#amon lhaw

[ebaeschnbliah]

Before the travellers lay a wide ravine, with great rocky sides to which clung, upon shelves and in narrow crevices, a few thrawn trees. The channel grew narrower and the River swifter. Now they were speeding along with little hope of stopping or turning, whatever they might meet ahead. Over them was a lane of pale-blue sky, around them the dark overshadowed River, and before them black, shutting out the sun, the hills of Emyn Muil, in which no opening could be seen.

Frodo peering forward saw in the distance two great rocks approaching: like great pinnacles or pillars of stone they seemed. Tall and sheer and ominous they stood upon either side of the stream. A narrow gap appeared between them, and the River swept the boats towards it.

`Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings!' ...

... cried Aragorn. `We shall pass them soon. Keep the boats in line, and as far apart as you can! Hold the middle of the stream! '

As Frodo was borne towards them the great pillars rose like towers to meet him. Giants they seemed to him, vast grey figures silent but threatening. Then he saw that they were indeed shaped and fashioned: the craft and power of old had wrought upon them, and still they preserved through the suns and rains of forgotten years the mighty likenesses in which they had been hewn. Upon great pedestals founded in the deep waters stood two great kings of stone: still with blurred eyes and crannied brows they frowned upon the North. 

The left hand of each was raised palm outwards in gesture of warning; in each right hand there was an axe; upon each head there was a crumbling helm and crown. Great power and majesty they still wore, the silent wardens of a long-vanished kingdom. Awe and fear fell upon Frodo, and he cowered down, shutting his eyes and not daring to look up as the boat drew near. Even Boromir bowed his head as the boats whirled by. frail and fleeting as little leaves, under the enduring shadow of the sentinels of Númenor. So they passed into the dark chasm of the Gates.

Sheer rose the dreadful cliffs to unguessed heights on either side. Far off was the dim sky. The black waters roared and echoed, and a wind screamed over them. Frodo crouching over his knees heard Sam in front muttering and groaning: `What a place! What a horrible place! Just let me get out of this boat, and I'll never wet my toes in a puddle again, let alone a river! '

`Fear not! ' said a strange voice behind him. Frodo turned and saw Strider, and yet not Strider; for the weatherworn Ranger was no longer there. In the stern sat Aragorn son of Arathorn, proud and erect, guiding the boat with skilful strokes; his hood was cast back, and his dark hair was blowing in the wind, a light was in his eyes: a king returning from exile to his own land.

'Fear not! ' he said. `Long have I desired to look upon the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, my sires of old. Under their shadow Elessar, the Elfstone son of Arathorn of the House of Valandil Isildur's son heir of Elendil, has nought to dread! '

Then the light of his eyes faded, and he spoke to himself: `Would that Gandalf were here! How my heart yearns for Minas Anor and the walls of my own city! But whither now shall I go?'

The chasm was long and dark, and filled with the noise of wind and rushing water and echoing stone. It bent somewhat towards the west so that at first all was dark ahead; but soon Frodo saw a tall gap of light before him, ever growing. Swiftly it drew near, and suddenly the boats shot through, out into a wide clear light.

The sun, already long fallen from the noon, was shining in a windy sky. The pent waters spread out into a long oval lake, pale Nen Hithoel, fenced by steep grey hills whose sides were clad with trees, but their heads were bare, cold-gleaming in the sunlight. At the far southern end rose three peaks. The midmost stood somewhat forward from the others and sundered from them, an island in the waters, about which the flowing River flung pale shimmering arms. Distant but deep there came up on the wind a roaring sound like the roll of thunder heard far away.

`Behold Tol Brandir!' said Aragorn, pointing south to the tall peak. 'Upon the left stands Amon Lhaw, and upon the right is Amon Hen the Hills of Hearing and of Sight. In the days of the great kings there were high seats upon them, and watch was kept there. But it is said that no foot of man or beast has ever been set upon Tol Brandir. Ere the shade of night falls we shall come to them. I hear the endless voice of Rauros calling.'

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Great River

[k-she-rambles]

Right after the argonath is...a tunnel? A really steep canyon? shunting you towards the waterfall?

