Why Not Eagles?

F

Fëanáro's Pizza

New Member
Last class, we only considered the possible "evil" entities for the occlusion of the stars. This may seem unlikely, but why not the eagles? Considering that the company is, relatively speaking, not far from the Eyries and that the eagles keep an eye on things from a high altitude, it is a possibility. I don't know if we ever get an exact description of how big the eagles of Middle Earth actually are, but we know their size is considerably larger than the eagles of today. It's conceivable that a small group could blot out the stars for a moment as they passed.

The obvious counterargument is 'why did the did this come off as an ominous momment rather than something hopeful?' I can think of a few reasons, most notably: the eagles are terrifying! In the Hobbit, Bilbo was legitimately afraid that he was going to be eaten! We have no reason to think that anyone in the company, other than Gandalf, has had any contact with eagles, so it makes sense that the first experience would be alarming, even from afar.

My second reason is something that I believe was discussed in class and is important to bear in mind. The feelings here probably say more about the anxiety and mindset of the company than the actual event to which they are responding. Especially after the close call with the Crebain, it would be normal for everyone to be on edge and expect a threat from every corner.

My last point also involves Gandalf's reaction. I've been listening to the PPP's recent episodes on Minas Tirith and it has been firmly set in my mind that Gandalf is a glass-half-empty kind of guy. Especially in his parting words to Ingold, Gandalf does not sugar coat the grim reality. I know things are different with Frodo, since it is important to keep the Ringbearer strong in resolve, but I still think this is something to consider here. We have to remind ourselves that the Eagles are not really a race of Middle Earth. They're free agents, with no obligation to anyone in the mortal lands. When Gandalf says "it maybe nothing," he's making a fairly neutral comment, no indication of good or evil. Gandalf also says he "felt it" rather than seeing anything. Now it's possible Gandalf had no idea what flew overhead, but I'd like to think that he had some suggestion of their presence. But even if Gandalf was confident in recognizing them, I don't think he would let anyone else know. Frodo in particular might take news of the Eagles as eucatastrophic, based on Bilbo's tale of the Battle of Five Armies. Gandalf would not want to to fill Frodo with the false hope of a free Uber to Mt Doom.

It's a far-fetched theory, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
 
Hi Feanaro's Pizza,

Interesting supposition. I think it is possible, but, as you indicate, unlikely. I think the main reasons to doubt it are: 1) Why would an eagle overflight be included in the story? It adds nothing useful. The vague flying thing is obviously meant to be ominous and add to the build up of the risks facing the company; 2) Aragorn's muttering, "It was moving fast then, and not with the wind." Sure, this could apply to an Eagle, but I don't think Aragorn's mutter would have been so negative and ominous if what he saw or felt looked like, or felt like, an Eagle. It sounds like Aragorn had darker suppositions.
 
Hello Flammifer

Thanks for taking the time to respond. For the most part, I agree with your points. We'll never know with certainty what it was that flew overhead. Honestly, I think the disembodied Nazgul is just as likely or unlikely as the eagles. Thinking back to the early chapters, this struck me as another parallel to the Hobbit walking party at the start of the adventure, especially the thinking fox incident. There's a chance that the flying thing was just a benign creature or something. But we the readers, just like the company itself, have seen how the stakes have been raised and the perils increased since the start. Consequently, when we come into contact with the unknown, we're much more likely to assume the worst and perceive them as "doom and gloom" rather than something positive or even neutral.

Thanks again for replying. I've been listening asynchronously for almost a year and it's always rewarding when I can participate in this wonderful community.
 
I fancy the thought that it is an link to another story (that did not get written), just like Tuor meeting Turin on the way to Gondolin. Makes no sense if one have not read "Children of Hurin", but highly enjoyable if one have.

And, also and more important, it is one of those things Tolkien is so good at, hinting on other things and stories which is why his worldbuilding is so great and really works. Other things are happening in middle-earth that is not mentioned in the text.
 
Makar said:
I fancy the thought that it is an link to another story (that did not get written), just like Tuor meeting Turin on the way to Gondolin. Makes no sense if one have not read "Children of Hurin", but highly enjoyable if one have.

And, also and more important, it is one of those things Tolkien is so good at, hinting on other things and stories which is why his worldbuilding is so great and really works. Other things are happening in middle-earth that is not mentioned in the text.
Click to expand...
I love it when authors do this; David Brin is another expert at it.
 
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