There are two connections between the use of the name of Tinúviel by Beren and Aragorn’s life.
One of these is in the way that the people of Minas Tirith spontaneously begin to call Aragorn “Elfstone” or Elessar, thus fulfilling a prophecy that this would be his regnal name.
The other is the way that Aragorn calls Arwen “Tinúviel” when he first encounters her in the forest. This is spontaneous, as he’d been singing of Lúthien, but it points to something deeper.
When Beren calls Lúthien by the name Tinúviel, he is expressing the same vision of her that had prompted the Elves to give her the same name, which is her association with nightingales.
The way that doom brings Beren and Lúthien together seems to be expressed in the fact that he seemed to know the right name to call her when they met.
Aragorn’s calling Arwen by the name Tinúviel is not necessarily wrong, as even the Elves have observed the likeness between her and Lúthien. However, it is a mistake that is corrected.
There may be a connection between this mistake in identifying Arwen as Lúthien and the story’s more tragic ending for Aragorn and Arwen, as well as a lack of Arwen’s understanding of death.
However, the Elves’ loss is emphasized in Lúthien’s story; Elrond’s loss is the same with Arwen.
When Arwen chooses Aragorn, she becomes mortal and is sundered from the Elves. When Aragorn dies, she becomes a widow, but she will not be separated from Aragorn forever.
Frodo sees beneath the wraiths’ wrappings:
It’s made clear that there is a connection between the Ringwraiths and Ringbearers, and from the state of a hobbit who holds the Ring and the state of the wraiths there is a spectrum.
Bilbo was further down the spectrum that Frodo, but Gollum was much further along than them both. However, Gollum had not faded because he didn’t wear that Ring that much.
Strider has already explained that the Ringwraiths don’t interact with the world in a normal way.
Frodo is interacting with the wraiths in the way that they interact with each other, which primarily means that he can see them.
Their faces are not skeletal or spectral. They can be seen to be Men and are identifiable. They are described as white, meaning pallid or ghostly in hue, but they are real in their own world.
The eyes of the wraiths fall on him, much like a predator looks upon its prey, but it is unusual that they are able to see him at all, which is important.
If it is the command of the Witch-king that caused Frodo to put on the Ring, he would not be surprised by this, but the other four may be, and take a moment to fix on Frodo.
Note: The appearance of the Ringwraiths is of very old Men, not the hollow-eyed eldritch horrors shown in the film version.
The keenness of their eyes is unexpected, which is the opposite of their former blindness, and it also implies an intelligence and cunning. He mercilessness of their eyes is expected, however.
The Witch-king is privy to more information about the hobbits, but none of them have ever seen a hobbit before, because none of them, not even Gollum, had the Ring on at the time.
Note: Smaug, like the wraiths, had smelled a hobbit before, but also never got to see one.
The grey robes may be an effect of age on color and may imply a negative version of Gandalf’s.
The fact that the wraiths appear withered and aged shows their weakened nature. These are not warriors in the hale strength of their youth.
The pluralization of “hairs” implies that there is not much of it left, and it is thin and wispy.
The piercing nature of their gaze may be primarily about the effect that it has on the recipient, but Tolkien also describes the vision of Sauron as being able to pierce through obstacles.
Note: In the Middle Ages, the concept of sight is as a thing that emits from the eyes, rather than the eyes being the receptors of light. Our language mostly reflects this older view, such as the idea of looking out of a window or looking over at a sight far away. The light that emits from Gollum’s eyes is an exaggeration of this way of thinking about the way that sight works. This may be related to our ability to sense when someone is looking at us.
There is a sense of violation in the way Frodo is laid bare before the eyes of the Ringwraiths.
Frodo’s sees his sword in the Ring world:
Frodo is seeing his sword differently, reflecting the power or will put into it, which is different from the magic put into the elvish blades like Sting or Glamdring.
Having been forged by elves who hated orcs, that spirit is infused into the blade, expressing itself in the blue glow for use by the elves.
