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The Lord of the Rings

Updated - 2 February 2004

(including a new Wild Interpretations section)

J. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, is one of the classics of literature.  Set in an allegedly mythical “Middle Earth”, it is primarily a description of events set in the Third Age -- although the third volume also provides a chronology of events over a far wider scope of years and ages.  It is fundamentally a story of good versus evil.

The appeal of The Lord of the Rings is seen in its enduring longevity and delight in every generation since its writing, including such trivia as bumper stickers saying “Frodo Lives!” and more recently in the effort to bring the trilogy to the movie audience.

The first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, based on the first book of the trilogy, opened in theaters on December 19, 2001.  The next two movies, The Two Towers and Return of the King, opened in December of 2002 and 2003, respectively.           

For those of you who have never read Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, shame on you!  Such ignorance can only be excused for those under the age of 16.  And for those of you who have read the book, but remember it only fleetingly, it might be appropriate to revisit Middle Earth and glean from our visit one or two of the profundities of the legend.

And then... once you've done that, there are all manner of new and interesting twists we might construe as to yet deeper meanings and symbolisms. (See the inevitable Wild Interpretations Section below.)

For all practical purposes, the mythology of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings can perhaps be seen as an intuitive parable of governmental suppression and of the combative quest for Liberty and Justice.  It is essentially a tale of territorial lordship and of power vested in the wrong hands -- a dark power, which has to be destroyed in order to return the wounded Middle-earth to its former equanimity.  In its own way, the story is entirely reminiscent of the central precept of Grail lore, which determines that only when the wound of the Fisher King is healed can the Wasteland be return to  fertility.”  -- Laurence Gardner

One additional aside is that more than one city/town in England is now attempting to claim for themselves (and their tourist bureaus) the title of “Middle Earth”.  If there is a way to make a buck (or pound) on anything that moves, then...

 

However, while the location of Middle Earth is not exactly a first priority for many, the term is more likely based on its chronology.  In other words, perhaps there was an Early Earth, Middle Earth, and Late or Current Earth.  In this sense, as Laurence Gardner has pointed out, Tolkien did imply that the timing of Middle Earth was roughly 4000 B.C.E.  Thereby caught between the times of the Anunnaki and the later civilization attempts of mankind (both in England and other locations), the idea of dwarfs, elves, and numerous other creatures, intermingling with the first of the civilized races of men takes on a bit more credibility.  I.e., dwarfs, elves, et al may not be purely fictional beings.  [Certainly there’s more than one candidate for the Dark Lord in today’s governmental offerings -- there’s even a photograph of President George Bush wearing (hopefully a copy) of the Dark Lord’s One Ring!]   

There is even the possibility that the strange creatures of ancient Egypt may have been real and taking in the sights some six thousand years ago!  This would imply Extraterrestrial Life up close and personal, but then again… Why not?  

The Noteworthy Cast of Characters  

Everything in Tolkien’s masterpiece revolves around the One Ring of Power. There were originally a limited number of other Rings of Power made in antiquity, and which were shared by three going to the leaders of the elves, seven to the dwarf lords, and nine to nine of the kings of men.  But as to the One Ring of Power:  

                                    “One Ring to rule them all,

                                    One Ring to find them,

                                    One Ring to bring them all,

                                    And in the darkness bind them.”  

The One Ring possesses great powers with which to direct its own and others’ destinies, including the wearers of the other rings.  Which is why the One Ring is included in any list of characters.)  Having been forged by the notoriously evil guy, Sauron, this Ring of Power contains essentially all the evil of its maker.  The implication is that, basically, power tends to corrupt.  And Sauron has a lot of corrupting power!  

The ultimate bad guy, Sauron, is a very evil wizard, who settled in Mordor about S. A. 1000.  There in what amounts to a “fenced” land surrounded by virtually impassable mountains, Sauron found the ultimate forge: Orodruin, the “Mountain of Blazing Fire”.  In its molten lava he made the One Ring (the Ring to rule over all the others), but inasmuch as there was no other flames equal to Orodruin’s, this was also the only place where the One Ring could be destroyed.  When Sauron’s powers began growing, Orodruin began erupting, and it was in S. A. 2947 that the explosions caused the nearby residents to give the mountain a new name:  Amon Amarth, Mount Doom.  Meanwhile, Sauron had set up housekeeping in Barad Dur (“The Dark Tower”).           

