Comment on Tolkien’s commentary on the Weathertop attack:
Tolkien clarifies in later text extracts of the Witch-king’s fear of the Ringbearer after encountering his companions, weapons, and support by the Powers.
Tolkien, like the Witch-king, starts out assuming that Aragorn repulsed the Ringwraiths, but later realizes that it is Frodo who is more responsible.
He may not have realized the full import of various events leading up to and during the attack.
The original text is almost unchanged in the final text, so this is Tolkien reconsidering the meanings of events as a reader, not during the editing process.
The retcons are usually not done by changing the text that is written, but in changed context.
Tolkien then has to reconsider the old text in the context of the new material around it.
As usual, Tolkien approaches his text as a scholar, and considers it as written, rather than changing it. This is different from the kinds of retcon done by other authors.
Tolkien is willing express his analysis of his own text as opinions, which leaves room for others.
His approach often was to search for the correct history within the text and extrapolate.
Note: Unfinished Tales was the first thing published by Christopher Tolkien that contains his father’s writings that were done post-The Lord of the Rings, considering subjects in the book. It’s unclear what his original intentions were for the publication of those materials.
It’s clear that Tolkien thinks that the Witch-king is doing worse than it may seem to other readers, but he also considers that he would be aware of Frodo’s defeat of the Barrow-wight.
There is a parallel here to the orc Snaga’s impression of Sam as a great elf warrior later. This is one of the few times where we see the peril of the villains from their point of view.
The Witch-king, as creator of the Barrow-wights, knows their power and would understand what it would take to defeat one. This causes him to pause and reconsider his opponent.
After being swept away at the Ford of Bruinen, he would have to wonder what he is up against.
The sound of hoofs upon the Road:
The party has been channeled into the Road, so they have to, in Sam’s later words, trust to luck.
The suspense of the scene is shown by the darkness falling on them as the sun goes down, followed by the cold wind, which is ominous and seems to imply that their enemies are there.
The sound of hooves is a cue to us as readers to expect the Black Riders, going all the way back to the Shire and the first encounter with them when they thought it might be Gandalf.
Their attempt to hide may seem even more useless as it had been in the Shire, as there are more people in their party, plus the pony.
It is not until we hear the particular sound of the hoofbeats that we are clued into this horse being different, and the choice of “clippety” as the onomatopoeia makes it sound lighter.
The bells are a good sign in more than one way, especially as the Black Riders didn’t use them.
Note: There is a parallel between this scene and the Father Christmas encounter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in which the Pevensie kids are sure they are being caught up by the enemy that they have feared, but the ringing of bells is the first clue that it may be an ally.
The rider of this horse does not seem concerned with secrecy or stealth, since bells are used.
The narrator doesn’t comment on this turn of evidence, allowing us to come to our own conclusions along with the characters.
The bells are also a means to be found by the hobbits for whom he is searching, as well as a threat and warning to the Black Riders to send them away.
Note: In a lot of traditional folklore, bells are used to drive away evil spirits.
From fear to joy:
It is Frodo’s dialogue that confirm our suspicions that this rider is different from the Ringwraiths.
Strider is the first to react, seeming to recognize the different horse by the sound of his hooves.
It’s not clear if he recognizes the elf horse in particular, or just that it is an elf horse in general.
Note: The horse has a headstall, which is a type of bridle without a bit, but this is a retcon by Tolkien. After having described riding “elf-fashion” as riding without any saddle or tack, he has to change the equipment used on Asfaloth to match that description without removing it altogether. For instance, he would need a place to hang the bells and a way for Frodo to ride.
The look of joy highlights the gap of knowledge between Strider and the hobbits and gives the readers a clue before the hobbits receive it. They are still hesitant to be hopeful.
The hobbits have had it demonstrated to them that they are not good at assessing danger.
Unlike in their previous encounters with the Black Riders, rather than having darkness close in around them, they see the figure gleaming in the darkness.
The use of “gleaming” without another “gl” word points to a lack of threat here.
The flickering and flashing of the headstall are happening without any ambient light outside. The gems on the headstall seem to be emitting their own light, in the way of the Silmarils.
The cloak is another point of contrast, showing the hood down and the rider unconcealed.
Frodo’s ability to see the brightness within the rider is clearly a consequence of his wound, as when he was in the wraith world, he was able to see the true forms of the Ringwraiths.
