Music and Magic in Middle Earth

[Aiwendil]

Boromir88 wrote:

So, is it just a really loud horn? Or, is there something magical about it?

Now, this only partially relates to your question - but I would suggest that, within Middle-earth, the question "Is x magical" simpliciter is not a well-defined or sensible question. It's a little like asking whether such and such a thing is art. Or perhaps like asking whether it's technology. These are concepts that are not always sharply defined. Forgive me, I seem to be unable to come up with a better analogy, though I suspect there must be one. But magic in Middle-earth is like art or technology in the real world - there isn't one class of things that are magical and another that are not.

Of course, from a certain point of view your question still undeniably does make sense. I think perhaps it can be understood sensibly as a question not about the fundamental nature of Boromir's horn (or anything else) but rather about the actual worth/power/artistry in the horn.

Interesting thoughts, by the way, from everyone in this thread - and especially from Davem in the chapter by chapter discussion. I'm afraid I'll have to ponder the whole business of magic a bit more before I have anything worthy to add to the discussion. I do wonder, though, about the relation of spells as such to "magical items" like the Rings, Elvish artifacts, etc.