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Oaths hold an astonishing power in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Here, TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure explores how Sauron and Elrond’s understanding of this fact drives each to behave very differently toward others.

~ Staffer Demosthenes

Concerning Oaths in Middle-earth

by TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure

In December 3018 of the Third Age, everybody’s lucky number was nine. After an involuntary white-water rafting trip down the Bruinen, Sauron’s Nazgûl returned to Mordor. These servants, so long bound to him by works he wrought in ages past, gathered once more in the dark shadow of Barad-dûr. In the Elven realm of Rivendell, Lord Elrond prepared a Fellowship whose journey would determine the fate of Middle-earth.

“The Company of the Ring shall be Nine;”¹ he declared, “and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil.”²

Contrasts between the Ringwraiths and the Fellowship are legion, but in their preparations, one particular distinction reveals the nature of the hands that send them: while Sauron insists on sending servants bound to him by rings of power, Elrond demands nothing of anyone but Frodo (to not cast away the ring or deliver it to an Enemy). To the fellowship, he says, “no oath or bond is laid upon you.”³

As they depart on their journey south, he demands no promise from the nine he sent.

This difference between Elrond and Sauron is illustrative of each lord’s perspective on oaths and—to a larger degree—of the way each lord interacts with and treats the people of Middle-earth.

Concerning Oaths

Oaths and promises are fascinating subjects that could fill volumes on their own. On a surface level, an oath is a set of words promising some conduct or restraint. Yet, the way we treat an oath transforms it from a set of words to a power. In our own world, this power is usually subtle, intangible, and typically confined to the effects on psyche, trust, or the occasional legal ramification. In large part, oaths have over us what power we give them. In Middle-earth, this intangible power becomes tangible. Tolkien writes of oaths not only as if they have power, but as if they behave.

Oaths are living things that bless those who honor them, and occasionally impose consequences on oathbreakers. Tolkien describes the Oath of Fëanor (an oath that drives much of the action and conflict of the First Age) as “ever at work,”⁴ and on other occasions he says it has “slept now for a time.”⁵

In The Lord of the Rings, we see the terrible result of going back on your word when the Men of Dunharrow break oaths to fight Sauron and Isildur curses them to “rest never until [their] oath is fulfilled.”⁶

Tolkien’s writing ascribes another unique trait to oaths: they bind people to each other. Tolkien’s Legendarium offers many examples of this: the Oath of Eorl bound Rohan and Gondor together, the Oath of Finrod bound him to aid the kin of Barahir (at the cost of his life), and the sons of Fëanor were “bound by the oath”⁷ they swore.

But the people of Middle-earth can be bound even without oaths. When Melkor darkened the two Trees of Valinor, the Valar determined that the light of the Silmarils could restore the trees if Fëanor allowed their use. Fëanor refused. The Silmarillion describes him as “fast bound” to the Silmarils. Long before his oath, the love of his crafts bound him.

It was this binding power that Sauron would seek to replicate. In the Second Age, he bent the power of oaths back on itself, twisting it into the shape of rings, “for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves.”⁸

Bound by Oaths

In Season 1 of the Rings of Power, young Elrond describes his outlook on oaths. “To some, [oaths] may now hold little weight, but in my esteem, it is by such things our very souls are bound.”⁹

He sees oaths as Tolkien wrote of them, and he uses them to build a web of collective strength. Elrond gives oaths. He enters them freely as a show of loyalty to those he cares about. Some may argue he enters them too freely.

Yet, despite the impetuous manner in which he binds himself to others, he’s hesitant to let others make oaths to him. When the Fellowship departs, and he asks no oath or bond, he explains some of his reasoning (paraphrased to just dialogue):

Gimli: “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”
Elrond: “Maybe, but let him not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen the nightfall.”
Gimli: “Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart.”
Elrond: “Or break it.”¹⁰

He’s cautious to hold others to promises made without all facts. We see this again in the mines when he stops Durin from sharing his true name—an act that, while not an overt oath, would have bound the two together. And while he freely binds himself, he’s cautious with whom he makes such promises. Note that in Season 2, when Galadriel asks, he immediately refuses to swear any promise “whose asking is born of that ring.”¹¹

But seconds later, he swears exactly what she wishes, only this time to her. He will not suffer himself to be bound to or by her ring, but holds no qualms for his friend. And despite his fears that she is bound to Sauron through that ring, he demands no similar oath from her lips.