Idk, I always wondered about the argonath, like...the arbitrary nature of the border between Ancient Gondor and Ancient Arnor. Why treat it as an ancient gate between the kingdoms? What's to stop people from walking around it? But I guess it's a more imposing geological feature than I thought --the canyon that the Argonath guards, then Amon Hen and Amon Lhaw, which are apparently big enough hills to be small mountains. Then the rocky geological feature of the emyn muil limiting your ability to navigate around Amon Lhaw, and a bog doing the same thing for Amon Hen.

And of course a gigantic waterfall.

[carlandrea]

And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was. Amon Lhaw it touched. It glanced upon Tol Brandir – he threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head with his grey hood.

He heard himself crying out: Never, never! Or was it: Verily I come, I come to you? He could not tell. Then as a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!

This scene is SO. Like the vibes

The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented. Suddenly he was aware of himself again, Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose

Is this. God? Is it fate? Like who is this what’s—

omg what if it’s earendil. Like eru doesn’t seem to be that. Personally involved in middle earth and Frodo does have the phial. Anyways! Very evocative scene I like it a lot

Again there’s the emphasis on Frodo’s choice to take up this burden that we got all the way back in elronds house

[brass-woman]

Arwen: "Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate."

Aragorn: "The same blood flows in my veins. The same weakness."

Arwen: "Your time will come. You will face the same evil. And you will defeat it."

Arwen: [in Elvish] "The Shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you... not over me."

The evil which Isildur faced was Sauron, yes, but also the ring. Isildur's failure took place after the war. He had a chance to destroy the ring, but the ring subverted his will and he took the ring for himself.

After the ring overpowers Boromir in Amon Hen, and Frodo flees, invisible, we get this passage from the books, and for the first (and, in the books, only) time, we hear the VOICE of the RING:

-------------------

"He [Frodo] seemed to be in a world of mist in which there were only shadows: The Ring was upon him. [...] And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was. Amon Lhaw it touched. It glanced upon Tol Brandir - he threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head with his grey hood.        He heard himself crying out: Never, never! Or was it: Verily I come, I come to you? He could not tell. Then a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!       The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented..."

[The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Chapter 10, The Breaking of the Fellowship]

-------------------

The Ring: "Verily I come, I come to you."

That's the ring. And I think the second voice is Gandalf, who Frodo thought was dead:

Gandalf: "Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!"

Anyway, Sauron is WATCHING now. The stone chair where this scene takes place is called the Seat of Seeing, and it's a kind of scrying chair, but, much like the Palantir (the seeing stone from later in the story), the Seat of Seeing also makes you visible to farseeing eyes. Frodo's mind was exposed, in plain sight up there on the stone platform.

He escapes, and runs into Aragorn. Aragorn is panicking. He doesn't know what happened, but he suspects. "Frodo?" he says.

Frodo: "It has taken Boromir"

Aragorn, with venom and vengeance in his voice: "Where is the Ring?"

Frodo: "Stay away!"

Aragorn: "Frodo. I swore to protect you."

Frodo: "Can you protect me from yourself?"

[holding out the ring]

Frodo: "Would you destroy it?"

Now, Aragorn faces that evil, the same evil Isildur faced and failed to overcome. Would you destroy it? How many times did Aragorn lie awake at night and himself the same thing? Until now, I don't think he knew the answer. But as Frodo holds out the Ring, Aragorn hears the ring whispering his name. It knows him. It knows him well. It's practically a family heirloom. From a certain point of view, it should be his...

He can't answer Frodo. Instead:

Aragorn: [closing Frodo's hand around the ring] "I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor."

He couldn't destroy it. He knows that now. He got Frodo this far, but he cannot take him all the way. In the end, he would take the ring, just like Isildur. Aragorn's great triumph is that he lays aside his ego, his pride, and his plans, and lets Frodo go, lets the Ring go.

Remember Arwen, in Rivendell?

Arwen: "Your time will come. You will face the same evil [as Isildur]. And you will defeat it."

Arwen: [in Elvish] "The Shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you... not over me."

Well, Aragorn can't destroy the Ring, but he can let it go, and that's enough as it turns out. He doesn't have to single-handedly repair the mistakes of Isildur—he can't. But he's able to support Frodo, and when the time comes, he gets out of the way.

There was no glory in this moment, but it changed the course of history.

You are Isildur’s heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate. The same blood flows in my veins. The same weakness.

[ivanaskye]

ears hill

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Today in Tolkien - February 26th

The Breaking of the Fellowship. It has an ominous beginning:

The day came with fire and smoke. Low in the East there were black bars of cloud like the fumes of a great burning. The rising sun lit them from beneath with flames of murky red.

