LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 08 - Fog on the Barrow-Downs

[Hookbill the Goomba]

This chapter struck me as Tolkien's attempt at doing a horror story, the way the tension builds up and the fog becomes thicker as they get closer to danger. I especially thought this when Frodo calls out and the reply from, which we assume to a Barrow Wight, comes in a cold dead voice. Also the whole idea of a giant hand coming to do some nasty things to the Hobbits was quite unnerving and if this had been included in any theatrical adaptation then I think it would be surrounded by some incredibly eerie music.
The way Tolkien has built up the threat of the Barror wights makes you think that they will probably meet up with one in some way. I have even heard a theory that Tom knew that they were going to fall into trouble with the Barrow Wights and that is why he taught them the song. Also that he had been following them around so he was close at hand when they needed the help.
This I do not believe, I much prefer the idea of Tom being a mystery and popping up from nowhere to frighten ghosts away.
Well that’s what I thought anyway.


P.S Woot! post 101! I am now a Wight! Party at smokin guy's house!

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Like the white rabbit, I arrive, if a bit late.

I have not much to add to what's been said already about this chapter and how it rounds out the mini-story of Tom and Goldberry. I had never considered before how entirely self-contained this adventure is, nor had it even dawned upon me that it's possible to read these three chapters as a redaction of the creation music that underlies ME: very interesting.

The thing that I did notice about the structure of these three chapters is how we have Tom and Goldberry's house 'between' or in the middle of life (the Old Forest) and death (the wights). This, I think, goes a long way in expanding upon Tom's association with nature -- that is, he is a nature spirit, or the spirit of nature, insofar as we find his abode at the meeting place between life and death. He has power over both, as well, and is dismayed by neither. The interesting thing about the incident with the barrow wight, however, is that he does become melancholy for the first an only time we see him. The adventure with Old Man Willow left him entirely unaffected, but his moment of memory with the brooch that he finds is extraordinarily touching (indeed, it inspired an entire thread in this forum that was wonderful fun to lurk on!).

I think that this shift in Tom's mood is explained by the fact that at the end of this chapter, as the hobbits move through death and, thus, 'complete' the natural cycle, they leave the timeless realm of nature, and emerge once more upon the Road, which is the realm of history. This reminds me of another thread I started a while back about Roads and Rings, in which we talked about how the structure of the book is defined by cyclical events and patterns ordered along the linear movement of the Road. Here's an example I'm not even sure we talked about! The adventure with Tom and Goldberry explores the natural circle/cycle as the hobbits move through and from life (and all of a sudden, I'm seeing OMW as a weird kind of womb) and then death, under the guidance and protection of Tom. At the end, though, they have to resume their journey. The moment when they get back to the Road and remember the Black Riders is a chilling reminder that life is not defined by the kinds of adventures that they've had with Tom, which are interludes that aren't connected to the 'larger' historical concerns that overwhelm them. It's notable, too, I think that as soon as they get back into history Frodo must remind them of his false identity -- it's as though once back in the 'real world' of the Road, one's own individuality is under threat: in the unrelenting sweep of history that is catching them up, the greatest threat to Frodo is to his very sense of self.

The end of this chapter is, I agree, entirely in keeping with the pattern of adventure and safe haven. But what about the description of Goldberry as they leave her; is it just me, or does this sound almost exactly like the Fellowship's parting sight of Galadriel?

She was standing still watching them, and her hands were stretched out towards them. As they looked she gave a clear call, and lifting up her hand she turned and vanished behind the hill.

So now they've looked back and bid farewell like this to Mrs. Maggot and now Goldberry -- I'm going to keep following this pattern.

[Noxomanus]

I suddenly wonder: what would have happened if the Barrow-Wight,or Old Man Willow, had taken the Ring?? Could they have used it?

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Origenaly poster by Noxomanus:
I suddenly wonder: what would have happened if the Barrow-Wight,or Old Man Willow, had taken the Ring?? Could they have used it?

I'm not sure about Old man willow, but the Barrow wights were servants of the Necromancer, AKA Sauron and so would have sought to return the ring to him. Old man willow would probably perceive that it was a great power and may have kept it to himself, it would eventually have come into the hands of Tom Bomadill I expect, he would probably know that OMW had some mighty power and so taken it from him. Then thrown it away thinking it useless. So soon it would have fallen back into the hands of evil once again.

[Evisse the Blue]

Reading that, I assumed that the wights's spell forced everyone to relive the last day of the men of Westernersse and the whole dressing them up in those outfits and the jewellery served to enact the moment. If Tom Bombadil did not come to their rescue, they would probably have spent an eternity dreaming of that last battle, and believing they were indeed the men who were murdered. Why the wights were doing that is a mystery, and that's what makes it so scary.

The fact that only Merry voices it, does not mean that only Merry remembers it, or that this dream came to Merry alone. The others may have been to frightened or confused to be able to put into words similar visions they had.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This is "our" chapter! Actually, back in the early days of the forum, The Barrow-Wight used its title for the site's newsletters.

I must say, even after repeated readings, I find the atmosphere that Tolkien creates here eery, spooky, and creepy. It seems such a short time between the Hobbits' cheerful start in the morning to the events on the Downs. I wonder - on the next day they notice that they could not have reached the road within that one day. Was their encounter with the Wight inevitable? Did Tom realize that and allow it to happen for some reason?

After MovieFrodo's rapid deterioration into helplessness, it's refreshing to see BookFrodo's courage here. He relinquishes the passivity that envelopes him at first and is now the person who saves the others - as Sam was in the Old Forest. Later in Rivendell, Gandalf says to him, "You have some strength in you, my dear hobbit! As you showed in the Barrow. That was touch and go: perhaps the most dangerous moment of all." And that was after Weathertop!

The LotR Reader's Companion has a number of interesting and informative tidbits in the accompanying chapter. For example, it compares the "Cold be hand" poem to the oath of the Orcs of Morgoth in the Lay of Leithian, beginning: "Death to light, to law, to love!" It also points out a severed, sinister hand and arm in Tolkien's picture Maddo, illustration #78 in JRRT: Artist and Illustrator, which has no contextual connection with this story at all. Did Tolkien draw upon personal nightmares in this passage?

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

I must say, even after repeated readings, I find the atmosphere that Tolkien creates here eery, spooky, and creepy. It seems such a short time between the Hobbits' cheerful start in the morning to the events on the Downs. I wonder - on the next day they notice that they could not have reached the road within that one day. Was their encounter with the Wight inevitable? Did Tom realize that and allow it to happen for some reason?

I completely agree. This chapter has always had some sort of magic about it. The atmosphere is truly chilling.

I do not think Tom realized it was going to happen, because of his unaware nature, but I do think that the encounter was inevitable. Maybe Tom just didn't put it together?