water as a symbol of good

[Tuor of Gondolin]

The genesis for this thread is twofold:
1) My bemusement at many (including, in one of his Letters, JRRT) questioning
why the nazgul were "put-off" by crossing rivers
2)an article in the book by the people behind TheOneRing.net entitled "More
Peoples Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien" by Erica Challis.

As for the former, it seems to me quite possible that it was the power of Ulmo
that was a deterrent to Middle-earth bad guys venturing over, on, in water
bodies, not just in the Third Age, but overall. Recall that Cirdan, even in Beleriand,
never had to deal with threats from the sea.

And the article "Secret Messengers", by Erica Challis' non de plume Tehanu,
generally mentions three forces of good (light, air, and water) but focuses on
water, observing that from the beginning of the awakening of men it was Ulmo,
through messages sent through the sound of water that stirred them. And she
perceptively remarks on an event I've always found most interesting in LOTR:

...when Sam and Frodo are alone in Mordor, darkness oppresses them and thirst torments them. Sam wishes Galadriel could hear them now-he'd petition her for a bit of light and some water, and that would be better than any jewels. Soon after, they see the wind rise up and turn back Sauron's pall of darkness, and not long after, they come across a small trickle of precious water. It's like a prayer answered. To Sam, maybe Galadriel is like a 'higher power' as he can know or understand. But in Tolkien's mind, maybe Sam's power is heard by Manwe himself, who foreknew and sent down a sweetly falling rain where it would reach the hobbits, forelorn in the Dark Land.

And while the ocean(s) as such are only fully utilized by the Numenoreans,
rivers (above all Sirien and Anduin) play key roles in the topography and events
of Middle-earth. Two examples: the Shire being (effectively) an island, which,
when Sam crosses the Brandywine, feels as though he is leaving his world
behind. And Elrond using water to thwart the nazgul at the Fords of Bruinen.
There are of course, numerous other examples of the beneficient effect of water,
from Tom Bombadil and Goldberry's realm to Lorien, as well as the negative
effects of "polluting" water from Lake Ivrin to the Sea of Nurnen.

To what extent, then, is this apparent presence of water as a power for good an
indication that the Valar (and specifically Ulmo) have not abandoned
Middle-earth to the extent it may seem in the Third Age? And any other
comments on this curious primacy of water over other factors as a force for good
in Middle-earth?

[Kuruharan]

I think that water is more than just a symbol, it is something of an all purpose tool.

The Valar can use it as a weapon, a means of communication, and as a means to provide aid.

More to follow tomorrow, after I've had some sleep...

[Encaitare]

It's not only in LotR that water is used to deter evil; fairy folklore says that to escape evil spirits sometimes one only must cross running water, past which they cannot follow. Perhaps Tolkien was drawing from this when he wrote about the Nazgul and Bruinen.

[Sapphire_Flame]

generally mentions three forces of good (light, air, and water) but focuses on water,

Meaning dark, earth, and fire are forces of evil? *pouts and goes to play with matches in a cave*

To point out a more general issue of evil being detered by water, you could look back at medieval folklore. Creatures of darkness (vampires, spirits, etc.) were incapable of crossing running water. This may have been something Tolkien drew on when proposing that the Nazgul couldn't (or wouldn't) cross rivers or get near water. Thank'ee, Encaitare, for pointing this out as well.

However, this is contradicted at one point in Unfinished Tales, when it is stated that the Nazgul cross the River Isen, and later the Sarn Ford in the south of the Shire. Christopher noted this and marked it down as a slight inconsistancy on his father's part (sadly, I do not have UT with me at the moment, or I would find the exact quote).

Water is often used as a symbol for life, with good reason (if you don't get water, you die). Fire, also, can be used as such a symbol, only with an emphasis on renewal and change. You may note in LotR the Nazgul, embodiments of Sauron's evil, fear both of these elements (see "Knife in the Dark" and "Flight to the Ford"). It could represent a fear of life (the Nazgul are "neither living nor dead"), and fear of change, or a resentment of both of these. I came upon this particular theory thanks to a rather proficcient author I know. Here is the precise passage:

“You were right about fire, Strider,” Sam mused after awhile. “You really saved us last night. Those shadow-things really don’t like fire much, do they?”

“No, they don’t,” Aragorn said, “although I’m not certain why.”

“I know why,” Frodo said dreamily, gazing at the small campfire.

“I thought you were asleep, Mr. Frodo,” Sam said. “You need to try and sleep, sir.”

Frodo nodded, but continued to stare into the dancing flames.

The last thing Aragorn wanted Frodo to be thinking about was the Nazgûl, but his curiosity won out.

“Why don’t they like fire, Frodo?”

“It’s life,” Frodo murmured, “warmth and life. They can’t bear it. It’s the sun they’ll never feel again, and love, and hearts beating, and all the things forever lost to them. Forever lost…”

~"By Chance or Purpose" by shirebound

.
The forces of evil in Middle-earth have always had trouble from Ulmo. It makes sense that the minions of evil would avoid Ulmo's element as much as possible. Also, the power of water can, as in the case of the Ford of Bruinen, be called upon by those with authority for good.

Then there's the theory my mom came up with: that the Nazgul are really made of cotton candy, and if they get in water they melt.

Abedithon le,

~ Saphy ~

[Tevildo]

And do you not know that there is a reason cats dislike water? It goes along with our role in folk culture and faerie as proponents of darkness and evil.

It is perhaps no coincidence that Master Tolkien had a hearty and outspoken dislike of cats and, at the same time, liked to used water in his tales to symbolize goodness. The two go hand in hand, at least from my perspective.

Tevildo, Prince of Cats

[Encaitare]

Originally Posted by Saphy

However, this is contradicted at one point in Unfinished Tales, when it is stated that the Nazgul cross the River Isen, and later the Sarn Ford in the south of the Shire. Christopher noted this and marked it down as a slight inconsistancy on his father's part (sadly, I do not have UT with me at the moment, or I would find the exact quote).

Hmm... I forgot about that. Perhaps it was because there was Elven power at Bruinen that managed to hold them off? They might have been willing to brave the water if it was just plan water, but with Elrond's spell thrown into the mix they might have been more hesitant -- if they could sense it, that is.

Cotton candy Nazgul? I love it!