In the morning, Aragorn calls the Fellowship together and asks Frodo for his choice of which direction to take, to Mordor or to Gondor. Frodo asks for an hour’s peace and solitude to decide, but comes no closer to a decision. Sam is the one member of the Fellowship to understand him - he says the same thing to the Fellowship as Frodo says to Boromir. Frodo knows he has to go to Morodor, but is afraid to do it.

But by the time Sam says that, Boromir has already left the rest of the Fellowship found Frodo. When Boromir attempts to take the Ring, Frodo put it on and flees to the summit of Amon Hen and, wearing the Ring, sits in the Seat of Seeing.

Frodo sees signs of war everywhere he looks:

The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and Men and fell beasts. The land of the Beornings was aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lórien. Horsemen were galloping on the grass of Rohan; wolves poured from Isengard. [The First Battle of the Fords of Isen was the previous day.] From the havens of Harad ships of war put out to sea; and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wains.

All that we see, in the books and even in the Appendices, is only a part of the full scope of the War of the Ring.

And then Frodo looks at Barad-dûr and suddenly senses the Eye of Sauron becoming aware of him, and looking for him, first to Amon Lhaw on the river’s other bank, then to the pinnacle of Tol Brandir in the middle of the river, tracking towards Amon Hen.

He threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head with his grey hood. He heard himself crying out: Never, never! Or was it: Verily I come, I come to you? He could not tell. Then as a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!

The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented. Suddenly he was aware of himself again. Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose and with one remaining instant to do so. He took the Ring off his finger...A black shadow seemed to pass like an arm above him; it missed Amon Hen and groped out west, and faded.

Two key points. First, the Voice is Gandalf; as he later tells Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli: Very nearly [the Ring] was revealed to the Enemy, but it escaped. I had some part in that: for I sat in a high place, and I strove with the Dark Tower; and the Shadow passed. Then I was weary, very weary; and I wandered long in dark thought. Gandalf briefly overstepped here; he is not supposed to compel, as he was doing in the moment Frodo fels himself poised between Voice and Eye, but to guide and give people the freedom to make their own choices, even in truly dire situations like this one. And that is what he ultimately does: he counters Sauron for an instant to give Frodo a moment to choose, and Frodo chooses rightly.

Second, this is the first moment since Rivendell that Sauron has had clear knowledge of the Ring’s location; he doesn’t know exactly where it is, but he has a good idea. His later decisions are extrapolations from this. He knows a halfling has the Ring; he knows that Saruman captured two halflings and sought to bring them with all speed to Isengard, and that shortly after a halfling looked in the palantir of Isengard. He thinks that Saruman obtained the Ring. But Saruman was defeated, and Aragorn and Gandalf were there; either of them might now have it. Aragorn looks in the palantir, outright threatens him, and then commands an army of the dead - Sauron’s particular power of necromancy. From that time on, I expect he’s quite certain Aragorn has the Ring, right up until the Battle at the Black Gate.

Saruman also strongly suspects the Ring was here at Amon Hen: he was likely the one sending the crows that were watching the Fellowship in Eregion, and has been spying on them with birds on the trip down Anduin. He definitely thinks Merry and Pippin had the Ring at that point; after Éomer’s destruction of the orcs, he fears the Rohirrim have obtained it and so throws all his forces at Rohan. During the parley, at the time he throws Gandalf’s offer of clemency and release back in his face, Saruman may even believe Gandalf has the Ring. Certainly, believing that Gandalf controls and commands the Ents is more in line with Saruman’s attitudes than recognizing them as independent beings with their own priorities.

In short, the plots and plans of all the major figures in the War or the Ring stem from here; and fortunately - because Frodo has loyal friends who insisted on coming along, and thus the Fellowship has excess hobbits - Sauron and Saruman are both mistaken.

So here the Fellowship breaks:

Frodo and Sam row across the lake to the east shore and set off across the Emyn Muil in the late morning. They miss the orc attack entirely and do not know that Merry and Pippin are captured. Gandalf knows that Frodo and Sam set out towards Mordor, but no more than that.

Aragorn sits on the Seat of Seeing but can see nothing of note except “far away...a great bird like an eagle high in the air, descending slowly in wide circles toward the earth.” Gwaihir, certainly - perhaps carrying Gandalf down from the “high place” where he countered Sauron?

