In class on Tuesday, we talked a lot about the combination of hope and despair that are definitely amplified at the end of book five. Its interesting to see how this is also carried over into book six even though the narrative switches back to Sam and Frodo.
Every time I have read The Tower or Cirith Ungol, I an always overwhelmed by how much happens in this chapter, and how much it affects the rest of the story. Looking at it from the perspective of hope and despair, this is an especially heavy chapter.
This is the first time we really see Sam feeling the pull of the ring, and contemplate the suffering it would cause him to become its bearer in place of Frodo. This is of course a dangerous choice to have to make, especially seeing the change in Frodo. But, it turns out that "in that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden"(901). So love as well as the simplicity and thoughtfulness of a hobbit prevail over the influence of the ring for Sam. This is definitely a welcome glimmer of hope.
Even so, though we also find some hope in the fact that Sam does find Frodo alive at the end of the chapter, there is also some despair that the reader cannot ignore. Frodo is found stripped naked and in a pile of rags, and although he is happy to see Sam, when he finds out that Sam has the ring:"quickly and strangely his tone changed. 'Give it to me!' he cried, standing up, holding out a trembling hand. 'Give it to me at once! You can't have it!'"(911). To have Frodo seen here in rags, speaking in a strange voice and demanding the ring as if Sam was a thief is not a far cry from what we have seen of Gollum. This is a shocking change to see, and confirms the readers fears for Frodo.
Once again, Tolkien includes some feeling of hope, but not enough to make the reader feel like this is going to be a story with a happy ending, because there is enough despair to keep us aware of the impeding doom ahead. By seeing Sam and Frodo in a similar light to the rest of the characters we left off with in book five, Tolkien is able to properly communicate the extent of Sauron's growing evil influence over Middle Earth.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Census and Middle Earth: Population in Fantasy
In honor of the 2020 Census, this post will be based on a random question that came to my mind a few days ago: just what is the actual population of Middle Earth? Sure, there seems to be a lot of vacant land on the continent, but the sheer size of some kingdoms like Gondor and the armies they can field seem to suggest at least a population equivalent perhaps to France... what was the estimated population of France in 1500 anyway?
Ah, well then.... Could Middle Earth really sport such a high population for its kingdoms? With this initial number of comparison and question in mind, I turned to good old Internet research, and stumbled across this post from a different sort of blog: http://www.stephenwigmore.com/2012/08/populations-of-middle-earth-lord-of.html
Utilizing real-world equivalent empires and army-population proportions, his estimate is1-2 million people for Gondor, and that is being generous. If France had a population of 16 million, even after the Black Death, and Gondor only has 2 million despite have a much larger land area, why would Tolkien make his world (and other fantasy author's worlds for that matter) so unrealistically depopulated?
There are a few explanations I can think of. First, as I mentioned in a previous post Gondor itself had gone through a plague, so theoretically it may have had a population of 4 million before that. Second, given the constant threats of Mordor, random orc bands, trolls for the mountains, raids from Harad/Umbar, etc., perhaps many villages have been wiped out, lowering overall productivity and food sources for population growth?
Finally, perhaps the most likely explanation is that a realistically populated fantasy world just doesn't work from a literary sense in most cases. Sure, in the real world most long journeys would pass through countless hamlets, small villages, and the occasional city. However, traveling with the comfort of knowing that there's a town just down the road detracts from the majesty, awe, and dangers of the quest. In addition, many defining moments in the books come from gazing upon what once was, whether that be in the form of statues, ruins, and old roads. Overall, this analysis might be purely nitpicking, but who knows. Perhaps the most fantastical part of fantasy is the idea of a world made more beautiful by having less Homo sapiens on it.
Utilizing real-world equivalent empires and army-population proportions, his estimate is1-2 million people for Gondor, and that is being generous. If France had a population of 16 million, even after the Black Death, and Gondor only has 2 million despite have a much larger land area, why would Tolkien make his world (and other fantasy author's worlds for that matter) so unrealistically depopulated?
