"Before long, washed and refreshed, the hobbits were seated at the table, two on each side, while at either end sat Goldberry and the Master. It was a long and merry meal..."
Posted on 05/30/2003 1:44:31 PM PDT by JameRetief
A Tolkien Virgin: The Fellowship of the Ring - Book 1 - Chapters 7 & 8
by Mark-Edmond
The Journey Continues
| "Before long, washed and refreshed, the hobbits were seated at the table, two on each side, while at either end sat Goldberry and the Master. It was a long and merry meal..." |
Chapter 7
In the house of Tom Bombadil
Wow! Wow! WOW! Tom Bombadil!? I'm at a loss for words... so now I'm wracking my brain from my Silmarillion read last year trying to figure out if he's a maiar or ainur that I'm familiar with.
He has to be at least a maiar...after all, he says when the Elves passed westward Tom was already here before the seas were bent. He was around before Men and Dwarves and come to think of it, his magic is in his singing. He and Goldberry are always singing, and singing is how Illuvatar through the Vala created the earth and all existence. I bet most people miss the profundity of this meeting.
The way he discovered Goldberry in the forest reminds me of Thingol and Melian, and Beren and Luthien. And to think that "Tom" (whatever his real name is) was there the whole time, throughout the whole Silmarillion and the ages of the Numenorians right up to the "present" is just incredible.
The ring has no power over him and he can see Frodo when he puts it on... ack! Frodo finally put on the ring!!
We'll see how long it takes for his addiction to set in and what trouble it will cause him. And it's pretty obvious that Frodo and the others are going to need to use that "summoning call" of Tom's in the near future.
Author: Mark-Edmond
Published on: September 26, 2000
 "Suddenly resolve hardened in him, and he seized a short sword that lay beside him, and kneeling he stooped low over the bodies of his companions. With what strength he had he hewed at the crawling arm near the wrist, and hand broke off; but at the same moment the sword splintered up to the hilt." |
Chapter 8
Fog on the Barrow-downs
Not much to say about this chapter. To be honest after reading it through once, I wasn't totally clear on what exactly a barrow is or a wight or where Frodo and the others were trapped and what the arm was or where from, where their clothes went etc. etc.... an evil spirit of some kind, apparently... captures passers-by after sun-down; it either lures them with hidden wealth or takes it's treasure from its victims or both. So, I have to concur with a friend I was talking to the other day who's opinion of Tolkien was that he isn't easy to read. I don't think he's always hard to read, but sometimes all his descriptions, references, and even his choice of vocabulary bog things down.
What I like about Tolkien, though, is that there's always a story behind the story. I like that because it's honest. It's more like our own lives. There isn't one story happening, but we all have stories. In my life I'm always curious about how we have all ended up wherever we are, our individual stories. So when Tom Bombadil takes a moment to remember the sad past of the one who wore the brooch, I found it particularly poignant.
Author: Mark-Edmond
Published on: October 03, 2000
The next Tolkien Virgin article covers: The Fellowship of the Ring - Book 1 - Chapter 9
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The Tolkien Virgin articles |
| ARTICLES 01-10 | ARTICLES 01-10 |
| ARTICLES 11-20 | ARTICLES 11-20 |
| ARTICLES 21-30 | ARTICLES 21-30 |
| ARTICLES 31-40 | ARTICLES 31-40 |
| ARTICLES 41-50 | 41) FOTR - Book 1 - Chapter 6 |
| ARTICLES 51-60 | 42) FOTR - Book 1 - Chapter 7 & 8 |
| ARTICLES 61-70 | |
| ARTICLES 71-80 | |
| 81) J.R.R.Tolkien, Catholicism and the Use of Allegory | |
| 82) Where Have All the Dragons Gone? | |
| 83) Magic by Melkor, No Returns Accepted | |
| 84) Butterbeer & Hobbits | |
| 85) Mother-less Heroes |
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That wasn't all that long ago as the history of ME goes. Near end of Second Age.
Of course, if he was there when the Elves marched west, that was a LOT earlier!
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