Boromir is killed by the orcs, and Merry and Pippin are captured (Merry cuts the arms and hands off several orcs). Pippin awakes in the orc-camp in the evening and overhears the orcs arguing about him and Merry. The orcs fight, killing some of each other, and Pippin is able to cut the bonds on his hands and replace them with loose loops of rope to disguise them. The orcs carry the hobbits like sacks until early night, and by then have reached the far side of the Emyn Muil on the borders of Rohan. The orc scouts report being detected by a horseman. [The horseman brings news of the orc-band to Éomer.] The hobbits are made to run all night, with whips behind them, but Pippin is able to run off to the side and leave footprints and the elven-broach from his cloak to be detected by Aragorn. (He sees every now and again “a vision of the keen face of Strider bending over a dark trail and running, running behind.” The source of this vision is never explained, so far as I can tell.)

Yes, that’s right, Pippin manages both to free his hands and leave signs for trackers on the same day that he is first captured by orcs. What a good hobbit!

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli tend to the body of Boromir, mourn him, and set off in pursuit of Merry and Pippin to rescue them from the orcs. They reach the Emyn Muil by dusk and continue climbing through them for most of the night.

Additionally, in the aftermath of the First Battle of the Fords of Isen (which occurred the previous day and night), various Rohirrhim who were scattered in the Isengard attack return to the fords. News of the death of Théodred son of Théoden reaches Erkenbrand at Helm’s Deep; he assumes command of the Westfold and send riders towards Edoras with the news of the battle and an urgent request for reinforcements.

[my-beautiful-wickedness]

So Frodo and Sam set off on the last stage of the Quest together. Frodo paddled away from the shore, and the River bore them swiftly away, down the western arm, and past the frowning cliffs of Tol Brandir. The roar of the great falls drew nearer. Even with such help as Sam could give, it was hard work to pass across the current at the southward end of the island and drive the boat eastward towards the far shore. At length they came to land again upon the southern slopes of Amon Lhaw. There they found a shelving shore, and they drew the boat out, high above the water, and hid it as well as they could behind a great boulder. Then shouldering their burdens, they set off, seeking a path that would bring them over the grey hills of the Emyn Muil, and down into the Land of Shadow.

[iarwantheoriginalviejoven]

And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was. Amon Lhaw it touched. It glanced upon Tol Brandir – he threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head with his grey hood.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Part I: The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter 10: The Breaking of the Fellowship

[wisconsinwarlock]

MSV Last Bastion - more on Norumbega

Guess I’m feeling wordy today. More detail on setting for my Mass Effect tabletop RPG.

The CEO of Excelsior Industries (the company founding the colony) is Tobias Lindström, who has always had a keen interest in legends, folklore, and fantasy with a rooting in both (hence the Tolkien-centric place names on the planet). It’s also said that he occasionally has Councilor Donnel Udina’s ear. (For the record, my head-canon Shepard recommended Anderson; the Council preferred the familiarity of Udina, and someone who didn’t lend credibility to Shepard’s talk about Reapers.)

Their VP of Extrasolar Development is Matthias van Iersel, and this colony is his baby - there’s a lot riding on its success or failure, so he’s in residence at Port Halifax to provide hands-on management.

Local security for the colony is provided by a sub-contract with Elanus Risk Control Services (the Alliance navy gave a hard “no” to any permanent ground or orbital support). The ERCS captain on the ground is Viscilus Kallian, a veteran of the First Contact War (and a political moderate; he holds no grudge); the ships in orbit for traffic control and defense are Amon Lhaw and Amon Hen. The ERCS force is a mix of turian and human.

The colony has a support systems sub-contract with Saronis Applications, who provide the IT and infrastructure support, and are primarily responsible for construction of the Shinkansen line to mining station Erebor. Their contingent onsite is almost entirely salarian.

More to come...

[ebaeschnbliah]

`This is the lawn of Parth Galen’ ...

... a fair place in the summer days of old. Let us hope that no evil has yet come here.'

They drew up their boats on the green banks, and beside them they made their camp. They set a watch, but had no sight nor sound of their enemies. If Gollum had contrived to follow them, he remained unseen and unheard. Nonetheless as the night wore on Aragorn grew uneasy, tossing often in his sleep and waking. In the small hours he got up and came to Frodo, whose turn it was to watch.

