Orcs, Trolls, and other nasties!

In the stories of "The Lord of the Rings," Tolkien made some pretty gross enemies. They consists of blood thirsty orcs, massive trolls, wargs (mainly in "The Silmarillion"), and even more wicked things like the Balrogs. All these things come from Melkor/Morgoth, a Lucifer figure in the story. He was given power and this made him prideful, so he wanted to destroy all that he did not make. So he makes the evil of Middle Earth. 

Orcs. Not at all a pleasant sight. Their skin is overrun with filth, boils, and blood. For all orcs hardly ever agree. Yes, they will stand together to fight all that is good in this world, but when they aren't killing anyone, they usually fight amongst themselves. When this happens all the orcs, except maybe two or three, are killed. This made things very easy for Sam, when he had to invade the tower in Mordor to find Frodo. All the orcs had killed themselves already!

Another little nasty are Trolls. Not exactly little. They are huge twisted evil things that use their size to crush, pull, and destroy all around them. The most famous of these is the Cave Troll in Moria, where it took the whole Fellowship to bring it down. Another famous Troll is the one that Pippin killed at the battle of the Black Gate. This was an amazing victory, because a four foot hobbit was able to defeat a ten foot (or more) Troll! It seems like David and Goliath! 

The most menacing of all of these are the Balrogs, one of the greatest servants of Morgoth. For the Balrogs were once Maiar (the servents of the valar) and are most powerful compared to the other things that Morgoth manipulated for his use.They are both shadow and flame; no mortal nor elf can defeat them. Yet a wizard with the grace of Iluvatar (chief of the valar, AKA the one and only God) was able to defeat one. Gandalf defeated the Balrog that was awakened in Moria which was a great feat, for anyone. 
 
All these things are pure evil. They are the devices of Morgoth who, above all things, hates the valar. The valar love the beauty of Middle Earth and men, elves, and dwarves. Therefore Morgoth hates them. He spun all these things out of his head in order to destroy what is good in this world. Yet after the mightiest of all his servants, Sauron, was destroyed, the evil was scattered and leaderless. And the days to come were very peaceful. All ended well.  

Faramir

Faramir is an interesting character. Despite obvious family characteristics, Faramir is a bit more just and wise and patient than the rest of his family. He is the second son of Denethor, and is the brother of Boromir. One might say he is in the shadow of his older brother. He does not love fighting, although he is a beloved captain. But his gifts lie in a different department. 

Before the Council of Elrond Faramir had a dream. In that dream he saw the eastern sky grow dark, and voices crying,
"Seek for the sword that was broken,
In Imladris it dwells;
There shall be counsels taken,
stronger than Morgul spells.
There shall be shown a token
That doom is near at hand,
For Isildur's bane shall waken,
And the halfling forth shall stand."
(Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 2, p 296). 
Faramir had this dream for many days. He knew that he must be the one to go to the Council of Elrond in search of the answers, but his stubborn father sent Boromir instead. This was only because Boromir ultimately had the dream once, as apposed to Faramir who had had it first and repeatedly.  Denethor may have chosen Boromir because Denethor wanted Boromir to try and find the location of Isildur's bane and take it to Gondor. He wanted to use it as a weapon. Faramir knew this was unwise so he most likely would not have complied. Therefore Boromir was sent, a fatal mistake. 

I often guess, as to what the fate of the Fellowship would have been, if Faramir was sent instead of Boromir. I have no doubt that Boromir would have survived and Faramir would have not been as tempted by the ring as Boromir was. But what after that? When Faramir finds Frodo, Sam, and the ring in the woods, he let them go. What if Boromir had been in charge of that party instead of Faramir? Would he have been so wise? I believe not. If Boromir could not control himself from taking the ring when he knew Frodo and his character, he would have most likely taken it and the whole mission would have failed. This goes to show that even though Boromir may not have been the best choice to be sent by Denethor, it was the right decision in the grand picture, perhaps because of providence. 

After Boromir and Denethor die, Faramir becomes steward of Gondor. He marries Eowyn, and they live under the rule of Aragorn into a happy age of middle earth. 

Pippin Took

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf shouts this line all the time at young Peregrin. It seems he is always hungry or in trouble! He is stout young hobbit who accompanies the Fellowship. His best friend is Merry (Meriadoc Brandybuck). They go everywhere together, and it is hardly possible to separate them. Pippin is the more foolish of the two, and Merry is more level-headed but still has a flair for adventure like Pippin, so together they are a handful! 