There are a few explanations I can think of. First, as I mentioned in a previous post Gondor itself had gone through a plague, so theoretically it may have had a population of 4 million before that. Second, given the constant threats of Mordor, random orc bands, trolls for the mountains, raids from Harad/Umbar, etc., perhaps many villages have been wiped out, lowering overall productivity and food sources for population growth?
Finally, perhaps the most likely explanation is that a realistically populated fantasy world just doesn't work from a literary sense in most cases. Sure, in the real world most long journeys would pass through countless hamlets, small villages, and the occasional city. However, traveling with the comfort of knowing that there's a town just down the road detracts from the majesty, awe, and dangers of the quest. In addition, many defining moments in the books come from gazing upon what once was, whether that be in the form of statues, ruins, and old roads. Overall, this analysis might be purely nitpicking, but who knows. Perhaps the most fantastical part of fantasy is the idea of a world made more beautiful by having less Homo sapiens on it.
Medical Theory and Middle Earth Part 3: The Final Episode
In this final episode of this series, though perhaps a bit on the nose let's take a look at the Great Plague of Middle Earth and how the bubonic plague (technically bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plagues) of the Middle Age and the Spanish Flu of 1918 may have inspired Tolkien to add this major event in his work. What Great Plague you may ask? Well, during research for the analytic paper (which I never ended up using...) I found that in the Appendices of the Lord of the Rings as well as in the Unfinished Tales, there are details of a Great Plague that came from the East, laying waste to Rhun, Rhovanian, Gondor and lands to the north and west. Though it killed friend and foe alike, it is highly suggested that this was instigated by Sauron, who could afford to kill a few of his pawns if it meant weakening his enemies.
Now, the first theory one could posit as to Tolkien's inspiration for using this event in his story would be the plague caused by Yersinia pestis, spread by fleas upon black rats in the Middle Age, and indeed a lot of details check out. Tolkien writes that this plague wiped out half of the population of Rhovanion, and this mortality rate is similar to many villages that the plague touched in real life. In addition, the historical plague is theorized to have come from the east, being transported to Europe via Genoese ships before spreading to the north and west. This coincidentally is the same direction that the Great Plague of the Third Age spread. However, another possibility is that Tolkien could have been inspired by the Spanish Flu of 1918. Though it killed at a lower rate than the plague, the flu is estimated to have killed 50-100 million people, far greater than the number killed during World War I. However, regardless of which theory is correct (probably both), it is interesting to think that many events in history find a way into the literature those who lived it, whether war or disease. This only makes me wonder: what sort of stories will arise from the times we are currently living in, and what themes or messages will they try to convey?
Now, the first theory one could posit as to Tolkien's inspiration for using this event in his story would be the plague caused by Yersinia pestis, spread by fleas upon black rats in the Middle Age, and indeed a lot of details check out. Tolkien writes that this plague wiped out half of the population of Rhovanion, and this mortality rate is similar to many villages that the plague touched in real life. In addition, the historical plague is theorized to have come from the east, being transported to Europe via Genoese ships before spreading to the north and west. This coincidentally is the same direction that the Great Plague of the Third Age spread. However, another possibility is that Tolkien could have been inspired by the Spanish Flu of 1918. Though it killed at a lower rate than the plague, the flu is estimated to have killed 50-100 million people, far greater than the number killed during World War I. However, regardless of which theory is correct (probably both), it is interesting to think that many events in history find a way into the literature those who lived it, whether war or disease. This only makes me wonder: what sort of stories will arise from the times we are currently living in, and what themes or messages will they try to convey?
Free Write on Hope and Despair
I think the image in the return of the king that resembles a picture of despair is the scene where Denthethor is overwhelmed by the battle and attempts to take his own life and bring Faramir with him. I think in this moment was when I realized that people were really being driven mad by the despair that was surrounding them as a result of the ongoing battle and the impending doom that Sauron was pushing towards them. You can see this despair come out in Denethor by both his actions and his words. Denethor talks about how all hope is lost and that there is no chance that they will win this battle.
On the other hand, an image of both hope and despair is when all the men of Minas Tirith ride to the black gate to drive out all the forces of Mordor. There is hope in this action because they believe that by doing this they may help divert Surons attention from Frodo and the ring. There is despair in this moment when they find that Frodo has been killed (or so they thought). I find it had to separate both the feelings of hope and despair from this situation.