In a similar way, the Dúnedain sword is infused with hate for Angmar, but the red glow is only visible while in the wraith world, expressing towards the wraiths themselves.
The fire that the wraiths do not love is expressed as fire flickering in the sword.
These are magic swords in the way that the hobbits would express it, but this is something that might be expressed as craft, though spells were certainly involved.
The Ringwraiths would certainly have been able to see the swords, along with the fire and the burning sticks, even if they couldn’t see the hobbits.
Frodo does not need to wear the Ring to make the sword look like this to the Ringwraiths, but when he puts on the Ring, he is able to see the sword the way they do.
What does Frodo look like to the Ringwraiths while wearing the Ring? Would he appear as he is, or as he might become if he is made into a wraith?
Does Strider have the broken sword drawn, and it is visible to the Ringwraiths? If so, it would be different from the Numenorean swords since it was made by the dwarves.
What would the Ring look like to the Ringwraiths? They would certainly be aware of it, but it’s not clear if it would appear like the wheel of fire described later in Mordor.
Only the Witch-king advances towards Frodo. The other two wraiths that come into the dell seem to halt at the sight of Frodo’s sword.
This doesn’t seem to be about combat tactics, so this is not a flanking attack. The Ringwraiths don’t engage in combat as they are now. Even the Witch-king doesn’t use his sword.
It’s possible that the swords that Frodo can see are phantoms, like the grey cloaks they wear. All of their appearance under their real cloaks may be ghostly remainders.
Note: The way that the Witch-king appears in Minas Tirith is an anomaly and a change after this.
Could the Ringwraiths physically attack the hobbits if they wanted? Are Strider and the other three hobbits in any physical danger from the swords of the Ringwraiths?
We see here and later in Minas Tirith that these Numenorean swords can damage the Nazgûl.
Fatty Bolger was able to resist the Black Riders by escaping, but he did fall apart later. Here, Frodo does not cower or run away or submit, but brandishes his sword and resists them.
The very act of drawing his sword is an act of defiance and counterattacking them spiritually.
In this spiritual battle, the act of preparing to defend oneself is actually defending oneself.
The battle between wraiths and mortals:
Are the two that do not enter the dell following a plan, or are they also daunted by the defense?
Strider has explained that there is an opposite but symmetrical relationship between the living and the Ringwraiths. As the Ringwraiths come closer, the experience is more intense.
Is the lip of the dell a kind of threshold? By preparing to defend to the dell, this may have put those two outside it off of their attack, as their experience of the living is more intense now.
There is no practical reason for those two to remain outside the dell. Frodo is not going to escape if he runs, and we know that the Ringwraiths are stronger acting together.
Note: In the original drafts, it was the Ringwraiths who caused the delay, just as Strider said it would be the only thing that might delay him. He was besieged by the Ringwraiths, though they couldn’t enter the tower or come close as long as Gandalf defended himself.
Note: It is important not to think of the Ringwraiths as though they were flesh and blood warriors. For instance, they no longer eat or sleep. They are now operating as spiritual creatures under spiritual rules, such as being inhibited by water and fire, and their wills are not their own. As with vampire lore, the rules imposed on vampires are not a personal preference but constrained by spiritual rules which are not all explained. This is important to understand the nature of the Black Riders as the villains of Book One.
The difference in confidence and power among the Ringwraiths may account for the difference in their ability to approach the hobbits and especially Frodo.
The Nazgûl seem to be a group of eight following one, with the other eight as the minions of the Witch-king. They strengthen him, but only as servants. This is consistent with evil creatures.
Frodo’s friends give him and each other moral support which strengthens them all.
The Witch-king intends to bring all four wraiths into the dell with him, but that seems to fail because of Strider and the others’ resistance, and the protagonists are winning.
This is taken even further when Frodo resists with this sword, which overcomes the two who do come into the dell with his will and the support of the others.