`Why are you waking? ' asked Frodo. `It is not your watch.'

`I do not know,' answered Aragorn; `but a shadow and a threat has been growing in my sleep. It would be well to draw your sword.'

`Why? ' said Frodo. `Are enemies at hand? '

`Let us see what Sting may show,' answered Aragorn.

Frodo then drew the elf-blade from its sheath. To his dismay the edges gleamed dimly in the night. `Orcs! ' he said. `Not very near, and yet too near, it seems.'

`I feared as much,' said Aragorn. `But maybe they are not on this side of the River. The light of Sting is faint, and it may point to no more than spies of Mordor roaming on the slopes of Amon Lhaw. I have never heard before of Orcs upon Amon Hen. Yet who knows what may happen in these evil days, now that Minas Tirith no longer holds secure the passages of Anduin. We must go warily tomorrow.'

The day came like fire and smoke. Low in the East there were black bars of cloud like the fumes of a great burning. The rising sun lit them from beneath with flames of murky red; but soon it climbed above them into a clear sky. The summit of Tol Brandir was tipped with gold. Frodo looked out eastward and gazed at the tall island. Its sides sprang sheer out of the running water. High up above the tall cliffs were steep slopes upon which trees climbed, mounting one head above another; and above them again were grey faces of inaccessible rock, crowned by a great spire of stone. Many birds were circling about it, but no sign of other living things could be seen.

When they had eaten, Aragorn called the Company together. `The day has come at last,' he said: 'the day of choice which we have long delayed. What shall now become of our Company that has travelled so far in fellowship? Shall we turn west with Boromir and go to the wars of Gondor; or turn east to the Fear and Shadow; or shall we break our fellowship and go this way and that as each may choose? Whatever we do must be done soon. We cannot long halt here. The enemy is on the eastern shore, we know; but I fear that the Orcs may already be on this side of the water.'

There was a long silence in which no one spoke or moved.

'Well, Frodo,' said Aragorn at last. `I fear that the burden is laid upon you. You are the Bearer appointed by the Council. Your own way you alone can choose. In this matter I cannot advise you. I am not Gandalf, and though I have tried to bear his part, I do not know what design or hope he had for this hour, if indeed he had any. Most likely it seems that if he were here now the choice would still wait on you. Such is your fate.'

Frodo did not answer at once. Then he spoke slowly. `I know that haste is needed, yet I cannot choose. The burden is heavy. Give me an hour longer, and I will speak. Let me be alone! '

Aragorn looked at him with kindly pity. `Very well, Frodo son of Drogo,' he said. `You shall have an hour, and you shall be alone. We will stay here for a while. But do not stray far or out of call.'

Frodo sat for a moment with his head bowed. Sam, who had been watching his master with great concern, shook his head and muttered: 'Plain as a pikestaff it is, but it's no good Sam Gamgee putting in his spoke just now.' ,

Presently Frodo got up and walked away; and Sam saw that while the others restrained themselves and did not stare at him, the eyes of Boromir followed Frodo intently, until he passed out of sight in the trees at the foot of Amon Hen.

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Breaking of the Fellowship

[garden-ghoul]

fellowship of the bloggening, part 9 AND two blogs, part 1

“what’s up gamers I didn’t update last night because I was lowkey suicidal”

THE BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP

how appropriate on this, a day when I am very sad*

I have a question about the landscapes in Lord of the Rings. There’s a lot of lawns. Do lawns like, occur naturally in the British Isles? Is that why? I have never met a naturally occurring lawn. Fields, yes, but not lawns. I love the island in the middle of the river, though, being kind of incongruously 50 feet tall with sheer cliffs and wheeling birds and all. Take me to the Anduin.

Aragorn doesn’t sleep well. When our heroes get up he calls them together and says it’s time to choose. Especially for Frodo. Frodo asks for another hour and goes off somewhere; everyone studiously avoids looking at him except Boromir, who Stares. Frodo climbs up on Amon Hen and stares down at the river while he thinks. Ah, I love him.

Suddenly he awoke from his thoughts: a strange feeling came to him that something was behind him, that unfriendly eyes were upon him. He sprang up and turned; but all that he saw to his surprise was Boromir, and his face was smiling and kind.