Lastly, a moment of hope that I see is in the healing house when Aragorn comes to heal Faramir and Eowyn. Aragorn brings hope to his people upon arrival. You can see it in everyone's eyes that although despair surrounds them there is hope. I think these three scenarios highlight the different levels at which despair and hope can be mingled together. Denethor had no hope and was filled only with despair. Second, at the black gate, the soldiers were filled with hope coming from their previous victory, but were most likely filled with despair after finding out that Frodo had been killed. Lastly, Faramir, Eowyn, and Marry were all filled with hope upon being revived by Aragorn in the house of healing.
It's also interesting to analyse the settings in which each scenario occurs. Denethor is in despair because he is alone, separated from the rest of his people at the top of a city that is under attack. He is filled with only despair. Next, the armies of Gondor and Rohan are filled with hope as they join together to fight against the forces of Mordor, but are then filled with despair as they find out that one of their close friends has fallen. Lastly, the purest essence of hope that I find in these chapters are when characters are reunited with Aragorn. I think these three scenarios emphasize how hope comes from the people surrounding you and that despair comes from solidarity.
The Hands of a Healer
While I was reading the last part of book 5 I was drawn to the point made by Ioreth (a healer); "The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. And so the rightful king could ever be known." (Chapter 8).
I think it is interesting to look at this in the context of what Tolkien's vision of an ideal ruler is. We have seen how he values kings that ride into battle with their troops in Theoden and Aragorn, and now we see that he associates leadership with the ability to heal.
Aragorn does a lot of healing throughout the Lord of the Rings; he helps to care for Frodo's wound from the Nazgul when they were traveling to Rivendell, he treats Frodo's bruise from the orcs in the Mines of Moria, and now he basically brings three people back from the dead.
I also think it is interesting that he seems to heal more than just Eowyn, Faramir, and Merry's bodies' but he also heals their minds. In their unconscious state, he calls to them "each time more faintly to [the observers'] hearing, as if Aragorn himself was removed from them, and walked afar in some dark vale, calling for one that was lost." (chapter 8). Clearly, Aragorn possesses some form of magic. Whether it be from his Numenorean ancestry or from his role as king, I'm not sure.
This idea could also stem from Tolkien's own religious background. To me, Aragorn is very reminiscent of Jesus Christ in these chapters as he heals. The prophecy is that the people will know the true king by his healing powers and the same was foretold of Christ before He came to earth.
Monday, April 20, 2020
On Denethor and courage.
I just realized something really interesting about Denethor, which I am not sure if Tolkien intended or not. I realized that while all of us would like to think we would act like Frodo or Aragorn or Gandalf in the face of the war against Sauron, it is quite likely that many or most people would really react more like Denethor, with terror and despair.
This is one of those really interesting biases in storytelling, where only those who are brave, or else at least cowardly in a particularly interesting way, get the spotlight. The rest of us, who might not go so far as to burn ourselves alive, but who would not go out to battle against monsters, tend to essentially not exist in stories. But the truth is that I doubt if you put me in Minas Tirith at the end of the third age, that I would have the courage to pick up a sword and go to battle on the fields of Pelennor.
I think that we see courage in a lot of characters where they go up against impossible odds and win is really above and beyond anything that most people can achieve. One of the brilliances of Tolkien is that he managed to frame Frodo's courage in a slightly different way, where it was not necessarily courage in battle, but rather the courage to make the best choice he could. We can still look up to people like Aragorn who are great warrior's, but Frodo's willingness to do his best in the face of great consequences is something we can really emulate, even if we are often tempted to run like Denethor.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Tolkien's Artworks: Final Thoughts
This past week we finished presenting the rest of the art reports. While the information presented was very interesting, I would have to say that the artworks themselves were my favorite part. I've always been fascinated by just how much work Tolkien put into his stories, the creation of entire cultures, languages, customs, relationships, etc. In fact, I've often wanted to learn the languages he created so that I can speak them, for one, but also because it would just be fun and cool. That being said, I failed to realize that his talents extended to artistic pieces as well. Through these art reports, I've been able to get a better grasp of all that Tolkien accomplished with regard to his life's work. Also, having never seen most of his artwork beforehand, it was interesting to compare his vision for his stories to that of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films created in the 2000s and 2010s. Anyway, I really enjoyed learning about his artworks and think that this is an activity that all courses should include if possible.