Pippin comes into the story even before the Fellowship of the Ring began. He, Merry, Frodo, and Sam go from the Shire to Rivendell. Pippin is very faithful to his friends, and never abandons them. After the secret council of Elrond he told Elrond flat out that he would have to be kept under lock and key to be kept away from the Fellowship, otherwise he would just follow them anyway! 

Pippin's curiosity in the fellowship is best shown in the Mines of Moria. When Gandalf was considering the choice among three passages, Pippin found a curious attraction to a well, and decided to drop a stone into it. This in time roused the orcs of their presence, and for the rest of the way through Moria they were either fighting or fleeing. Soon after this, Pippin and Merry become the prisoners of the orcs who came to take the halflings to Saruman. Here he showed a bit of sense, because he knew Aragorn and the others were coming for them, so he left the leaf of Lorien (that was on his cloak) behind for Aragorn to find, so that they might know that he and Merry were still alive. 

Yet soon after this Merry and Pippin escaped from the orcs, and found themselves in the company of Treebeard or Fangorn. Here Pippin also showed some sense, and convinced Treebeard to help the Rohirrim to defeat the orcs, and to attack Isengard. Yet soon after this his curiosity got the best of him again, and he found himself looking into one of the last 7 seeing stones. Here Sauron learned of the hobbits whereabouts and sent a Nazgul to Isengard to investigate the situation. After this Gandalf knew it was no longer safe for Pippin to stay in Rohan, so close to Isengard, so Gandalf took him to Gondor, where Pippin became a soldier of Minis Tirith.

Now here is the part where Pippin shows his true courage and bravery: during the time when Denethor had died, and Aragorn had come to the city, and Pippin had just found Merry just after he had fought the Nazgul. Soon after this, while Merry and Eowyn were in the houses of healing, Aragorn led an army of men from both Rohan and Gondor to the Black Gate. At this battle, Pippin wanted to do a deed as great as Merry's, (a little hobbit competition here). Well he did. He fought a troll and nearly killed himself while doing this, for he killed the troll but the troll landed right on top of him, and he lay there until Gimli saw his hairy feet sticking out under the troll's body. Gimli believes Pippin is dead, and apparently Pippin is brought to life by the healing hand of Aragorn.  Soon afterward, the whole Fellowship came together again in Minas Tirith, Aragorn was crowned King of Gondor, and the four hobbits went back to the Shire. 

The shire was a mess when they got there. For Saruman (or "Sharkey" as his servants called him) had been torturing the hobbits as well as burning and destroying almost every good thing. When Merry and Pippin saw this, they rallied the hobbits together, and retook the Shire. Frodo and Sam weren't the great Captains that Merry and Pippin had become, so Sam protected his master and they waited for Merry and Pippin's instructions. After Saruman had been taken care of, and the Shire was once again put to its right, Merry and Pippin settled down after their long journey. Pippin married Diamond of Longcleeve, and they had a son named Faramir, after his hero and captain, plus other little hobbits to follow. Pippin lived a long,quiet life, and at the end returned with Merry to visit Rohan and Gondor.

The Old Forest

In "The Fellowship of the Ring" the four hobbits have to cross the Old Forest on the borders of Buckland. This forest has several legends that aren't all that nice. There are stories of the trees moving, and of their standing up in rebellion against the hobbits. For it was said that they all stood in a line so close together that no one could get through, but the hobbits came, and cut them down and now there is a great glade int he forest where they burnt them. After this the trees began to settle down. Yet it is told that they move uneasily and the paths shift with the trees' movements, and it is almost impossible to find a route through.

The hobbits risk it, and they go into the forest. Merry was the one that led the way, for he lived in Buckland  and he knew the most about the forest. The four hobbits made their way first toward the fire glade, but on the way the trees shifted so thickly that there was barely enough room for their ponies to make it through. However they made it in the end. After this they kept going through the forest until they came to a stream and a willow tree beside it. Here they became incredibly sleepy and Merry and Pippin sat down with their backs to the willow and fell asleep, while Frodo sat by the bank with his feet in the cool water. Sam kept awake and tended to the ponies. Then he heard a splash and a click, and what had happened was the willow used one of his roots to dunk Frodo into the stream in an attempt to drown him, and the other was to enclose both Merry and Pippin in his trunk. 

Sam came and got Frodo out of the water. There was little they could do for Merry and Pippin, so Frodo ran to the path and shouted "help, help, help." And suddenly they heard singing. 

"Hey dol! Merry dol! Ring a dong dillo!

Ring a dong! Hop along! Fal lal the willow!

Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!"

(Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 6, pg. 154). 

