The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

Priya · 08-15-2025, 11:53 AM

Hello Mithadan

Thank you for pointing out how an eastern shadow lay over the slumbering hobbits after they’d propped themselves against its east facing side. Yes, direction was of supreme importance to Tolkien: the blessedness of the west versus Sauron’s threat in the east.

Actually, it’s more the logic of the tale I am initially interested in discussing. But I acknowledge your thoughts on our world’s similarities with regards to ancient monoliths.

But back to the story for a while. It’s curious that Tolkien decided that Tom would refer to the stone in the singular while pluralizing Wights. So I think the standing stone the hobbits encountered was the very one Tom was referring to.

“Don’t you go a-meddling with old stone or cold Wights …”.

At first I thought it must have had an enchantment placed on it: a sort of early warning system alerting the nearby Wight that ‘prey’ was approaching.

But I changed my mind!

There are whole a lot of strange things that happen in this chapter of the story. Nobody (at least to my research) seems able to provide ‘believable’ answers, which possess both consistency and give this part of the tale logical purpose. For instance:

Why a rounded hollowed-out hill with a rimmed mound?
Why was a single stone specifically placed at its center?
What was this fog that rolled in so suddenly after a blazing hot day and after the sun had just set?
What were the two stones that appeared like a headless door, yet had not been noticed earlier?
Why did darkness fall after Frodo went past them?
Why did Frodo’s pony bolt?
Why did the other hobbits not follow Frodo past the doorway?
Why was there no reply from them when Frodo called?
Why did their voices seem so far away after Frodo came back through the doorway?
What was the green light in the barrow that came up through the ground?
Why did Bombadil’s voice appear to come through the ground?
How did Bombadil appear so quickly in his rescue?
What happened to the stones making up the headless doorway?

And these are just some of the mysterious matters.
Was the story intentionally meant to have unexplainable facets, or was there more to it all that Tolkien never got round to telling us about?

Opinions and any enlightenment would be most welcome.

08-15-2025, 11:53 AM	#3
Priya Pile O'Bones Join Date: Sep 2023 Posts: 15	Hello Mithadan Thank you for pointing out how an eastern shadow lay over the slumbering hobbits after they’d propped themselves against its east facing side. Yes, direction was of supreme importance to Tolkien: the blessedness of the west versus Sauron’s threat in the east. Actually, it’s more the logic of the tale I am initially interested in discussing. But I acknowledge your thoughts on our world’s similarities with regards to ancient monoliths. But back to the story for a while. It’s curious that Tolkien decided that Tom would refer to the stone in the singular while pluralizing Wights. So I think the standing stone the hobbits encountered was the very one Tom was referring to. “Don’t you go a-meddling with old stone or cold Wights …”. At first I thought it must have had an enchantment placed on it: a sort of early warning system alerting the nearby Wight that ‘prey’ was approaching. But I changed my mind! There are whole a lot of strange things that happen in this chapter of the story. Nobody (at least to my research) seems able to provide ‘believable’ answers, which possess both consistency and give this part of the tale logical purpose. For instance: Why a rounded hollowed-out hill with a rimmed mound? Why was a single stone specifically placed at its center? What was this fog that rolled in so suddenly after a blazing hot day and after the sun had just set? What were the two stones that appeared like a headless door, yet had not been noticed earlier? Why did darkness fall after Frodo went past them? Why did Frodo’s pony bolt? Why did the other hobbits not follow Frodo past the doorway? Why was there no reply from them when Frodo called? Why did their voices seem so far away after Frodo came back through the doorway? What was the green light in the barrow that came up through the ground? Why did Bombadil’s voice appear to come through the ground? How did Bombadil appear so quickly in his rescue? What happened to the stones making up the headless doorway? And these are just some of the mysterious matters. Was the story intentionally meant to have unexplainable facets, or was there more to it all that Tolkien never got round to telling us about? Opinions and any enlightenment would be most welcome.