It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door…You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.
Here is the thread for voting for the winner in out "Most Important Date Essay Contest. As an extra bid for fairness, we have posted the eligible entries by number rather than author so that we vote for content.
This thread is for VOTING ONLY so please, let us continue our discussion of all entries and their merit on the original contest thread. VOTING ONLY in this thread, please.
So... please re-read these wonderful entries and give them some thought. The voting period will begin now and last until January 31, 2007 in order to give all of us time to ponder our decision.
Thanks to all who participated for making the a wonderfully educational contest indeed.
Last edited by Riv Res on Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Aside from the date that the Ring was destroyed, what is the most important date in the War of the Ring?
(Page references are to the 1991 British one-volume edition of LOTR.)
Frodo gave his account of the War of the Ring a title encapsulating its two main aspects: The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King (p.1004). To determine the (second) most important date in the War, we must consider which were its most significant events. This requires understanding the War's essential purpose, which wasn't about preserving any particular people or realm but about overthrowing Sauron, to save the world from an everlasting age of darkness. Gandalf told Denethor, "for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in the days to come" (p.742).
Sauron could not be defeated on the battlefield; he now had sufficient conventional forces to overrun Middle-earth without the Ring. Gandalf informed the Captains of the West that "Victory cannot be achieved by arms, whether you sit here to endure siege after siege, or march out to be overwhelmed beyond the River" (p.860). The one hope for victory was if the Ring could be "unmade", for so much of Sauron's strength was bound up in it that, if destroyed, "his fall will be so low that none can foresee his arising ever again" (p.861).
To determine our date, we must therefore focus on the Ring-bearer and his Quest and not elsewhere, however spectacular other events may have been. The Ring was ultimately destroyed, so what was the most important event which made that possible? Fortunately we have Frodo's own assessment: "Do you remember Gandalf's words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end" (p.926).
Gollum's part in the unmaking of the Ring was crucial. It was he who guided Frodo and Sam to Mordor. Frodo's plan to sneak in through the Black Gate had no hope of success. It was Gollum who guided them to the least-guarded route into Mordor, through Cirith Ungol. (Gandalf made it clear he would never have contemplated this.)
However, Gollum's role was more important even than enabling the Ring-bearer to get into Mordor undetected. With Sam's help, Frodo reached Orodruin but at the Crack of Doom his will was finally overwhelmed. "I do not choose now to do what I came to do.... The Ring is mine!" (p.924) Claiming the Ring for himself, he alerted Sauron to its presence. Frodo could not have prevented him from seizing the Ring and achieving, in Gandalf's words, a victory "so complete that none can foresee the end of it while this world lasts" (p.861). Unwittingly, yes, but it was Gollum who destroyed the Ring, biting it from Frodo's hand and toppling with it into the Fire, to the utter ruin of Sauron and all his works.
Since the destruction of the Ring would never have happened without Gollum, it necessarily follows that the most important event in the War, excepting the Ring's destruction, was the coming together of Frodo and Gollum - and not just their meeting but Frodo's success in "taming" him and gaining his co-operation. (If their encounter had ended other than it did then the Quest would have failed, for Frodo would either have lost the Ring or been unable to reach Mordor.)
The date when Gollum caught up with Frodo and Sam by the Emyn Muil and Frodo turned him into an unwilling ally was Tuesday 29th February, 3019.
However, although the above is sufficient to establish the overwhelming importance of this date, something else happened that Tuesday of enormous significance to the success of the Quest: Merry and Pippin escaped from Saruman's Orcs into Fangorn Forest, and met Treebeard. Gandalf concluded that "their coming was like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains" (p.485). The hobbits' tales of Saruman's treachery helped rouse the Ents, who marched on Isengard, destroying it and imprisoning the wizard in Orthanc. Treebeard then dispatched Huorns to annihilate the Orc army besieging Helm's Deep. The consequences of all this can scarcely be exaggerated.
Access to the palantír of Orthanc enabled Aragorn to reveal himself to the Enemy - a key factor prompting Sauron to play his hand before he was fully prepared and drawing his attention westwards away from the Ring-bearer.
The victory at Helm's Deep enabled the Rohirrim to ride to the defence of Minas Tirith and Aragorn to summon the Shadow Host, liberate Southern Gondor and complete the rout of Sauron's forces at the Pelennor.
