Posted: November 18, 2020

Shadowfax is an unusually fast steed and of that desperate night journey undertaken by Gandalf and Pippin I most appreciate the enthralling descriptions of both landscape and skyscape given by Tolkien from Pippin’s point of view.

Nearing Mordor we are informed that Gondor is not fully prepared for the impending attack from Sauron’s forces, as wall repairs are still being undertaken at this time.

The description of Minas Tirith as Gandalf and Pippin come upon it as the sun is rising is another breathtaking read. I can almost feel the cool, bracing morning air and my spirit soars with those pennants flapping in the breeze.

Less hopeful is the dour and inhospitable Denethor II. He is obviously not a friend of Gandalf.

Once Gandalf and Pippin get to the Hall of Minas Tirith the hall is described in detail. I always like to contrast it with Meduseld. Where the Hall of Rohan is wood and fabric and majestic in its own way, the hall of of the sons of Numenor is marble and stone - green floors with intricate designs, black columns, gold roof gildings and white walls, and statues instead of Meduseld’s tapestries and a crowned throne at the end with the steward occupying a simple seat. Loftier and more magnificent is the Hall of Gondor but less welcoming than the Hall of Edoras.

Gandalf has been pretty much the principal architect and mind behind the moves of the enemies of Mordor at this point with even the Elven Lords bowing to his wisdom. But here he encounters a check with Denethor who thinks of himself as the mover of things and principal rival of Sauron. Denethor certainly has a different opinion on what should be done about the Ring.

Gondor is preparing for the upcoming war. It is sending its noncombatants out into the safety of the countryside while it is summoning all its allies including the men of Rohan. Tolkien casts a gloomy pall in all these proceedings. The impression is of a people getting ready to fight a war that they cannot win. But the cause of all these dark forebodings cannot entirely be traced to the sentiments of the people of Gondor. A literal darkness is seeping from Mordor in the form of dark clouds or smoke from Orodruin. This darkness, punctuated by the terrible cries of the Nazgul, is having a depressive effect on the defenders of Minas Tirith.

In all these goings on Pippin has gotten himself admitted as a member of the Palace Guard of Minas Tirith. He is a witness to the arrival of the armed allies from the countryside. He is also a witness to the disappointment of the people of Gondor at the sparse number of allies coming in.

Helm's Deep to Dunharrow

While Gandalf and Pippin made their way to Minas Tirith, Theoden, Aragorn, and their company make their way to Helm’s Deep at which point they will part ways. Theoden, keen to hide his movements from the enemy, will take paths through the hills and mountains on his way to Dunharrow and then to Edoras for the muster of Rohan. Aragorn, with his band numbering less than forty, will take a faster route to Dunharrow via the fields of Rohan. His stated intent to take the Paths of the Dead is met with consternation by the men of Rohan.

Regarding the journey of the Rohirrim from Helm’s Deep to Dunharrow one of the moments that I always remember with fondness was near the end at dusk when they were surrounded by lofty mountains. Tolkien describes it from Merry’s point of view and it is so vivid and wonderful I feel like I am descending the mountain trail with them as night falls over the slopes.

The Paths of the Dead

When Aragorn gets to Dunharrow he does take the Paths of the Dead much to the sorrow of the Lady Eowyn.

The adventure of the Paths of the Dead is an entertaining horror story in the midst of "The Lord of the Rings". It is primarily through Gimli that Tolkien gives us the experience of going through this deliciously harrowing path. It is strategically important since without Aragorn’s ability to command the allegiance of dead warriors it would not have been possible to defeat the seaborne allies of Mordor and the Battle of Pellenor Fields would have been lost.

The Muster of Rohan

The Muster of Rohan is notable for Merry getting nearly thrown out of the story entirely. It is also notable for Eowyn finally insisting on her place as a warrior of her people - a move that will also be tactically important for the victory in the Pelennor Fields.

