Our Favorite Passages from 'The Lord of the Rings'

[Merry]

My favorite passage from LOTR is also from the Field of Cormallan, which is probably recorded somewhere at the beginning of this thread!

Interesting about all those dates, Estel--thanks!

[Estel]

Wikipedia on Annunciation

Irenaeus (c.130-202) of Lyon regarded the conception of Jesus as 25 March coinciding with the Passion.[4]

Approximating the northern vernal equinox, the date of the Annunciation also marked the New Year in many places, including England, where it is called Lady Day.
(---)
When the calendar system of Anno Domini was first introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new year to March 25 since, according to Catholic theology, the era of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ.

I remember reading in Shippey's book that Tolkien was well aware of the old tradition of the date of the first Good Friday coinciding with the date of annunciation, so March 25th has a sacrificial connotation as well. That's why he chose it for the destruction of the ring.
In Sweden Lady Day is called Vårfrudagen which sounds like Våffeldagen, if said quickly, so we still eat waffles with jam and cream on March 25th. As a Tolkien fan you will have good reason to feast on waffles this day. In the old days Vårfrudagen was the first day of spring, heritage from our sun worshipping days when vernal equinox was celebrated. This was when you started farming the land, ploughing and stuff and the first night you were supposed to go to bed without lighting candles because there was enough evening light, also the day when the cranes returned from the south. "Tranan bär ljus i säng"= "the crane carries light/candle to bed"

[Philipa]

I too have a favorite quote from the Field of Cormallen. It comes from Sam, but it's different from Riv's choice:

And when the glad shout had swelled up and died away again, to Sam's final and complete satisfaction and pure joy, a minstrel of Gondor stood forth, and knelt, and begged leave to sing. And behold! he said: "Lo! lords and knights and men of valour unashamed, kings and princes, and fair people of Gondor, and Riders of Rohan, and ye sons of Elrond, and Dunedain of the North, and Elf and Dwarf, and great-hearts of the Shire, and all free folk of the West, now listen to my lay. For I will sing to you of Frodo of the Nine Fingers and the Ring of Doom."

And when Sam heard that he laughed aloud for sheer delight, and he stood up and cried: "O great glory and splendour! And all my wishes have come true!"

And then he wept.

The quote is just wonderful, vintage Sam, but what makes it all the more extraordinary is the phrase that follows: And then he wept.

Lindariel, every time I read those words my heart goes heavy. It is a great line.

And then he wept.

This brings home the enormity of the task and that Sam and Frodo never thought, never had hope, they would be surviving the task. For Sam whose only wish was to be remembered in a song to be alive to hear it must have given him great joy and sorrow.

[Riv Res]

From the chapter, The Ring Goes South ...

."Aragorn sat with his head bowed to his knees; only Elrond knew fully what this hour meant to him."

Sigh ...

[MICHKA]

j'aime cette jolie phrase dite par Gandalf; ''Le voyage ne s'achève pas ici, la mort n'est qu'un autre chemin qu'il nous faut prendre; le rideau de pluie grisâtre du monde se lèvera et tout sera brillant comme de l'argent, et alors vous verrez les rivages blancs ,le pays verdoyant sous un fugace rayon de soleil''

J'aime y penser et le croire......

[Merry]

I have to say that what happens on today's calendar is one of my favorite events in LOTR. After all the joy of the Field of Cormallen, Aragorn is probably consumed with the immediate tasks of assuming leadership and rebuilding the kingdom, yet also thinking about the future of Gondor. The sign of the White Tree and how he finds it are lovely indeed.