The Secret Stairs feel as if they belong to Mordor. They rise out of darkness. They cling to the Mountains of Shadow. They lead Frodo and Sam away from the open road and into a place of hunger, webs, Orcs, and dread. By the time the Hobbits begin climbing, the reader already knows something is … Read more
Gandalf does not enter Middle-earth like a shining lord. He does not descend in glory.He does not reveal himself as a spirit from the West.He does not walk among Men and Elves with an unveiled majesty that makes kings bow and armies tremble. He appears as an old man. Grey-cloaked. Weather-worn. Bearded. Often weary. Often … Read more
Most readers notice it sooner or later. Sauron.Saruman. The names look and sound close enough that they almost seem designed to echo one another. Both begin with the same sharp sound. Both belong to powerful enemies in The Lord of the Rings. Both are associated with command, fear, craft, and corruption. So it is natural to … Read more
At first glance, it seems like a problem. The One Ring was the ruling Ring. The Three Elven Rings were bound to it. Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf were among the wisest beings left in Middle-earth. By the end of the Third Age, each of them bore one of the Three. So why did none of … Read more
At first, the idea seems almost obvious. If the One Ring had to be carried into Mordor, why not give it to a Dwarf? Dwarves were famously hard to dominate. The Rings of Power given to the Dwarf-lords did not turn them into Ringwraiths. They did not become pale servants like the Nazgûl. Their wills … Read more
When most people think of the Nazgûl, they imagine them in the sky. Black wings over Minas Tirith. Terrible cries falling like sickness over soldiers. A shadow circling above the Dead Marshes or sweeping across the darkening lands before Mordor. By the end of the War of the Ring, the Nazgûl are no longer merely … Read more
The Eagles of Middle-earth are usually remembered as saviors. They appear when the story has almost reached the edge of disaster. They rescue Thorin’s company from the burning trees. They arrive at the Battle of Five Armies when goblins and wolves are pressing hard. They bear Gandalf from danger. They come again above the Black … Read more
Beleriand feels impossibly distant from the world of The Lord of the Rings. By the late Third Age, it is not a kingdom one can ride to. It is not a land marked on the familiar roads between the Shire, Rivendell, Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor. Its great realms are gone. Its rivers, forests, and strongholds belong … Read more
When Bilbo Baggins first returned to the Shire with a magic ring, Gandalf did not immediately cry doom. That can feel strange. After all, Gandalf was one of the Wise. He knew the history of Sauron. He knew of the Rings of Power. He understood, better than almost anyone in the Shire could have imagined, … Read more
When Faramir wakes in the Houses of Healing, he says something that can feel almost impossible on a first reading. He opens his eyes, sees Aragorn bending over him, and calls him king. Not captain.Not healer.Not lord of some distant people. King. “My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?” It … Read more