LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 06 - The Battle of Pelennor Fields

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Celuien

But even more than despair, I think Éowyn draws on love for Théoden.

...here at least I think she is acting not only out of the recklessness of despair, but also out of both her upbringing in Rohan and a love that outweighs any fear. All three acting together are an amazing combination.

Celuian, that is a wonderful thought - Éowyn acts out of love, and that is what turns the tide!

[Kuruharan]

Along a similar line, it is fear for another rather than himself that awoke Merry's slow-kindled courage of his race.

[Encaitare]

These staves he [Eomer] spoke, yet he laughed as he said them. For once more lust of battle was on him; and he was still unscathed, and he was young, and he was king: the lord of a fell people. And lo! even as he laughed at despair he looked out again on the black ships, and he lifted up his sword to defy them.

I can understand in a way why he has this reaction. I have of course never been engaged in a battle. But I know that when so many things have gone wrong, if I'm having a really bad day, and there's really nothing I can do about any of it, I have two options. I can either be distraught and cry about it, or I can laugh my head off because the world is so bizarre. More often than not I go for the latter, and just get giddy.

More substantial thoughts when I have the book with me.

[davem]

So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse. But glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom when the Dunedain were young, and chief among their foes was the dread realm of Angmar and its sorcerer king. No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will.

I found this interesting - what is the nature of the WK's 'sinews' if they are 'unseen' - in fact, what is 'undead flesh'? Maybe we've all seen too many vampire movies, heard too many references to the 'Undead', but if 'flesh' is not 'alive' what is it? The WK's flesh, his 'sinews', are bound to his will by a 'spell'. It seems that in his 'will' resides his 'power' over his 'flesh'.

So what seems to have happened is that the moment the Barrow Blade entered his 'flesh' it broke his 'will' - ie the 'spell' of the blade bound about with spells for the bane of Mordor remember) was intended to overcome the 'spell' which held the WK's sinews to his will.

So, what we see is a kind of 'battle of wills' - which the WK loses. The magic of the blade is more powerful than the 'magic' of the WK. So, we have an example of Numenorean 'magic' (possibly Elvish in origin) overcoming the power of Sauron in the WK. Not having any information to hand & the Encyclopedia of Arda & Foster's Guide not being much help, does anyone know whether the WK was a Numenorean himself?

Whatever. What we also have is Eowyn's naming of him 'dwimmerlaik' or phantom. He has 'sinews', he can wield a mace & break her arm, yet it seems that he is rather a 'will', controlling a physical vehicle, & that his 'body' is as much a thing subject to his will as is his Fell Beast or the mace he uses. Its as if the Barrow Blade severs 'him' (his 'will') from the physical realm, breaks his hold on this world, & the result is that he is removed into the other world forever. He (like the High Elves) has existed in both realms, but unlike the Elves he has, since his subjugation to Sauron, truly belonged only in the other world. Only his 'will' enabled him to control things in this world. He is truly a 'wraith', a 'phantom'. The Barrow Blade has cut his link with this world. Its interesting that in folklore the inhabitants of the other world, the fairies, fear iron as it makes them powerless to act on one who bears it.

Certainly, what we witness on the Pelennor is yet another crushing of Sauron's power at the (long dead) hands of a Numenorean. Just as a Numenorean blade (symbolically - I know Narsil was made by Telchar!) cut the Ring from his finger & destroyed his body 'cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will.' so his greatest servant suffers the same fate. Sauron must have felt both anger & fear when he realised his servant's fate.

EDIT

Originally Posted by Celuien

...here at least I think she is acting not only out of the recklessness of despair, but also out of both her upbringing in Rohan and a love that outweighs any fear. All three acting together are an amazing combination.

What strikes me most in this context is the different responses of Eowyn & Denethor. Both face the same fate (as they believe at least) - their own deaths, the death of a close relative, the ending of their House. But they respond in opposite ways. Denethor seeks to make his own death, his son's & his House's end a fact - its as if he has decided that its so inevitable that he'll join it & help it happen. Eowyn on the other hand, for all she believes herself to be seeking death actually isn't, & when it comes to it she faces it down. If she must die she will go out with a bang. Denethor literally goes out with a whimper.

Both have been through the most severe depression - clinical depression we might say - death is at the end of the road each has chosen, but when they get to that end, confront death face to face, Eowyn defies it. And she does it without any real hope of success - unlike in the movie, where she says she will 'kill' the WK if he touches Theoden in the book she merely says she will smite him - 'knowing' that that will make not a bit of difference. The point is that when it comes to it, when all she can do at the last, is 'spit' in her enemy's eye before he kills here she does precisely that.