Here Tom Bombadil came and helped them, for Tom is the master of the woods, and old man willow had to obey him. Tom took the hobbits to his house, where Goldberry, his wife, was waiting. He had brought her water lilies for she is the daughter of the river god and loves the lilies. 

Tom Bombadil is a strange character. He is always singing happy songs and dancing. He knows nothing of evil and evil has no effect on him. This was proven when Frodo put on the Ring in Tom's house and turned invisible. Frodo began to leave when Tom shouted at him, and asked him why he would leave. Tom could see Frodo, while to the others Frodo was gone. Why would this be? My belief is that Tom is so free, and so good that evil has no domain over him. He has the heart of a child, like we all should, in order to understand the mystery of Jesus.    

Samwise Gamgee

"Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee" (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring) Sam is one of the hobbits that accompanies Frodo in the Fellowship. Yet, unlike Merry and Pippin, he goes all the way to Mount Doom with Frodo. Frodo is Sam's master, and Sam has a great love for him. He wouldn't let Frodo go tramping off to Mordor by himself. He almost drowned in order to go with Frodo. 

Sam tries to make the trip to Mount Doom as comfortable as a trip through a barren wasteland can be for Frodo. He takes all the heavy loads, sometimes skips meals, and makes sure Frodo gets his sleep. Sam always serves his master, and since his master has a very heavy burden as it is (the Ring), Sam tries to alleviate some of the pressure.

Indeed, without Sam the quest to destroy the Ring would have been a failure. For Sam saved his master from the greatest danger in the crossing into Mordor: Shelob, the evil HUGE spider that lives in a tunnel in the mountains surrounding Mordor. She lived alone, and ate any orc, man, or elf that comes into her web. To get into Mordor, Frodo and Sam had to pass through her tunnels. Uh-oh. 
This ended up to be a trap set by Gollum, who was guiding them. He had alerted Shelob that two tasty little treats would be coming to her soon. He had hoped that after Shelob was done with them, that he would once again have his precious back. If it weren't for Sam, the Ring would have been discovered, and Frodo would have died.

Shelob was able to get Frodo. She got him with her stinger, which made him temporarily paralyzed. She did this so she could enjoy fresh blood. She was just winding him into a web when Sam appears holding the phial of Earendil's star (a gift for Frodo from Galadriel) and Sting (the elven sword that Bilbo found in the troll cave).  With these treasures Sam fought Shelob and stabbed her where she is most tender, her stomach. After that, she creeped back into her tunnels and nursed her wounds. After this Sam went to Frodo, and took the Ring from him, because he believed that Frodo was dead, and that he would have to fill out the task for him. 

Just as he did this, orcs came and took his master away to the tower of Cirith Ungol. After they do this they kill each other over Frodo's mithril shirt. So Sam only had to kill a few orcs to come to his master. After this Frodo and Sam make their way to Mount Doom disguised as orcs. They made it all the way to the Mountain, where Frodo collapsed. Here Sam carried his master all the way to the Fiery Door. Here Frodo (with Gollum's help) destroyed the Ring. After this Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin returned to the Shire. At this time Sam married Rose Cotton. Yet, soon after this, Frodo leaves these shores forever, and went away to the land of the Valar. This was a tender parting between Frodo and Sam. After this Sam returned to the Shire and had 13 children named Elanor, Frodo, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks (who married Faramir, Pippin's son), Hamfast, Daisy, Primrose, Bilbo, Ruby, Robin, and Tolman (Tom). 

Frodo Baggins - the Ring Bearer

Frodo is the main character in the trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings." He was given a golden ring by his uncle Bilbo, but afterward, he found that this ring was THE Ring, the one Ring of Sauron. After this Frodo decided to leave the Shire, and go to Rivendell. Thus by taking the Ring to a safer place, he took the Shire out of danger.

The only other hobbits he brought along for the trip were Samwise Gamgee (Sam), Merriadoc Brandybuck (Merry), and Peregrin Took (Pippin). These four hobbits set out from the Shire to Rivendell. In Bree they met Strider, a friend of Gandalf, who helped them make their way to Rivendell.

The road was long and hard, and on the way they ran into Nazgul several times. The most unfortunate time was on Weathertop. Here the Nazgul found Frodo, and Frodo put on the Ring to hide from them. But the Nazgul were pure evil, and so they have the power to see people hidden by the Ring. The Nazgul attacked and Frodo was stabbed in his shoulder, a fatal wound, because it was done by a blade of Morgul.

