Why Did Isildur Cross the River?
 

Hint: the answer is not 'to get to the other side'. :rolleyes:

This has to do with the movements of Isildur leading up to his loss of the Ring, as described in the Unfinished Tales chapter, Disaster of the Gladden Fields.
After the fall of Sauron at the end of the Second Age, Isildur was returning to Arnor by way of Rivendell. It had been decided to travel north into Wilderland and make for the 'High Pass' through the Misty Mountains, i.e., the same pass used by Thorin and Co. in The Hobbit. That way was chosen over the Gap of Rohan apparently due to the latter being a longer route, which it would have been.
In the event, we know that Isildur and his guard were ambushed in the Gladden Fields by Orcs, and he put on the Ring to escape them. He tried to swim west across the Anduin but was forced by the current back into the weeds along the East-bank. The Ring left him, and he was shot and killed by Orc-arrows.
Here's the question: Was it really necessary for him and his men to have been journeying on the east side of the River? It is plain from the narrative that they did so. They set out from Osgiliath, and plainly could have chosen to travel on the western side if they'd wanted. Why didn't they? It would have meant passing very near or through Lórien, but surely that would have been allowed of the Dúnedain, kin of Elrond and recent allies of the Elves in battle. For that matter, if they'd gone through Lórien, they could likely have crossed the Mountains through Khazad-dûm, I think.
Insights?

Aw, shucks. ;)

Offhand, the only reason I can think of is that it is an example of Isildur's hubris. In his mind, he probably felt that with Sauron defeated and himself in possession of Sauron's Ring, there would be no longer be any danger from orcs. Given the pride that led him to keep the Ring against all counsel, he was vulnerable to the Ring's desire (if such it can be called) to return to its Master. Having Isildur take the less safe route along the river would work to its advantage, since it put him more directly in harm's way -- and on the quickest path for the Ring to be regained by the enemy. That's my thought, anyway.

I expect Ibrin has the right of it.

Although perhaps the Gladden Fields were more marshy and thus impassable on the Western side, making it a sensible idea to go along the Eastern bank of the Anduin. As long as no interference from Dol Guldur was expected.

Of course at this stage it was still Amon Lanc, and Sauron had not yet occupied the place.

According to the UT chapter, the Ring was a probably a factor in causing the Orcs to attack with greater courage and ferocity than they ordinarily would have; it called to Sauron's servants.
In LOTR we see it apparently acting in answer to other wills in concert with it, while they are in its vicinity. An example might be it slipping onto Frodo's finger at the Prancing Pony, in order to reveal itself.
However, would the Ring be capable of planning Isildur's route for him, knowing some of Sauron's forces would be waiting for the Dúnedain hundreds of miles away? The Orcs that ambushed him were part of a small, forgotten detachment, whose sole purpose seems to have been to waylay any enemies they outnumbered.

Possibly, but they still could have made use of Khazad-dûm or the Redhorn Gate and avoided the Gladden Fields entirely.

I wouldn't say it was Isildur's pride which led him to pick his route, and I would not overestimate the sway the Ring may have played.

Isildur's failure to master the Ring, appears to have caused a significant blow to his pride. To the point where he is no longer boasting about being the one who dealt the "death blow," and claiming the Ring as an heirloom, but seriously contemplating handing it over to Elrond. Whether Isildur would have followed through or not is another question, but if the Ring could pick up that Isildur was taking it to Rivendell (a dangerous place for the Ring to end up!) then it could have played a factor. Afterall, it did seem to draw the orcs attention.

Are we asking why Isildur, when under attack, went for a swim? Or why he was doing his Middle Earth victory lap? If it's the former, I'd think that it not only might have saved him, but aided his escape as don't the evil folk fear water, to some extent?

I don't think any race of middle earth is a fan of water as far as swimming is concerned - elf, man and hobbit all meet watery fates - the only successful swimmer I can think of is Gollum!

Basically, it appears that if Isildur had simply chosen to journey on the west side of Anduin, the swim across would not have been necessary. It looks to me as if he deliberately took the long way around.
Now, it can certainly be argued that if he hadn't gone for a swim in the Anduin, the Ring would not have been lost, and the whole of Third Age Middle-earth history would have been re-written. Fair enough.
Be that as it may, I simply don't see any likely reason why he chose the route he did.
If the Ring itself played a part, why didn't Isildur's Men, and especially his sons, question his decision to journey east of the Anduin? Going on the western side would have put them nearer the Mountains, and in a position where they could have received help from Lórien and Khazad-dûm. And as I said earlier, there was the Redhorn Gate that they could easily have used to pass the Mountains.

Isildur would have known that Thranduil and the Elves from the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood had taken the same route on their homeward journey, east of the Anduin, not long before. It was therefore reasonable to expect that the route would be safe.

One thought though - why didn't Isildur use a palantir to scout the route ahead ?

I don't think they could be used like that.

Palantiri were not really portable and couldn't see in the dark. Even if he had looked at the Orthanc stone it wouldn't tell him where the orcs would be days later.

to get to the other side

Tsk. You're too late. I covered that in my opening post. :rolleyes:

Could Isildur have been confused by the Ring? If it had started it's famous love-hate game with him, he could have wished both give it away and keep it at the same time. Elrond was with Isildur at the Cracks of Doom and tried to persuade him to destroy the Ring. Isildur could have thought that unlike to himself, Elrond was able to have it done and he needed to bring the Ring to Rivendel, but secretly. At the same time Rivendel was far away and the Ring could have influenced Isildur to take this long way as he didn't need to give it away too soon. He could also have been reluctant to bring it neither to Lorien, nor to Kazad-Dum, as there was a risk that someone else clamed it there.

These are some reasons that look possible for me.

Interesting. So the Ring wanted to forestall its being given away by Isildur?
The problem I see with that is that when Isildur set out from Osgiliath, it was still his intention to take the Ring all the way to Arnor with him, to have it be an 'heirloom of the North Kingdom'. It wasn't until the attack by the Orcs near Mirkwood that Isildur realised he lacked the strength of will to use it, and declared it should go to the keepers of the Three. Even then, I doubt very much he could have actually parted with the Ring if it came to it.
I guess Ibrin's thought that the Ring pushed Isildur to his route because of some connexion with those Orcs looks the most probable, but still...why were the Orcs on that side of the River anyway? They originally were assigned to harass any forces of the West attempting to cross the Mountains, a task at which they failed miserably, since they ran from Gil-Galad's Elves and the Men of Arnor marching to the War.
After Sauron's fall, they had been too cowardly to attack Thranduil's forces returning to Mirkwood. Why then did they not return to watching the Mountain passes? Surely I don't have to put this down to 'another Ring-event which happened because it was meant to'? ;)