At his core, Elrond believes oaths are about people. He cares much more about binding himself to others than binding them to him. He cares deeply about them. When he stumbled into Durin’s Mithril mine in Season 1, he wasn’t looking for mithril itself like Durin suspected. He was looking for his friend. He worried about Durin’s secrets and went there to maintain trust between them.

After swearing an oath to Durin, he’s given a nugget of mithril, which he immediately offers to return. His king sought that ore, but to Elrond, this was always about his friend. Incidentally, this outlook works to his favor. Durin never would have given him the mithril if it were why he came lurking.

Bound in Darkness

If Elrond is the give, Sauron is the take. Elrond builds strength, Sauron builds power. To the dark lord, the purpose of oaths is to ensure those beneath him remain subservient. We see this in the very terminology he uses. He almost always eschews the word “oaths” in favor of “binding.” He doesn’t want to forge webs like Elrond; he wants to forge chains.

Sauron is cautious about oaths he swears. When faced with no alternative, he tries to manipulate them in his favor. “I swear to serve the lord of Mordor”¹² is the juicy example that springs to mind. He’s there to bind others to him, not the other way around. Oaths don’t show loyalty or closeness, they keep others in line.

In the finale of Season 1, he asks Galadriel to bind herself to him. What he wants from Galadriel is a promise—an oath—so he can make her a queen, fair as the sea and the sun, stronger than the foundations of the earth. But notice again his subtlety. He offers her effectively nothing. “You bind me to light, and I bind you to power.”¹³

In exchange for her legitimizing his “healing” of Middle-earth, he binds her to power. But in Sauron’s estimation, he is that power. He binds her to him, and in exchange, she validates his rule. But as Gandalf famously warned Saruman, “he does not share power.”¹⁴

He’s promised her only chains.

Since he cannot elicit true loyalty, Sauron must demand it. He can deceive and win hearts, but he cannot keep them. It is this inability to earn true loyalty that—in part—drives Sauron’s need for the rings. Elrond cares for people while Sauron seeks only what he can use from them.

Each ring of power is a literal manifestation of that search for utility. If the people of Middle-earth will not swear to him, he will find some other way to bind them to him.

Frodo observed that “the Shadow . . . can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own.”¹⁵

Unable to make bonds and elicit oaths, Sauron mocks, imitating the power of an oath’s bond with his rings. That involuntary bond shreds trust, but he doesn’t need trust when he has control. Dominate some creatures, bind others, make empty promises, and—when your army is threatening enough—maybe some people will swear with less coercion and deception.

And so, nine walkers set out from Rivendell, each a hero, while nine riders set out from Mordor, each a thrall. Sauron told us his plan from a prison cell in Númenor: “identify what it is that [a person] most fears . . . [and] give them a means of mastering it so you can master them.”¹⁶

Elrond’s line of thinking would likely be more along the lines of “identify what it is that a person most fears, and swear to protect them from it.”

With that contrast laid out, it’s clear in which fellowship you’d find better company.

About the author: Narrative Epicure is an aspiring loremaster and practicing attorney longing to read or write things that aren’t legal. When he’s not buried in Tolkien’s Legendarium, he enjoys books, board games, and other activities with his Fellowship, which includes his wife and three daughters.

Footnotes

LR 2.03.036. ↩︎
Id. ↩︎
LR 2.03.085. ↩︎
S QS. 12.005. ↩︎
S QS. 13.021. ↩︎
LR 5.02.091. ↩︎
S QS. 13.021. ↩︎
S RP. 009. ↩︎
RoP e.0105. ↩︎
LR 2.03.086. ↩︎
RoP e.0204. ↩︎
RoP e.0201. ↩︎
RoP e.0108. ↩︎
FoTR movie. ↩︎
LR 6.01.109. ↩︎
RoP e.0104. ↩︎

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Webcrawler is back this week to break down the events of Episode 4 of The Rings of Power. Read and enjoy!

~ Staffer Demosthenes

Recap: The Rings of Power Episode 4

by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler

Season 2, Episode 4

Titled “Eldest”, a direct reference to Tom Bombadil calling himself Eldest in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring.

