I often pondered why the three rings were chosen as they were. There are four elements in alchemy, so I wondered how and why Tolkien picked the three that he did. Then it just occurred to me that there is a nice correspondence between the three rings of power and the fate of the three Silmarils.
One Silmaril was sent to the air with Eärendil, one was cast into the sea by Maglor, and the last followed Maedhros into a fiery fissure in the earth. Thus we have air, water, and fire or Vilya, Nenya, and Narya.
This sets up interesting parallels as Vilya is said to be most powerful which corresponds to the fact that Eärendil’s Silmaril saved the Eldar and the Edain of Middle-earth, for without it Eärendil would never have found Aman. It is also the only Silmaril that did not come to an evil end.
As the wielder of Narya, Gandalf’s journey through darkness and fire in the depths of the black pit of Moria also strikes a chord. In a way one could say that Gandalf’s struggle through the depths and his death are atonement for the evil of Maedhros. Gandalf has brought back from its hole the power and light of the lost Silmaril when he is reborn as Gandalf the White.
Galadriel is the last of the princes that lead forth the Noldor with Fëanor. She echoes the repentance and sorrow of Maglor’s songs as he wanders the margin of the sea. There is great sadness bound up in Lorien and Nenya for that which was and that which should not have been. But there is also great age and memory which is telling of Maglor who alone of Fëanor’s sons wanders still.
As the Simarils are lost after the vanquishing of Morgoth Bauglir so too are the Three Rings of Power when the second Dark Lord is overthrown.
I am sure there are more parallels that could be drawn with a little more thought.
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Broc
(Thu Mar 27 13:20:20)
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Great post!
As Shakesaid Speare in the Verchant of Menace -- "All that Golders is Not Glit!"
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...is this what Frodo's light is made from? (the one Galadriel gave him)....I've read the triology once, so forgive me is this is really ignorant question...
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Broc
(Thu Mar 27 13:41:40)
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"And you, Ring-bearer," she said, turning to Frodo. "I come to you last..." She held up a small crystal phial... "In this phial," she said, "is caught the light of Earendil's star, set amid the waters of my fountain... May it be a light unto you in dark places, when all other lights go out."
As Shakesaid Speare in the Verchant of Menace -- "All that Golders is Not Glit!"
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Yes, after delivering his plea to the Valar, Eärendil was set in the sky to steer his ship Vingilot across the sky with the Silmaril upon his brow. Thus he is taken to be the evening star, the brightest of the heavens first to be seen and last to leave at night.
As Fëanor before her, Galadriel has trapped some of the light of the evening star in her Phial. So it is really a piece of the light of the two trees that Frodo carries with him- a powerful gift indeed.
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There, another one just popped into my head. A really obvious connection between Eärendil’s Silmaril and Vilya is that the bearer of Vilya is Elrond, Eärendil’s son.
Also Eärendil’s Simaril was cut from Morgoth’s crown by Beren Erchamion and Lúthien Tinúviel whose story closely parallels and is bound up by their descendents Aragorn Elessar and Arwen Evenstar to whom Elrond served as protector and father respectively in his realm that Vilya created.
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Fantastic post, setanta! Thank you for these great observations.
"I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew..."
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John_Ragnar
(Thu Mar 27 18:24:56)
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 UPDATED Thu Mar 27 18:25:41 |
Can somebody answear this question?
In the fellowship of the ring. When Galadriel is talking about the rings in the beginning we see her and two other elves holding up theire rings.
Now I always thought that the rings were given in the beginning to Galadriel, Cirdan??? (cant remember his name, the elven lord of grey havens) and Elrond.
Now, neither of the two elves behind Galadriel in the beginning of FOTR is Elrond. Why? Didnt Elrond get the ring right from the beginning or was it given to him by another elven lord like Cirdan??? and Gandalfs ring.
