Matt DeForrest
Active Member
I have been thinking about the two visions of mountains we have had -- one explicit and one implied. Both Bilbo and Frodo long to leave the Shire and see mountains. For a long time, I had always thought of Biblo's longing as a desire fro adventure and/or something different from the Shire -- places where he can see old friends. His recounting of his travels to Frodo show this:
“I got here without much adventure,’ he said, ‘and after a rest I went on with the dwarves to Dale: my last journey. I shan’t travel again.” (Excerpt From: J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Lord of the Rings.” HarperCollins Publishers. iBooks.)
While such a journey requires going over the Misty Mountains, Bilbo doesn't linger anywhere where it would be appropriate to use the plural. He goes to visit the Lonely Mountain.
That makes me wonder if he, like Frodo, has been seeing Mountains he has never seen before.
Now here is where I am unsure of myself -- as I am not as good on the specific dates of the Third Age. I am going to use the timeline found at the Tolkien Gateway to build this timeline:
3000: Sauron's shadow lengthens -- calling things to him. Bilbo becomes restless and begins to increasingly wish to leave the Shire.
3001: Bilbo leaves the Shire after giving up the Ring.
3009: Gandalf and Aragon seek for Gollum, who is captured by Sauron sometime within the next 8 years.
3017: Gollum is released by Sauron. During this period, Frodo begins to grow restless and to dream of mountains.
3018: Frodo leaves the Shire as the Black Riders arrive.
Gandalf explains that possessing the Ring leaves a mark and leaves Gollum open to Sauron's call to Mordor. That would leave Bilbo and Frodo open as well -- although, I suspect, to a lesser degree. My guess is that the Ring, in an attempt to get back to its Master, is giving them images of the mountains around Mordor rather than visions of the Misty Mountains.
I suspect truely figuring this out would require someone checking out all of the visions Frodo receives and seeing which ones are leading and which ones are far seeing, like the visions on the Seat of Seeing or in the Mirror of Galadriel. Indeed, Frodo's vision at the Mirror, when he realizes Sauron is looking for him and that he could be found if he willed it -- a recognition tied to the weight of the Ring -- that seems to support the possibility that the Ring is providing visions of the mountains:
“But suddenly the Mirror went altogether dark, as dark as if a hole had opened in the world of sight, and Frodo looked into emptiness. In the black abyss there appeared a single Eye that slowly grew, until it filled nearly all the Mirror. So terrible was it that Frodo stood rooted, unable to cry out or to withdraw his gaze. The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.
Then the Eye began to rove, searching this way and that; and Frodo knew with certainty and horror that among the many things that it sought he himself was one. But he also knew that it could not see him – not yet, not unless he willed it. The Ring that hung upon its chain about his neck grew heavy, heavier than a great stone, and his head was dragged downwards. The Mirror seemed to be growing hot and curls of steam were rising from the water. He was slipping forward.
'Do not touch the water!’ said the Lady Galadriel softly.” (Excerpt From: J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Lord of the Rings.” HarperCollins Publishers. iBooks.)
“I got here without much adventure,’ he said, ‘and after a rest I went on with the dwarves to Dale: my last journey. I shan’t travel again.” (Excerpt From: J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Lord of the Rings.” HarperCollins Publishers. iBooks.)
While such a journey requires going over the Misty Mountains, Bilbo doesn't linger anywhere where it would be appropriate to use the plural. He goes to visit the Lonely Mountain.
That makes me wonder if he, like Frodo, has been seeing Mountains he has never seen before.
Now here is where I am unsure of myself -- as I am not as good on the specific dates of the Third Age. I am going to use the timeline found at the Tolkien Gateway to build this timeline:
3000: Sauron's shadow lengthens -- calling things to him. Bilbo becomes restless and begins to increasingly wish to leave the Shire.
3001: Bilbo leaves the Shire after giving up the Ring.
3009: Gandalf and Aragon seek for Gollum, who is captured by Sauron sometime within the next 8 years.
3017: Gollum is released by Sauron. During this period, Frodo begins to grow restless and to dream of mountains.
3018: Frodo leaves the Shire as the Black Riders arrive.
Gandalf explains that possessing the Ring leaves a mark and leaves Gollum open to Sauron's call to Mordor. That would leave Bilbo and Frodo open as well -- although, I suspect, to a lesser degree. My guess is that the Ring, in an attempt to get back to its Master, is giving them images of the mountains around Mordor rather than visions of the Misty Mountains.
I suspect truely figuring this out would require someone checking out all of the visions Frodo receives and seeing which ones are leading and which ones are far seeing, like the visions on the Seat of Seeing or in the Mirror of Galadriel. Indeed, Frodo's vision at the Mirror, when he realizes Sauron is looking for him and that he could be found if he willed it -- a recognition tied to the weight of the Ring -- that seems to support the possibility that the Ring is providing visions of the mountains:
“But suddenly the Mirror went altogether dark, as dark as if a hole had opened in the world of sight, and Frodo looked into emptiness. In the black abyss there appeared a single Eye that slowly grew, until it filled nearly all the Mirror. So terrible was it that Frodo stood rooted, unable to cry out or to withdraw his gaze. The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.
Then the Eye began to rove, searching this way and that; and Frodo knew with certainty and horror that among the many things that it sought he himself was one. But he also knew that it could not see him – not yet, not unless he willed it. The Ring that hung upon its chain about his neck grew heavy, heavier than a great stone, and his head was dragged downwards. The Mirror seemed to be growing hot and curls of steam were rising from the water. He was slipping forward.
'Do not touch the water!’ said the Lady Galadriel softly.” (Excerpt From: J. R. R. Tolkien. “The Lord of the Rings.” HarperCollins Publishers. iBooks.)