Rauþúlfr
New Member
I believe I can explain this unusual simile. One of the advantages of a lot of backpacking is exposure to a lot of weather, particularly exposure to oncoming weather fronts. It is difficult to convey how small a person feels when you are in the mountains and look up to see a wall of cloud both rising up and hugging the ridge before you but also rolls down the slope to fill the valley ahead. I have only had this occur once with the sun behind me so that the wall of cloud was illuminated and glowed as it rushed on, becoming darker as though becoming a rain-swollen wave soon to crash down upon you. One feels both small, and threatened. The clouds both looming and descending bode danger and a good soaking. Although for Gandalf's part the threat is a blazing death rather than blowing wind and rain.
Since the party is within a stone circle, we must presume that the wargs would see Gandalf's rise up over the stones, while also overtopping them. We must envision him formidably filling the space before him with the blazing branch aloft and threatening destruction to those before him. The sense must be that the wargs see his thunderous aura filling the space before them. The effect is to fill the space before them magnifying the danger they face, and causing them to feel both small and threatened.
(Does that make sense? It is difficult to describe, but when one is exposed in the wilderness with no immediate shelter, one feels vulnerable indeed.)
Since the party is within a stone circle, we must presume that the wargs would see Gandalf's rise up over the stones, while also overtopping them. We must envision him formidably filling the space before him with the blazing branch aloft and threatening destruction to those before him. The sense must be that the wargs see his thunderous aura filling the space before them. The effect is to fill the space before them magnifying the danger they face, and causing them to feel both small and threatened.
(Does that make sense? It is difficult to describe, but when one is exposed in the wilderness with no immediate shelter, one feels vulnerable indeed.)