The physical ailments that Frodo is experiencing could be a completely natural consequence of a poisoned wound, but this is the first evidence that he is perceiving things spiritually.
This highlights that Frodo is being changed spiritually, and this is manifesting physically, too.
We don’t know if this perception is unique to this rider, or something more general.
The word “raiment” is rarely used by the narrator, and this points to the fact that something is special about the rider through an elevation in tone, and a poetical feel, like in The Silmarillion.
The simile to describe the gems like living stars is in the spirit of the one used of Goldberry.
The use of “form”, rather than “body”, points to something hidden behind what is seen outside.
This change of register was also used when describing Gildor’s folk in the Shire, so this tone is being used to capture something of the experience of encountering the Elves.
Note: There is a parallel with the Bible’s description of Jesus during the Transfiguration, as the disciples are given a glimpse of Jesus in his uncloaked, true form and light shining through Him. Gandalf will have something like this also happen when he returns as the White Wizard.
We don’t know that the other hobbits don’t see some of this, but the focus is on Frodo’s experience and vision of a cloaked truth.
On Glorfindel of Gondolin (in a way):
This Glorfindel is a transitional version of the character, during the time in which Tolkien unified the worlds of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, beginning with the inclusion of Beren and Lúthien.
Glorfindel’s inclusion is the first instance after the union of the two worlds of a Silmarillion character appearing in the current story, though this may still be a recycling of the name at first.
Tolkien had begun this process by incorporating the Númenor story through the introduction of the Last Alliance, but this was new material. Glorfindel is an older character and story.
It’s only later that Tolkien decides that this Glorfindel is the same as the Glorfindel of Gondolin.
This required a working out of the mechanism of his return by having him arrive with the Istari, but this was much later in the Unfinished Tales period after the publication of the novel.
Tolkien also worked out a motivation for his return, and an explanation of his changed nature.
This makes the idea that this Glorfindel and the one from Gondolin are the same person true, but retroactively based on Tolkien’s later revisions and explanations. It’s not referenced here.
Note: Generally speaking, Elves don’t recycle names in their descendants, as they are immortal and their descendants are few, unlike humans. The reuse of names like Rúmil are probably a case of a revision of the story in which that name is given to another character.
Both Glorfindel and Legolas are names in the original Gondolin story, but while the actual character of Glorfindel is brought into this story, he cuts the old Legolas from Gondolin.
The interpretation of this version of Glorfindel as shining because of his return from death works because what we see with Gandalf later, but this was a later change of context due to retcon.
Glorfindel is finally named:
It’s clear that Glorfindel knows exactly where Strider and the hobbits are before he sees them, but it’s not clear how he senses that they are there.
It’s possible that the horse can sense or smell Bill the pony, and maybe even the hobbits, too.
While it’s not clear that the Black Riders had a spiritual connection with their horses for communication, it does seem that Glorfindel has this connection with his horse, Asfaloth.
Does Glorfindel see the appearance of the hobbits as good news or bad news? It would seem likely that he would have some sense of both the Ring and effects of Frodo’s wound.
It doesn’t seem that it is until he sees Strider that he dismounts and moves towards them.
Why does Strider say that Glorfindel “dwells in the house of Elrond”, rather than that he is from Rivendell? Rivendell has been the goal all along, so mentioning it would be natural.
This seems to be a more formal introduction and has more to do with his affiliation with Elrond than his geographical dwelling place. Elves also do not use patrilineal descriptions like humans.
Frodo seems to understand this concept when he asks Gildor who his lord was, rather than from where he comes. This seems to be something common among the High Elves.
Note: While Gildor and his folk interact with Frodo and the hobbits the way that the singing elves did in Rivendell with Thorin & Company in The Hobbit, Glorfindel doesn’t. However, while this means that Gildor was probably among the singing elves, Glorfindel might also have been. The differences between the high and wood elves highlighted in The Hobbit point to the idea that the silly singing in Rivendell is a Noldorin thing. The films make the elves very grave and serious and wise, but this is not wholly true in the book, even of elves like Galadriel. This picks up on the image that many fans of the books have of the Elves anyway, which is part of the reason why some fans find the silly singing elves of Rivendell discordant, but this was always part of Tolkien’s vision of the Elves. It is a part of their joy in the life of the world, and fairies, which are a synonym of elves, are always associated with jolliness and fun. In this spiritual battle with the agents of the Enemy, even silly songs would be a weapon, much like Bombadil’s were.