!!! Danger warning !!! Boromir is acting super super friendly and reasonable. He thinks two people can reach a decision more easily than nine! Sitting with Frodo will be a comfort to him! Frodo is kind of obliviously discourteous; like he doesn’t explicitly distrust Boromir, but it’s clear what he’s saying is making Boromir >:(

'I think I know already what counsel you would give, Boromir,' said Frodo. 'And it would seem like wisdom but for the warning of my heart.'

'Warning? Warning against what? ' said Boromir sharply.

He’s awful defensive, isn’t he. Frodo is just being super sincere and Boromir is so disingenuous. But Boromir is looking rather acquisitive, and I am sad that Tolkien didn’t include Frodo’s growing unease in the text. Like I guess it’s elegant to leave it subtextual but come on I want this to be an emotionally intense scene. All the intensity here is on Boromir’s part; he’s being contrasted with Frodo, who doesn’t emote, and who speaks in short simple sentences. Boromir starts talking grandiose talk about what Gondor could do if they had the Ring.

‘I am glad to have heard you speak so fully,’ said Frodo. ‘My mind is clearer now.'

`Then you will come to Minas Tirith? ' cried Boromir. His eyes were shining and his face eager.

`You misunderstand me,' said Frodo.

Oh I take it back I fuckin love this. So Boromir goes on the attack and Frodo sees no choice but to put the Ring on and disappear. As soon as he’s outside Ring-influence radius Boromir realizes how he was acting and starts to cry. Meanwhile Frodo makes it to the seat upon the summit of Amon Hen; it’s the seat of vision, I guess, and it’s maybe magically enchanted to he can see everything that’s going on in Middle Earth? He catches Sauron’s eye and throws himself to the ground, desperate to take off the ring before Sauron can pinpoint where he is. We get a fun description of the physical pressure of Sauron’s attention “like a finger pressing down.” And Frodo decides that he must not let the Ring near the rest of the company, to allow their minds to continue free.

Everyone else is sitting in a circle psychoanalyzing Frod; Aragorn decides that it would be best to split the party and have himself, Sam, and Gimli go with Frodo to Mordor. Let’s all take a moment to imagine that AU, which surely would have been awesome. Because spotlight Gimli!! Anyway. Boromir comes back to tell them that he vanished, and they all start looking. Sam is the only one who’s actually competent to psychoanalyze Frodo, and realizes he must have gone for the boats to go away by himself. Sam throws himself at the boat and misses by an entire yard. Frodo paddles back to shore so he can get in properly. And they’re off. time for

THE TWO TOWERS (BOOK 3)

THE DEPARTURE OF BOROMIR

We join Aragorn as he runs up Amon Hen and completely fails to use the hill’s magical sight powers to find Frodo. He DOES use his sharp ears to locate Boromir in trouble, though! Come on lad what is this Amon Lhaw? Please. Also how is “lhaw” pronounced? Like Welsh LL? That’s my vote. Haha also Aragorn realizes Sam’s not with him, but still hasn’t cottoned on to the fact that hobbits have much shorter legs than him. Dude. Your nickname in Arnor was “Legs” you KNOW this. Well, he finds Boromir impaled into a tree trunk; Boromir says that the hobbits were taken, and he has paid with his life for trying to steal the Ring. Aragorn kisses his forehead and tells him “no sweet prince you have done nothing wrong ever in your life and I love you”

And then seeing that Boromir has died he says to himself “I’ve mucked up everything, I can’t believe every single thing that has ever gone wrong was my personal fault. How can I, Aragorn, save the quest???”

Legolas and Gimli show up and they all survey the battle site, looking for clues about whodunnit. The answer: Saruman! I like Legolas announcing out loud that he is going to collect arrows, because he’s all out. He’s so extra. It’s a cultural difference, I think; Mirkwood is just culturally extra. Oh we also learn that Sauron does not speak his name, or allow it to be spoken. What?? That’s so interesting I wonder why! Finally the remains of the company puts Boromir’s funeral boat out on the river and Aragorn and Legolas improvise a really impressive duet to eulogize him. And then they go after the orcs, hoping to free Merry and Pippin from Torment. And soon to meet

THE RIDERS OF ROHAN

Our three trackers run over the edge of the Emyn Muil and down onto the plains of Rohan, following the trampley trail of the orcs. I like the bit where they pass a stream with water plants and come down into the grass and Legolas drinks it in:

'Ah! the green smell!' he said. 'It is better than much sleep. Let us run!'