On the other side of the coin is Gandalf the Gray, who might be termed the Good Wizard.  Gandalf roams around Middle Earth a great deal, attempting to assess and ultimately check the power of Sauron.  He is part of the White Council, on whom sits:  Saruman the White, the head of the White Council.  Unfortunately, Saruman in his efforts to gain the power necessary to disrupt Sauron’s plans, utilizes a strange device which while intended to spy on Sauron, ends up being used by Sauron to corrupt Saruman.  Again, the idea of power tending to corrupt.  The story of the corruption does not become apparent, however, until Book Two, but in the first movie, it becomes more than obvious that Saruman has turned on Gandalf and for a time held him in bondage.  In the first movie, in fact, Saruman takes the part of the really bad guy, while the even more evil, Sauron, remains a bit too distant for active loathing by the average movie goer.  

Gollum is a very strange creature unlike anyone or anything else in the tale.  His history suggests he was once “Smeagol”, a relatively normal fellow.  The story of his corruption by the One Ring is not covered in the first book, but goes back far into history following Sauron’s forging of the ring, and a great war between the good guys and bad guys.  In the war a Great (human) King (Ilsidur) is able to cut off Sauron’s finger and thereby gains for a time the One Ring.  But the One Ring having a mind of its own causes the Great King to be waylaid on his way home from the wars, whereupon the One Ring falls into The Great River Anduin (which flows west of Rhovanion and Mordor).   

Eons later, Smeagol, while diving with a friend in the river come upon the Ring.  Smeagol ends up murdering his friend, and thereafter escapes into the mountains west of Anduin and Rhovanion.  He goes underground there, and by virtue of the One Ring has a greatly increased life span -- until he loses the One Ring to Bilbo Baggins (as told in the prequel, The Hobbit).  Afterwards, Gollum goes in search of Thief Baggins (in S. A. 2944).  Between him and Gandalf, the width and breath of Middle Earth is effectively covered by their travels.  To the credit of the first movie, this brief introduction to the earlier history of the ring is well presented.  

Bilbo is a short, stocky creature, i.e. a Hobbit, who spends most of his time in his burrow, feasting and in general having a merry time.  Bilbo lives in Bag End in the Hobbit town of Hobbiton.  Bilbo is approaching his 111th birthday when the story of Book One begins (Bilbo’s age is what comes from spending most of one’s time in one’s burrow, feasting and, as we’ve just pointed out, in general having a merry time!).  By this time he has used the One Ring to live comfortably, and did I mention... Wearing the One Ring allows one to be invisible.   

Unlike Gollum, Bilbo does not become corrupted by the One Ring -- which is due in part to Bilbo using the ring must less sparingly, and in addition, the ring being tied to Sauron, who during this period is not sufficiently strong.  Thus the One Ring is not quite as potent (and Hobbit’s are less inclined toward corruption in the first place).  Bilbo does not tell anyone about having the One Ring, even though Gandalf suspects something, and on his 111th Birthday party, bequeaths the One Ring to Frodo, his adopted nephew.  

Frodo is the principal hero of The Lord of the Rings, and another Hobbit.  Frodo is not particularly enamored with the One Ring, nor does he have much interest in leaving the Shire (where all hobbits live) on any kind of quest.  But leave he does, just ahead of the “Dark Riders”, aka the Nazgul.  In the book, their pursuit of him is much less obvious, and he and his fellow hobbits began their journey to Rivendell with apparent little concern.  The movie, however, pushes the suspense to the fore, and they are running from day one, with the Nazgul being about as nasty a group of nine as you’re ever likely to meet.  

Sam is another Hobbit, a devoted servant of Frodo’s, and as it turns out, one of the major characters in the tale (due in large part to his humility, loyalty, and practicality).  The first book (and movie) demonstrates pretty effectively Sam’s character, but neither really show Sam for his ultimate significance.  That gets left to the final chapters.  