The survival of Minas Tirith enabled Gondor and Rohan to march on the Black Gate, forcing Sauron to "empty his land" (p.862) by marshalling his forces in Udûn at the precise moment Frodo and Sam were crossing Gorgoroth and might otherwise have been discovered. "The Eye was not turned to them: it was gazing north to where the Captains of the West stood at bay, and thither all its malice was now bent" (p.921).
The survival of Minas Tirith also meant that after Sauron's defeat, the line of Kings could be restored in Gondor and Arnor, bringing peace and prosperity to the Western Lands.
We can see, therefore, why that particular Tuesday was the (second) most important date in the War of the Ring. Not only did the events of 29th February 3019 initiate a chain-reaction that fulfilled the primary aim of the War - the downfall of the Lord of the Rings, they also began a chain-reaction which fulfilled the secondary aim of the War - the return of the King. About the events of no other single day can this claim reasonably be made.
I am thinking of this encounter back in the year 2941:*
Bilbo almost stopped breathing, and went stiff himself. He was desperate. He must get away, out of this horrible darkness, while he had any strength left. He must fight. He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped. – The Hobbit
Bilbo came to this merciful conclusion on his own, without the benefit of Gandalf’s guidance. He probably could have killed Gollum quite easily, given the advantages of his invisibility and the sword Sting. Certainly, it would have been easy to justify doing so, as Gollum clearly intended to kill and eat Bilbo. But Bilbo’s own innate goodness and hobbity sense of fair play just wouldn’t let him do so.
And thank goodness he didn’t! As Finarfin2003 pointed out, without Gollum, the entire quest to destroy the Ring would have failed at many different points – in the Dead Marshes, at the Black Gate, on the way to Cirith Ungol, and ultimately at the very Cracks of Doom.
Gandalf himself suggests this when Frodo expresses regret that Bilbo had not killed Gollum when he had a chance:
“Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity.”
And when Frodo declares that Gollum is no better than an orc and deserves death, Gandalf continues:
“Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many – yours not least.”
Later, when Frodo encounters Gollum, he comes to the same conclusion:
“Very well. But still I am afraid. And yet, as you see, I will not touch the creature. For now that I see him, I do pity him.”
Even Sam, who distrusts Gollum completely and wishes on numerous occasions to be rid of the creature for good, cannot bring himself to kill Gollum when he has the chance, and is moved to make the same choice as good old Master Bilbo:
Sam’s hand wavered. His mind was hot with wrath and the memory of evil. It would be just to slay this treacherous, murderous creature, just and many times deserved; and also it seemed the only safe thing to do. But deep in his heart there was something that restrained him: he could not strike this thing lying in the dust, forlorn, ruinous, utterly wretched.
And so, I maintain that, as crucial as Frodo’s act of Pity towards Gollum proved to be in the War of the Ring, Frodo would never have been able to do so, had Bilbo not shown Gollum mercy first. Also, Frodo had the benefit of Gandalf’s wisdom and guidance in this matter and the sterling example of Bilbo’s merciful behavior in equally dire circumstances. Bilbo had no advice or experience to fall back on except his own good nature and sense of fair play. Viewed in this light, Bilbo’s act of pity is more miraculous than Frodo’s. Indeed, Gandalf proved to be completely correct – The pity of Bilbo did rule the fate of all of Middle-earth and ultimately determined the outcome of the War of the Ring.
* Let me note that I feel entirely justified in selecting a date outside of “The Great Years” because in my opinion the “War of the Ring” officially began back in 2460 when the Watchful Peace ended with Sauron’s return to Dol Guldur, the White Council was formed to oppose the Necromancer in 2463, and the Ring was found by Deagol that same year. These were the first forays of what became the “War of the Ring.”
Here goes--I cannot compose at a computer--I must handwrite--this is about four pages, which is approx.1000 words.
September 29, 3018: The hobbits meet Aragorn in Bree
All quotes from J. R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings,New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.