After this they made all speed to Rivendell. Strider put Kingsfoil (a weed) on Frodo's shoulder wound to help slow the poison of the blade. Yet they hadn't lost hope yet, for an elf named Glorfindel came riding to them because he had been sent by Elrond of Rivendell to find the Ringbearer. Frodo took Glorfindel's horse and rode across the River, where Elrond released the River and it swallowed the Nazgul. Here Frodo fainted, but he came to himself again in Rivendell, because he had been saved from his wound by Elrond.  After this he begins his journey to Mordor to destroy the Ring. 

Frodo through out this journey, shows a Jesus figure in this Fellowship. He puts all the burden onto himself, and shares it with no one. He wanted to go alone into Mordor but Sam decided to come and aid his master. (A bit like Simon, who helped Jesus carry his cross.) Once the Ring is destroyed, Frodo goes back to the Shire, which is just like Jesus spending time with His disciples after His Resurrection. Yet he was not at total peace here. So Frodo went to the land of the Valar which is evergreen (heaven). Here Frodo stayed, until the end of his days, living happily with the elves, Gandalf, and the Valar.

Eomer, 18th King of Rohan

Eomer is Eowyn's brother, and he is the nephew of King Theoden. He is a great military leader, a wonderful horseman, and his men are extremely loyal to him. His helmet has white horse hair on it, and his sword is named Guthwine (friend in battle). In battle he carries the banner of a white horse running on green ground.

During the enslavement of King Theoden's mind, Eomer and his company rode across the fields of Rohan in order to kill any orcs that were there. During this time he met Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli who were tracking some orcs that had taken Merry and Pippen captive. Here Eomer learned that Aragorn was the true king of Gondor, and this gave him much hope for the future. And although the laws of his country state that only people with the King's permission can ride across the fields of Rohan, he let the Fellowship continue on, and also gave them horses.

Soon afterwards, Gandalf rode in search of Eomer and his men. He found them and told them of Saruman's army. Eomer immediately lead his men to Helms Deep and the battle was won. Soon after this they were riding to war again, for Gondor had called for aid to fight the thousands of orcs that had come onto the plains of Minis Tirith. In this battle King Theoden was killed, but first he named Eomer as his sucessor to the throne. When this battle was over, Eomer remained in the city, and went with Aragorn and his men to the Black Gate, a move which was a diversion in order to give Frodo a chance at destroying the Ring. This Battle was also a victory, and after this Eomer returned to Rohan and married Lothuriel. They had a son that they named Elfwine. And Eomer lived a long life and died when he was 93.

Legolas

Legolas is an elf of the woods of Mirkwood. His name in Sindarian means "Greenleaf." He, like all elves, has great hearing and eyesight. And because of this he also is a great archer, for he never misses. Legolas used his talents to aid the Fellowship greatly. For when they fought countless times against the orcs he killed many just with his bow. He does have a long silver dagger of the elves.

Legolas is one character that everyone loves. His great love for nature and his understanding adds greatly to his character. Because of his caring nature he becomes best friends with both Aragorn and Gimli. They all travel together for many leagues in which Leogolas' great eyes, and Aragorn's tracking ability are priceless to the Fellowship.

Legolas is a valiant warior. He fights chiefly with his bow, but he does use his dagger as well. He fought at the battle of Helms Deep, the battle at the Gates of Gondor, and the battle at the Black Gate. He also fought many orcs and trolls in Moria and in the woods across from the Emin Muil.

After the Battles for Middle Earth, Legolas and the elves of the woods came to live in Ithilien. Here Legolas could visit Aragorn, and Gimli visited them often as well. Yet all things had their time, and when the King of Gondor died, he left these shores with Gimli to sail to the land of the Valar, with all the other elves. Gimli was the oddball in this group, but his friendship with Legolas and his affection for Galadriel made it possible, and not only that, for Bilbo and Frodo were there as well. It was definitely a happy ending for everyone.

Bilbo

"But so far trouble had not come; and as Mr. Baggins was generous with his money, most people were willing to forgive him his oddities and his good fortune. He remained on visiting terms with his relatives (except, of course, the Sackville-Bagginses), and he had many devoted admirers among the hobbits of poor and unimportant families. But he had no close friends, until some of his younger cousins began to grow up." (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 1, page 1).

Here in the words of the author, Bilbo Baggins' character is described perfectly. He is a good, generous, and humble hobbit. However Bilbo is envied by some because 

"At Ninety he was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call him well-preserved; but unchanged would have been nearer the mark. "  (Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 1, page 1).

 His rumored wealth from his journey with the 13 dwarfs to the Lonely Mountain had become a legend among hobbits. Although he had all this attention he was neither proud nor arrogant, but humble and generous. This character is greatly misrepresented in the movie, when Bilbo tells Frodo at his party that he is "...very selfish. Yes I am, very selfish." (Peter Jackson, The Fellowship of the Ring.) 

