MAP OF THE BATTLE
The map on the opposite page is an artist’s impression of the Battle of Bywater. For Tolkien’s account of the conflict, see The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter VIII.
The Battle of Bywater
Although the Battle of Bywater is recorded as the last battle in the War of the Ring, it was not by any means a great military event. It was essentially a series of skirmishes that resulted in fewer than a hundred deaths, but it brought the moral message of the war to the doorstep of the Hobbits of the Shire. ‘This is worse than Mordor!’ said Sam. ‘Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say: because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined.’
Meriadoc Brandybuck, Esquire of Rohan, and Peregrin Took, Knight of Gondor
The Death of Saruman
Peace once again in the Shire
WAR AND
HONOUR
In J.R.R. Tolkien’s spectacular accounts of battles and wars of Middle-earth, we see a deeply committed Christian who was nonetheless fascinated by extremely warlike pagan civilizations. In the warrior societies of his pagan ancestors, Tolkien saw much that was admirable: codes of honour, oaths of allegiance, astonishing acts of courage. Those codes later became formalized in the chivalric tradition endorsed by medieval knights and warrior kings. Tolkien understood chivalry as a later evolution of what he called the ‘noble spirit of the north’ tamed and civilized by Christianity. To Tolkien, Charlemagne was also the embodiment of the ‘noble spirit of the north’, but, unlike Aragorn, the emperor’s nobility had been sanctified and brought to a greater purpose and glory. It was in what Tolkien called the ‘theory of courage’ that he expressed the most admiration for his ancestors. Tolkien wrote of ‘the theory of courage, which is the greatest contribution of early Northern literature’.
Life was seen as hostile, while death was something dark, cold and without consolation. The world of the ancient Anglo-Saxon gave no quarter to gods, let alone men. Tolkien knew that the Northern gods were on the side of right and nobility, but in that world they are not the team that wins. The gods and heroes are defeated by the monsters and swallowed up in the eternal dark – only tales of their heroic deeds remain (and then only as long as the tribe or the poets’ words survive). As Tolkien once observed, although the gods are defeated, the rough philosophers of these people believed that defeat was the fate of all mortals, and eventually even the fate of the gods themselves. It was simply a matter of finding a defiant and honourable means of departing when the moment came.
This was something that Tolkien, as a Christian, would not agree with, but there is something curiously familiar – and contemporary – about Tolkien’s discussion of his ‘theory of courage’ as applied to men in a pre-Christian era of darkness and chaos. In fact, it resonated with that indifferent universe of contemporary literature that was concerned with life after the ‘death of God’ – 20th-century existentialist literature that Tolkien believed he had spent his entire life successfully avoiding.
Existential authors also looked to mythology for an analogue to the modern condition. Albert Camus found it in the myth of Sisyphus condemned to an external, meaningless, repetitious task without consolation or reward of any kind. As Tolkien himself acknowledged, the fate of all men is ultimately death. And honour does not lie in victory. Honour is gained in facing life with brutal honesty and finding ‘a potent but terrible solution in naked will and courage’. These are Tolkien’s words, but they could have been the words of Camus or any of the most radical existential writers of his day. It is a philosophy that is both ancient and – for Tolkien – disturbingly modern.