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The three at the beginning are Galadriel, Gil-Galad, and Cirdan. Elrond got his ring from Gil-Galad, who can also be seen fighting with the Elves in the prologue(thrusting a spear downwards). Cirdan gave his ring to Gandalf.
About Galadriel and the water...she is also the one who warns Legolas about the call of the Sea...just an observation
I fear not the shadows of Men
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Great observations.
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
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What fantastic observations setanta!
Great post!
Tolkien is so good at linking all his tales together like this; and it's very satisfying when you find them!
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love
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"I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew..."
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I don't know if iam correct, but i remember something about in the end, right before his departure from ME, Frodo carrying something in a necklace (a peace of the phial???)...if so, what happend to the phial???
I really don't remember well that moment...
"... Anyway you need people of intelligence in this sort of...mission...quest...thing !!!
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I think Frodo had Arwen's necklace, didn't he?
I fear not the shadows of Men
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I really don't remember, i just remember having the feeling he had something that was broken, like "he them put his hand in the piece of..."
...but he had Arwen's necklace...
...forget it...i must be confusing something...
"... Anyway you need people of intelligence in this sort of...mission...quest...thing!!!
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with galadrial and the water- she also has the mirror. if thats anything ot do with anything.
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In the book Galadriel gave Arwen's necklace to Frodo didn't she (I'm only on my 2nd time through the books so I don't remember)?
"Gandalf is wearing fishnets under white robe. First one who snaps his garter gets to snog Legolas."
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SPOILERS...
Arwen gave Frodo her necklace in RoK, before he left for Rivendell.
 You are a daughter of kings. A shieldmaiden of Rohan.
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Thanks, I realized my mistake when I finshed reading the book :)
"Whee! I like to run! I look good when I run!"
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He has the necklace, but he also still has the Phial, and this is what he holds up as the ship sails off.
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
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"I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew..."
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This message has been deleted by the poster
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Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
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You know, I've often wondered if Gandalf encountered a Silmaril in the depths of Moria, which will help to explain why he defeated the Balrog and also helped to bring him back to life.
Intriguing thought.
but then again, he doesn't say in the books so I guess not.
No matter where you go, there you are...
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The fates of the Silmarils is known.
One is on Earendils brow, as he circles Arda in his ship in the sky, one was cast into a volcano, and another burned the hand of one of Feanor's son's (due to the contamination of his soul due to the Oath) so badly that he threw it into the depths of the sea.
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
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Forkbeard
(Thu May 22 21:56:44)
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| UPDATED Thu May 22 21:57:49 |
"Being of anguish and despair, he cast himself into a gaping chasm filled with fire...."
So it's not beyond the bounds of probability that the Silmaril ended up deep in the bowels of the earth beneath Moria...
No matter where you go, there you are...
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I think it is a stretch, because I believe the area in which he was, is in Beleriand, which if I remember right, is under water. Think what it would take for a stone to travel underground several hundred miles...
But, that is just my opinion...I could be wrong.
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
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Forkbeard
(Thu May 22 22:24:23)
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| UPDATED Thu May 22 22:25:13 |
It is a stretch admittedly, however most of the coast line was altered during the War of Wrath and the elves stood on what was left afterwards.
According to our esteemed author, the two Elves pinched the Silmarils and then "fled far away". The pity is that Tolkein does not make it clear if they fled side by side or split up. I presume that they did however, Maedhros to the chasm and Maglor to the sea.
Thoughts like these keep the long winter nights at bay you know. I know it's summer now, but when the nights draw in and it gets cold, then a nice brandy, a roaring fire and warm woolley socks makes one ponder a lot...
No matter where you go, there you are...
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It's summer? Not here...though we are hoping!
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow,
Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow.
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"There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North!"
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...the angels had guitars even before they had wings...
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You are a daughter of kings. A shieldmaiden of Rohan.
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A friendly bump from Sponsor #11593: Lady Éowyn
You are a daughter of kings. A shieldmaiden of Rohan.
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