Some thoughts on Boulders

Matt DeForrest

Active Member
I am not convinced I am any closer to understanding the why Gandalf added boulders to the flood at the Ford of Bruinen, but I have noted a couple of things while considering this passage:

“At that moment there came a roaring and a rushing: a noise of loud waters rolling many stones. Dimly Frodo saw the river below him rise, and down along its course there came a plumed cavalry of waves. White flames seemed to Frodo to flicker on their crests, and he half fancied that he saw amid the water white riders upon white horses with frothing manes. The three Riders that were still in the midst of the Ford were overwhelmed: they disappeared, buried suddenly under angry foam. Those that were behind drew back in dismay.”

Let me start with what I don’t think it is — even though all the pieces are there: Air (the foam), Earth (the Rolling Stones), FIre (the white flames), and water (the...um, water). While the four elements are there, the passage doesn’t feel like it is somehow evoking or invoking them — either magically or symbolically.

The three Elven Rings (Air, Fire, and Earth-y things)? Likewise, it doesn’t feel right.

Nor does their addition a necessity. Any river called “Loudwater” is going to have plenty of boulders and/or rocks in it. Adding big ones to the churning result of the flood is akin to overkill (Of course, overkill might ultimately be the point — throw everything and the kitchen sink at the nine when they appear on your doorstep and be safe rather than sorry.).

Those things said, there is an odd image within this passage: Being buried under water, however angry it might be, is an odd way of trying to draw the image — paralleling the flood with an avalanche. Swallowed up and overwhelmed I can see. But buried? Burial requires earth (or, perhaps, snow) rather than water. And while this semi-synesthesian imagery evokes a different level of power for the flood, it doesn’t need actual (or spiritual) boulders to pull that off.

Unless, of course, Gandalf’s effort is to project/mirror the physical effect of the flood into the Wraith World, and thus impacting the Nazgul equally on both planes of their existence.
 
The more I keep thinking about these boulders the more I keep thinking that Gandalf didn't think too much about it and just added boulders. Would not the horses he put in the water have more of a spiritual impact anyway?

... ha ... although I find myself often thinking about Lazarus when thinking about famous stones. Maybe Gandalf's spiritual stones are a metaphorical closing of a tomb entrance for the Nazgul.
 
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The more I keep thinking about these boulders the more I keep thinking that Gandalf didn't think too much about it and just added boulders.
Overthinking it all is what Exploring the Lord of the Rings is all about though, ain't it?
Humor aside, I agree with you: an artistic touch may be all that the horses and boulders are really for. Rather like the various colors of his smoke rings.
 
ha! oh, of course! I certainly have been overthinking boulders this past week :)

.... and I keep going back (again) to the notion from the other post about the word "grinding"... water on water regardless of the water's shape theoretically shouldn't make a grinding noise. Now the passage just says grinding not necessarily referring to the sound, it could be just the action. But if it does relate to a grinding sound then I am more than curious as to what that sounds like.
 
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You know, the choice of the earthy term "buried" rather than some more watery term such as "submerged" is indeed an interesting angle on the boulder question that I hadn't considered. In addition to pure earthiness, there is also the grave/laying to rest connotation of burial.

All in all, the boulders make more sense than the horses do, really. The boulders will meet the physical needs (I will grind you to bits) and the spiritual needs (Get back under the ground where you belong).
 
Came across this fascinating article about a recent flood in the Himalaya mountains that bears some striking similarities to the flood at the ford. Among other things, witnesses said they could hear or even feel the flood coming before they saw it, and scientists determined that rocks and sediment carried by the flood caused more damage than the water itself. Unfortunately the researchers were unable to determine the effects of the flood on horse-mounted undead warriors, but I’m sure further studies will make it all clear.
 
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