Glittering Caves

Patrick wonders whether in this chapter, like the Shadow of the Past,Tolkien gives too much information, which can overwhelm his reader; Andrew goes through some of the details. They discuss the Providential character of the Council and of the wisdom that Elrond and Gandalf exhibit. Boromir, the great military leader in Gondor’s wars against Sauron and heir to its ruler, clashes with Aragorn, now revealed as the King who will replace him. 

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Andrew introduces Patrick to the “Tale of Years," a 6000 year chronology that Tolkien placed as an Appendix to his epic, and the idea that each Age is defined by a dominant conflict. They then turn to Elrond, who has made Rivendell into a place of rest and healing, feasting and contemplation, from which comes wisdom and authority.

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What makes the Black Riders so frightening? Andrew notes their demonic desire to enslave their victims to their will and their ability to arouse paralyzing fear in them. Patrick looks at the instruments Strider and Glorfindel use to combat them - light, heat, athelas, the Elvish cordial, litanies and words of invocation. Above all, Strider keeps up their hope and insists that Sam finally put aside his mistrust.

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Andrew helps fill in the mythological and historical backstory that made this chapter difficult for Patrick to follow. In spite of Strider’s wary protection and learned stories, the reader feels the escalation of fear and isolation endured by the hobbits and the inevitability of Frodo succumbing to the Ring.

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Patrick, like Frodo, is inclined to trust the mysterious stranger, Strider, whose language makes him feel fair though he looks foul. Though Sam has already shown surprising wisdom and good hobbit sense, his protective loyalty makes him disappoint Strider’s hope for trust. Andrew and Patrick consider Strider’s background, Butterbur’s ability to read, and the whimsey in Gandalf’s letter.

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Patrick and Andrew explore the cultural uniqueness of Bree, where Hobbits and Men live separately but in harmony, while reflecting on today’s urban lack of understanding of older village life. Patrick appreciates Tolkien’s way of alternating strife and rest, noting that the hobbits get a little too comfortable in the hospitable environment provided by Mr. Butterbur.

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Andrew and Patrick contemplate the showdown between the life-sucking, disincarnate, spiritual black hole that is the barrow wight and the crazily-dressed, joy-filled silliness of Tom Bombadil wielding the laughter of heaven. They peer into the psychological drama undergone by Frodo, petrified by the horror, strengthened by memories of Bilbo, and finally cleansed by the sound and sight of Bombadil.

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Patrick and Andrew join the hobbits in enjoying the safety and calm that come from Goldberry and Tom, and in their puzzles about Who is Tom - hippy, nature god, Christ-figure? They note his complete freedom from fear and his Eden-like mastery of and insight into the natural world.

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Andrew and Patrick discuss the merits of the hobbits - charming, not wanting to be great but with a strong sense of duty and friendship that makes them ready to take up an adventure. Their adventurous spirit is quickly quelled by the darkness of the wild forest, and their lack of dialogue can make it hard going for the reader also.

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Andrew and Patrick discuss the difficulties readers face in the “journey before the journey” and encourage them to enter imaginatively into the experience, perhaps by hearing it read aloud. They note that the hobbits sing as they walk - strange to us but natural to times before electronically recorded music. The dangers they have encountered make Frodo reluctant to take his friends on his quest but Sam shows how much he has already grown through it.

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