The whole muster would have come to naught were it not for the intervention of the Druedain led by Gan Buri Gan. I liked reading about these ancient, forest dwelling people with their unique culture and how they made it possible for the Rohirrim to come to the aid of the men of Westernesse.

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

War is unleashed in Gondor with the retreat of the defenders of Osgiliath before the hordes of Sauron. Again, told from the point of view of Pippin from the walls of Minas Tirith, we are witness to the power of Gandalf the White as he repels the Nazgul with beams of magical light. Nonetheless, the war starts with Faramir gravely wounded.

The protective walls around Gondor, the Rammas Echor, and the Pelennor Fields are quickly overwhelmed. Savage they may be but the forces of Sauron have a devastating level of organization. They dig fiery trenches around Gondor and bring to bear their siege machines. Aside from a single sortie from the cavalry, Gondor can do nothing but close their gates and endure a siege.

In the pages of "The Two Towers" Faramir had occasion to reveal his true quality, as Sam says, and it turns out to be gold. In the pages of "The Return of the King" Denethor is given the equivalent chance and the old man is sadly made of tinfoil.

This arrogant, blustering, Steward doesn’t have the balls to lead his people. He claims primary place among the Great but his courage fails him when battle breaks at last. It’s all very elaborate but what he is basically doing is committing suicide in the middle of the battle and attempting to take Faramir with him too.

Denethor has bought into a story and an ending that has been playing in his head and is acting as if this story in his mind is the reality of his situation. How much of us have acted the same? I certainly have, scaring myself with my worries instead of looking at the reality of the moment.

Denethor ultimately burns himself to death but Faramir is saved by the timely intervention of Gandalf. An expensive intervention since it forces Gandalf to withdraw from the front lines.

The situation gets truly dire as the gate of Minas Tirith is breached. Just when matters could not get any worse, it does, as the first one through the breach is the irresistible chief of the Ringwraiths.

The war goes from disastrous to glorious as the horns of the Rohirrim are heard over the din of battle.

The staging and description of the arrival of the Rohirrim in the fields of the Pelennor is one of the most memorable moments in "The Lord of the Rings". The rousing speech of Theoden followed by the bracing, headlong charge to meet with the opponents in the field. A charge that clears the invaders from half of the Pelennor and allows the soldiers of Gondor to issue out of the gates of Minas Tirith.

As wonderful as the charge of the Rohirrim is it pales before the epic confrontation between the Chief of the Ringwraiths and Eowyn. A confrontation that results in the death of Theoden King, the wounding of Eowyn of Rohan and, most significant of all, the death of the Witch King of Angmar. It is also the event that gives Merry a dire wound while earning him acclaim among the ranks of the Rohirrim.

Even after these heroic deeds, the battle is still fated to be lost because of the sheer size of the invading forces from Mordor.

Eomer, now King of Rohan, prepares to make a last, glorious, stand. I am most struck and admiring of Eomer’s attitude to all this. He is laughing and enjoying it all! How glorious to look at a dire and hopeless situation and to still feel good and laugh. Tolkien gives a wonderful reason why Eeomor is so bouyant, and I paraphrase: Because he is young and he is the king of a fell people. Just wonderful.

As the ships of the Haradrim begin to dock everybody knows that it is the end. But not so, instead of the Haradrim it is Aragorn and his host that joins the fray and just like that, the Battle of Pelennor is won.

The Army of the West

There is a brief lull in the war allowing the combatants to rest and to heal and to acknowledge the return of the King. Most memorable at this time is the council held outside Gondor in the tent of Aragorn where Gandalf tells it like it is: The force they have encountered was only a part of Sauron’s massive forces. Ultimately, they have no chance in a traditional battle. The only valid strategy is to use themselves as bait and hold Sauron’s attention so that Frodo and Sam can accomplish their mission.

As the Army of the West makes its way to the Morannon, the mood of the allies goes from somber to terrified. This is illustrated by the fact that some of the warriors that are with them quail at the prospect of going ahead and are given leave by Aragorn to assault Cair Andros instead. This is a testament to the courage of both Frodo and Sam who came this way also but managed to master themselves before such terrors.