Bilbo's good fortune at being "well-preserved" did not come from mere luck. On his journey to the Lonely Mountain, he found at the bottom of a chasm in the Misty Mountains, a Ring. Bilbo knew this Ring was magical, because every time he put it on, he disappeared. This aided him greatly to save the 13 dwarfs from spiders and elves, and with it he even stole from the dragon Smaug. This Ring is the reason why Bilbo had been "well-preserved" for it was the One Ring of Sauron. Although Bilbo didn't know it yet, he would be in danger if he kept it any longer than he did, in danger of becoming like Gollum. Yet since he was a humble Hobbit, he was able to let the Ring go, and pass it on to Frodo. 


After Bilbo left the Ring with Frodo in the Shire, he journeyed to the Lonely Mountain again, and found things going excellently with the dwarfs. After that he went back to Rivendell, and there he stayed for a long time, finishing his book. Yet, after many years, the elves were finally going to leave Middle Earth forever and go to the land of the Valar. Therefore Rivendell would no longer be inhabited. So Bilbo had to leave, but he was given a great gift. The elves allowed him to go on the last ship to the land of Valar with them. So he went with the elves, and lived happily ever after.

Humble Hobbits

The one race that was not given any rings was the hobbits. These people were small, humble, and had no wish to know or be known by the world outside their Shire. They only grow to about 3ft-4ft tall, and they never wear shoes because they have very hairy and tough feet that make up for shoes and socks. They usually have curly brown hair. They do not love high places, so they live in the ground. They make homes out of hills, and around them they plant beautiful gardens. For all hobbits have a love of the earth and things that come from it.They also love food, they have six meals a day (not counting snacks in between) and they love a good smoke and ale. Because of their simple ways they are often overlooked by many, and they do not mind, for all they wish is to be left alone, and not to have any adventures. Even so, hobbits end up being the saviors of Middle Earth. 

How did this happen? How is that the smallest being came to save Middle Earth from one of the greatest evils ever? For most strong men, elves, and even dwarfs fall to the control of the ring in a short amount of time. How is it that a hobbit was able to go from the Shire all the way to Mount Doom and destroy the Ring without falling (until the end if you want to get particular, for Frodo wanted to keep the Ring, but the Ring was still destroyed.) 

I think that a good explanation would be that hobbits do not have any rings that falls under the power of the one Ring. Therefore they are stronger than other races that are bound to the one Ring. Another reason that I like is that hobbits are the most humble of all the races of Middle Earth. And the Ring, (which is a symbol of pride and power) has little power over them. All hobbits want is to be left alone, not to be the ruler of all the races. 

This is how I believe hobbits are able to carry this burden. Without the unseen little people of the Shire, where would Middle Earth be today? Lost in Shadow.

Map of Middle Earth

Here is a map of Middle Earth. Often times I find myself transfixed at the detail of this beautiful land. I will often look at the Shire, and then go through Bree, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlorien all the way to Mordor. It just amazes me all the time, this fantasy world of Tolkien's!

The Paths of the Dead

In "The Return of the King," Aragorn must travel the paths of the dead, because he needs more men to save Gondor. He, Legolas, Gimli, and 30 Dunadan take the forbidden road. 


What are the paths of the dead? Well in the mountains there lived a tribe of people. These men swore their allegiance to Gondor, that they would come to its aid in times of war. Yet, when Gondor was in great need, they fled and hid in the mountains. So Isildur cursed them so that they should never rest, until they had fulfilled their oath. 

"'...The days are short. If thou art in haste, remember the Paths of the dead."' (Tolkien, RK pg. 51) Word was sent to Aragorn that he must travel the Paths of the dead, so he ventured that accursed road. Aragorn had to do this because he is the true King of Gondor, so only he could conquer and have the alliance of this dead army. He had to now, for Gondor was being attacked by the vast horde of orcs that had march onto Minas Tirith. 


On this journey, Aragorn went to the King of the Dead, and he agreed to help Aragorn. Thus they exited the caves in time to see a fleet of black ships on the river, on its way to attack Gondor. It was then that the dead attacked these ships, and the men either dived overboard in fear or were killed. Then the Dunadan and Aragorn boarded the ships to sail to Gondor under the banner of the White Tree which Arwen had made for Aragorn. Before they departed Pelargir to aid Gondor, Aragorn, the heir of Isildur, released the dead from the curse of Isildur, and they departed to their final rest. 


