in the Hall of Fire, with its stories and songs and lore and deep thought.
• There is a parallel between this and Galadriel’s mirror on the good side, and Sauron and the Sammath Naur on the evil side. All of these great people have a special place of sanctuary.

A new look at Aragorn:

• Aragorn is shown as very Elvish in appearance in this scene, but he stands while Elrond and Arwen sit. This indicates that even here in Rivendell, he is not fully at rest.
• His standing also puts him more in the place of a servant than an equal or friend. This is a parallel to the way that Sam would want to wait in Frodo, and he is attending to the family.
• Aragorn may not sit due to his place in the hierarchy and in showing honor to Elrond and Arwen.
• There don’t seem to be many chairs in the Hall anyway, so this may simply be pragmatic.
• Note: This is the first moment in the text that the narrator refers to him as Aragorn. Up until this point, the narrator has referred to him as Strider, though other characters have used the name Aragorn in dialogue. This moment is significand because not only does Frodo know Strider’s true name and nature now, but he also no longer looks like the Ranger he met in Bree. Unlike Elrond and Arwen, we get a physical description of him at this moment, including clothing and armor. This may indicate a difference in narrator, like Findegil, or a difference in Frodo’s perspective.
• Is Aragorn actually wearing elven-mail, or is this a vision that Frodo is having? The word “seemed” is significant, just as Arwen “seemed” to turn toward him after this.
• This could be a physical vision of what Aragorn is actually wearing, but it might also be Frodo having a vision Aragorn as he truly is, underneath all appearances.
• Bilbo had mentioned the emerald and the Silmaril shining upon Eärendil in his poem, so that is not coincidentally connected that Frodo now sees Aragorn in a new context.
• Frodo will develop an ability to see things that are hidden from others, due to his connection to the Ring, such as his ability to see Nenya worn by Galadriel, though it is hidden to everyone else.
• It also doesn’t seem like it is a coincidence that this vision comes after the singing of the song to Elbereth, so this kind of insight may be granted to Frodo by her or is inspired by her.
• He has seen a song about Faerie on the doorstep of Faerie and is now seeing things as they appear in Faerie, including the elven-mail, which was put on Eärendil in Valinor.
• Aragorn had brought up Eärendil as one of his forefathers, though it has not been said yet that he is Elrond’s father. Therefore, this is a sight of Aragorn as a kind of fulfillment of the poem.
• There doesn’t seem to be a distinction made between Aragorn and Elrond as descendants of Eärendil on different paths, though that is true.
• Frodo has only recently recovered from a time where he was able to see people as they are on the “other side”, so this vision may be a relic of that experience from which is not fully healed.
• Even just being a Ringbearer has an effect on their perceptions, as we see that Bilbo will also need to go to Valinor in order to be healed from his experience as a Ringbearer.

On the power of Arwen’s eyes:

• Frodo seems to be hesitant to believe that Arwen is looking at him, but it also seems like Aragorn has said something to Arwen about Frodo leaving the Hall.
• There is a parallel with Galadriel later looking into their hearts later in the book, though this is different from what is happening here. This is more passive and less searching.
• This plays into medieval concepts of how the eyes worked, in that it was believed that the eyes projected light, and this was the mechanism of sight, rather than being passive receptors.
• This is preserved in our language in our expressions about sight, in that we talk about it as active, like looking out a window.
• Tolkien uses these ideas in his fiction, such as Bilbo seeing light projecting from Gollum’s eyes, which is not merely reflected light. Many creatures shine light from their eyes, such as dragons.
• He also indulges in the figurative use of that language, such as when Aragorn causes the Mouth of Sauron to recoil from the force of his gaze.
• Note: Three times in the text a gaze is said to “pierce” Frodo: The Witch-king at Weathertop, Arwen in the Hall of Fire, and Elrond at the Council.