Merry (Meriadoc) is another Hobbit, and a major character in the tale.  Merry is possibly the humor relief (particularly in the movie), but his apparent sole interest in eating can be misleading, as well as his diminutive stature.  (Hobbits are also called “Halflings” by virtue of the fact they stand about half as tall as a man).  In the sequels to The Fellowship of the Ring, Merry becomes an increasingly important character, achieving his far greater glory in the final book, Return of the King.  

Pippin is the fourth Hobbit, and another major character in the tale.  Like Merry, Pippin is initially along for the ride, until at the end of Book One, Merry and he begin their own substantial adventure, paralleling Frodo’s and Sam’s.  

The Nazgul are nine very deadly creatures (as it turns out, the Kings who obtained the Rings of Power, and were thereby corrupted by Sauron).  By the time of the story, the Nazgul have become emissaries of Sauron, and are searching the countryside for the One Ring (Gollum having under torture given Sauron the idea that the One Ring is possessed by a creature called a Hobbit).  These “Dark Riders” are on the trail of Frodo and the other Hobbits from the moment they leave Hobbiton until they reach the relative safety of Rivendell.  The Nazgul are essentially already dead, and thus not easy to kill, which explains why they keep coming back to cause trouble throughout the trilogy.  

In the book and movie, the Nazgul are after the One Ring, and thus by virtue of the ring being with Frodo, the four Hobbits.  Pursued by the Dark Riders, the foursome eventually make an initial escape by crossing the Brandywine River.  Once across the river, the four enter into a deep forest, which in the movie is completely glossed over.  This is the one critical imperfection in the movie, which we will discuss shortly.  In the interim...

The first goal on the Hobbits’ trek is the town of Bree and a meeting with Gandalf at an inn called The Prancing Pony.  There they meet Strider (aka Aragorn), who is allegedly a friend of Gandalf’s and a “Ranger”.  The Rangers’ primary mission is to covertly keep the peace in Middle Earth.  But Strider, in addition to being a ranger, also has a hidden past.  This fact is not revealed until Book Two, although it becomes readily apparent in the first movie, when his true name of Aragorn is shown to denote his true identity as a great king of Gondor (the land just east of Mordor).  

Eventually, Strider and the four Hobbits make their way to Rivendell, encountering the Dark Riders more than once.  The Nazgul are momentarily swayed from their path by a flood just at the border of Rivendell.  In the book, this cool reception was arranged by the master of Rivendell, while in the movie, a woman named Arwen intercedes.  

The master of Rivendell is Elrond, a very wise individual and a witness to the first great battle when Sauron was defeated and Ilsidur gained the ring.  Ilsidur also rejected Elrond’s advice to once and forever destroy the ring in Mount Doom.  In the book, Elrond is apparently a combination of human and elf; whereas in the movie, he is assumed to be simply an elf.  Elrond is both the Master of Rivendell, and at the moment Bilbo’s host on his holiday.  Elrond also has a daughter (wouldn’t you know it), and Elrond acts as the focus for the formation of the Fellowship of the Ring.  

Arwen is Elrond’s daughter who has given up her potentially very long life as an elf in order to be Strider’s love.  Arwen does not actually appear in Book One of the trilogy, and in fact doesn’t even show up until the third book, in a comparatively minor role.  But in the movie, she is the heroine-on-the-spot who rescues Frodo.  Book Three does have the history of Strider and Arwen as an Appendix, however, so that her appearance in the first movie is well in accord with that history.  

Legolas and Gimli are an elf and dwarf, respectively.  While elves and dwarfs do not naturally gravitate toward each other (elves being tree dwellers and dwarfs preferring mining deep into the earth to recover and preserve gold), these two eventually become very close friends.  You can tell the players without a score card by noting that Legolas is the expert archer, and Gimli carries a two headed axe.  Gimli is also a lot shorter.  

Boromir is another human being, one of two sons of the “Steward of Gondor” (the local head honcho until the king returns), and who with Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Strider/Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli form The Fellowship of the Ring.  Their quest is simplicity itself (at least in concept):  Return the One Ring of Power to Mount Doom and there throw it into the fiery bowels of lava, and thus destroy it.  Sounds pretty straight forward.  Much of what happens from this point is the quest, and a diversionary effort to occupy Sauron’s attention.  