“‘Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer. Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself and nameless? But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. Book 1, Chapter 7: In The House of Tom Bombadil

There are also other references to “Eldest” in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that may be worth mentioning:

‘Hoo now!’ replied Treebeard. ‘Hoo! Now that would be telling! Not so hasty. And I am doing the asking. You are in my country. What are you, I wonder? I cannot place you. You do not seem to come in the old lists that I learned when I was young. But that was a long, long time ago, and they may have made new lists. Let me see! Let me see! How did it go?

Learn now the lore of Living Creatures!
First name the four, the free peoples:
Eldest of all, the elf-children;
Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses;
Ent the earthborn, old as mountains;
Man the mortal, master of horses:

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Book 3 Chapter 4: Treebeard

Then Treebeard said farewell to each of them in turn, and he bowed three times slowly and with great reverence to Celeborn and Galad- riel. ‘It is long, long since we met by stock or by stone, A vanimar, vanima ́lion nostari!’ he said. ‘It is sad that we should meet only thus at the ending. For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again.’

And Celeborn said: ‘I do not know, Eldest.’ But Galadriel said: ‘Not in Middle-earth, nor until the lands that lie under the wave are lifted up again. Then in the willow-meads of Tasarinan we may meet in the Spring. Farewell!’
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Book 6 Chapter 6: Many Partings

Synopsis

There are four plots we follow in this episode — the Rhûn storyline gets split.

Rhûn

The Stranger

Last time we saw The Stranger, he had conjured up a sandstorm to blow away the Gaudrim riders, inadvertently lifting away Nori and Poppy with his uncontrollable power. We see him searching for the two harfoots, when he comes across and follows a baby goat. The goat leads him to a goat herder tending to a garden while singing and humming to himself. The Stranger asks this herder about the harfoots and the map of the stars; a gust of wind then blows away the map which lands on a tree. The tree has a branch which looks like the staff in the Stranger’s visions; he attempts to snap it off, at which point the tree (a Huorn) awakens, grabbing The Stranger and entombing him inside.

The Gaudrim Rider, Brânk, is talking to The Dark Wizard, telling him the Stranger and the harfoots have been separated. The Dark Wizard tells Brank to go after the harfoots, and then he stands up and proclaims he will handle The Stranger. Meanwhile, the goat herder pulls the Stranger out of the Houron and reveals himself to be Tom Bombadil. Tom invites the Stranger in, and after a bath and a meal, The Stranger asks questions of Tom. It is revealed that the Dark Wizard is an Istar who had come to Tom in the past, seeking him in mastering a wizard’s staff. Tom reveals that the Stranger is meant to face the Dark Wizard, and Sauron.

Nori & Poppy

The two harfoots awake far from The Stranger in the desert, after being blown away in a sandstorm. They learn the Gaudrim are still searching for them, so Nori and Poppy attempt to escape; after jumping over a small cliff, they run into a Stoor named Merrimac, who reluctantly takes them to the Stoor Village. Nori tells the leader of the Stoors, Gundabel, that The Stranger is an Istar, a wizard; but Gundabel assumes they must mean the Dark Wizard and locks them up.

Gundabel asks Nori more about the Harfoots, and after Nori mentions Sadoc Burrows, Gundabel takes her to see a cave painting highlighting the stories of the Stoors. One painting shows Rorimas Burrows, an ancestor of Sadoc, who set out with a caravan of Stoors to search for a new home for them alll. Nori realizes he never found it, and that is why all the Harfoots just became wanderers instead. Brânk comes to the Stoor Village, demanding they turn over the harfoots; when Gundabel refuses, Brânk threatens to return with The Dark Wizard.

Pelargir

Isildur, Arondir and a company of Southlanders are in a forest at night, searching for Theo. Arondir comes across axes, tools, and severed limbs, concluding that it was not Wildmen who attacked this camp and kidnapped Theo. Back in Pelargir, the Southlanders and our heroes discuss where to look for Theo next; Estrid mentions looking up in the north because “that part of the forest is old”. Later, Arondir questions her about a mark on her back, revealing that she is one of the Wildmen who bore the mark of Adar. They use her to find the Wildmen’s camp, and along the way discover a trail of cherry blossom petals.