Only in the movie do they journey all the way to Gondor where the dead kill every single orc on the fields of Minas Tirith, thus completing the victory of this battle. There, on the battlefield before Minas Tirith, Aragorn held the oaths of the dead fulfilled, and their souls rested in peace. Either way, this is a happy ending for everyone!

Tolkien the Great

I think that after these 11 posts that I have put on about "The Lord of the Rings," that here I should put a post to the true Lord of the Rings: John Ronald Rueul Tolkien. His imagination and creativity is something that astounds modern society. His writing technique, which uses subtle symbolism, beautiful description, and broad applicability, is truly amazing!
ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY TOLKIEN!

Of Beren and Luthien Tinuviel

http://www.box.net/shared/static/kh37be4nvl.mp3

This is the love story of Beren and Luthien Tinuviel.

Eowyn, the Shield Maiden of Rohan

Eowyn is the sister of Eomer, and King Theoden's niece. She lived to serve her King and uncle, whom she loved dearly. And her eyes were full of pity for her enslaved King. But after Gandalf freed the mind of Theoden, she became a happier and fairer lady. She fell in love with Aragorn, but Aragorn, did not return her love, for he was tied to Arwen.

Before the battle of Helms Deep,Theoden chooses Eomer as his heir and charges Eowyn to take up his seat in the Golden Hall if he and Eomer were killed. Eowyn is ordered to keep charge of the women and children in Dunharrow, a shelter in the mountains beyond Edoras (not in the caves beneath Helm's Deep as in the movie). After the battle of Helms Deep and the meeting with Saruman, first Aragorn and then Theoden and his men return to Dunharrow. When King Theoden decided to ride to the aid of Gondor, he orders Eowyn to take up his seat in the Golden Hall. Yet this order she did not obey.

Instead of riding straight home to Edoras, she disguised herself as a man named Dernhelm, and rode to war with the Rohirrim. For she longed to have a chance of completing great deeds, for she fears neither death nor pain, but she fears never having a chance to act in valor and renown. So she went to battle, with Merry as a stowaway, for he too was unwanted in the war.

In this battlefield she got more renown than any man. For she killed the king of the Nazgul, with Merry's help. This cannot be done by a man, because the Nazgul are unable to be killed by any man, but he was killed by a woman and a hobbit. After this she fell deathly sick with the black breath and was put into the houses of healing, where Aragorn came to her, and healed her.

After this Eowyn met Faramir. Faramir fell in love with her, and it took her a while to return his love, but she did. And they married, and Eowyn became the white lady of Ithilien.

Gandalf

Gandalf the Grey is a Maiar, a servant of the Valar (who are like the gods of Middle Earth.) He and several others of the Maiar were sent to Middle Earth to help the people there. He was given one of the rings of the Elves, Nayra, the ring of fire. His sword is Glamdring, which he acquired on the journey to the Lonely Mountain with Bilbo and 13 dwarfs. He also has a staff, which is his symbol as a wizard, and it holds his magical powers.

Soon after his journey with Bilbo, he started to study about the one Ring. Years later, when he had great knowledge of the Ring, he found that Bilbo had found it in Gollum's cave, and Bilbo had now given it to Frodo. After this, he told Frodo to go to Rivendell with the Ring, while he went to see the head of the order of wizards, Saruman. There he learned of Saruman's betrayal, and he was held prisoner at Isengard, where he still might be if it wasn't for the King of Eagles that carried him from the tower.

The Eagle took him to Rohan, where he tamed the lord of all horses, Shadowfax. He then went to Rivendell, where the Fellowship of the Ring was established and he was given the task of guiding them to Mordor. This journey took him into the mines of Moria.

Although he is a wizard, he did die in "The Fellowship of the Ring" in the mines of Moria. He fought a Balrog of Morgoth, in which both he and the Balrog perished. Yet since his sacrifice was for the friends of his fellowship, he was brought back, and given even more powers than before, and took Saruman's place as the head of the wizards.

After this he went to Rohan, and freed King Theoden from the enchantment of Saruman. And then rode to find Eomer and his men, to aid King Theoden at the Battle of Helms Deep. After this he rode to Gondor with Pippin, where he fought at the Battle of Gondor. This battle was won with the aid of the Riders of Rohan and Aragorn and the Dunadan. After this he fought at the Black Gate of Mordor with soldiers of Rohan  and Gondor to give Frodo his chance of destroying the Ring. After the Ring was destroyed he left Middle Earth with the Elves to the land of the Valar, for his task was complete.