This is very AS. AH THE GREEN SMELL.

They argue a while over whether they should, uh, ever sleep. When they decide that they won’t be able to track at night anyway, Aragorn literally just falls over and passes out. I love him. The trackers have zero chance of catching the orcs, who definitely aren’t sleeping ever, but they persist anyway. Aragorn is unexpectedly weary (after running for three straight days) and apparently it’s because Saruman is glaring really hard at them. Night after night Legolas keeps watch, pacing and singing to himself, because he can sleep while he runs.

On the fourth day they come upon a group of Rohirrim riding down the same trail they’re following, and hunker down to wait for them. The riders pass them right by (elven cloaks!) until Aragorn calls out to them. They are extremely suspicious, especially when they find out our trackers have been through Lothlorien. Gimli, of course, is furious that anyone would suggest Galadriel is anything other than a perfect cinnamon lembas, and yells at Eomer. Aragorn hushes him and then introduces himself in the most dramatic manner possible, trying to look extra kingly so Eomer will want to help him.

Éomer stepped back and a look of awe was in his face. He cast down his proud eyes. 'These are indeed strange days,' he muttered. 'Dreams and legends spring to life out of the grass.

I like Eomer. He says stuff like “we don’t lie and thus cannot be easily deceived” and “That was a worthy man!” (I can practically hear it in Anglo Saxon). My regret about him in the movies is that he had the cutest little snub nose and wasn’t intimidating at all. He looked like a baby.

Um anyway Eomer wants our trackers to come to Meduseld (the hall at Edoras) and identify themselves to Theoden, since they’re still rather suspect strangers. Aragorn is very insistent, obviously, on going to the battlesite and looking for Merry and Pippin. Eomer eventually gives in and says he’ll let them borrow horses to check it out, as long as they PROMISE to come back to Meduseld afterward. He is putting his life on the line for you guys! Don’t let him down!

They ride to the battle site. I want to QUIBBLE again with Tolkien’s word usage; the trackers find “freshly cut turves,” which is surely a VERY WEIRD WORD TO USE. NOBODY PLURALIZES TURF ANY MORE JOHNALD. But he still pluralizes “hoof” as “hoofs.” SMH. In any case we camp under the eaves of Fangorn (“Cut no living wood!”) and during Gimli’s watch an old man, hatted and cloaked, shows up. Or maybe just a spectre of one, because he doesn’t talk, and vanishes without moving. Spooooky. No really, come Gandalf, stop playing games.

[ormondsackerr]

June 19

Next leg: Rauros to Mt. Doom.  Very appropriate given the news of the day haha. At 470 miles it will be the longest leg (Hobbiton to Rivendell was 458) so I will give myself until the Gallifrey con in February 2018.  If we live that long which is frankly looking a bit iffy right now. Anyway.

4 miles.

Breaking of the Fellowship. Noon. Frodo decides to go to Mordor alone, but Sam guesses. Reaches lake as Frodo is leaving. They go together.

Paddle past the south end of Tol Brandir.

Reach shelving shore on the south slopes of Amon Lhaw. Hide boat.

Head SE into the “strange twisted knot of hills” – the eastern Emyn Muil.

Reach south edge of the hills: “a sheer, high, impassible cliff overlooking the marshland of Nindalf ‘the Wetwang’, which lies East of the Anduin all along the delta of the Entwash.

Turn north away from the cliff.

[loreofthering]

In the Etymologies (a linguistic manuscript from ca. 1937-8 published posthumously) is stated that "the Quendian ears were more pointed and leaf-shaped than Human."[4][5] In another linguistic manuscript (from ca. 1959-60), the Elvish connection between ears and leaves is again noted: "Amon Lhaw. ¶SLAS-, ear. las, leaf. slasū > Q hlaru, S lhaw."[6][7]

Answering to a question on Hobbit ears, Tolkien wrote that these were "only slightly pointed and 'elvish'".[8]Some fans take this to mean that Elvish ears were pointed, while others argue that it is an ambiguous statement.[2][3][9]

i see your ‘nowhere in the nursery rhyme does it say humpty dumpty was an egg’ and raise you ‘nowhere in the legendarium does tolkien say that elves have pointed ears’

[tolkienencyclopedia]

Amon Lhaw

Amon Lhaw: One of the three peaks at the southern end of Nen Hithoel, located on the eastern bank of the Anduin. A high seat, probably called the Seat of Hearing, was built on its summit.