As Isildur, Estrid and Arondir track Theo, they come across a muddy swamp; Isildur falls into quicksand and Arondir tries to get him out. They both get pulled in, but luckily Estrid is able to coax the mud monster out, allowing Arondir to cut their way out through its belly. This allows Isildur and Arondir to trust Estrid again. Isildur sets Estrid free, but she draws a sword on him and attempts to escape. Suddenly two Ents, Winterbloom and Snaggleroot attack the trio, but Arondir is able to talk to them, and seek forgiveness. The ents free their captives, including Theo, and inform the party that an army of orcs were seen marching west. Arondir makes amends with Theo and takes his leave, to go confront the army and Adar.

Grey Havens/Road To Eregion

A contingency of elven soldiers begin to board ships at the Grey Havens; Galadriel and Elrond discuss the team required for their secret journey to Eregion. They decide to take a small group of 6 elves across the Axa bridge, but when they arrive, they find the bridge destroyed by lightning. Their map-reader, Camnir, recommends taking Tyrn Gorthad to cut across and shorten the journey; but Galadriel’s ring, Nenya, shows her visions of ghostly figures and chains. Elrond however, refuses to heed Galadriel’s advice from her ring, and they attempt through Tyrn Gorthad (Barrow-downs) with the company. Something has brought the bodies in the tombs to life, and the Barrow-wights attack the company, killing the elven warrior Daemor.

Thanks to Elrond though, they manage to defeat the barrow-wights. While the other elven soldiers mourn and honor Daemor, Elrond and Galadriel have a conversation about the ring, and Sauron. Camnir warns them of drums nearby, and they discover an orc encampment. The orcs notice them and fire arrows, hitting Camnir. While trying to tend to his wound, Galadriels finds that Nenya heals Camnir completely; she gives Elrond the ring and tells him to take the company and leave. She creates a diversion allowing them to do so, and is captured by the orcs. Then, Adar comes forward, greeting her and calling her Altariel.

Overall Thoughts on Episode 4

At first I felt that this was largely a set-up episode, similar to season 1, episode 5, “Partings”; This episode moves characters into position for their story arcs in the latter half of the season. Arondir is headed towards Eregion, The orc army is already there, Galadriel has been captured, the Stranger knows his purpose, and Elrond now has Nenya, etc. A lot happened in this episode, but none of it seems tied to the main plot, that of the rings being made in Eregion, or of Sauron’s machination. But I noticed there is a theme throughout this episode.

There is Tom Bombadil, “Eldest”, who talks about being there “before the river and the trees”, of knowing “the dark under the stars when it was fearless”; The Ents who talk about knowing peace as “When the only sound here was light upon the moss. Both of these invoke the memory of an ancient past, for Tom, long before evil or darkness touched the world, and for the Ents, before Melkor irreparably marred Arda.

“For even if we under Eru have the power to return to Middle-earth and cast out Morgoth from the Kingdom of Arda, we cannot destroy all the evil that he has sown, nor seek out all his servants—unless we ravaged the whole of the Kingdom and made an end of all life therein; and that we may not do.”
Mandos, from The History of Middle-earth: The Peoples of Middle-earth

On the other side you have the barrow-wights poem, which is used in the soundtrack by Bear McCreary, with the following last four lines:

In the black wind the stars shall die,
and still on gold here let them lie,
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land

This is looking forward, forward to a future where darkness has taken over the lands. It stands in stark contrast to the world as described by Tom in his memories, or the Ents in theirs.

There is also Galadriel and Elrond’s conversation, about the rings and Sauron. Throughout the season we’ve seen them have this discussion, twice in Episode 1, once in Episode 2, and now reprised in Episode 4. In their conversations lie the thematic link; Galadriel fears the future shown to her by Nenya, as envisioned by the barrow-wights poem, where darkness wins and reigns over Middle-earth. And so she would use the rings to preserve Middle-earth, maybe not as Tom Bombadil or the Ents remember it, but as the Elves remember Middle-earth.

As such, when later in the episode, Galadriel defiantly tells the orcs surrounding her, “These are Elven lands!”, one can read it to mean not just the area surrounding Eregion, but a claim by the elves upon all of Middle-earth. The Elves are the “Eldest” of the Children of Illuvatar (and immortal), and as such have a relationship with Middle-earth unlike the dwarves or men.

Yet, there is one who is obviously missing from this episode, whose actions are driving the plot; It is Sauron’s vision for Middle-earth’s future that puts the Ents, the Elves and even Tom, all of Middle-earth at risk for being without peace.