Only the Witch-king seems to have the strength to overcome all resistance to enter the dell.
Frodo submits to the pressure to put on the Ring, but he is not compelled against his will. Frodo will rebuke himself for his weakness later, unlike in Mordor where his will is overridden.
This spiritual combat has an ebb and flow within the battle between Frodo and the Witch-king.
It’s interesting that both the knife and the hand glows, which shows a connection between Witch-king and the blade, unlike Frodo’s sword which burns alone.
The Morgul power of that blade is an extension of the Witch-king’s own power.
Invoking the name of Elbereth:
Frodo seems to attack the Witch-king, but the fact that he ends up on the ground seems to be a confusion of two impulses, to attack and to cower at the same time. This is ambiguous.
The result of taking two different actions at the same time ends up looking strange and clumsy.
This does not seem to be intentional, as this opens Frodo up to the attack that wounds him.
Frodo is the one describing this action, so he does not portray himself as a heroic swordsman.
Frodo had put on the Ring by choice, though this was under duress, but he seems to be speaking the name of Elbereth Gilthoniel spontaneously and unconsciously.
Who is circumventing Frodo’s will to make him invoke Elbereth? Is this an elvish spell?
This maybe a direct intervention by Varda and/or the other Valar, or it may be a result of the blessing placed on him by Gildor when he makes Frodo and Elf-friend.
Gildor’s blessing has the effect of a spell of protection, though he is invoking the power of the Varda to make it effective. The two things seem to be interwound and connected.
Much like when Gildor sings the song of Elbereth, the name causes the Ringwraiths to flee.
This is the explanation as to why the Ringwraiths run away, even though Frodo is wounded, and the Ring is there for the taking. They are repelled by the power of the name of Elbereth.
This is not just Frodo speaking the name like a magic word. There is another power working through and for him, and there is a sense of Providence being involved as well.
Who cries out in the night? Is this Frodo or the Witch-king? This seems to be the Witch-king response to the name of Elbereth and his being repelled.
Even though Frodo is wounded, and the Witch-king not routed, the Ringwraiths lose this spiritual battle in the dell. They are forced to withdraw, which was not their plan all along.
It is a sign of the Witch-king’s power and persistence that he manages to stab Frodo before being driven away the name of Elbereth.
It is not the appearance of Strider with the flaming brands that drives the Witch-king away.
Frodo could have stabbed the Witch-king in the foot, but he misses and only strikes his cloak.
The Witch-king loses this battle, but he doesn’t fail completely, and he still has a chance.
Pierced by poisoned ice:
Note: There is a parallel with a Hans Christian Andersen story of The Snow Queen and the idea of poisoned ice used as a weapon.
The metaphor of poisoned ice captures the sense of the cold, thin piercing, and its effects.
Why is it so much harder for the Ringwraiths to attack the hobbits and Strider than it is to attack Gandalf? It seems to have much to do with being alone and afraid, though he is more powerful.
Gandalf also uses fire in a similar way as Strider, but in a more powerful way, though he may be more spiritually vulnerable.
Where is Strider while all of this is happening? He seems to have spent these moments collecting the fire to use against the Ringwraiths, though everything happens quickly.
There is a sense of time dilation due to the trauma of the event and wearing the Ring.
Frodo’s distorted vision could be the result of shock, or his wounding while wearing the Ring.
Note: It is hard to compare the experiences of Frodo and Bilbo when wearing the Ring, though Frodo seems to have a similar experience at times. However, in moments like the fight with the Ringwraiths, the power of the wraith world to distort his perceptions might make Frodo unsure of what he is seeing. Frodo will be traumatized by this event, and the details will be distorted.
The Ringwraiths will also appear clearer in the wraith world than the living will seem.
Frodo attempts to reverse his poor choice earlier by willingly taking off the Ring. He is able to claim a small victory by reasserting his will, but it also allows him to be found and helped.
Frodo’s taking off the Ring is the final blow of the spiritual battle, which Frodo wins.
