Introduction
Greetings and salutations, my friends, today I am going to be addressing the many people who maybe haven’t had the time nor the willpower to read the masterpieces that are the three Lord of the Rings books. I bring you 5 awesome facts that aren’t exactly obvious or just downright aren’t mentioned in the movies.
- Gandalf is the bearer of the Third ‘Missing’ Elven ring
The three elven rings were created by a Noldorin elf named Celebrimdor, in the year 1590 of the Second Age (S.A), using the knowledge he had learned from Sauron previously. The three are called Narya (the Ring of Fire), Nenya (the Ring of Water) and Vilya (the Ring of Air). Galadriel and Elrond are widely known to have borne the others but it was never obvious in the movies that Gandalf possessed Narya. He came into possession of it when, around the year 1000 of the Third Age (T.A), he was sent to Middle Earth by the Valar to help fight against Sauron. Upon arriving in Middle Earth – Mithlond to be precise – he was greeted by Galadriel and Círdan, a Sindarin elf famous for his shipbuilding. Círdan at this time possessed Narya and although Gandalf had the appearance of a humble, old man, he sensed his power and gave him Narya to aid him in his fight against evil.
- When Frodo ‘sails West’ he is Sailing to Tol Eressëa, an Island near the Coast of Valinor
After witnessing the coronation of the new Gondorian King, Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin return to the shire to find it militarised and in some kind of dictatorship seemingly led by Lotho Sackville-Baggins (the son of Otho, husband to Lobelia who stole Bilbo’s spoons!). The four hobbits are stopped by shire ‘policemen’ and eventually human ruffians, who had been hired to terrorise the shire and carry out Lotho’s dirty work. However, after the battle of the Bywater had taken place (in which roughly 300 hobbits fought against 100 Ruffians) and the hobbits emerged victorious they marched to Hobbiton and found that the Shire had actually been in control of none other than Saruman and Grima Wormtongue. After the death of Saruman things become peaceful once again. However, while his friends were at peace once more, Frodo was still heavily traumatised by his quest. This led to his decision in joining Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel aboard an Elven ship to sail to the ‘Undying Lands’. Forty years later, Sam too sailed to the Undying lands where he and Frodo ‘lived happily ever after’ until the end of their days.
- It took 17 years for Frodo to Start his Adventure after Bilbo’s 111th Birthday Party
In the movies, everything happens in a much faster pace. As soon as Bilbo disappears and leaves Frodo the ring he sets out on the orders of Gandalf with Samwise Gamgee to deliver the ring to Rivendell the next morning. In reality, Frodo waited 17 years afterwards, selling his house in Bag End and moving to Crickhollow, a small settlement in Buckland. Frodo only spent one night in this new house and then left on his quest, leaving a friend, Fatty Bolger, behind to make it look like he still lives there.
- Tom Bombadil!
Tom Bombadil was a rather puzzling character that Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin came across while travelling through the Old Forest (the journey to Rivendell in the books is far longer than the movies). A very old and powerful tree named Old Man Willow cast a spell on the Hobbits causing them to become very sleepy. He then trapped Merry and Pippin within the many folds of his trunk. Frodo and Sam tried many things to free them, eventually resolving to burn the tree but Old Man Willow communicated through Merry and said that if the burning doesn’t stop he will crush both Merry and Pippin. At this point, it looked as though it was certain death for the Hobbits; but thankfully they were saved by the timely arrival of Tom Bombadil. He is described as wearing a blue jacket and yellow boots and singing very nonsensical songs. However, he seemed to have a certain power over Old Man Willow. By singing to him he forced him to release the hobbits and to go back to sleep. Later, in the same chapter, Bombadil puts on the ring and it has no effect on him. He is also able to see Frodo while Frodo was wearing the ring, which certainly suggests he possessed some kind of supernatural power. Despite this, Tolkien never much elaborated on the definite origins nor the powers of Tom Bombadil. That being said, in the Letters of J.R.R Tolkien it is stated that Goldberry – the wife of Bombadil – represented the seasonal changes in nature and Bombadil represented the natural spirit of the English countryside. This was supposedly based on Eurasian mythology where water is feminine and the land or earth is masculine. This is further supported by Goldberry being described as “river-daughter’.
- The feast of the Field of Cormallen after the Destruction of the One Ring
After Frodo (or Gollum) cast the ring into the cracks of Mount Doom (Orodruin) it violently erupted, with Frodo and Sam only just making it so safety. Gandalf, however, during the battle in front of the Morannon (front-gate of Mordor), called to Gwaihir, lord of the Eagles, and rode off towards Frodo and Sam’s location with two other eagles. Just as the two hobbits lose consciousness they are lifted up into the air and taken away to safety. They both awake to find themselves safely in Ithilien (the place where they are first captured by Faramir in both the films and books). Upon waking the two hobbits are led to a reception hosted by the new King of Gondor, although at this point they do not know that this is Aragorn. When the Hobbits finally come before this ‘reception’ they are met with cheers and applause and songs in their honour. Aragorn them welcomes them and sets them on upon a throne. Later in the evening, a great feast is held in the Field of Cormallen, which sees Frodo and Sam reunited with their old companions: Merry and Pippin.
That is it for now, folks, of course there are many more things that the movies left out, but they shall have to be covered in another post ;)
As ever, I always recommend reading the Lord of the Rings books. They are without a doubt some of the greatest literary masterpieces ever created.
Feel free to follow for more and for now, adios :)