Rating: I would give this episode an 8/10. Overall a good episode that does the work to setup the plot for the second-half of the season; characters like Arondir and Galadriel are moved into the parts of the stories they need to be in. There are some disappointments; for one, the barrow-wights fight sequence did not really live up to the hype; it was a very short action sequence, not very special or significant fight choreography, and it also ended kind of abruptly. On the other hand, Galadriel’s solo fight against the orcs at the end of the episode was well-cut, well-paced, with great choreography and angles, and a surprise ending sure to leave everyone anticipating the next episode.

In terms of other plots, Pelargir has shaped up to have interesting moments, although it’s hard to say where it goes from here now that Arondir is headed to Eregion. There’s an opportunity for a compelling exploration of Isildur’s motivations for sticking around the region that one day becomes Gondor; we’ll see if the show can maintain the audience’s interest in that plot. The plotline with Estrid and her supposed betrothed being alive is also intriguing; Could these be the Men of the Mountain whom Isildur will one day take an oath of fealty from?

Lastly, Tom Bombadil somehow managed to fit into the story and feel right; much of that success belongs to Rory Kinnear, who brings a light touch that hints at the more playful and jolly Tom we know from the books, while still grounding him in the show so as to not be too distracting. Nori discovering more depth to the backstory of the Harfoots seems to be setting up a plotline we all expected; but we’ll see where this idea of the “Sûzat” goes by the end of this season.

About the author: Webcrawler is a full-time data analyst and a part-time Tolkien aficionado and moderator on TheOneRing.net’s Discord Server. When he’s not working or in the discord, Webcrawler is horsing around on Twitter

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It’s not long at all until Episode 4 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power airs. If you’re feeling twitchy while waiting, check out this fantastic Episode 1 to Episode 3 recap from TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler.

~ Staffer Demosthenes

Recap: The Rings of Power Episodes 1 to 3

by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power returned on Amazon Prime last Thursday for it’s second season with a whopping three-episode premiere. Many fans across the USA were also able to attend special screenings of the first two episodes at select theatres, including our very own TORnTuesday hosts, Cliff & Justin

Ready to watch the brand spankin’ new Season 2 of #TheRingsOfPower tonight with other fabulous Ringer fans — via the kind courtesy of @PrimeVideo @TheRingsofPower‼️

Don’t let me forget: the insane new bus shelters in West Hollywood are guarded by life size Uruks! ⚔️ https://t.co/2Hj0x8Jk47 pic.twitter.com/QrJHNMrQph
— Clifford Broadway (@Quickbeam2000) August 29, 2024

The episodes premiered to some very strong reviews, some quite negative but most extremely upbeat. This highlights big improvements from Season 1: tighter, more-focused storytelling, better pacing between plotlines and episodes, and stronger dialogue. Season 2 of The Rings of Power currently sits at 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, “Certified Fresh”, with 91 Critic Reviews.

There are plenty of reviews and breakdowns already available to view online, including from friend of TORn, Tea with Tolkien; but of course, don’t forget to check out yesterday’s TORnTuesday episode where Cliff and Justin spend over three hours examining the three-episode S2 premiere in great detail!

Season 2, Episode 1

Titled “Elven Kings Under the Sky”, a direct reference to the first line of the Ring Verse.

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone…”

Synopsis

There are three plots we follow in this episode:

Sauron

A parallel prologue to that of Season 1, Episode 1 “A Shadow of the Past”, where we get answers to some important lingering questions from Season 1: What was Sauron doing after Morgoth’s defeat? Where did he get the sigil of the lost King of the Southlands? And how did Sauron get on a raft in the Sundering Seas?

After that we catch up to Sauron in the present day, where he turns himself over to Adar. Using his Halbrand form, he somehow convinces Adar to let him travel to Eregion, where he waits to speak with a reluctant Celebrimbor.

Lindon

Galadriel and Elrond return to Lindon with the Three Rings made by Celebrimbor. There, the elves, along with Gil-galad (and later Círdan) discuss the merits and dangers of using the Three Rings to heal The Great Tree of Lindon. After some time has passed, and Gil-galad tells the Elves to prepare to leave Lindon, Círdan shows up wearing Narya and convinces Gil-galad to use the rings.