Eärendil the Mariner
INDEX
PAGE NUMBERS IN ITALIC TYPE REFER
TO ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES
A
Aesir 98, 100, 149
Aglon, Pass of 55, 65
Ainur (Holy Ones) 22, 23, 27
Music of the 24, 25, 240
Alfheim, Elf-smiths of 98
Almeran, founding of 241
Alqualondë 240
Aman 69
Anárion 92, 101, 109, 117
Ancalagon 72
Anduin 99, 107, 196
Andvari the Dwarf 124
Andvarinaut 124–6
Andvari’s Loom 124
Anfauglith 49, 55, 64–5
Angband 56, 64–5, 72–3
building 240
destruction 241
‘iron fortress’ 32
Siege of 49, 51, 54–5
angels 22, 69
Anglo-Saxon mythology 31, 132, 153, 172, 225, 235
Angmar 105, 109, 146, 241
Annatar 79
Annatar the Lord of Gifts 78
Antaios the Giant 33
Aragorn 14, 167, 185, 193, 194–5, 196, 221, 222, 235
Aragorn II 109
Arda 9, 9n, 37, 136
Ainur enter 27
creation 20–1, 240
Great Forest 241
grimmest period 62
Marring of 27, 241
Melkor secretly reenters 28
Morgoth disperses power into 144–6
peace brought to 241
Spring of 241
Ardgalen 49
Arnor 79, 105, 107, 108, 111, 182
fall of 109, 241
history 109, 117
last High King of 109
Witch-king invades 109
Arthedain 109
Arthur, death of 89
Arthurian legend 89
Asgard, Rainbow Bridge of 149
Ash Mountains 93, 207
Asian mythology 212–14, 218
Astraea (‘Star-Maiden’) 31
Atalantë 84
Atlantis 83, 84
Attila the Hun 188
Auden, W.H. 66
Aulë, 29, 79, 240
Avallónë 240
Azanulbizar, Battle of 126, 127
B
Baggins, Bilbo 133, 138, 222
Baggins, Frodo 221, 222, 224
Balder 98–100
Balrogs 12, 49, 54, 70, 72, 149, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156–7, 240, 241
Barad-dûr (Dark Tower) 85, 207
Bard the Bowman, King of Dale 133
Barrow Downs 109
Barrow-wights 106–7
Bats 138
Battle of Powers 31
Battle under the Trees 147
bear cult 134
Belegost 241
Beleriand 51, 62, 70, 240
Beorn, Chieftain of the Beornings 134, 138
Beowulf 132, 133
Beren 56
berserker warrior cult 134
Bifröst 149
Black Captain 191
Black Gate, Battle of 92, 204, 206–7, 210–11
Black Riders 100
Bliss, Year of 240
Boromir 149
Brandybuck, Meriadoc 222, 229
Buddhism 218
Bywater Road 224
Byzantium 188
C
Calenardhon 114
Camelot 47
Camlann, Last Battle of 89
Camus, Albert 237
Carcaroth 56
Cardolan 109
Carlyle, Thomas 13
Carthage 112, 188
Celebrimbor 78, 79
Celtic mythology 56
Cerberus 56
Châlons, Battle of 188
Charlemagne, King 39, 182, 185, 188, 235
Chief’s Men 223
Chinese folklore 105, 127
Christian folklore 36, 37, 39, 47, 69, 152, 218, 235–6
Cirth alphabet 240, 241
classical mythology 33, 56
cold-drake 121
Cornish folklore 127
Corsairs 109, 117
cosmogony 22
Cotton, Farmer 223
creation myths 24–5
Cuiviénen 33
D
&nb
sp; Dagor Bragollach 49
Dagorlad, Battle of 79, 89, 90, 92–3
Dale, Battle of 138, 147
Dark Elves 98
Dark Tower, Siege of 79, 89, 90, 92–3, 207
Darkness, Ages of 240
Dead Marshes 92
Deeping Coomb 160
Deeping Stream 161
demons 127, 241
Denethor, Steward of Gondor 85
Denethor II, last Ruling Steward 117
Dol Amroth 241
Dol Guldur, destruction of 147
Doom, Cracks of 214
Doriath 66, 241
Dorthonion 54–5, 64–5, 72–3
dragons 54, 73, 129, 130–1, 132
creation 241
reappearance 241