The WK is a symbol for both of them, Denethor & Eowyn, he is their 'depression', the black cloud that has covered them for so long, made (undead) flesh. Denethor allows himself to be consumed by that cloud, Eowyn strikes at it. If she calls him 'phantom' it is both because that is his true nature & also because he is the 'emptiness', the 'nothingness' of her life. When she cries 'Begone foul Dwimmerlaik!' she is crying out as much at her own, internal, WK as against her foe on the battlefield. That act of defiance, as anyone who has suffered from depression will tell you, is what seperates the 'victims' from the 'survivors'. Its not the fact of death - which is inevitable - but our response to it, which is important.

But what of Eomer? What is his response to the death of his kin & the seeming inevitability of his own death & the destruction of his people?

'Eowyn, Eowyn!' he cried at last. 'Eowyn, how come you here? What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death! Death take us all!'
Then without taking counsel or waiting for the approach of the men of the City, he spurred headlong back to the front of the great host, and blew a horn, and cried aloud for the onset. Over the field rang his clear voice calling: 'Death! Ride, ride to ruin and world's ending!'

Perhaps a little too close to Denethor's for comfort?

[Kuruharan]

does anyone know whether the WK was a Numenorean himself?

That knowledge does not exist, unfortunately.

[Firefoot]

Perhaps a little too close to Denethor's for comfort?

With one key difference: Denethor's is "Death take us all! Let's kill ourselves before our enemies kill us!" whereas Eomer's is more like "Death take us all! Let's kill as many of our enemies as we can before we die!"

[Lalwendë]

Right, where to start...?

Firstly, I liked what Celuien says about Eowyn's love. I think that what drives her to join the men in battle is love, unrequited love for Aragorn, and it is certainly love that gives her the courage to face the WK. That was a great insight! perhaps it is at this moment that Eowyn realises who she really does love, and that is her Uncle - this is a strong bond, possibly much stronger than the bond of the soldier and his superior/king/captain. The WK lacks anything approaching Love and this makes for a good opposite force. In addition, it shows that in Tolkien's world (and also in our own), the strength of Love is greater than the strength of Hate.

In this chapter are those terrifying lines:

He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye

I hadn't thought about these lines all that much until Eomer of the Rohirrim brought them up in another discussion, and now I can't get them out of my mind.

I still want to know what the 'houses of lamentation' are. Could they be something to do with what Gandalf says? The 'abyss' that was prepared for him? Or are they some kind of alternate Halls of Mandos? If both are different places, I do wonder just what kind of punishment an eternal abyss might be for a figure such as the WK; only a place which deprived such a figure of any power might be truly a threat.

And so in this place and that, by burned homestead or barn, upon hillock or mound, under wall or on field, still they gathered and rallied and fought until the day wore away.

This line I find gives us some interesting detail about the place where this battle takes place. Unlike the bleak and empty plain as seen in the films, this Pelennor is clearly a living landscape, a place which had been filled with farms and homes, it even has a field system with walls. Clearly this would affect the battle itself. it is easy to imagine the broad sweeping scenes of the films with horsemen and Mumakil thundering about, but going by this description it might have been a much more difficult environment for a battle, even taking into account that the enemy forces may have knocked down any buildings.

We also learn some facts about the enemies, that the Easterlings are experienced in battle, and the Corsairs strike fear into the hearts of the Gondorians (hinting at their past history of conflict). I do wonder who are the 'Variags of Khand'? When first mentioned I took them to be Men, but along with the orcs they fear light and I wonder exactly what race they belong to. This is something I shall have to look up.

to the land of the Haradrim came only a tale from far off: a rumour of the wrath and terror of Gondor

Despite the elation brought about by victory, I also felt a little sad when I read this line. The way it is worded, mentioning Gondor is the same breath as wrath and terror, I do wonder if it is intended to have that effect, to make us stop for a moment and think of the effects of war, even on the enemy. It is clear from it that the men who went to fight did not return, and their people would be left to survive without them. Likewise, it throws into relief the fate that would have faced Rohan if things had not gone their way.

I also was quite taken with the description of the evening sun hitting the battlefield and river and making them look as though they were bloody. It makes me think of a tale I heard from someone I know who was working in Africa and saw the waters of Lake Victoria (I hope i've got the right lake there!) turn red one day; the red was the blood washing downstream after a confrontation between Hutu and Tutsi forces.

The description of the origins and breeding of the WK's steed are also interesting, and suggest that it is one of a breed of creature that has somehow survived from ancient times. And where are the 'forgotten mountains cold beneath the Moon'? Are there parts of Middle-earth where the sun does not reach? Maybe this is Khand and might explain why the Variags shun the light? Yet in the midst of the description of this terrifying creature I found something which made me smile:

the Dark Lord took it, and nursed it with fell meats

As a fan of The League of Gentlemen, I wondered if Hilary Briss might have been the Dark Lord, feeding creatures on 'special stuff'.