Theoden

King Theoden of Rohan ruled one of the most difficult ages of the Rohirrim. For a few years, his mind was enslaved by Rohan's enemy Saruman. He was later freed from this by Gandalf. But during this time he lost his only son, Theodred, which means his nephew, Eomer, took the throne after his death.

After Theoden was freed by Gandalf from his slavery, he feared an attack upon the city of Edoras. So he had Eowyn lead his people to Dunharrow while his army rode to Helms Deep, the great fortress of Rohan. When they made it to Helms Deep, news was brought to him of the huge size of Saruman's orc army that approached. At this the men fell into despair, yet their hopes were lifted  by the leadership of Aragorn, heir of Isildur. 

This battle lasted through a dark night. At daybreak, Gandalf the White brought Erkenbrand and his men to the aid of the King, and the orcs, filled with fear, fled into a forest. Except that forest wasn't there the day before! In fact, the Ents from Fangorn had moved the huorn forest there to aid King Theoden. And the huorns killed all the remaining orcs.

After this, Theoden rode to Dunharrow, but a short while later Hirgon of Gondor delivered the Red Arrow, a call for aid. And so Theoden rode to the aid of Gondor. He and 6,000 men rode to Gondor, and there fought the massive army of orcs that had come to take over the city. Here, in the Field of Gondor, Theoden died. The Nazgul had attacked his horse, Snowmane, and he got a mortal wound and fell on Theoden, his master.  After the battle of Gondor was won, the men of Rohan and Gondor buried Theoden with the Kings of Gondor. But later on he was moved back to Edoras, and now rests with all the Kings of Rohan. Theoden was a mighty man, he made up for his years enslaved by fighting and winning renown at the battles of Rohan and Gondor. He also shows his giving nature in the fact that he rode to the aid of Gondor. Theoden was one of the mighty Kings of Gondor.

Poems Concerning Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien

Here are some of my favorite poems by Tolkien.  I hope you enjoy them!

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to Rule them all. One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

( The Fellowship of the Ring)

Gilgalad was an Elven-king.

Of him the harpers sadly sing:

the last whose realm was fair and free

between the Mountains and the Sea.

His sword was long, his lance was keen,

his shining helm afar was seen;

the countless stars of heaven's field

were mirrored in his silver shield

But long ago he rode away,

and where he dwelleth none can say;

for into darkness fell his star

in Mordor where the shadows are.

(The Fellowship of the Ring)

All that is Gold does not gliter

Not all those who wander are lost

The old that is strong does not wither

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken

The Crownless again shall be King.

(The Fellowship of the Ring)

Brothers of Gondor

In the third age of Middle Earth, Gondor was ruled by Stewards. One steward named Denethor had two sons, Boromir and Faramir. Boromir was the elder, and he was very much like Denethor. He was strong, proud, and stubborn. He loved the people of Gondor, and won many battles for them. So in a sense Boromir was the "boar" while Faramir was "fair" (horrible pun I know!)

Faramir was unlike both Boromir and Denethor. He was kind, fair, and hopeful. He wasn't the soldier Boromir was, but he definitely had great strength as a man. For when he had captured Frodo, Sam, and the Ring, he did not try to take the Ring from Frodo. This was unlike Boromir who tried to take the Ring. Faramir resisted the temptation of power and so in this respect he was stronger than Boromir. 

The Rings

Middle Earth has several races. Elves, men, and dwarves. Each race was given rings of power to help them govern each race. Three belonged to the Elves, who are immortal, and have a love for all things of beauty. Seven to the dwarves, masters of the mountains, and lovers of gems. And Nine for the race of men, mortal, who have desires for power and control. 

Yet another ring was made. The dark Lord Sauron forged a master ring, in the fires of Mount Doom This ring was made to control all the others, for the writing on the rings say, "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie." (J.R.R.Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 2, The Shadow of the Past, p 75.) Therefore it has ultimate control over all the races of Middle Earth, and the second worst evil, Sauron, was its master. 

Middle Earth began to fall into darkness. Yet a last alliance of men and elves resisted this darkness. They marched onto the land of Mordor, and there fought the enemy. It was at this battle that Isildur took up the broken sword of his father, Elendil, and cut the fingers of Sauron off, thus getting the one Ring. 


Isildur had this one chance to destroy evil forever. Yet he was weak, and he decided to keep the ring. This lead to his downfall, for much later he and his men were traveling north when they were attacked by orcs. In order to save the heirlooms of Gondor, he put on the Ring and disappeared. He began to swim across the river, but it was then that the Ring slipped off his finger, and the orcs shot him. 

