Glorfindel

[Mallorn Protection Agency]

Hi everyone,
I finally tracked down this podcast and am about 100 episodes in - love it so far (except the boulders went on a bit long ). Of course I have questions and the main one I haven’t understood is Glorfindel and the seen and unseen worlds business.
Gandalf explained to Frodo that he has seen Glorfindel at the Ford ‘as he is on the other side’ and that the Elves who have dwelt in Valinor can exist in both the seen and unseen worlds.
In what way do they exist in the unseen worlds and what awareness/insight do they gain from this? It seems like it is linked to knowing other’s minds and perceiving the spirit in people/elves/dwarves (not connected with the spirit of the land/flora/fauna) but that it can also draw on the light from Valinor. Are they somehow connected with Valinor even though their bodies are in Middle Earth?

 

[Flammifer]

Hi Mallorn Protection Agency.

(Are you supplementing or usurping Galadriel and Celeborns' traditional roles?)

Congratulations on trying to catch up with the podcast)

Your questions about Glorfindel are complicated. They have to do with the 'hroa and frea' concepts around the nature of Elves (more detailed elsewhere in the Legendarium, and only hinted at here in TLOTR). They also relate to the bodily reincarnation (not always) of Elves who have died, spent time as spirits only in the Houses of Mandos, and then been returned (to the Blessed Realm generally) in bodily form (also only related in the Legendarium). Glorfindel, it seems, was slain by a Balrog in the downfall of Gondolin, then at some point reembodied, then, sent to Middle-earth. (The only such example we know of). As such, he is pretty unique. But, he has presumably existed as pure, unembodied spirit, as well as embodied Elf.

The Nazgul, or Ringwraiths, are 'wraiths'. Their bodies have faded. They are more spirit than embodied. However, I think their bodies have faded but they are not pure spirit. They still have enough 'body' (though invisible) to be able to sit on horses, wear cloaks, have Merry's sword "deal that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will."

Glorfindel, however, has experienced existence as a pure spirit, as well as an embodied Elf. He is the best candidate of all the Elves in Middle Earth to be able to 'exist in both the seen and unseen worlds'.

We don't have much content about what the experience of the 'unseen world' entails.