The Fellowship travels from Rivendell, through Moria (formerly a massive underground city of renown to dwarfs).  In Moria, they part company with Gandalf, who falls into a great chasm while fighting a really mean creature called a Balrog.  From there, the rest of the Fellowship find their way to Lorien (an elf forest), where they meet Galadriel (the Queen Elf, and holder of one of the lesser rings of power).  The elves provide a respite for the travelers, and send them on their way with several noteworthy gifts (whose usefulness really show up in the later books).  From Lorien they go to Rauros, where the power of the ring to corrupt is amply demonstrated, and becomes the cause of the Fellowship breaking up.  Frodo and Sam head east, while the other survivors head south and west.  Thus ends Book One and the first movie.

The Two Towers then splits the narrative into multiple parts -- one following Frodo and Sam, one following Merry and Pippin, one Aragon, Gimli and Legolas, and one even resurrecting Gandalf the Gray in his new persona, Gandalf the White. Frodo and Sam encounter Gollum and while Frodo senses the need to partner with an untrustworthy guide, Sam is dead set against it. Nevertheless, the threesome proceeds through more adversity, realize that there is no possibility of slipping into Mordor through the front door, and in their quest to circumvent the mountains to find a back door, they encounter Faramir, the brother of Boromir. Faramir fares far better than his older sibling, however, and releases the threesome to continue to Cirith Ungol.

The second movie ends before Frodo, Sam and Gollum begin their trek into Mordor through this back door. The third movie, however continues by adding the end of the second book to the first part of the movie. In this sequence, Frodo is attacked by a giant spider and rendered what to all appearances is a dead meat state. In a critically important move, Sam takes the ring from Frodo and then later uses it to rescue Frodo after he is found by the local Orcs (those guarding the back door from the Tower of Cirith Ungol), and Sam learns that Frodo is not dead, but merely anesthetized.

Meanwhile, back on the plains of Rohan (just west of Rauros), Merry and Pippin escape the Orcs (as the Riders of Rodan attack and destroy the bad guys) by running into the Forest where they meet Treebeard, an Ent (a large tree with consciousness and mobility). Both Hobbits partake of Treebeard's hospitality (growing noticeably in height in the process -- a fact noted only in the extended version of the second movie), and then with the help of Gandalf and Saruman's miscalculations, enlist the Ents in a march on Isengard. The Ents are notoriously successful and pretty much end the reign of Saruman (more or less permanently in the movie, but only temporarily in the book).

Aragon, Gimli, and Legolas meet the Riders of Rohan as well, and then continue by horseback to the Forest after their comrades, Merry and Pippin. There they come up short, but instead meet Gandalf. Gandalf quickly introduces us to Shadowfax, the best looking horse in the movie, and the foursome head for Edoras (the headquarters for the Riders of Rohan). Gandalf is required to remove Wormtongue, an agent of Saruman, and his influence over Rohan's king. Once this is accomplished, Aragorn encounters the King's niece! The book leads one to believe that there is romance brewing here, as well as the movie (albeit less so), but it's all to no avail as Arwen and Aragorn are pretty much destined to be together. Nonetheless, everyone heads for Helms Deep to brace for the all out assault of Saruman's forces. [The fact that Saruman has sent almost all of his armies to assault Edoras and Rohan, the Ents have a far easier time in sacking -- and/or flooding -- Isengard.]

The Battle of Helm's Deep is a big deal in both the movie and the book, but is in reality only a precursor to the really big battle to be played out in both the third movie and third book. It nevertheless includes an infusion of Elves to fight on the side of the humans -- a factor which may be very notable in the grander scheme of things (see below under the Wild Interpretations section). And of course, riding in to save the day is Gandalf and the Seventh Calvary (aka the Riders of Rohan previously banished by the King of Rohan while still under the sway of Saruman and Wormtongue).

The scene is now set for the third movie and book, The Return of the King. Faramir is having a devil of a time with his father, the Steward of Gondor -- it's the old preferred son thing, with Faramir on the short end of the stick. Faramir gets crunched only to have Pippin pull Faramir from the funeral flames, and (in the book) Aragorn use his kingly powers to heal him. And of course, Faramir gets the girl in the form of the new Queen of Rohan (after the king dies in the biggest, baddest battle scene). The latter is called in the book, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and is fought at the gates of Minas Tirith -- the seat of power of Gondor.

