Tirithorn Fornadan
New Member
I have recently caught up on Tolkien Professor podcasts and I'm finally able to start listening live (I listened to 9.5 years worth of podcasts in the past four months). There are a lot of questions I'd love to ask, but one that came to mind is from a recent episode, so I'd love to hear the Professor's thoughts on it.
In A Knife in the Dark, we are told that the Ringwraiths cannot see. "They themselves do not see the world of light as we do...". Strider goes on to clarify that they can see shades and shadows of men, which are only destroyed by the noon sun. He also indicates that "in the dark, they perceive many signs and forms that are hidden from us: then they are most to be feared." The picture Strider paints for the hobbits indicates that the Riders senses are weakest at high noon, and strongest at night. Professor Olson has noted that they seem to be strongest at the hour immediately preceding the dawn. (c.f. A Knife in the Dark, the Nazgul attack the house at Crickhollow in "the cold hour before dawn").
Given all this, why is it that Frodo's senses are most dimmed when the sun descends in Flight to the Ford? As he undergoes the "wraithification" process, we are told that he is becoming a wraith like them. His vision is clearly already being affected, given how he sees Glorfindel ("a white light was shining through the form and raiment of the rider, as if through a thin veil.") When he reaches the Ford, he "can see them clearly now."
Looking ahead, in Many Meetings Gandalf says that he was becoming like them, only weaker. As such, his vision and other senses should not have been dimmed when the sun was setting. Rather, his sight should have been dimming during the daytime, and his senses sharpened as the sun descended.
Am I missing something about how the process works? Why do his senses seem to be affected in the opposite fashion of the Ringwraiths, when he is, in fact, becoming like them? I appreciate any answers and feedback.
In A Knife in the Dark, we are told that the Ringwraiths cannot see. "They themselves do not see the world of light as we do...". Strider goes on to clarify that they can see shades and shadows of men, which are only destroyed by the noon sun. He also indicates that "in the dark, they perceive many signs and forms that are hidden from us: then they are most to be feared." The picture Strider paints for the hobbits indicates that the Riders senses are weakest at high noon, and strongest at night. Professor Olson has noted that they seem to be strongest at the hour immediately preceding the dawn. (c.f. A Knife in the Dark, the Nazgul attack the house at Crickhollow in "the cold hour before dawn").
Given all this, why is it that Frodo's senses are most dimmed when the sun descends in Flight to the Ford? As he undergoes the "wraithification" process, we are told that he is becoming a wraith like them. His vision is clearly already being affected, given how he sees Glorfindel ("a white light was shining through the form and raiment of the rider, as if through a thin veil.") When he reaches the Ford, he "can see them clearly now."
Looking ahead, in Many Meetings Gandalf says that he was becoming like them, only weaker. As such, his vision and other senses should not have been dimmed when the sun was setting. Rather, his sight should have been dimming during the daytime, and his senses sharpened as the sun descended.
Am I missing something about how the process works? Why do his senses seem to be affected in the opposite fashion of the Ringwraiths, when he is, in fact, becoming like them? I appreciate any answers and feedback.