Saruman’s betrayal is often treated as a simple turn to evil. He was proud.He wanted power.He joined Sauron.He was destroyed. That summary is not wrong, but it is too small. Because Saruman was not an ignorant servant of darkness. He was not deceived in the same way as a frightened Man of the East or … Read more
Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins are two of the most important hobbits in the history of Middle-earth. They are both Ring-bearers. They both live at Bag End. They both step far outside the ordinary life of the Shire. And neither of them ever marries. At first, this seems like a small detail. The story is … Read more
Most people have heard the claim: Samwise Gamgee is the true hero of The Lord of the Rings. It sounds simple. Almost too simple. Frodo carries the Ring. Aragorn returns as king. Gandalf guides the free peoples. Éowyn faces the Witch-king. Gollum, by a strange turn of pity and ruin, becomes essential at the end. … Read more
At the end of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins reaches the place where the One Ring can finally be destroyed. Not Rivendell.Not Minas Tirith.Not some battlefield where kings and captains decide the fate of the world. A dark chamber inside Orodruin. The Sammath Naur. The Chambers of Fire. This is the place where … Read more
It seems like the obvious question. If Gandalf was powerful enough to face the Balrog in Moria, if he was one of the Wise, if he understood ancient powers better than almost anyone else in Middle-earth, then why did he not simply go to the Lonely Mountain and fight Smaug himself? Why send thirteen Dwarves … Read more
At first glance, Aragorn’s reaction at the doors of Meduseld can seem surprisingly sharp. He has come to Edoras with Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli to speak with Théoden, King of Rohan. The land is in danger. Saruman’s power is rising. Rohan itself is sick with fear and bad counsel. This should be a moment for … Read more
At first glance, Aragorn’s life seems almost impossible to explain. He is the heir of Isildur.He is descended from the kings of old.He carries the bloodline that links him to both Arnor in the North and Gondor in the South. And yet when we first meet him, he is not sitting in a white tower. … Read more
Most people remember Rohan’s stand at Helm’s Deep as a moment of impossible courage. A king rides out. A horn sounds in the deep. The dawn comes. Gandalf appears, and the strength of Saruman is broken. But the deeper question comes before any of that. Why does Gandalf think Rohan should stand and fight at … Read more
At first glance, Gandalf’s respect for Galadriel and Elrond seems easy to explain. They are ancient.They are wise.They are powerful.They rule two of the greatest remaining Elven refuges in Middle-earth. But that answer is too simple. Because Gandalf is not merely an old wanderer with a staff. He is one of the Istari, sent into … Read more
Saruman is often described as Sauron’s servant. That is true in one sense. By the time the War of the Ring reaches its crisis, Saruman is working in ways that benefit Mordor. He has turned Isengard into a fortress of war. He has broken faith with the White Council. He has become an enemy of … Read more