On the night of September 29, 3018, Frodo and his companions stop at The Prancing Pony in Bree to meet Gandalf, and are dismayed to discover the Wizard is not there. They are quite alone with the Ring and the Black Riders who pursue it. To add to their discomfort, a ragged and vaguely threatening Man keeps staring at them and listening to their conversation. "I am called Strider, " he tells them, and later offers to help them if they will take him along as a guide. Frodo is uncertain about this mysterious stranger, but decides to trust him. Indeed, he wants to believe Strider is a friend even before Gandalf's misplaced letter arrives proving him one. The five set out together, and so begins the most important relationship in the story apart from that between Sam and Frodo.
On the simplest level Aragorn's presence as guide and protector, mentor, and even healer enables the hobbits to survive their long journey from Bree to the Breaking and beyond. "If by life or death I can save you, I will," he pledges to Frodo, and demonstrates his loyalty over and over from Moria to Amon Hen , from the Quest of the Three Hunters to the Houses of Healing and the Field of Cormallen. Without his saving grace, his strength, and his skill, the hobbits would not have lived to play their pivotal roles in the Ring War. Aragorn the protector is epitomized in his words at the outset of the search for Merry and Pippin after the Breaking: "I would have guided Frodo to Mordor and gone with hiim to the end, but if I seek him now in the Wilderness I must abandon the captives to torment and death." He adds that since Frodo has made the decision to leave the Fellowship and is beyond their aid, that "we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left."
The relationship has far deeper and more important components than the simple roles of caretaker and charges, however. The loving bonds of friendship that develop between Aragorn and the hobbits form the kind of constant, enduring, and affectionate relationship that Tolkien believed defined the ideals of male friendship as he knew it, experienced it, and idealized it--comfortable ties of the heart that satisfied deep needs on both sides, demonstrated profound loyalty, and remained lifelong. In the Houses of Healing, Merry tells Aragorn, "Ever since that night in Bree we have been a nuisance to you." Neither one believes this for a moment.
By the evening of September 29, 3018 in Bree, Aragorn has been lonely for a very long time, keeping vigil at the edge of the Shire. The solitary Ranger sees some quality in the friendlly hobbits that causes him to confide in them, "But I must admit. . . . that I hoped you would take me for my own sake. A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship. But there, I believe my looks are against me."
The hobbits respond to his need with their trust, their confidence, and ultimately their affection. In Rivendell, Frodo tells Gandalf that he has become "fond" of Aragorn, and that the Man has become "dear to him."
Merry and Pippin banter with him in Minas Tirith as between good friends, and kiss him and hold his hands. Sam finally decides after much internal debate to trust him, asserting to Frodo that "Strider will look after them," when he and his master must leave the rest of the Fellowship. Most tellingly, all the hobbits except Frodo continue to call Aragorn by the familiar and affectionate "Strider" long after they know who he really is. Imrahil of Dol Amroth exclaims, "Is it thus that we speak to our Kings?" It is, if the King is also our friend.
Aragorn responds to the hobbits' devotion.They offer him a safe outlet for his fundamentally loving nature. He is physically demonstrative with them, enjoys having them around, laughs and plays with them, and shares their love of tobacco. When Merry rides away to Dunharrow with the Rohirrim, he tells Halbarad, "There go three that I love, and the smallest not the least." At Cormallen, he says to Sam, who has just expressed his wonder at seeing "Strider" garbed as a King, "Yes, Sam, Strider. It is a long way, is it not, from Bree, where you did not like the look of me." After the War, Aragorn maintains his ties with the hobbits for all their lives; they come to his wedding, he travels to the borders of the Shire to visit them, their families come and go freely in Minas Tirith, and at the end, Elessar is laid to rest between Merry and Pippin. In the reader's mind, Tolkien leaves no brighter image of friendship than the sight of a tall, kingly man on bended knee so he can see eye to eye with a hobbit.
Beyond the bonds of affection, the ties between Aragorn and the hobbits have more practical results as well, Their interwoven quests to destroy the Ring and reclaim Gondor's throne cannot be separated, nor can they be accomplished apart from each other. Without the Ringbearer there can be no King, and vice versa. It is also true that the War of the Ring would have been lost without the cooperation of the various races, and the friendship of Man and hobbit symbolizes this well. Most important of all, the War of the Ring is at its heart a struggle between love and light, and hatred and darkness. Aragorn and the hobbits are a beacon in this struggle, and their relationship symbolizes what is worth saving from Sauron.