The battle includes the forces of Gondor, as well as the Riders of Rohan against the really bad, bad guys from Mordor. The latter include the Nazgul, now flying some pretty nasty beasts. Gandalf is fully occupied with defending Minas Tirith, with Pippin at his side. Merry, meanwhile, is riding with the Riders of Rohan. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas have, however, taken a detour in order to enlist an army of dead, dishonored souls who had failed to show up for the last great battle of the previous age. Aragorn recruits them and then sails up the river with them to arrive in the nick of time and rout the forces of Mordor. (It's hard to kill a dead man!)

But even after this battle, full of all sorts of sound and fury, is done; Aragorn and the new coalition (or what's left of them) must now turn their attention to Mordor. It's now time for an offensive move -- as opposed to simply reacting to Mordor's attacks. Aragorn then leads his remaining army (minus the dead men who have been released as agreed), and heads for the Black Gate (the same place Frodo and Sam avoided attempting to pass). There in the Morannon, yet one more battle must be played out.

A fundamental part of the reasoning of this attack on the part of Aragorn is that Sauron must be distracted in order for Frodo and Sam to do their thing. Things in fact do not look good for the good guys, inasmuch as Sauron has not made the same mistake as Saruman and left his home base defenseless.

Thus Frodo and Sam making their way into Gondor undertake a massive trek in order to reach Mount Doom. In the book, they take a spiral path, encountering Orcs in ranks and other adversities (none of the least of which includes running out of food and water) in their attempt to reach the Door to Sammath Naur (Mount Doom). Gollum is with them, but shows his true colors in the end by attacking Frodo and Sam. Frodo is able -- with Sam's help -- to make it to the abyss within Mount Doom, and there, having lost his ability to resist the evil of the ring, is ready to keep it. But Gollum leaps to the fore, wrestles the ring from Frodo (by cutting Frodo's finger off -- in the same manner as Ilsidur originally took the ring from Sauron). In the melee, however, Gollum falls into the abyss -- overjoyed at having recovered his "precious".

With the ring falling into Mount Doom (with Gollum), the powers of Sauron are abruptly dissipated, and all the forces of Mordor fall into their own special abyss. Gandalf uses Eagles to rescue Frodo and Sam, and there follows a wedding party and celebration.

In the book there is also the return of the hobbits to Hobbiton, a Battle of Bywater in which they go up against a slightly rejuvenated Saruman, and then a return to something resembling normalcy.

Fundamental to the ending of the book and movie, however, is the final departure of the Elves (less Arwen who stays with Aragorn), along with Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo. All of them sail off to the Gray Havens. In the book, Sam, after living a full life with his chosen bride in the Shire, eventually joins Frodo and the others. For Sam was a ring bearer as well -- even if only for the brief time when he thought Frodo was toast.

The departure to the Gray Havens is the classic riding off into the sunset, but curiously may be far more intriguing than the average cowboy western ending. Consider, or example the following:

 

Wild Interpretations Section

It is perhaps easy to see why J. R. R. Tolkien'sLord of the Rings is one of the more incredible fantasy histories of our time. As a novel it was ranked number one in a recent survey of the best novels of all time by readers in England and Great Britain. [Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was number two, and by comparison, Gone with the Wind was number 19.] Tolkien, The Sage of MIddle Earth has captured the imaginations and fascinations of millions of avid fans, readers and now movie goers. This appeal extends beyond the release in the last two years of Peter Jackson's excellent trilogy of I movies.

As previously mentioned, there is every reason to believe that “Middle Earth” does not apply to a location so much as to a time. There could be, for example, “early earth”, “middle earth” and “late earth”. Tolkien may have been referring to a time in historical earth as the setting for many of the events to have occurred -- as opposed to some specific place. Are elves, dwarfs, and the like just a matter of earth's past?

Consider for the moment that while the Lord of the Rings is not to be taken literally as a history, perhaps the trilogy is based on history -- an Earth history which included very long lived beings (apparently immortal, but merely extremely long lived), along with long lived beings working the mines, a number of created beings to do the nefarious work of dark lords, men and women, and so forth and so on. Perhaps we can equate:

Tolkien's Elves with the Anunnaki, specifically those residing in space (Zecharia Sitchin's Igigi), as well as the local aristocracy down on Earth manning the space port, etceteras. These are, in effect, the Elohim of biblical renown.