(continued below)

 

[Tony Meade]

(continued)

Elvish song is not a thing to miss:

• The simile of the song as jewels seems like a remonstrance to the reader to make sure that they have read and taken in the Elvish song from earlier. The narrator is emphasizing its importance.
• The enchantment of the song is literal, as is his vision, which may be part of the enchantment. Even if he is literally dressed as described, Frodo is feeling the effect of the meaning.
• Bilbo’s gloss on the song is unnecessary, though this is another bit of hobbitry between them.
• Was the song intended to keep Frodo inside the borders of Faerie? Probably, as it is hard to leave the Hall, but this provides a transition back into the physical world.
• Does Bilbo mean this song is about the Blessed Realm, or that it is from there? The use of the term “song” rather than “hymn” implies personal relationship rather than worship.
• This song may have had its origins in Valinor but has been adapted for life in Middle-earth.
• While the description of Elvish songs seems like a good reason to stay, Bilbo’s familiarity with it encourages him to break the spell since Frodo has never heard this before.

Speaking of fair things:

• This moment is moving from the world of the great people and back to the little people.
• The Elves seem to have given Bilbo a room that opens out onto gardens because he would enjoy that based on how much he loved his garden at Bag End.
• The Ford of Bruinen was the boundary to Rivendell, but its ravine is much grander. The room is balance of Baggins and Took, with its humble apportions but looking out over a grand view.
• The parallelism is broken at the end of the description of what they speak of in the room. All of the other things have an “of” except for the “gentle fall”.
• This final list seems to act as appositives, being examples of the fair things of which they speak, instead of news of the Shire or the darkness outside.
• The “gentle fall” seems to be set aside, as if it were a sentence fragment. It seems as though this is a final item on the parallel list from before. It is not tied to the verb “spoke”.
• Note: Tolkien was far too careful to miss this in revision, so this must be deliberate, and is set aside because it alone speaks about time.
• The orientation in time is not about the past or the present as before, but about the future. This scene is happening in late October, so they can see the autumn falling in the woods.
• They are concerned with what the autumn foretells regarding the end of the year coming soon.
• The adjective “bright” is evocative in describing the year, in that we see the dying of the light of the year as the leaves fall in the woods.
• It’s important that the Elvish enchantment from earlier is not exchanged for hobbitry or bad omens, but for their own Hobbitish appreciation of beauty.
• The fall of the year is not gloomy but is counted among the other fair things they have seen.

Time for bed for Frodo:

• Bilbo not only sees through Sam’s gentle hinting, but that he is to report back to Gandalf.
• His use of Sam’s full name is a teasingly scolding tone, making fun of his try at misdirection.
• Sam is being practical after all, and Bilbo appreciates it, but he uses his joking tone to talk about some morbid things, such as doubting that he will live to see how the story ends.
• Bilbo is expressing the fact that his chapters in the story are written, but he wanted to see their chapters together to be written together, with a hopefully happy ending.
• The thread of Elbereth running through the chapter is tied up here, and his talk of looking at Elbereth’s stars is his own Hobbit way of paying tribute to her.
• There is the parallel of a shared immortality between Earendil and Bilbo in their stories, but while Eärendil’s is physical immortality, Bilbo’s is a metaphysical immortality through his stories.
• The emotion of reverence is one that seems to elude the Hobbits, or is difficult for them to express normally, but Bilbo’s desire to honor the stars of Elbereth is the closest one comes.
• When Frodo invoked Elbereth and Lúthien at the Ford, he showed his allegiance, but it was not the same as an act of devotion, such as Bilbo shows here wanting a private moment with her.
• The use of the word “trot” treats Sam as a messenger and is a last tease of Sam and Gandalf.
• Bilbo may still think of Sam as the kid who was his most devoted student along with Frodo.
• Note: In the first drafts of the “Many Partings” chapter, Bilbo gave Sam some of his Elvish lore books instead of the gold to get married, as he thought of Sam as his literary heir.

END OF SESSION