Called in Westron the Hill of Hearing.

Foster, Robert. The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: From The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings and beyond. New York: Ballantine, 1978. Print.

[ebaeschnbliah]

Soon he came out alone on the summit of Amon Hen ...

... and halted, gasping for breath. He saw as through a mist a wide flat circle, paved with mighty flags, and surrounded with a crumbling battlement; and in the middle, set upon four carven pillars, was a high seat, reached by a stair of many steps. Up he went and sat upon the ancient chair, feeling like a lost child that had clambered upon the throne of mountain-kings.

At first he could see little. He seemed to be in a world of mist in which there were only shadows: the Ring was upon him. Then here and there the mist gave way and he saw many visions: small and clear as if they were under his eyes upon a table, and yet remote. There was no sound, only bright living images. The world seemed to have shrunk and fallen silent. He was sitting upon the Seat of Seeing, on Amon Hen, the Hill of the Eye of the Men of Númenor. Eastward he looked into wide uncharted lands, nameless plains, and forests unexplored. Northward he looked, and the Great River lay like a ribbon beneath him, and the Misty Mountains stood small and hard as broken teeth. Westward he looked and saw the broad pastures of Rohan; and Orthanc, the pinnacle of Isengard, like a black spike. Southward he looked, and below his very feet the Great River curled like a toppling wave and plunged over the falls of Rauros into a foaming pit; a glimmering rainbow played upon the fume. And Ethir Anduin he saw, the mighty delta of the River, and myriads of sea-birds whirling like a white dust in the sun, and beneath them a green and silver sea, rippling in endless lines.

But everywhere he looked he saw the signs of war. The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and Men and fell beasts. The land of the Beornings was aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lórien.

Horsemen were galloping on the grass of Rohan; wolves poured from Isengard. From the havens of Harad ships of war put out to sea; and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wains. All the power of the Dark Lord was in motion. Then turning south again he beheld Minas Tirith. Far away it seemed. and beautiful: white-walled, many-towered, proud and fair upon its mountain-seat; its battlements glittered with steel, and its turrets were bright with many banners. Hope leaped in his heart. But against Minas Tirith was set another fortress, greater and more strong. Thither, eastward, unwilling his eye was drawn. It passed the ruined bridges of Osgiliath, the grinning gates of Minas Morgul. and the haunted Mountains, and it looked upon Gorgoroth, the valley of terror in the Land of Mordor. Darkness lay there under the Sun. Fire glowed amid the smoke. Mount Doom was burning, and a great reek rising. Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-dûr, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him.

And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was. Amon Lhaw it touched. It glanced upon Tol Brandir he threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head with his grey hood.

He heard himself crying out: Never, never! Or was it: Verily I come, I come to you? He could not tell. Then as a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!

The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented. Suddenly he was aware of himself again. Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose, and with one remaining instant in which to do so. He took the Ring off his finger. He was kneeling in clear sunlight before the high seat. A black shadow seemed to pass like an arm above him; it missed Amon Hen and groped out west, and faded. Then all the sky was clean and blue and birds sang in every tree.

Frodo rose to his feet. A great weariness was on him, but his will was firm and his heart lighter. He spoke aloud to himself. `I will do now what I must,' he said. 'This at least is plain: the evil of the Ring is already at work even in the Company, and the Ring must leave them before it does more harm. I will go alone. Some I cannot trust, and those I can trust are too dear to me: poor old Sam, and Merry and Pippin. Strider, too: his heart yearns for Minas Tirith, and he will be needed there, now Boromir has fallen into evil. I will go alone. At once.'

He went quickly down the path and came back to the lawn where Boromir had found him. Then he halted, listening. He thought he could hear cries and calls from the woods near the shore below.

'They'll be hunting for me,' he said. `I wonder how long I have been away. Hours, I should think.' He hesitated. 'What can I do? ' he muttered. 'I must go now or I shall never go. I shan't get a chance again. I hate leaving them, and like this without any explanation. But surely they will understand. Sam will. And what else can I do?'

Slowly he drew out the Ring and put it on once more. He vanished and passed down the hill, less than a rustle of the wind.

JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring,  The Breaking of the Fellowship