Episode 158 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 158

A question of academic specialties:

• It’s reasonable for Gandalf to assume that the most certain way to oppose the Nine getting to Frodo is to work with Saruman, and so he should go to Isengard instead of the Shire.
• The description of Radagast is very close to things associated with Faerie, such as glamours and elements of nature. It also seems that Radagast himself might be able to change his appearance.
• Throughout Middle-earth, birds seem to be allies with many peoples and individuals.
• Note: It’s possible that it was from Radagast that Beorn learned the ability to assume bear-shape, as the origin of that is not explained in The Hobbit.
• Gandalf’s explanation seems to emphasize that each of the Wizards have academic specialties, though they put that knowledge in to practice in the outside world.
• Gandalf’s specialties seem to be fire magic and the peoples of Middle-earth. Saruman has specialized on Sauron himself, and Radagast is in the ways of nature.
• Note: Importing the information from Unfinished Tales can be useful but not authoritative, as Tolkien often changes the meaning of the text, and even the text itself, retroactively. The differences between the tone and style of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as the plot events, have caused the characters and us to start to question Gandalf’s origins. Wizards had been presented as a professional title, but the current story has raised uncertainties, due to the way Gandalf is treated by other high-status characters, as well as hints that he has given.
• The primary point of the description of Radagast is that he is worthy, but not as useful in the current situation as Saruman would be. The idea of allying with Radagast is not an option.
• Radagast has also left his own domain and responsibilities to bring this message, to which he needs to return, and therefore can’t stay to help Gandalf anyway.
• What were the devices of Saruman that they used in Dol Guldur? In what sense is “devices” being used? This may refer to his strategic wisdom, but possibly also to his practical creations.
• The word “devices” may be used as a kind of foreshadowing by Gandalf of his later revelations.
• The use of “weapons” seems to be literal, as Saruman has studied the ways of Sauron and his servants, and there’s precedent in the blades of the Dúnedain of Arnor opposing the Witch-king.
• Gandalf seems to be relying on the hope of superior force rather than his own abilities and judgement about others’ character, and in this lies his mistake, though understandable.
• Saruman had characterized a potential refusal of his help as because of Gandalf’s pride.

The days are running short:

• By adding the external deadline of Midsummer, Radagast himself is concerned about the time.
• This pushes Gandalf to make an immediate decision, as going to warn Frodo first might cost him several days that would make him too late to obtain aid from Saruman.
• This seems to be confirmed by Radagast’s haste to leave, though he doesn’t say where he’s going. It may be that he is returning to Saruman to report on his quest.
• Gandalf genuinely appreciates Radagast’s skills and knows the things that he can contribute to his protection of Frodo, which includes updates on the location of the Nazgûl.
• While it’s worth leaving the primary theater of action around the Shire if Saruman can help him, it also leaves him without the ability to gather news about the movements of the Enemy.
• Note: It’s not clear that the Shire calendar equates Midsummer exactly with the summer solstice, as we do. Tolkien was meticulous about the dates in the timeline, especially with the Hobbit calendar, but Radagast is not referring to the Shire calendar, so he may mean it more generally. This seems to be on or around June 30th or July 1st since it is listed as Midyear’s Day in Appendix B. Frodo may have used the term “Midsummer” as a substitute for the Hobbit term.
• While Radagast has fulfilled his promised to Saruman to find Gandalf, and he will fulfill the promise to send news to Gandalf with his friends, but it’s not clear what his bigger role is.
• What is Radagast’s hurry? Is he in fear for himself, or for his friends in and around Mirkwood? This is unclear, as it is how Saruman contrived to use Radagast as a messenger in the first place.
• Under what pretense he got Radagast to come to him before heading west, it would have to be something that would not raise suspicions in Radagast, but what that was remains a mystery.

The lair of Saruman:

• Gandalf’s plans only seem to be mistakes in retrospect, as his thinking is reasonable. By sending the message in July, he is giving Frodo an extra two months to move and leave earlier safely.
• Gandalf also did not have better options than Butterbur, and he is Gandalf’s trustworthy friend.
• The geographical description seems to the be for the benefit of those less familiar, but his inclusion of Boromir in the description seems to be placate him as a representative of Gondor.
• Aragorn had diminished Boromir’s travels in comparison to his own, so this may be to acknowledge the fact that Boromir has been through the Gap of Rohan most recently.
• The hobbits would not be the only ones unfamiliar with this part of the world, as many of the Elves and Dwarves might have never been there for many years.
• Gandalf seems to be establishing an atmosphere in his description of the environment of Isengard, and the construction of Orthanc, as a place of ancient mystery in which Saruman lives.
• What secrets does Orthanc hold, and how are they related to its height? These mysteries seem to be separate from Saruman himself, and predate him, though he has chosen to live there.
• None of these facts are necessary for understanding the events, except to set up an ominous feeling about what happens inside the confines which are hidden from everyone else.
• The ancientry associated with the unknown means of building it by the Numenoreans isn’t necessarily evil, only that there is power there that Saruman seems to have sought out.
• Orthanc is the only place of residence of any of the Wizards, though it was made with power that is not Saruman’s and he is in a way an outsider.
• This implies a kind of strength appropriated by Saruman in controlling this stronghold, but also weakness in that it has had to be claimed after it was abandoned.
• Note: This is a parallel to Mîm in The Silmarillion, setting up in the ruins of Nargathrond, after the Elves have been destroyed by Glaurung and abandoned their treasures.

END OF SESSION