Tolkien's Artwork
Hello everyone!
I remember Dr. Donovan asking us in class the importance of Tolkien's art and it got me thinking. Tolkien obviously had a reason behind creating the artwork for his books but what is that reason? I personally feel like he creates his art in order to almost create a draft of what he wants the world and the story to look like. We have seen in multiple art reports how he has created several different versions of his different pieces and they all have a few elements that are different whether they be time of day or the layout of the image. All his art does depict scenes and imagery from his books but most of the time it seems like the art and his writing also don't match up. this makes me think that he created his art to kind of plan out his stories instead of writing a million rough drafts. It kind of makes me think of that saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". I also believe it made it easier for Tolkien to visualize scenes/images from his books after he mapped it out by painting/drawing it.
-Frodo
I remember Dr. Donovan asking us in class the importance of Tolkien's art and it got me thinking. Tolkien obviously had a reason behind creating the artwork for his books but what is that reason? I personally feel like he creates his art in order to almost create a draft of what he wants the world and the story to look like. We have seen in multiple art reports how he has created several different versions of his different pieces and they all have a few elements that are different whether they be time of day or the layout of the image. All his art does depict scenes and imagery from his books but most of the time it seems like the art and his writing also don't match up. this makes me think that he created his art to kind of plan out his stories instead of writing a million rough drafts. It kind of makes me think of that saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". I also believe it made it easier for Tolkien to visualize scenes/images from his books after he mapped it out by painting/drawing it.
-Frodo
Fëanor
Hello everyone!
In my rabbit hole dives I have stumbled upon the elf named Fëanor and I found him interesting so I wanted to write about him.
So the most remarkable thing about Fëanor is that not only was he an edgy elf, but the elf who created the Simarils! Also he made a little thing known as the Tengwar script (which is what a lot of people think of when they think Elvish script). This edgy guy not only gave Melkor his more known name, Morgoth, he also super hated the Valar.
Fëanor still believed a lot of Melkor's lies and there ended up being a falling out between him and his brother, Fingolfin. This is actually what led to the destroying of the Two Trees, which brought light to the land of the Valar, and so these trees could only be remade via the light of them that was still within the Simarils. At that point, Fëanor said "I'm not giving them up and if you take them, you're basically Melkor". Shortly after that it was found out via messenger than Melkor broke in, killed his dad, and actually took the Simarils. Because of that he named Melkor "Morgoth" but still partially blamed the Valar for Morgoth's actions because he, for some reason, had listened to some of his shenaniganery. Then, after more action happens, he ends up being exiled to Middle Earth, and left Fingolfin and his followers behind! Seriously, Fingolfin didn't even actually do anything the guy just thought he wanted the Simarils. And after all of this and more fighting against Morgoth, he dies a completely unique death for elves. His spirit was literally so fiery that it burned his body to ashes. He was never reincarnated, but that he'll return for Dagor Dagorath (which is like Middle-Earth Ragnarok) and finally get his precious Simarils back.
I had briefly heard about Fëanor in passing but like many Tolkien things there's a chasm deep rabbit hole to go down once you start clicking on a few names... But I thought he was interesting as he's almost completely different from about any elf I've ever heard of and I just felt the need to share his drama with other people.
Elendil
In my rabbit hole dives I have stumbled upon the elf named Fëanor and I found him interesting so I wanted to write about him.
So the most remarkable thing about Fëanor is that not only was he an edgy elf, but the elf who created the Simarils! Also he made a little thing known as the Tengwar script (which is what a lot of people think of when they think Elvish script). This edgy guy not only gave Melkor his more known name, Morgoth, he also super hated the Valar.