Tolkien's Wizards (Sauron, Saruman, Gandalf) as the leaders of the Anunnaki (with perhaps Gandalf and Sauron as Enki and Enlil, respectively).

Tolkien's Dwarfs as the Anunnaki who slaved in the deep mines of South Africa and elsewhere for the Gold and other Precious Elements .

Men as the later version to do the work, along with the Orcs and Hara Ki to serve the baser instincts. Note that Tolkien considered the Orcs to be Elves who were captured and transformed by the dark Lord.

From Tokien's Silmarillion, the "main god" was Eru, the One. This may just correlate with the Sumerian's chief God, Anu. (5/9/5)

The Rings in this scenario are quite literally the Rings of Power -- Three to the Elves (Enlil, Enki and ?), seven to the dwarfs, and nine to men (the latter the ancient kings appointed by the Anunnaki to rule over other men -- and to incidentally enjoy the fruits of the extended lives afforded by ingestation of the ORME and Starfire . In the latter case, the line of Kings to which Aragorn was linked were living hundreds of years! Note also that the names of Enki and Enlil translate as “Lord of Earth” and “Lord of the Command”, respectively. They were in fact the Lord(s) of the Rings.

While this correlation may be as fanciful as Tolkien's vision is often imagined to be, we can also consider what is meant by the “Gray Havens” to which the Elves and certain selected others (Gandalf, Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam) retire at the end of their time on Earth. Note that if “MIddle Earth” is a time designation -- Tolkien is reported to have thought of the “timing of middle earth” as about 4000 B.C.E., then the events of his Lord of the Rings may have occurred during the Age of Aries, or more precisely during the reign of Marduk. Marduk may in fact equate to Saruman -- the son of Enki who left the fold to throw in his lot with Sauron? This possibility seems to be a very viable possibility.

But then in 600 B.C.E., Enki (Gandalf), takes over, and dictates that the elves and others take a sabbatical and head off for the Gray Havens.

Where on Earth, one might ask, would we locate the Gray Havens? Better yet, why on Earth? If, after all, we glance about for something obviously gray, the most obvious "Gray Haven" would be the Moon! Thus any sailing off into the sunset would be sallying off into space and ultimately luna firma. Or more precisely, the interior of the Moon.

The circumstantial evidence for this admittedly strange idea is considerable.

The Moon is too large for the Earth -- i.e. it is unlikely to be a natural appendage.

The Moon is unlikely to have been created at the same time as the earth and could have been brought into play at a later time -- naturally or artificially.

The Moon has been reported to “ring like a bell”, and thus may be hollow, i.e. it may be a space craft. (Having a space craft look like a natural space object is clearly more intelligent than making it look “cool” or “deadly” or “fast”.)

The Moon's extreme differences with respect to the near side and the far side suggest considerable bombardment on the side facing the Earth -- a possible remnant of the Battle of the Titans, or the Wars of Gods and Men?

Adam is reputed to have come from the Moon, i.e. Enki and Ninhursag did their creation on the Moon for later “downloading” on to the Earth.

This may also explain “lunatics”, i.e. those worshiping the moon.

If the Moon has all the ingredients of being artificial and thus the ultimate space ship and haven for the Anunnaki's Igigi, then its role as the Gray Havens is clear.

The Moral of this Tale

It is quite possible that Enlil (Sauron) is not intrinsically evil -- anymore than are cowboys who ride horses. Using a “lesser species” as a “beast of burden” is generally not thought of as evil... unless of course one is a member of the “lesser species”. If we define “evil” as that which is not conducive to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of mankind, then there's a problem. On the other hand, if it's simply a matter of one species (the Anunnaki) using another one (us)... or us using horses, cows, and so forth, then the good versus evil stuff begins to wane and melt away.

One might make the distinction between a species which is mentally self-aware (or some other version of “intelligence” as a dividing line between sovereign and slave species. But the human race's inability to recognize the intelligence of porpoise, whales, and a degree of intelligent in the more common animals -- Cats, Dogs and Other Deities -- is due to the rather arbitrary choice on our part to draw the line between intelligent (i.e. sovereign) species and non-intelligent (use any way the sovereigns prefer) as the line just below us. As one of the Star Trek movies so amply illustrated, the whales may not only be intelligent, but have powerful friends.