slaying 63, 133
Draupnir (‘the dripper’) 98, 100
Dúnedain Kingdoms 99, 105, 106, 109, 111, 182
Dungeons & Dragons 12
Dunharrow 194–5
Dunlending 117, 176, 185
Durin’s Bridge 155
dwarfs, Tolkien’s
dissatisfaction with 121, 121n
Dwarves 72, 98, 121–4, 121n, 122–3, 138, 188
awakening 241
Beleriand entered 240
conception 240
genii of mountains 127
King of 135
Men’s and Elves’ alliance with 62
E
Eä, vision of 240
Eagles 206, 240
Eärendil the Mariner 71, 238–9
East Rohan, Invasion of 147
Easterlings 73, 92, 111, 112, 112–13, 117, 186, 188, 196, 206, 240
Eastlands 117
Edain 54, 72, 78, 240
Egyptian mythology 84–5
Eldamar 240, 241
Eldar 33, 45, 241
Elder Edda 10
Elendil, First High King 89, 92, 101, 109, 117
Elessar, King, crowning of 109, 117, 147, 215
11th Lancashire Fusiliers 16
Elven-smiths of Eregion 11, 12, 39, 77, 78, 78, 79, 213, 240
Elves 12, 25, 39, 54, 72, 79, 85, 92, 138, 240, 241
awakening 31
language 84
Melkor discovers 31
Men’s alliances with 62, 79, 89, 98
salvation 32
in The Silmarillion 43, 45, 57
through the Ages 77–8
turning against one another 66
Endless Stair 155
English folklore 173–4
Ents 12, 147, 178–9, 240, 241
March of 172, 173, 174, 176–7
Éomer 160
Eönwë 72
Horn of 70
Eóthéod 114
Éowyn of Rohan 190, 192, 196, 198–9
Epic of Gilgamesh 10
Erebor 138, 147
Eregion 77, 78, 78, 79, 80, 240
Eriador, Orcs raid 109
Erkenbrand 160
Eru the One 22, 24, 240
Esgaroth 130–1
Esildur 101
Estonian mythology 218
eternal dimensions 23
eternal life 85
European mythology 218
Eurydice 56
existentialism 236–7
external souls 203
F
Fafnir 49–50, 63, 126
‘Fairie’, heartland of 129
Falathrim 240
The Fall of Arthur (Tolkien) 89
Faramir 167
Father of Dragons 49
Fëanor the Noldo 39, 46, 66, 78
Fell Winter 109
Fellowship of the Ring 154
Field of Celebrant, Battle of 114
Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor 51, 54, 62
Finnish mythology 46, 63, 218
Finno-Ugric mythology 218
Finwë, King of the Noldor 36–7
fire demons, see Balrogs
fire-drakes 49–50, 70–1, 126, 129
Fire Giants 98
fire giants (Norse) 70, 149, 153
First Age 77
First War 27, 241
First World War, see World War I
Five Armies, Battle of 117, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138–9, 140–1
Fords of Isen, battles of 147
Formenos 37, 241
Fornost, Battle of 109
Fountain of Wisdom 100
Fourth Age 117
Free Peoples 50
Freyr, God of Sun and Rain 149
Frost Giants 98, 153
Furies 152
G
Galahad 47
Gamgee, Samwise 222
Gandalf the Grey 149–50, 151, 154, 156–7, 160, 165, 184, 186, 191, 206
Garden of the Hesperides 28
Genghis Khan 218
German mythology 49–50, 62, 124, 134, 218
Gesar, King of Ling 203, 205, 209, 212
Giants, Fire and Frost 98
Gil-galad 89, 92
Gladden Fields 99, 102, 109, 117
Glaurung the Golden, Father of Dragons 49, 50, 50–1, 52–3, 54, 63, 67
goblins 127, 138
God, death of 236
Golden Fleece 47
Gollum 13, 214
Gondolin 54
Gondor 79, 85, 109, 111, 111, 182, 183, 185, 189
civil war 117
first Easterling invasion 117
Harad conquered 241
Horn 149
Knights 229
Ship-kings 117
wars 112, 114
Gore 160
