Matt DeForrest
Active Member
Sorry about the delay in getting to this, but I had a few thougths about this particular passage from a couple of weeks ago:
It also explains why Saruman was nervous when all of the Nine arrived at his gate. Gandalf knows he can take on four of the Nazgul at once at this point in the story. Saruman is facing much longer odds in numbers alone. Add to that the Witch King himself and Saruman might think he is facing a losing battle — even if he is able to (spoilers!) somehow best Gandalf the Grey at Orthanc.
Both of which makes the potential of an Elf-Lord like Glorfindel somewhat more impressive than before I thought of it.
I think it is also worth considering the nature of these rankings and how they are achieved. This isn’t as clear cut as Mallory (Who unhorses whom lets you know the knightly standings.). Magic in The Lord of the Rings appears to be, at its core, driven by the act of externalizing yourself. Sauron’s more powerful with the One Ring because he has transfered some of his power into it and, in doing so, has magnified it. When we watch Gandalf, I think it will be worth remembering that he considers himself a steward and, as such, his time will not be measured by an outward display of power. Sauron externalizes some of his power into the Witch King — and even moreso when the Witch King is ‘upgraded’ — but Gandalf seems to be investing something of himself in others, like Theoden and the Rohirrim, who arrive when the Witch King declares that his time has come. Seen in this light, it is the difference between the will to power/dominate and the desire to inspire others to great deeds.
‘Yes, I, Gandalf the Grey,’ said the wizard solemnly. ‘There are many powers in the world, for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. Against some I have not yet been measured. But my time is coming. The Morgul-lord and his Black Riders have come forth. War is preparing!’
I didn’t want us to slip past this without setting it alongside Gandalf’s compliment to Frodo — “But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit!” Given that Gandalf is not sure how a mano-a-mano encoutner between the Witch King and he would turn out, that statement feels a good but stronger than a recapitulation of the surpise arising from Hobbits being more like tough tree roots than soft butter.
It also explains why Saruman was nervous when all of the Nine arrived at his gate. Gandalf knows he can take on four of the Nazgul at once at this point in the story. Saruman is facing much longer odds in numbers alone. Add to that the Witch King himself and Saruman might think he is facing a losing battle — even if he is able to (spoilers!) somehow best Gandalf the Grey at Orthanc.
Both of which makes the potential of an Elf-Lord like Glorfindel somewhat more impressive than before I thought of it.
I think it is also worth considering the nature of these rankings and how they are achieved. This isn’t as clear cut as Mallory (Who unhorses whom lets you know the knightly standings.). Magic in The Lord of the Rings appears to be, at its core, driven by the act of externalizing yourself. Sauron’s more powerful with the One Ring because he has transfered some of his power into it and, in doing so, has magnified it. When we watch Gandalf, I think it will be worth remembering that he considers himself a steward and, as such, his time will not be measured by an outward display of power. Sauron externalizes some of his power into the Witch King — and even moreso when the Witch King is ‘upgraded’ — but Gandalf seems to be investing something of himself in others, like Theoden and the Rohirrim, who arrive when the Witch King declares that his time has come. Seen in this light, it is the difference between the will to power/dominate and the desire to inspire others to great deeds.