LotR -- Book 4 - Chapter 10 - The Choices of Master Samwise - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 05-12-2005, 12:42 PM

Makes me wonder why Tolkien left this incident out of the final version. Would it have opened up too many questions? I know he had originally intended Sam to sing a song over Frodo's body, & I can see a reason for leaving that out, but in light of a recent thread on why there are no graveyards (etc) in the Shire (or at least there are none mentioned in the book) its interesting to speculate on why Tolkien left out this little 'ceremony'. Was it that this particular practice didn't fit in with what he 'knew' about Hobbits, being based on ideas about what happens to souls post mortem, or what? On the other hand, if Tolkien left the incident out for other reasons - pacing or whatnot - then can we assume that Hobbits did hold this belief about stones as 'place-markers' for the souls of the departed?

05-12-2005, 12:42 PM	#10
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Makes me wonder why Tolkien left this incident out of the final version. Would it have opened up too many questions? I know he had originally intended Sam to sing a song over Frodo's body, & I can see a reason for leaving that out, but in light of a recent thread on why there are no graveyards (etc) in the Shire (or at least there are none mentioned in the book) its interesting to speculate on why Tolkien left out this little 'ceremony'. Was it that this particular practice didn't fit in with what he 'knew' about Hobbits, being based on ideas about what happens to souls post mortem, or what? On the other hand, if Tolkien left the incident out for other reasons - pacing or whatnot - then can we assume that Hobbits did hold this belief about stones as 'place-markers' for the souls of the departed? __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."