Years went on, and the Ring was forgotten, until it ensnared a new bearer...Gollum! 

Gollum vs. Smeagol

Smeagol was a hobbit. He lived by a lake, where he often went fishing. An extraodinary thing happened on one of his birthdays. He exploring the banks of the lake while his friend, Deagol, was fishing nearby. Deagol was dragged overboard by a great fish on the line, and in the sand at the bottom of the lake he found a ring. Smeagol, overcome with envy, demanded the ring as his birthday present, and when Deagol refused, Smeagol killed Deagol for the ring. 

After this his life changed forever. He became obsessed with the ring, his "precious" as he called it. This caused him to forget everything, even his own name. He was then called Gollum, because of the croaking sound he made so often. And whenever Gollum put on the ring, he became invisible, which he first used to play tricks and steal, and later to kill orcs for his food. The ring also gave Gollum, unnatural long life. He lived in the tunnels of the Misty Mountains for 500 years. 

Then the ring left Gollum, and was pick up by another hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In this way, the ring left Gollum, and several years afterwards, Gollum left the Misty Mountains to search for his precious. Gollum found the ring again when he tracked Frodo through Moria all the way to the Emyn Muil. There Gollum became Frodo's guide into Mordor. 


On this journey, Smeagol struggled with his other self, Gollum, in vocal conversations. In other words, Smeagol was having a war with the ring. Smeagol wants to be independent of Gollum, and for a while he was. But in the end, Smeagol learned that he would never be able to live without his precious. 

Gollum got his ring back. In the fires of Mount Doom, Gollum bit Frodo's finger off, and he had got his precious back. He was so happy that he started to dance. He danced right over the edge into the fires of Mount Doom. So endeth the Ring. And so endeth Smeagol, the hobbit who became Gollum.  

A Dwarf and an Elf?

Gimli and Legolas have one of the most famous friendship in "The Lord of the Rings." It took these two a while to forget their differences, but gradually they gained a great respect for each other. They also have a ton of fun together.

For one example, in "The Two Towers," Gimli and Legolas make each other a promise. Legolas promised to see a mine with Gimli, and Gimli promised to wander Fangorn forest with Legolas. They did not do this until after the ring was destroyed, but it shows how lasting their friendship is.

This friendship is visualized in the movie by creating a scene (not in the book) where Legolas drank his first beer! He and Gimli were at a celebration over the victory at Helms Deep, and there they played a drinking game. They each had to drink as much beer as possible, and the last one standing wins. And of course, Legolas won!

Their friendship has a great humor to it. In the Battle of Helm's Deep, they both have a great understanding of what they are fighting for, but battling is ALL grim work! They each counted how many of the servants of Sauron they killed, matching bow against axe, and whoever got the most wins! Legolos-41, Gimli-42. It was definitely a close match!

Aragorn

Aragorn is one of the more mysterious characters in "The Lord of the Rings." We all know him as one of the nine companions of Frodo, and the King of Gondor. However he was 87 when this journey started. What did he do before that?

When Aragorn was 2, his father, Arathorn, was killed, and his mother ,Gilraen, ran away with him to Rivendell where he grew up, with no knowledge that he was the destined king of Gondor. He was called "Estel" which  means "hope." Elrond of Rivendell raised Aragorn as his own son, and when Aragorn was 20, he finally decided to tell Aragorn his destiny. On this day, he gave Aragorn the ring of his fathers and the broken sword of Isildur. It was on this same day that Aragorn met Arwen.

After this meeting, Aragorn was entranced. He knew that Elrond would not be pleased with this match. So Aragorn wandered the wild for many years. During this time he became friends with Gandalf the Grey. They ventured together defeating the servants of Sauron. After these many years, Aragorn became weary, and he went wandered into Lothlorien, where Galadriel dressed him in light green, and he was put to peace.

Another person was in Lothlorien at the same time, Arwen. She was visiting her mother's kin, and there she and Aragorn fell in love. Arwen said then that she would bind herself to Aragorn and become a mortal. This would be fulfilled later in the story.

After this visit to Lothlorien, Aragron began to wander in the wild again. After many years of wandering he ended up joining the Fellowship of the Ring and aiding Frodo. You can read more about Aragorn's youth in the Appendix of "The Return of the King."

WELCOME! :D

Welcome to the beginning of a Lord of the Rings lover blog! Here I will be discussing many of the aspects to Tolkien's stories, and I will also bring in the movies that were directed by Peter Jackson. I hope to share with you the great love I have for "The Lord of the Rings." I want to hear comments from you. Please enjoy it! :D THE LORD OF THE RINGS ROCKS!!!