The host of Westernesse in front of the gates of the Black Land is a sorry sight. Tolkien does not hold back from showing how small the force is against the giant gates and ramparts of Mordor.

Soon a parley is held and it is the most terrible, soul crushing thing of all; as the allies are presented with Frodo’s mithril coat and other pieces of clothing. This pretty much informs them that the quest is lost and their sacrifice for naught.

Battle is joined soon enough and I’m thinking that compared to the psychological torture of seeing Frodo’s effects, the battle, hopeless though it is, must feel like a comfort, an opportunity to unleash the emotions.

Let us leave the battle, wind back the time, and join Sam and Frodo at the start of Book 6, the final book of "The Lord of the Rings".

Sam Rescues Frodo

Sam Gamgee has just gotten the best news of his life: Frodo is alive. He just has to get to him. Sam has no recourse but to dare the guard tower where they took Frodo. Fortunately for him, something has been happening to the orcs. They have found the fabulous mithril coat and have fought each other over it.

Most of them are dead except two and Sam manages to dispose of one of them and the other escapes with the coat.

With that, Sam finds Frodo and they both continue with the quest.

Here is one of my most favorite parts. Sam and Frodo essentially survey the landscape inside Mordor looking to see what they have to do to get to Mount Doom. There are actually several stages: They have to get past the ring of cliff walls surrounding the plains, make their way down to the plains, cross the plains, and make their way to the volcano.

From their vantage point both hobbits conclude that every single stage seems impossible.

This is so important.

This is like us looking at our life goals and realizing there is no way we can make it. What do we do?

We know what Denethor did. He had something like this situation. Looking into the palantir, doing his mind tricks, he saw the way forward and concluded that it was impossible. Just like Sam and Frodo. And what did Denethor do? He committed suicide. A member of the so-called Great proving himself otherwise while these two hobbits finding themselves in somewhat the same situation take the path of courage and wisdom. Frodo decides to let future problems be future problems and simply take the next step.

Simply take the next step. That’s pretty much the answer for these life moments if one is to read "The Lord of the Rings" allegorically.

What happens next is a series of events that point to fate helping them get to their goal. All they needed to do was dare it and life met them halfway. They had concerns about water, they managed to find several drinkable rills. They didn’t know how to make it down the ring of cliffs, they got included in an orc run. They did not know how to escape the orcs , a big to do happened in the bridge where several orc units converged and they managed to escape unseen. They didn’t know how they could go through the plains undetected, they find out that the plains are deeply scarred with ridges that they can hide in. They were losing strength for the trip to Mount Doom, they found unoccupied roads with water stops.

Viewing this as wisdom literature which I tend to do, the message is: Take the next step, once you dare your journey, life will be there to assist you in ways you cannot foretell.

Mount Doom

The last few miles nearing Mount Doom is a journey of a different character in the levels of physical and psychological toughness it asks from the hobbits. Everything that is not needed for the journey is thrown out and the hobbits push through on pure willpower. Frodo could not have made it alone. Sam could not have made it alone. It took both of them.

The last stage, the destruction of the Ring is the most galling stage of all. Frodo and Sam could not have done it on their own. It took both of them and Gollum to accomplish it. I am very happy with this part not only because Sauron is defeated but also because Gollum can get some peace at last. He was evil, murderous, and vile, but not entirely, and I’m happy he gets some peace at last.

Frodo and Sam are about to die but I feel their relief at successfully completing the quest - the happiness before the end, the joy at a goal accomplished. It is palpable in this scene.

Let's get back to the battle in front of the Morannon which is happening around the time the Ring was destroyed. It is Gandalf who realizes what is happening. He knows the Ringbearer has succeeded. Just like that, defeat becomes victory.

After the War

What follows next is salvation and peace and an end to the struggle. It’s a good read but I appreciate it most because of two things:

The first is the encounter with Saruman on the road. It is a horrible, fascinating, and amusing thing to see the once mighty Saruman the White reduced to a cranky old beggar. A member of the council who must humiliatingly face his former allies.

