Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 68
Comment on Frodo’s prediction of wraithification:
Comment on Frodo’s prediction of wraithification:
- The emphasis should be on the word “shall” not “wraith”, in “shall become a wraith”. It is the idea that Frodo is accepting this as his future that causes Strider to respond as he does.
- It seems as if Frodo has been thinking about becoming a wraith before this, as though this might be inevitable. It betrays a weakening of his resolve to resist the Ring.
- Note: There is an irony that it is in giving up all hope for himself that allows Frodo to get through Mordor. The dichotomy of hope and despair is a major theme of the book.
- Note: These hills are described in The Hobbit as ominous, and the castles as having an evil look.
- There is a question of how old this path is and who made it. Was this created by the ancient Dúnedain, or by later peoples, such as the Rangers who use it to approach Weathertop?
- The description is reminiscent of an old Roman road fallen into disrepair.
- The lines of large boulders screening the path doesn’t seem as though they could be the work of Rangers. This would point to it being constructed by an older, more numerous people.
- Rangers are also likely not to leave a visible path, so they are probably falling an older path.
- The description of the stones as “hewn” points away from them being natural.
- Would the constructors of the path want to hide it from Weathertop? This depends on who built it. Two or three of the Arnorian kingdoms fought for Weathertop at different times.
- We are given many general statements about the history of Weathertop but not details.
- If the intention was to screen viewers atop the hill from seeing anyone approaching it, then that points to Rhudaur, who besieged it for a long time.
- They travel on this road for part of a day and then camp overnight before reaching it, so they are within sight of Weathertop, but out of range of any weapons.
- It would not have been necessary to hide the path during the height of the united Arnorian kingdom. It would only be during the civil wars that this might have been done.
- The main East Road would have been used by Elendil to approach Weathertop and Rivendell.
- Note: Amon-Sûl fell to Rhudaur in T.A. 1409, but the final fall of Arthedain to Angmar was not until T.A. 1974, so there was a large gap of time when Arthedain still existed but did not possess it. The palantir of Amon-Sûl was taken to Arthedain, and King Arvedui had it when was lost on the elvish ship. The Bree-lands would also have been lost to Arthedain about this time.
- The remains of walls and dikes point to this only being a remote military outpost, something that Strider confirms when he says that people did not live here.
- The reason for Merry’s comment about being reminded of the Barrow-wights is unclear, but he may be worried about being in a similar situation, alone in an abandoned place.
- This and the Barrow-downs might be Merry’s only experience with large, stone ruins in his life.
- Note: The barrows in the Barrow-downs were constructed by the people who predated the return of the Dúnedain, but this set of stones are much more modern in construction.
- Merry may be getting a similar feeling as he had in the Barrow-downs, regarding the wars of the Dúnedain with Angmar. This may be a more spiritual feeling.
- Merry’s limited experience outside of the Shire may lead him to make some simplistic assumptions, but they have not been told anything about this history before this moment.
- Note: There is a memory of Tom Bombadil’s enchanted visions of the past in here, too.
- Merry may simply be having anxiety regarding being around any barrows after his experience.
- Much like Pippin’s comment about shortcuts, Merry may not want to remake prior mistakes.
- Following the mention of the barrows with talking about the Men of the West seems like a non sequitur, as the Dúnedain did not make the barrows.
- Aragorn’s answer is about the Barrow-wights, not the barrows themselves. The haunting of the Barrow-downs was done because of the presence in the Dúnedain.
- The link between the infestation Barrow-wights as an attack against the Dúnedain is what Aragorn is referring to when he tries to ease Merry’s worries about there being no barrows.
- Note: Barrows are special kinds of burials, and there seems to be a need for that kind of place before the power of the spirits that became the Barrow-wights could act on them. It’s important to remember that the presence and connection of Barrow-wight is the result of a deliberate spell, and it is trapped there unless the spell is broken.
- There is an implication that the fact that the Men of the North did not live near Weathertop means that they also did not bury their dead there.
- Note: The notion that the Barrow-downs were built by men before the kingdom of Arnor was something that predated the creation of Arnor in Tolkien’s writings. The Tom Bombadil episode was mostly finalized very early in the writing process, and the barrows and Barrow-wight were brought in along with the importation of Tom Bombadil.
- Note: Because of the issues regarding Numenorean burials and their continuance in Gondor, there is the possibility that the Dúnedain of Arnor would avoid marked tombs as a result. We don’t know how or where Arathorn was buried, though we do see Gilraen’s grave in Rivendell, which was presumably made by the Elves. Cremation and ship burials are mentioned in the early writings about Númenor, but it is mentioned as something common of older peoples.