Gorgoroth, Plateau of 93
Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs 70, 72
Goths 115, 188
Great Battle, see War of Wrath
Great Eagles 72, 136, 138
Great Floods 109
Great Forest 241
Great Plague 109, 117, 241
Great Spiders 36, 38, 222, 240, 241
Great Wave 84
Greco-Roman mythology 31, 69
Greek mythology 31, 47, 78, 79, 98–100, 136, 152
Green Man 173–4
Greenfields in the Shire, Battle of 109
Grey Havens 240
Grond 186
H
Half-elven, Elrond 12
Halls of Mandos the Master of Doom 33
Hannibal 188
Harad 117, 185, 202, 241
Harlond, Port of 196
Heimdall 70, 149
Hel 100
Helcar 28
Hell 152
Helm 160, 162–3, 168–9
Hephaestus 152
High Elvish 84
Hillmen 109
Hindu folklore 36
Hitler, Adolf 17
The Hobbit (Tolkien) 98, 129, 137, 221
Beowulf parallels 132–3
first published 17
Hobbiton 107, 183
Hobbits 109, 127, 221, 224, 225, 228, 241
Holy Grail 47
Holy Ones (Ainur) 22
Hor 205, 209, 212
Hornburg, Battle of 147, 159, 160–1, 162–3, 168–9
Huns 115
Huorn Wood 160
Huorns 160, 173–4
I
Icelandic mythology 165
Ides of March 191
Iliad (Homer) 10
Illuin 28
Ilúvatar, Eru (‘Father of All’) 23, 36, 69
Imrahil 196
Industrial Revolution 25
Iron Crown of Lombardy 37
Iron Mountains 64, 69, 72
Isen 147, 177
Isengard 147, 174, 176–7, 178–9, 222
Isildur 90, 92, 97, 99, 102, 109
Isle of Almaren 28
Istari 241
Ithilien, Uruk raids on 117
K
Kalevala 46, 63, 66, 218
Khand 189
Khazad-dûm 80–1, 149, 153, 154–5, 156–7, 241
Kurkar, King of Hor 205, 209, 212
L
Laiquendi 240
Lamps of Light 28,
241
‘Land of the Star’, see Númenor
Last Alliance 62, 92, 98, 101
Leeds University 17
Light for the Stars 240
Light of the Trees 36, 45
Lindon 240
Ling 203, 205, 209
Lonely Mountain 138
Long Peace 49, 240
Long Winter 109, 117
Lord of the Rings, see Sauron
The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien) 10, 144, 149, 173, 182–3, 203, 209–12
Book II 159
Book III 153, 174
Book V 185, 190
Book VI 204, 225
evolution of 221–2
first published 17
those who shaped history 14
Tolkien begins writing 17
white wizard vs. black wizard 166–7
Lórien, assaults on 147
Lothlórien 241
Lúthien 56, 57, 58–9, 66
M
Macbeth 172, 191–2
magician-smiths 79, 203
Mahabharata 10
Maia 85
Maiar Spirits 13, 27, 32, 36, 152, 240, 241
‘man-bear’ people 134
Manwë, King (Lord of the Winds of Arda) (‘Blessed One’) 23, 32, 72, 136, 240
Melian 241
Melkor (‘He Who Arises in
Might’) 23, 27–8, 32–3, 78, 240, 241 (see also Morgoth)
armies of 8, 61
Elves discovered by 31
Orcs created by 31
Men 25, 77, 85, 101, 138
awakening of 241
dominion of 241
Elves’ alliances with 62, 79, 89, 98
fate 236–7
lifespan 84
in The Silmarillion 43, 45, 57
Menegroth 66, 240
Mesopotamian folklore 105
Middle-earth 9, 56, 63, 78, 129, 182–3, 235
ancient folk tradition 126–7
archetypical heroes 14
becomes Morgoth’s Ring 146
chronology 240–1
confederation 111–12
Elves awakened 31
ending Morgoth’s dominion 69
First Age 77
First Kinslaying 241
Fourth Age 117
Free Peoples 50
geography 107
Istari arrive 241
Maiar enter 241
Melkor’s dominion 240
Midgard comparison 153, 165
Noldor pursues Morgoth 39, 43, 43