Hope and Hopelessness

[Estelyn Telcontar]

So far we have seen 'hope' in connection with persons. I have also found some interesting references to hope being given by inanimate objects.

The first is beryl, the elf-stone. It is mentioned twice, once at the bridge between Bree and Rivendell, apparently left there as a signal by Glorfindel. Strider says:

Whether it was set there, or let fall by chance, I cannot say; but it brings hope to me.

Later in Lothlórien, Galadriel gives Aragorn the elf-stone entrusted to her by Arwen for that purpose:

This stone… comes to you as a token of hope.

Interestingly, this stone gives him his name of Elessar, Elf-stone, so another of his names is connected with the word ‘hope’!

A second example is a liquid form of ‘hope’ – miruvor. When Gandalf gives each member of the Fellowship a sip of it in the snowstorm on Caradhras, we read:

As soon as Frodo had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor he felt a new strength of heart… The others also revived and found fresh hope and vigour.

At Helm’s Deep Aragorn speaks twice of light as a bringer of hope:

Yet dawn is ever the hope of men.
Nonetheless day will bring hope to me.

Can anyone think of additional examples of this usage of ‘hope’ in LotR or Tolkien’s other books?

[ November 10, 2002: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]