Tony Meade
Active Member
SESSION 75
Moonrise over Weathertop:
Moonrise over Weathertop:
- This is a moment where the narrator interjects more strongly than before, suggesting that the hobbits may have seen a rock on the hilltop. If it were Frodo, he would know better, of course.
- The purpose of this interjection is to put the reader in the place of the hobbits, and to share their experience, giving voice to the thoughts of the hobbits as they happen.
- If Frodo is voicing doubt, it is probably him trying to reassure himself against the danger.
- It’s possible that they really are seeing a rock against the sky, but in their state of fear, and in the knowledge of the proximity of the Black Riders, they are also probably jumpy.
- This also shows that the Ringwraiths are attacking now. Their power of fear is beginning to affect the hobbits, and this begins as soon as Strider stops speaking.
- Strider has probably kept the Riders off for quite a while, as the hobbit stretch as if they had been still for a long time, and the first thing they notice is the rising moon.
- Note: The Weathertop scene in the film is much more of an action scene, and the attack is much more physical, but the spiritual battle that occurs is difficult to depict onscreen. The Ringwraiths’ power is fear, not using swords, but it that doesn’t translate well to a visual medium.
- Much like in Crickhollow, they are investing their target with an increasing pressure of fear.
- The image of Strider with shining eyes and deep voice is an early glance at the real Aragorn underneath. Up until now, we have seen his cultivated rascal appearance as Strider.
- Even in Bree, Aragorn revealed himself as an Elf-friend and a friend of Gandalf, who knows a lot of lore and is well-travelled, but the hobbits would expect this having known Bilbo.
- Note: When Frodo wakes up in Rivendell, even then he is surprised to learn that Aragorn is one of the people of the old kings, and Aragorn does not reveal that he is the heir until the Council.
- The eagerness in Strider’s face follows his talking about Lúthien’s line. He is speaking of his own inheritance and personal history, including his relationship with Arwen.
- Note: We will come to understand that his and Arwen’s descent from Lúthien, and his descent from the kings of Númenor, will all come together when he becomes king and marries Arwen.
- Is the fading of the stars in the moonrise connected with the appearance of the Ringwraiths? When Gildor’s folk appeared and drove off the Black Rider, it was at the start of the starlight.
- Symbolically, this may be related to the first rising of the Moon, after the Elves had only lived under starlight in the First Age. This was at the end of Tom Bombadil’s vision of ancient peace.
- This isn’t truly moonrise, as the Moon has been up for hours, but now rising over Weathertop.
- The stars on a black background is part of the symbol of the Dúnedain, and we get a glimpse of that with Aragorn framed against the dark, starry sky. This is another glimpse of the past.
- The choice of the word “crown” seems portentous to use of the top of the hill in this context.
- Was the story protecting the hobbits, and did the Ringwraiths wait until it ended to attack?
- The fact that they have surrounded the camp and have not moved in is part of their attack, and not necessarily that they are being delayed by the power of the story.
- What this might show is that their attack using fear has been ineffective so far, due to the story. Only when the story ends, the attack begins to affect them.
- It seems unlikely that the Ringwraiths just happened to appear at the moment the story ended. There seems to be good evidence that Strider already knew they were there.
- It seems more likely that the Ringwraiths have already been attacking, but that up until now, Aragorn has been winning that battle, using the story. Hope has been winning over despair.
- Strider was very careful about which story to tell, and this was the one he chose to tell.
- There is power in Strider’s song, like the power in the songs of Bombadil or Old Man Willow.
- Note: There is a parallel to the passage in Ephesians 6 in which Paul speaks of battles, not against physical enemies, but against dark spiritual forces and their effects on people.
- Strider’s watching the moonlight intently is a tell that there is more to see there than the hobbits can see, and that he is letting on. He generally plays things close to the vest.
- Why does Strider have the hobbits pick up burning sticks to resist the Ringwraiths? This doesn’t seem to be a way to damage the Ringwraiths, but they do fear it, especially the light.
- This battle will not come down to physical blows with weapons. Only Frodo and the Witch-king will draw and use weapons. The hobbits also have swords, but don’t use them.
- The fire is mostly used to make the hobbits feel braver, which will strengthen them for the spiritual battle to come. The flaming brands are not to strike the Ringwraiths.
- Sam’s report shows that he is sensible as always. He was not willing to stay out among the fear.
- Strider has no doubts about what is happening and doesn’t try to convince himself otherwise.
- Frodo seems to be in a panicked hope that they are not being attacked, which explains his question. He is attempting to rationalize away his fear of the wraiths.
- This kind of rationalization is usually associated with the effects of the Ring, which is interesting.
- Merry has proven his taste for adventure here, as he has shown in Bree, by staying to look for the Ringwraiths and coming back to report on what he saw in the moonlight.
- Frodo wants to be strong and positive, but he is fooling himself in a way that Strider doesn’t.
- Why didn’t Strider keep telling stories if it was working? This tactic seems to only to be able delay the approach of the Ringwraiths, though the attack was inevitable.
- As we see in Crickhollow, there is a two-phase attack by the Ringwraiths, and the story could only hold back the Ringwraiths for the first phase before the direct attack.
- Gandalf chose to fight using fire instead of speech, but he was alone when the attack came.