Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 36
Comment on Tom’s guided tour of the history of Eä:
Comment on Tom’s guided tour of the history of Eä:
- Why does Tom drift off to sleep at the end of his vision of the beginning?
- The trip is generally backwards in time, though not always consecutively.
- Was this Tom’s state at the beginning of time? Did he sleep through the Music of the Ainur?
- If he is one of the Ainur, then he would have to predate the Music.
- It’s possible that he was asleep at the creation of Arda and awoke within it, but that doesn’t fit within the system of the legendarium.
- Would such a sleep be literal or metaphorical?
- This may not be an autobiographical statement, but rather has to do with the enchantment he is weaving for the hobbits.
- Tom slipping into sleep is a transition from telling stories to dreaming and allowing the hobbits to participate in his dream directly.
- Note: This is an example of “Faërian Drama”, a term from “On Fairy-Stories”, in which one person brings others into their own thoughts through enchantment.
- What is it about this day that makes it suited to Goldberry’s washing? What is she cleaning?
- Tom and Goldberry’s attire have been strongly associated with their identities, but they change clothing today. This seems important.
- Is the change in clothing a signal of a change to get ready for winter?
- Since the first frost came the night before (why Tom had to collect the water-lilies), this may be why Goldberry has changed to winter colors.
- Tom’s colors may reflect hope for the spring and a memory of the pool where he met his wife.
- It seems important that after the hobbits hear Goldberry’s singing and her washing, the next time they see her, she is changed in appearance.
- There is a mythic tension between whether Tom and Goldberry are representing the change in seasons, or if they are in fact causing those changes, or both.
- The phrase “washing day” is meant to invoke a day of domestic chores, and their change of clothing would reflect that, but the rain and Tom’s explanation shows there’s something more.
- It does not seem likely to be a coincidence that Goldberry is singing and it is raining.
- Is Goldberry causing the rain or merely celebrating the rain?
- In either case, the rain brings a cleansing, but to what? The forest? The river? Herself?
- She may be cleansing herself, as a flower would go in for the winter, and come out in spring.
- If the analogy is to a human washing day, then she would be washing something else.
- Note: This is a few days past the autumnal equinox, but still related to it.
- It’s important that we are not given enough information to answer these questions, which Tolkien admitted was deliberate.
- There is a direct connection between Goldberry and the Withywindle valley, so in one sense they are the same thing. She is the subject, actor, and object of the action all at once.
- Tom’s phrase “keep your feet from wandering” is double-edged. He is talking openly about the hobbits’ departure in the morning, but also about Frodo’s impulse to leave the house now.
- There is a tact and politeness in his desire to spare Frodo shame, even knowing and understanding what is happening with Frodo. He lets Frodo save face.
- This is a very different approach to Gandalf, who is more likely to call out foolishness directly.
- Note: This is similar to the gentle chiding that the Green Knight gives Gawain for taking the belt in an attempt to save his life.
- Frodo takes up the invitation to take the incident lightly, but it is clearly an act. He is also unsuccessfully trying to feel pleased, because of disquiet at being unable to resist the Ring.
- It is more likely that this feeling is coming from Frodo and not the Ring. There is not enough evidence to show that the Ring itself is planning or reacting to the situation.
- The power of the Ring to tempt is shown in Frodo’s series of rationalizations, which is something that we have seen before.
- The impulse to separate oneself from others seems to be the next step in the temptation of the Ring. This will be a pattern over time.
- These impulses do not necessarily support sentience and planning on the part of the Ring.
- Tom’s assertion that he is not a “weather-master” once again raises the question of what mastery means in relation to Tom.
- Note: The hyphenated phrase “weather-master” points to a non-English word without a direct English translation.
- If Tom is not the master of the weather, that means that the weather is beyond his control.
- Does this mean that the weather can catch him, even though rain doesn’t fall on him?
- Even if Tom is not the master of the weather, the weather is not the master of Tom.
- Is Goldberry not a “weather-master”, although she seems to cause the rain?
- The concept of “weather-master” seems to be a different concept from simply causing local weather phenomena. This seems to be bigger in geography and scope.
- Tom is declaring that he is not in charge of the rain, and therefore cannot predict it.
- Tom may be able to prevent the effects of the rain on the hobbits but doesn’t do that as a rule.
- The mastery of Tom is associated with knowledge and understanding, rather then dominance.
- This means that he does not have the same knowledge of the weather as the life of the forest.
- Note: It’s conspicuous that Tom advises the hobbits not to pry into the houses of the Barrow-wights, as one of them pried into Tom’s house in the poem.
- There are two ways to think of Tom’s advice to pass the mounds on the west-side. One is that this is on the bigger, metaphorical level of “East” vs “West”, and one is the practical, as they will pass the Barrows in the afternoon and the west side will be the sunlight side.
- Who has Tom known who came to a bad end by prying into the barrows?
- Are the doors to the barrows on the East side?
- Keeping to the green grass seems to be important, as this keeps them in contact with living things, as opposed to the stone, which is associated with dead and/or inanimate things.
- The coldness and oldness of the stone is associated with both things in the Barrow-wights.
- Note: There is a relationship between this advice and Legolas’ lack of affinity for the stone-spirits he encounters in Eregion later.