Fëanor still believed a lot of Melkor's lies and there ended up being a falling out between him and his brother, Fingolfin. This is actually what led to the destroying of the Two Trees, which brought light to the land of the Valar, and so these trees could only be remade via the light of them that was still within the Simarils. At that point, Fëanor said "I'm not giving them up and if you take them, you're basically Melkor". Shortly after that it was found out via messenger than Melkor broke in, killed his dad, and actually took the Simarils. Because of that he named Melkor "Morgoth" but still partially blamed the Valar for Morgoth's actions because he, for some reason, had listened to some of his shenaniganery. Then, after more action happens, he ends up being exiled to Middle Earth, and left Fingolfin and his followers behind! Seriously, Fingolfin didn't even actually do anything the guy just thought he wanted the Simarils. And after all of this and more fighting against Morgoth, he dies a completely unique death for elves. His spirit was literally so fiery that it burned his body to ashes. He was never reincarnated, but that he'll return for Dagor Dagorath (which is like Middle-Earth Ragnarok) and finally get his precious Simarils back.
I had briefly heard about Fëanor in passing but like many Tolkien things there's a chasm deep rabbit hole to go down once you start clicking on a few names... But I thought he was interesting as he's almost completely different from about any elf I've ever heard of and I just felt the need to share his drama with other people.
Elendil
Denethor
Myself, like most of you probably, never really liked Denethor. He seemed like just a big jerk. I still largely stand by that. Both the movies and the books don't really give Denethor a good light. He is rude to Pippin, who is just trying to help, he doesn't trust Gandalf, he almost kills Faramir, and he essentially gives up on his city in a time of crisis.
But think about the situation that Denethor is in. The power of Mordor is growing, and Gondor is on the front lines. The only thing between Sauron and the rest of the world is Gondor. He loses his eldest son and heir, and he believes that he lost his only other son. An outsider is coming in and telling him how to rule, and the prospect of Aragorn coming back and taking the throne essentially makes Denethor obsolete. His entire livelihood is under threat, and he doesn't know what to do about it. It would have been easy for Tolkien to write Denethor with the nobility of Aragorn, but instead he choses Denethor to break. If anything, that makes him more realistic than many of the other characters. In the face of almost certain doom, and the threat that life will never again be the same, it takes a hero not to be phased. Most of us, if not all of us, wouldn't be able to handle it. I certainly don't know how I would behave when faced with my own mortality like Denethor is.
I still think he is a jerk, but at least I can see his humanity now.
But think about the situation that Denethor is in. The power of Mordor is growing, and Gondor is on the front lines. The only thing between Sauron and the rest of the world is Gondor. He loses his eldest son and heir, and he believes that he lost his only other son. An outsider is coming in and telling him how to rule, and the prospect of Aragorn coming back and taking the throne essentially makes Denethor obsolete. His entire livelihood is under threat, and he doesn't know what to do about it. It would have been easy for Tolkien to write Denethor with the nobility of Aragorn, but instead he choses Denethor to break. If anything, that makes him more realistic than many of the other characters. In the face of almost certain doom, and the threat that life will never again be the same, it takes a hero not to be phased. Most of us, if not all of us, wouldn't be able to handle it. I certainly don't know how I would behave when faced with my own mortality like Denethor is.
I still think he is a jerk, but at least I can see his humanity now.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Tolkien's Kings
In our discussion this week, we explored the different types of kings of men Tolkien created in The Lord of the Rings as well as what we felt were the disparities between how they’re represented in the books as well as in the movies. I love the comparison between the films and the books and my post this week is going to touch on this again.
We looked at how Theoden was a king that was very in touch with his people, after Gandalf stepped in and freed him from Wormtongue’s influence, immersed in the conflicts they’re going through, and their frontman when the Rohirrim went into battle. In comparison, Denethor was extremely out of touch, far removed, and never put himself forth when Gondor was in peril, actually told his people to go burn down in flames, essentially. We also considered how the films didn’t really give us a look into the thought process of Denethor whereas we did get this understanding from the book.
