Episode 80 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 80

Trembling they spring forward:

• Does the trembling include just the hobbits, or Strider, too? This seems to apply only to the hobbits, as later in the paragraph, “they” refers only to the hobbits, not Strider.
• This shows that this is still the story of the hobbits, with Strider seen by them as an outsider.
• How should we interpret the cries? The obvious choice is the Ringwraiths, but if not, we don’t have any clues as to who else it could be, aside from possibly their allies, which we haven’t seen.
• We must remember that the Black Riders’ horses are somehow involved in the chase, too.
• Since it’s daytime when they cross the road, if someone is spying on them, they need to see.
• We have heard cries like this before in the Marish, but there were words heard in that cry.
• Is the horse looking out for the Ringwraiths and communicating to them in that way?
• The adjective “cold” applied to the voice of the cry definitely points to the Ringwraiths, and having it happen as they cross the road doesn’t seem like a coincidence, though it’s possible.
• However, the mechanism for spotting them isn’t clear. The sense that the Ringwraiths have of living things does not seem to work at long range.
• If the Ringwraiths have spotted them, it doesn’t seem to result in immediate pursuit.
• Note: The narrator’s voice, probably Frodo’s, is trying to communicate the uncertainly they feel. We know much more than the characters about the Ringwraiths, and their numbers and powers. We have seen this in other places, as they don’t have clear understanding of any of this.
• It does seem like the hobbits and the two voices are all a long distance from each other.
• Another possibility is that the two cries were between the two groups of Ringwraiths that had split up at Weathertop, with four pursuing Gandalf.
• Could the cries be an attempt to herd the hobbits toward the trap? Where would the trap be?
• The cries would definitely succeed in making the hobbits feel hunted and afraid, which works to the benefit of the Ringwraiths, but we don’t see their exact plan.
• If this is a coincidence, then Frodo may have connected the two and then tells us how that felt.
• Frodo was not in the frame of mind to be a completely reliable witness, though the other hobbits would probably remember it well, especially given the level of detail we’re given.
• Note: It’s unlikely that this is a mistake by Tolkien, as those usually occur when he has attempted to retcon things from older versions and misses something. In this case, he has not retconned this passage and the elements of the wraiths, such as their smelling and blindness, have been there since the beginning.

The routing of the Ringwraiths:

• It’s also possible that the Ringwraiths were scattered when they were routed on Weathertop, and now need to find each other and regroup, and this explains the call and response.
• Note: This rout seems to be worse than in Crickhollow, which included violence and no screams.
• The fact that they do not attack again, as they all expect, shows that they have been routed.
• Even if the Witch-king is sure that the splinter will make Frodo into a wraith, they would attack with fear in order to scatter the hobbits and speed up the process, but this doesn’t happen.
• It would seem like the Ringwraiths need some time to recover after being repelled by Elbereth.
• It’s notable that four days pass without incident, even as the hobbits expect an attack.
• Could Frodo have invoked Elbereth again at some point? It doesn’t seem like this was something that Frodo could do again, at least in the same way, but the Ringwraiths don’t know this.
• Since, the five that attacked at Weathertop failed, they may wish to wait until all nine of the Ringwraiths are gathered before trying again, as they’re all stronger together.
• Geographically speaking, the Witch-king knows that the other four Riders going to arrive back on the Road long before the hobbits reach Rivendell, especially as they’re mounted.
• The Ringwraiths have the advantage of knowledge over Frodo about what is happening to him.
• Again, like in Crickhollow, the usual Ringwraith tactics seem to be failing when used on Hobbits, and all along hobbits have surprisingly resisted and stood up to them.
• The fact that Frodo hasn’t succumbed to the knife wound may also surprise the Witch-king.
• Note: We see in Unfinished Tales that the Nazgûl are able to completely daunt the squint-eyed southerner, so they know that they have this power, so to be given sass by Gaffer Gamgee and Farmer Maggot, among others, would have wrong-footed them.
• The fact that some kind of healing has taken place, and possibly elvish healing, shows that elvish power is at play here, of which they would be wary.
• Note: Glorfindel will encounter and chase off the Nazgûl from the bridge on the next day.

A geography lesson before the Ettenmoors:

• There is a sense of exposure as the land begins to rise, even though they have the higher ground and there are wooded hills around the Road, but the lack of crossings makes it dangerous.
• They have been expecting an attack all along, and they would expect ambush at a crossing.
• Note: It will turn out that Strider was right about them being fortunate that the bridge was not held against them, as it was being held by the Ringwraiths before Glorfindel drove them off.
• Note: Tolkien seems to be drawing on traditional lore in having running water be a barrier to ghosts and other evil spirits in having this impede the Ringwraiths, though they can cross with difficulty, as seen by their trip to Eriador up the Greenway. However, in this scene, the rivers are physical obstacles to the company that the Riders use against them.
• When Strider says that he doesn’t know how to cross the rivers, it’s not that he doesn’t know about the usual crossings, like the Fords of Bruinen, but that he expects them to be blocked.
• Note: Boromir’s trip through southern Eriador involved crossing the Greyflood much further downstream, where he lost his horse, which returned to Rohan, who had lent it after he came there from Gondor, presumably also on horseback, and the Rohirrim gave him a fresh horse.

A token left on the Last Bridge:

• Sam and Strider go forward together, and this shows that they have taken over leadership.
• That Strider has no guess as to why the bridge is open is interesting, though he may still be holding back his thoughts and not sharing with the hobbits.
• Note: He knows Glorfindel and Gandalf might be able to clear the bridge for him, but he doesn’t have any clear sign that they were there, only the beryl. This could even come from Gildor.
• Note: Aragorn uses both his childhood and future regnal names in one sentence: Estel or “hope”, and Elessar or “elf-stone”, so this is a subtle foreshadowing and positive sign.
• Strider chooses to take the beryl as a sign as if it were left there deliberately, but he may be interpreting it much more broadly as a sign, like with the firewood at the dell, of Providence.
• Strider doesn’t seem to believe in coincidence, in the same way as Gildor or Tom Bombadil.
• Was the elf-stone left there for Strider as a kind of code since it is one of his other names? He doesn’t seem to be interpreting it that way, or otherwise he’s being disingenuous to the hobbits.
• When Strider had been withholding to the hobbits before, it has been about scary or negative things. In this case, he would be withholding positive news, which doesn’t help them.
• There is a note of conservatism in Strider’s not being willing to jump to a positive conclusion, despite the evidence of the absence of the Ringwraiths, and the presence of the elf-stone.
• If the stone were dropped on purpose, this is good because it means that they have an ally, but it is almost better if it falls by chance, which would show the work of Providence.
• Since they have to cross anyway, and the way seems clear, they choose to cross the bridge.
• Why is the beryl an “elf-stone”? What makes it elvish? Because it belongs to an elf?
• Note: The reason “beryl, pearl, and opal pale” are associated with the Dwarves in Gimli’s poem in Moria is because those lines were lifted from the Lay of Leithian, which described the halls of Thingol in Menegroth. Therefore, they were originally Elf-treasure, not Dwarf-treasure.

END OF SESSION