LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 03 - Three Is Company

[Essex]

Fordim, re your earlier point

So it just occured to me: Middle-Earth is saved by the Gaffer!

I mooted this point on the 'The importance of Tolkien's Minor Characters' thread I raised a while back
http://www.forum.barrowdowns.com/sho...nor+characters

The way we can take one of a multitude of 'minor' characters from the story, and the plot totally changes, shows what an intricate and complex storyline Tolkien dreamt up. No gafffer, no Lord of the Rings (well 100 pages or so!)

If anyone has the Houghton Mifflin version of the Fellowship of the ring, on page 82 could anyone find me an example of an Elvish aphorism?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

"Three is company" is another of Tolkien's quirky changes of sayings - the actual proverbial saying goes "two's company, three's a crowd". But I also thought of it as a foreshadowing of the ending of the book at the Grey Havens; Gandalf says, "It will be better to ride back three together than one alone." Additionally, it reminds me of a passage in the Bible, Ecclesiates 4, that begins, "Two are better than one", goes on to elaborate about the situations in which it is good to have another person to help and ends "and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Right at the beginning is another of those lines that takes on a sinister meaning when I think of it in connection with the Ring; Gandalf says, "Of course you mustn't vanish!" Then there's the "there and back again" comparison, with Frodo being hesitant to leave the Shire because he thinks he won't be returning. Of course, we know that his journey will be a "there and back" trip, just going farther in both a literal and a spiritual sense than Bilbo did.

This is the chapter that raised a question for me that could only be solved by beginning to write a story (which, alas, I have sadly neglected) - my fan fiction that answers the question, "Whatever happened to Folco Boffin?" He's never again mentioned, though he is here said to be one of the four closest friends. I must continue it soon...

This chapter also repeats the poem that is most important to me, "The Road goes ever on". It has accompanied me on many journeys, and as I know it by heart, I have frequently written it in guest books of friends. I do, however, use Bilbo's version with "eager feet", not Frodo's "weary feet" - I love to travel! In Hammond and Scull's Reader's Companion, they suggest that the difference between the two hobbits and the reason for their alternate poem version is primarily caused by the burden of the Ring, which responsibility Frodo already feels. Bilbo left home all the lighter for having given that burden away.

I also noticed the early version of the poem that Bilbo recites on the way to the Grey Havens at the end of the book - "Still round the corner". This version sounds curious, the later one poignant. The first part of the third stanza is sung by Pippin in the RotK movie - in Denethor's court.

The closing part of the chapter, with Frodo's talk with Gildor, is full of quotable sentences! "The wide world is all about you..."; "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards..." (always good for parody versions like the one with ketchup!); "Go not to the Elves..."; "Advice is a dangerous gift..."; and "Courage is found in unlikely places...", to name the most important lines.

Oh, by the way, Hammond and Scull suggest that the line Frodo uses to call Sam away from the beer barrel at the beginning of this chapter could purposely be similar to that heard in an English pub at closing time!

They also point out that information given by Tolkien in the song cycle The Road Goes Ever On tells us why Elves could be regularly travelling though this area of the Shire; they could be returning (since they are going eastwards, not westwards to the Havens) from the Towers, where the palantír was.

On such visits they were sometimes rewarded by a vision, clear but remote, of Elbereth, as a majestic figure, shining white, standing upon the mountain Oiolosse.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

This is the chapter that raised a question for me that could only be solved by beginning to write a story (which, alas, I have sadly neglected) - my fan fiction that answers the question, "Whatever happened to Folco Boffin?" He's never again mentioned, though he is here said to be one of the four closest friends. I must continue it soon...

I must say I was never that troubled concerning Folco (probably like many others I just ignored him as a minor character), but since you alerted me of it some (longer) time ago, I started to think about it more. And I think you should return and continue that story, if you have time (and inspiration, mainly), because it's great!

This chapter also repeats the poem that is most important to me, "The Road goes ever on".

Actually, this chapter is stuffed with poems, resp. songs, as it is in several of the following chapters (the most, of course, with Tom Bombadil) - these are the merry walking tunes before we end up in the silent and unfriendly wilderness (though even there we are going to hear some songs, like Sam's song about the troll or the Fall of Gil-Galad or the bit from Beren and Lúthien's tale). You have "The Road goes ever on", then this marching song, and praise for Elbereth. All these songs are beautiful and when I read them, it recalls the memories of my first readings of the book - I don't know how to explain that, probably the songs "preserve" the most the original feeling. Or it has maybe something to do with the fact that when I was some 9 years old, I read and sang (with my own melody that I invented at the very moment) all the songs from the beginning of the book till the end of chapter 6, and I still have them recorded on tape.

The closing part of the chapter, with Frodo's talk with Gildor, is full of quotable sentences! "The wide world is all about you..."; "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards..." (always good for parody versions like the one with ketchup!); "Go not to the Elves..."; "Advice is a dangerous gift..."; and "Courage is found in unlikely places...", to name the most important lines.

True indeed. This is also the first time since Elrond or the Elven King in the Hobbit when we meet a significant Elf character, and so he can provide us with information in the Elven fashion. Anyway, Gildor is a great character and he would deserve more, or, better said, he stimulates one to think more about him in person - he seems very complex even though his role is still minor; at least to me.

Oh, by the way, Hammond and Scull suggest that the line Frodo uses to call Sam away from the beer barrel at the beginning of this chapter could purposely be similar to that heard in an English pub at closing time!

Hooray!
Or it was unintentional byproduct of Tolkien's subconscious

Anyway, as for overall feeling of this chapter, I just glimpsed davem's post at the beginning on this thread where he said this chapter contains a transition from one world to another. I wholeheartedly disagree. Even the Elves and Gildor still belong to the Shire for me, even the Rider chasing the Hobbits, despite Frodo's debate with Gildor about that "this is not their own Shire". We are still in the, so to say, kindergarten-stage (with no negative meaning), it is a pleasant Shire and I always had the feeling that this could happen to me everyday during a walk - simply because this is our own Shire. In other words, one Black Rider during the day and a group of elves in the night is what is the thing closest to experience even in the most mundane circumstances, because the hobbits also experienced it in the most mundane circumstances.

[Rumil]

Evenin' all,

Some specific, some more general thoughts here.

First, Gandalf stayed at Bag End for two or three weeks. Did Gandalf and Frodo plan any more deeply than 'head for Rivendell'? And if not why on earth not? I guess maybe to avoid alerting the reader to what might transpire!

Bag End seemed sad and gloomy and dishevalled. Frodo wandered round the familiar rooms and saw the light of the sunset fade on the walls, and shadows creep out of the corners. It slowly grew dark indoors

For me this perfectly sums up the thoughts one has on leaving a house, everything is packed away, the old place looks bare, and its time to remember the joy and sorrows that took place in your old home.

Then

The sky was clear and the stars were growing bright. 'It's going to be a fine night,' he said aloud. 'That's good for a beginning, I feel like walking

This is the start of The Journey, and it begins with a night-time walk through the Shire, how perfect! It makes me think of walks through well-known countryside on a clear night when the world seems full of possibilities and the road could so easily sweep one away to an unknown destination.

On the Curious Fox, there was some concern that he broke the translator conceit, however maybe just possibly Gildor or one of his pals made some joking remark regarding the fox's thoughts later on?

On Pippin's peremptory commands, I think he's extracting the michael here and Sam is too sleepy to see it, Frodo gets revenge by pulling Pippin's blankets off.

As for 'Sam!, Time!' the traditional cry of the bartender on the dread toll of the bell is 'Time gentlemen please, time at the bar, haven't you got homes to go to?' which is doubly appropriate here!