Keeping all that in mind, I wanted to jump forward a bit and look at Aragorn as the up and coming king as he doesn’t actually take on the mantle of king for very much of the tale, even though most know and see him as such, he pushes these formalities aside until the fighting is done. In this way, Aragorn actually embodies a bit of both the kind of king Theoden was as well as the sort of leader Denethor was. He’s very much a character involved in all the action but he’s also aside by pushing aside and not taking on his mantle as king for so long. The one thing that I missed and I think the film was sorely lacking was Aragorn going into the House of Healing and showing off his sort of mystical healing abilities that also stems from this notion that Gondor has that the king will have the healing touch. I thought this was a really interesting aspect of Aragorn’s character development as king and the film could have really benefited from showing this. The movies are just lacking something really vital to me from not showing this, as small of a scene as it was.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Of All the Creatures
Hi everyone! Hope everyone's staying sane and safe!
I was just wondering about all the different creatures that Tolkien chose to put in his world. Spiders, elves, dwarves, wizards, hobbits, dragons, etc. Of all of the creatures that exist in all of mythology why did he pick these? He drew from many different sources of inspiration and yet many of the creatures in Middle Earth did not exist before Tolkien wrote them into being. Why not use more creatures that already exist in the real world or at very least had already been thought of before? My guess is that he chose the ones that best suited his plot and what he wanted the world of Middle Earth to feel like to the reader. When one didn't exist that best suited him, he then made one up. That is one of the fantastic things about fantasy is that you can make it whatever you want. If nothing quite fits, create something that does.
I was just wondering about all the different creatures that Tolkien chose to put in his world. Spiders, elves, dwarves, wizards, hobbits, dragons, etc. Of all of the creatures that exist in all of mythology why did he pick these? He drew from many different sources of inspiration and yet many of the creatures in Middle Earth did not exist before Tolkien wrote them into being. Why not use more creatures that already exist in the real world or at very least had already been thought of before? My guess is that he chose the ones that best suited his plot and what he wanted the world of Middle Earth to feel like to the reader. When one didn't exist that best suited him, he then made one up. That is one of the fantastic things about fantasy is that you can make it whatever you want. If nothing quite fits, create something that does.
Loyalty and Leadership in The Return of the King
Last class, we discussed the contrasting qualities of Theoden and Denethor. One rode out heroically with his armies while the other stayed far away, hidden from the people's eyes and out of harm's way. I hope to expand upon these differences by discussing loyalty and also broaden the scope to consider Aragorn and Faramir as well. If The Return of the King expounds upon anything, it seems to be the qualities of leadership of which loyalty is undoubtedly a piece.
The people of Rohan were loyal to Theoden, their king, even if he was at one time under the poisonous influence of Saruman and Grima. Once he had regained his strength and courage, the Rohirrim rallied around him to march off to war against Isengard, and then, with little respite, rally to the aid of Gondor. Yet, even before Theoden recovered from Saruman's spell, his people still had the utmost loyalty for their king. When Theoden listened to Grima's advice and thus isolated himself--as another Blog post so interestingly discusses--the people of Rohan remained loyal. Theoden, ill or well, was their king, and his decisions they would follow. With such loyalty, it is no wonder that Rohan would follow its king to certain doom on the fields before Minas Tirith.
The same is not true for Denethor, Steward of Gondor. Locked away in his proverbial (and seemingly literal) ivory tower, Denethor did not actively engage with his people nor inspire confidence in his armies. If any man in Gondor filled this vacancy, it was Faramir, Denethor's son. While the men of Gondor, and particularly the Citadel Guard, were commanded to remain at their posts unless relieved by the Steward, one of these guards, Beregond, abandoned his post to confront his own lord in the protection of Faramir. Denethor inspired fear and distrust; Faramir received allegiance and the people's loyalty more than his father could know.
Finally, Aragorn, the returned king of Gondor received the highest degree of loyalty. Unknown by many and with wonder circulating as to whether he was truly the descendent of Elendil and Isildur, Aragorn did not demand the loyalties of his people. Rather, his actions earned him the people's respect, including the rulers of both Rohan and Gondor. Faramir recognized the position Aragorn was claiming, and he relinquished his command of Gondor without hesitation as did Prince Imrahil and the other lords of Gondor. Unlike Denethor, Aragorn was among his people and demonstrated the admirable qualities of a leader.