The uncertain meeting of hobbits and Man on a fall night in a border town inn marked the genesis of a friendship that shaped and defined the Middle Earth they fought for in the War of the Ring. Arwen best expresses that long, complex, intertwined, and loving relationship in the words that go with the gift of the white gem to Frodo, ". . . .wear this now in memory of Elfstone and Evenstar with whom your life has been woven." Thanks are due to Tolkien for this tapestry of love.
Sorry about a last minute entry but reading the entries again today has fueled my desire to place my view.
I’ve read others essays and been mesmerized by the connections and importance and agreed with them all!!
I do not profess to meet any great conclusions because the great difficulty is that I think all the events of the War of the Ring are paramount but here goes anyway……
I wish to talk about February 26th 3019 The Breaking of the Fellowship.
This date was significant because the death of Boromir signified the presecence of evil within the Fellowship, the Ring was influencing events. Prior to this danger had been faced and dealt with but always outwards, the Fellowship worked as the Council of Elrond hoped to protect the Ringbearer and the quest. Prior to this the Fellowship members faced a choice as Aragorn states
“ the day has come at last……..the day of choice which we have long delayed”
The hour spent awaiting Frodo’s decision must have been a terrible wait. Sam ultimately knew what course was needed but in his plain hobbit sense kept quiet and was wise. Aragorn must have faced inner demons of the decisions he had made since Gandalf’s demise
“Alas! An ill fate is on me this day”
The other company members were driven by the desire to see things through and support Frodo.
The real issue is that without this breaking of the Fellowship the other events which were essential in themselves ie Merry and Pippin meeting Tree beard and therefore entering Isengard and Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas coming Edoras to oust Saruman from Theoden would just never have happened within the timescale.
The other significance is that Frodo and Sam would never have needed to rely on Gollum as a guide had Aragorn been with them and we all know how vital Gollum proved in the end.
Therefore I propose that February 29th 3019 proved to be a catalyst for each individual member of the Fellowship to prove his worth and to each play their own part in the War of the Ring.
There are so many possible responses to 'the most important date' among the Great Years. The day the Hobbits leave the Shire; the Council of Elrond; the battles in Moria & the Fall of Gandalf the Grey; the Battle for Helm's Deep; the Battle of the Pelennor Fields; the Passing of the Grey Company; the terrible Day of Samwise's choices.
There is, however, one pivotal day when the fate of all hangs in the balance. To quote Appendix B, on February 26th, of the year 3019 are these occurences:
Breaking of the Fellowship.
Death of Boromir; his horn is heard in Minas Tirith.
Meriadoc and Peregrin captured.
Frodo and Samwise enter the eastern Emyn Muil.
Aragorn sets out in pursuit of the Ords at evening.
Éomer hears of the descent of the Orc-band from the Emyn Muil.
The Breaking of the Fellowship. Gandalf has already been lost in Moria. Aragorn has been 'de facto' leader of the remaining eight. Since the sojourn in Lothlorién, the company has been slowly but steadily flowing south on the waters of the Anduin. However, arriving at the Parth Galen, the last respite stop above the Falls of Rauros, the moment of decision has arrived.
The path before them is no longer clear. Returning to Minas Tirith has always been Boromir's purpose; but, should the rest of the company go with him? Gandalf did not, apparently, discuss with either Frodo or Aragorn what his plans were after Lorien. From which way would the Ring-Bearer approach the land of Mordor? Would the company first travel to Minas Tirith, recoup their strength and gain much needed intelligence on the Black Riders? Aragorn is drawn to Minas Tirith; it is where his personal quest will lead him, and he had declared to Boromir, at the Council of Elrond, that he and his reforged sword will come to Minas Tirith.