The second thing is the night discussions between Gandalf and the Elf Lords - all done telepathically with them being described as looking like statues to passersby. Just fascinating and awesome to read.

We move on to the scouring of the Shire and the death of Saruman. A good read, particularly about the part when Saruman dies and his spirit shows up overhead (just like Sauron’s) and it looks to the West and is blown apart. Subtle, and oh so wonderful. When Sauron was defeated, his spirit appeared as a dark, lightning-crowned cloud figure that also dissipated in the wind while reaching out despairingly to the victorious army of the West.

The best part of the return to the Shire is Sam using Galadriel's gift to do some environmental repair including planting the only mallorn tree outside Lorien.

The most emotional moment was when Frodo had to leave and told Sam about it. Frodo had stayed for only around a year. He tells Sam that it is the nature of things that those who win the battle don’t always get to enjoy the peace that they won. I’m paraphrasing. I remember all the dead soldiers in all the wars of mankind and I realize Frodo is right. But it doesn’t have to be a war. There are people today who are creating things that will make our world better and they will never get to live in that world. They won the war but they won’t enjoy the fruits of their victory, their legacy is for future generations.

Annexes

Beyond the main story are annexes with a lot of wonderful information. I reread them every time I reread "The Lord of the Rings", all except the annexes about languages, I read those once and once is enough for me. I am in awe of them and of Tolkien’s obvious fondness and expertise but those annexes are beyond me. I think I’ve said before that "The Lord of the Rings" contains a summary of "The Hobbit" in the beginning and a mini-Silmarillion at the end in the form of the annexes.

Book 5

Gandalf and Pippin arrive at Gondor to a less than warm welcome from Denethor. Pippin finds himself volunteering to become a member of the Palace Guard of Minas Tirith. He witnesses the arrival of the allies of Gondor as well as the first assaults of the enemy.

Aragorn and his company take the Paths of the Dead and Aragorn is able to invoke an ancient oath and gain control of an army of the dead. He uses this army to defeat the sea-based Haradrim and gain control of their ships.

War reaches Gondor and in the Battle of the Pelennor fields Minas Tirith comes under siege. During this time Denethor loses heart and attempts to kill himself together with his son Faramir. Denethor dies but Faramir is saved by the timely intervention of Pippin and Gandalf.

Just as the gate of Minas Tirith is breached the Rohirrim arrive in the field of battle and repel the invaders. In the battle both Theoden and the Witch King of Angmar meet their end.

As the battle continues even the aid of the Rohirrim is not enough to permanently turn the tide. During a desperate hour Aragorn arrives with his forces and wins the day.

Book 5 further tells of the respite won by the victory at the Pelennor Fields and the decision by the forces of the West to march to the gates of Mordor in order to call Sauron's attention away from the quest of the Ringbearer.

The book closes with a desperate battle in front of the Morannon.

Book 6

At the start of the book Sam successfully rescues Frodo and the pair continue with the quest. The first task is to breach the ring of cliffs surrounding the plains of Mordor and to make it to the plains undetected. The pair successfully accomplishes the task by the lucky chance of being thought of as orcs and being included in an orc war band. The next stage of the journey has Frodo and Sam crossing the plain to Orodruin, a task that becomes increasingly harder as they near the mountain.

At the foot of Mount Doom Frodo and Sam go through the hardest part of their journey as they climb up the slopes and near the fires of Orodruin. In the end, the feat of destroying the Ring could not have been accomplished without the participation of Gollum.

The rest of book 6 details the victory celebration after the War of the Ring as well as other events such as the proclamation of King Elassar of the House of Strider and his marriage to Arwen, daughter of Elrond. This match finally reunites the blood of Elros and Elrond.

Book 6 also tells the tale of the return of the hobbits to the Shire and final fate of Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

And so ends the Lord of the Rings.