The Lord of the Rings introduces many leadership figures throughout its pages. From Elrond in Rivendell to Galadriel in Lothlorien, Theoden in Rohan to Denethor in Gondor, and even evil leaders like Saruman and the Witch-king, Tolkien fleshes out distinctions among all of them to illustrate what he viewed as the characteristics of a good leader. Just a close examination of the qualities of Theoden, Faramir, and Aragorn shows us how good leadership is often rewarded by true loyalty, not coerced but inspired, that would lead someone to leave his home and family to follow his king to the edge of defeat and into the shadows of doom.
The people of Rohan were loyal to Theoden, their king, even if he was at one time under the poisonous influence of Saruman and Grima. Once he had regained his strength and courage, the Rohirrim rallied around him to march off to war against Isengard, and then, with little respite, rally to the aid of Gondor. Yet, even before Theoden recovered from Saruman's spell, his people still had the utmost loyalty for their king. When Theoden listened to Grima's advice and thus isolated himself--as another Blog post so interestingly discusses--the people of Rohan remained loyal. Theoden, ill or well, was their king, and his decisions they would follow. With such loyalty, it is no wonder that Rohan would follow its king to certain doom on the fields before Minas Tirith.
The same is not true for Denethor, Steward of Gondor. Locked away in his proverbial (and seemingly literal) ivory tower, Denethor did not actively engage with his people nor inspire confidence in his armies. If any man in Gondor filled this vacancy, it was Faramir, Denethor's son. While the men of Gondor, and particularly the Citadel Guard, were commanded to remain at their posts unless relieved by the Steward, one of these guards, Beregond, abandoned his post to confront his own lord in the protection of Faramir. Denethor inspired fear and distrust; Faramir received allegiance and the people's loyalty more than his father could know.
Finally, Aragorn, the returned king of Gondor received the highest degree of loyalty. Unknown by many and with wonder circulating as to whether he was truly the descendent of Elendil and Isildur, Aragorn did not demand the loyalties of his people. Rather, his actions earned him the people's respect, including the rulers of both Rohan and Gondor. Faramir recognized the position Aragorn was claiming, and he relinquished his command of Gondor without hesitation as did Prince Imrahil and the other lords of Gondor. Unlike Denethor, Aragorn was among his people and demonstrated the admirable qualities of a leader.
The Lord of the Rings introduces many leadership figures throughout its pages. From Elrond in Rivendell to Galadriel in Lothlorien, Theoden in Rohan to Denethor in Gondor, and even evil leaders like Saruman and the Witch-king, Tolkien fleshes out distinctions among all of them to illustrate what he viewed as the characteristics of a good leader. Just a close examination of the qualities of Theoden, Faramir, and Aragorn shows us how good leadership is often rewarded by true loyalty, not coerced but inspired, that would lead someone to leave his home and family to follow his king to the edge of defeat and into the shadows of doom.
The Idea of Isolation (As Shown Through Denethor and Others)
Yesterday in class, someone made an interesting comparison between Denethor, Steward of Gondor, and King Théoden. They pointed out that while Théoden spent all his time with his men and rode into battle with them, Denethor willingly separates himself from his soldiers and the people of Minas Tirith by secluding himself in the White Tower. When Théoden was the victim of Saruman's spell and was totally isolated from his people, he was weak, physically and mentally, and was easily influenced by Wormtongue's shady words. Théoden's character, before he was released from the spell, parallels Denethor's character as he descends into madness during the siege of Gondor. The similar factor of these two powerful men's descent into darkness was obviously Sauron's influence but also their isolation. Luckily, Théoden came out of this okay, but Denethor...not so much.
The reason why I find this parallel interesting is because it shows one of the most dangerous parts of Sauron's, and by extension the Ring's, influence, which is isolation. As Denethor was steadily fed images of evil and despair through the Palantir, he grew detached from the people who he was to serve as a leader to. The same can be said for Théoden before Gandalf snapped him out of it. Additionally, as the Ring overtook Gollum's mind, he isolated himself completely by going to the deepest, darkest cave he could find. Although he has Sam with him, Frodo also suffers this effect of the Ring as he must bear the mental weight of the Ring alone.