The final decision must be Frodo's. He, as Ringbearer, alone, has the burden of the Quest. Frodo knows the way to Minas Tirith only serves to delay the inevitable. Even before Boromir falls under the spell of the Ring and tries to take the Ring, Frodo realizes that the only choice is to separate the Ring from the rest of the Company and try to approach Mordor from the North, crossing the land of the Emyn Muil. All are in danger from the Ring. From the seat on Amon Hen Frodo despairs over the wide-ranging reach of Sauron. Frodo suspects it is a futile, even suicidal route, and is reluctant to bring any of his companions with him. Frodo's moment of decision:
'I will do now what I must,' he said. 'This at least is plain: the evil of the Ring is already at work even in the Company, and the Ring must leave them before it does more harm. I will go alone. Some I cannot trust, and those I can trust are too dear to me: poor old Sam, and Merry and Pippin. Strider, too; his heart yearns for Minas Tirith, and he will be needed there, now Boromir has fallen into evil. I will go alone. At once.'
Sam alone discerns Frodo's plans and manages to catch up with him before he leaves the Parth Galen.
Boromir has indeed 'fallen into evil'. His fall does show how weak men can be. But this day also shows the redemption of Boromir. He battles orcs to the death in trying to protect Merry and Pippin. Only Aragorn knows of Boromir's fall, and yet says to him, "You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace."
Aragorn is again faced with his decision, and he feels all his choices are wrong. He discerns that Frodo and Sam have crossed the Anduin on their way to Mordor. However, the immediate danger is to Merry and Pippin who have been captured by the Orcs. The Quest is no longer his. The path to Minas Tirith must be delayed. The 'Three Hunters' have their own quest now: to save the two young hobbits.
Thus are set in motion the events in Rohan. Only with their capture and the speed of the Orcs, do Merry and Pippin arrive in Fangorn Forest; there they meet Treebeard and start the chain of events that will lead to the downfall of Saruman. Only by their hasty chase across the Western Emyn Muil and the Wold of Rohan do the hunters arrive in time to meet up Eomer after his battle with the Orcs, to meet up with Gandalf the White, in time to save Theodon, and to take part in the battle for Helm's Deep.
This day of February 26th, in the Great Year of 3019 is so very important to every member of the Company. (As for Gandalf, it is not specifically stated, but he is presumably either finishing his recovery in Lorien or wandering in Fangorn Forest being seen by Treebeard.) Every decision or choice made is vital.
However, this day may be seen as important because of the incredible amount of 'what ifs' -- the alternative possibilities.
What if Boromir had been able to take the Ring from Frodo? Would Aragorn have fought him for the Ring, and having won, would Aragorn have then fallen under the Ring's spell and claim his right to It as Isildur's Heir? If Boromir had kept the Ring, and It didn't betray him to the Orcs, would he have brought It to Minas Tirith and created a power struggle between himself and his father? In counterfeit arrogance and confidence, would Boromir have challenged Sauron and lost, bringing the Ring directly to Its Master?
What if Merry and Pippin had not been captured by the Orcs? Would 'the avalanche' have failed to start; would Treebeard have remained in Fangorn Forest, never challenging Saruman in Isengard? Would a huge army of Orcs be at Theoden's rear when Gondor calls for help?
What if Eomer had not been informed of the band of Orcs in the Emyn Muil? Would Merry and Pippin been brought before Saruman and then to Sauron? Would Sauron have discovered that the Ring was wandering in the Wilderness in His own back yard, and intercepted It?
What if Aragorn had not chosen to try to rescue the two Hobbits from the Orcs, would he have ever come to Edoras to aid King Theoden at Helm's Deep? Would he have taken the Paths of the Dead, thus bringing a deadly army to the aid of Southern Gondor? Would he have travelled directly to Minas Tirith, challenging the Steward?
What if Frodo had not made his decision to go to Mordor? Would the Ring have travelled to Minas Tirith, with the resulting power struggle destroying the White City? Would the Company have waited in Minas Tirith for the War to begin, and, then, watch all of Gondor fall to Sauron? What if Frodo had not made his decision to go alone to Mordor? Which of the Companions would have travelled with him, and how far could they have gotten? It certainly required more stealth than warrior skills to get all the way to Mount Doom. Would Gollum have ever been accepted as a guide, or would Gollum have ever agreed to be a guide? Would Faramir allow such a mixed, potentially dangerous, group to pass through Ithilien unhindered?
What if (perhaps most vital) Sam had not been able to catch up with Frodo before he crossed the Anduin? How far could Frodo have gotten on his own? How would Sam find him again, following him into the West Emyn Muil?
The possibilities of this one day are endlessly fascinating.
