LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 12 - Flight to the Ford

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Sorry for breaking the flow of the topic, but such deep lore is not for me. Indeed, my thoughts would seem mundane and mediocre compared to previous posts.

But still . . .

This time, I actually read the chapter, so I have better ideas. (Last week, a friend of mine loaned the Fellowship, so I was not able to read the chapter concerned.)

Anywhen, here goes . . .

Dim Echoes of the Next Journey

There seems to be many parallels between Frodo’s journey to Rivendell and his quest to Mt. Doom. Here are some:

• Meeting Strider at the Prancing Pony = Meeting Faramir in Ithilien.
  These two were unexpected company, and at first were much distrusted, but they gave unexpected aid in Frodo’s journey.
  
  
• The attack on Weathertop = The attack on Cirith Ungol
  These two events gave Frodo wounds that “would never really heal.”
  
  
• The beryl on the Last Bridge = The water found in Morgai
  They were signs that Frodo’s journey is not hopeless, that there are some people (even the Valar, it seems; I remembered from Saucie's post that the water found in the walls of Morgai may have come from Ulmo) that would aid them.
  
  
• The confrontation at the Ford of Bruinen = The test at Mt. Doom
  Frodo failed at the threshold of the journey’s end, yet providence came to his rescue. Or, as Fordim said:
  

  . . . he does not have hope in his own abilty to resist them . . . but he obviously has hope that something will defeat the Nazgul. (Fordim Hedgethistle)

Then there is Sam and Bill.

[Bill] was developing a expected talent for picking out a path, and for sparing its rider as many jolts as possible. (LotR I 12)

Wow. The same can be said of Sam, too, during their journey through Mordor.

Aragorn the Herb of Kings

This is the first time we are introduced to athelas, and, during the course of the tale, it seems to describe something else . . .

[Aragorn: ]These leaves . . . I found . . . in the dark by the scent of its leaves. (ibid)

[Ioreth: ] Why, I have not heard that it had any great virtue . . . (LotR V 8)

[herb-master: ] It is but a doggrel, I fear, garbled in the memory of old wives. (ibid)

Let’s see . . . from the West, undistinguished, but has great virtue. Aragorn, perhaps?

Just a Few Tidbits

~ Revenge of the Barrow-blade

Can swords avenge their comrades? Looks like they can.

The Witch-King broke Frodo’s sword in the Ford of Bruinen. Then Merry's sword struck him at the Pelennor Fields.

First, we have talking swords, then emotional swords. Now avenging swords?

~ Trolls: if you’re quick you’ll see they’re false.

It was a bit of a mind teaser. After Pippin saw the trolls in the clearing, Tolkien started the next paragraph with this sentence:

The sun was now high, and it . . . lit the clearing with bright patches of sunlight. (LotR I 12)

~ Why I am here

Glorfindel was one of the reasons I’m here poring over Middle-earth, instead of . . . gee, I don’t know where I’ll be. My sister kept on talking about a Glorfindel that was on that river, not Arwen as on the movie. That tidbit (plus a little conundrum concerning the location of Rivendell in relation to Mordor and Isengard) piqued me enough that, on the eve of New Year, 2003, I picked the Fellowship up and began reading it.