It makes sense that Tolkien would equate isolation and seclusion with Sauron's evil since one of Tolkien's main positive messages in LOTR is the importance of unity and friendship in the face of danger and conflict.
Theory about the Arkenstone
I know this is a bit of a step backwards in time for us, as it concerns The Hobbit, but stick with me! The other day as I was scrolling through Pinterest I came across a text-post that piqued my interest.
The post asked, what if the Arkenstone were actually a Silmaril?
(Apparently this isn't a new theory, just ask the internet).
Now, there's nothing in the Hobbit that would argue this, and I still (shame on me) haven't read the entirety of the Silmarillion, so please correct me if you know more! However, we've already seen Tolkien make choices to change something small in his book to become something much more important later (for example, the Ring itself - it originally was just a cute little ring that makes you invisible, and Tolkien changed that to 'super powerful ancient artifact that controls and corrupts minds of even the strongest/most powerful beings in Middle earth'). It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that one white gem (the Arkenstone) that shines with light. "fairest of all," and "the Heart of the Mountain" (The Hobbit), which makes Thorin pause even in his gold-sickness, and throw Bilbo away for the crime of taking it, just might be one of the three Silmarils gems that caused tumult and war and bloodshed among the elves for thousands of years.
I looked online to see other people's opinions of this theory, and apparently the Silmarillion does say that the three Silmarils were cast away (one in the sky, one in the ocean, and one in the depths of the earth) so this doesn't seem altogether implausible. Thranduil and Gandalf's reactions might serve to deny this theory (they do react to it, but only as a Really Good Bargaining Tool) but apparently Thranduil wouldn't have seen the Silmarils before, and we already know Gandalf likes to keep his secrets.
The fact that we never hear about it again does make this less likely, but the Dwarves are fairly possessive and somewhat private with their treasures, so possibly no elves who would know the Silmarils by sight ever came in contact with it during Thrain's rule... or after Smaug was killed... but if it were either planned to be or retconned to be a Silmaril, that seems like a very large thing Tolkien just decided never to mention again.
What do you think? Do you have any quotes that would seem to prove or disprove this theory? Have you read about this before?
The post asked, what if the Arkenstone were actually a Silmaril?
(Apparently this isn't a new theory, just ask the internet).
Now, there's nothing in the Hobbit that would argue this, and I still (shame on me) haven't read the entirety of the Silmarillion, so please correct me if you know more! However, we've already seen Tolkien make choices to change something small in his book to become something much more important later (for example, the Ring itself - it originally was just a cute little ring that makes you invisible, and Tolkien changed that to 'super powerful ancient artifact that controls and corrupts minds of even the strongest/most powerful beings in Middle earth'). It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that one white gem (the Arkenstone) that shines with light. "fairest of all," and "the Heart of the Mountain" (The Hobbit), which makes Thorin pause even in his gold-sickness, and throw Bilbo away for the crime of taking it, just might be one of the three Silmarils gems that caused tumult and war and bloodshed among the elves for thousands of years.
I looked online to see other people's opinions of this theory, and apparently the Silmarillion does say that the three Silmarils were cast away (one in the sky, one in the ocean, and one in the depths of the earth) so this doesn't seem altogether implausible. Thranduil and Gandalf's reactions might serve to deny this theory (they do react to it, but only as a Really Good Bargaining Tool) but apparently Thranduil wouldn't have seen the Silmarils before, and we already know Gandalf likes to keep his secrets.
The fact that we never hear about it again does make this less likely, but the Dwarves are fairly possessive and somewhat private with their treasures, so possibly no elves who would know the Silmarils by sight ever came in contact with it during Thrain's rule... or after Smaug was killed... but if it were either planned to be or retconned to be a Silmaril, that seems like a very large thing Tolkien just decided never to mention again.
What do you think? Do you have any quotes that would seem to prove or disprove this theory? Have you read about this before?
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