Part of the rationale of all of this is the key part played by...

Tom Bombadil  

This charming character could be , according to one train of thought, the most important character in the book (and who extremely unfortunately does not appear in any of the movies!!).  Big time Bummer, for Tom is apparently the most superior creature in the entire tale, who while lending a hand to the Hobbits (on two separate occasions), is for the most part not part of the fray known as the War of the Rings.  Tom is apparently more concerned with providing flowers for his lady companion.

Recall that after Gandalf had determined that Frodo was indeed the possessor of the One Ring, Frodo was strongly advised to head for Rivendell, where Elrond lives.  But before this could happen, Gandalf became imprisoned by Saruman, and Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam set out for Rivendell by themselves. Their trek took them beyond the Shire (at the Brandywine River), and unlike the movie they entered the “Old Forest”.  (This is not the forest where Merry and Pippin enlist the aid of the Ents, the big, conscious trees.)

The movie completely neglects this portion of the book where the four hobbits meet Tom Bombadil and his lady friend, cross the “Barrow-downs”, and are captured by some local evil doers.  Tom does come to their rescue (for a second time), and the four hobbits continue on.  The movie abruptly leaps from the crossing of the Brandywine River to the four reaching the town of Bree, where they stay at the Prancing Pony, whereas the book takes quite a bit longer in getting there. 

Why is Tom's failure to make the big screen a problem?

Tom Bombadil's importance derives from his apparent status as a survivor of an age long before the current one, and his attitude to the conflict brewing in Middle Earth.  In a story of Good versus Evil, with everyone of every race and stripe joining with one or the other side, Tom and his lady friend stand out as being somehow removed from the conflict.  This is incredibly important, in that Tom might have been a parent, who can smile at the antics of his children “playing war”, step in to right any wrongs in his immediate neighborhood, but otherwise, chooses not to participate in the fray.

This third choice or alternative to choosing sides for good or evil, speaks of the duality of good and evil, and the possibility that such duality is not inherently part of life.  Just as we all have the option of Creating Reality, Tom Bombadil chooses to create his reality of simply dealing with the issues at hand, and otherwise choosing a reality somewhat different from the others.  In the midst of his almost constant singing, Tom is clearly a very happy camper, and along with his lady friend, share a delightful existence.

This raises the question of whether or not anyone is obligated, for any reason, to stand up and be counted, to enter into combat with the forces of evil (or simply support the forces of good), and/or to participate in any war of however greater or lesser importance.  Any war!  One on drugs, terror, or simply a Revolution.  Tom Bombadil may possibly set a marvelous example of choosing his own reality, and simply choosing to not participate in the collective realities of those who see war as the only alternative, or those who “wage peace.”  For both of the latter acquiesce to the reality of the duality of good and evil.

Inasmuch as the knowledge of good and evil stems back to the Garden of Eden, and the Tree of Life sagas, duality might appear very real.  But Tom suggests otherwise, and recalls Carolyn Myss' thoughts on choosing not to participate in unpleasant realities (such as Woundology), and instead choosing very specifically which of the Intermingled Realities the sovereign being wishes to be associated.

This deviation from mainstream thought may be due in part to what Rene Schwaller de Lubicz thought of as a radically different consciousness.  Briefly stated, Schwaller became convinced that the ancient Egyptians (extending their culture much further back into time) viewed their world symbolically, seeing in nature the “writing” which conveyed the truth of the metaphysical forces behind creation.  Schwaller thought in terms of a “functional consciousness” as a way of knowing reality from the inside.  

Such a way of thinking might indicate that there's more than one way to skin a cat, and that Tolkien recognized that beings living outside of fear do not react to fearful events in the same way as those with fear as part of their everyday lives.  It's a part of Tolkien's book, which badly needs to be added to the first movie -- for the sake of completion, as well as for the fundamental message to be conveyed.

Omegan’s Great Door         The Fat Lady Is Singing

Hierarchy       Sovereignty         Corporate Rule         Justice, Order, and Law

Forward to:

Extraterrestrial Life         Paradoxical Pardigms         “Prime Directive” Violations

 

               

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