[Bêthberry]

it is the fear caused by the Nazgul that is their chief weapon, so the chief technique Tolkien uses to engage the reader in this incident (as throughout Book I) is tension rather than action. The key to the scene is not the physical attack that comes in the very last paragraph; it is the slow approach of the Nazgul, the perception of them as a very powerful danger, the suspense that results from the certainty that there must eventually be a confrontation. Tolkien builds that suspense to the breaking point, only to ease off a little and save the real confrontation for the final chapter of Book I.

A good point to make, Aiwendil in our days of action-packed thrillers. It is the timing and pacing that allows so much of the fear to develope. I also think that the attack on Crickhollow achieves some of that impending fear, too. "Open, in the name of Mordor" suggests to me just how arrogant are the Riders in their presumption that others are under Mordor's command.

The point which I find aching in this chapter is how Buckland is apparently rallied to defend itself where the real defense is required far away.

One thing that did strike me this time was what the Nazgul did to the hobbits beds in the inn - the sheer frenzy of the attack is appalling. Its as if they lost control of themselves - yet in other parts of the book we get the sense of them as cold & calculating. Its as if they can only function on two 'levels', one where everything is organised, ritualised, structured - even their cruelty, & the other where they kind of explode in an animal frenzy.

Interesting how we have different takes on this action, davem. I don't read this as loss of control or madly frienzied attack, but in fact as leaving a deadly and specific warning. They are saying that they know they have been tricked and won't forget it. They must leave evidence such as this else they look impotent.

And of course, Aragorn's singing of the song of Luthien and Beren becomes significant to first readers only later. What here appears to be only an answer to Sam's request for more tales of the elves also on some level must satisfy Strider/Aragorn very personally as well.