Rhûn

The Stranger has a recurring dream or vision of a staff; he and Nori have been lost in their attempt to get to Rhûn, and find that they are being followed. It turns out Poppy has tracked them down and decided to join in their journey. Poppy, using some of Sadoc’s maps, helps them navigate to Rhûn.

Overall Thoughts on Episode 1

Episode 1 is a very strong start to Season 2. The main plot, following Sauron, presents a compelling journey that asks us to consider whether or not he ever truly repented. One particular scene stands out in this regard, where he talks to a Southlander (played by Nicholas Woodeson), on a ship, about overcoming an evil past; the response reminded me of Gandalf’s comment to Galadriel in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

Gandalf : I don’t know. Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay.

It’s telling that, immediately after this, Sauron leaves the man to die after the ship is attacked by the wyrm in the Sundering Seas (first seen in Season 1, Episode 2), but not before grabbing the sigil that hung around the Southlander’s neck.

The Lindon plot is also filled with fantastic, Tolkienian moments that show us Season 2 has risen in terms of dialogue and storytelling. Círdan’s introduction is about as close to perfection you can get for a character introduction, as we see him stare out into the seas while a variation of Bear McCreary’s “Valinor Theme” plays, indicating to lore fans that this is the elf who has long awaited the day he shall sail West to Aman.

Galadriel, Elrond, and Gil-galad debating whether to use the rings sets up new and interesting dynamics, with slight role reversals for the former two, as it is now Elrond who refuses to obey the High King. (personally, I’m glad they had Galadriel just plainly state that Halbrand is Sauron; good to see they’re not trying to drag things out for drama).

Of course, there is also the scene where The Three Rings are used and The Great Tree is healed; it’s a moment that should stand out as one of the more truly magical moments of a show. It also features a quick call back to the Peter Jackson films, when the Three are shown together in the prologue of The Fellowship of The Ring.

Lastly we come to the Rhûn plot, whose primary interesting moment was The Stranger’s vision: a staff floating and changing forms. The first form was the staff he’s been shown with in some promotional images. But the second form looks much more familiar…

Yes, it’s quite evocative of Gandalf’s staff in The Fellowship of the Ring.

The other significant development in the Rhûn plot was the return of Poppy, and a shorter rendition of “Wandering Day” from S1. This time it sets our three heroes off on a path to discovering the way into Rhûn. It’s a clever bit of storytelling that provides us with some depth to the Harfoots, and hints at future events to come.

Rating: I would give this episode an 8.5/10. The Sauron and Lindon plots were excellent ways to kick-off the story, while the Rhûn plot gives us some mysteries and some heartwarming moments.

Season 2, Episode 2

Titled “Where the Stars are Strange”, a direct reference to a quote from Aragorn…

“I have crossed many mountains and many rivers, and trodden many plains, even into the far countries of Rhûn and Harad where the stars are strange.”
The Fellowship of the Ring. The Council of Elrond

It’s interesting to note that according to Unfinished Tales, the stars were strange, not in Rhûn, but Harad.

This passage is the only evidence that survives for his having extended his travels further South. Aragorn claims to have penetrated “the far countries of Rhûn and Harad where the stars are strange” (The Fellowship of the Ring II 2). 10

10 The “strange stars” apply strictly only to the Harad, and must mean that Aragorn travelled or voyaged some distance into the southern hemisphere. [Author’s note.]
Unfinished Tales Part 4: II: The Istari

Synopsis:

There are four plots we follow in this episode:

Khazad-dûm

The evil spreading from Mount Doom after it’s eruption has sent shockwaves across Middle-earth; nowhere is that more literal than in Khazad-dûm, where an earthquake destroys the mirrors, removing the dwarves’ ability to get light into the depths of the great city’s caverns. Disa and others attempt to sing to the mountain to find passages through which to repair the damage, but the singers fail to communicate with the mountain, bringing more worry to the dwarven realm.

On a personal level, Durin IV and Disa are struggling to make ends meet, as the two Durin’s are no longer communicating, and Durin IV has been cut off from his inheritance. It all looks dire, until a mysterious letter arrives from Lord Celebrimbor of Eregion, with an invitation for the dwarves to meet with him in Eregion.

Eregion

Halbrand continues to lurk around the gates of Eregion, while Celebrimbor begins to get impatient as he awaits any news from Lindon regarding the Three Rings. As he waits, he continues his work, this time showing a young apprentice his latest creation, Ithildin, which is only visible under moonlight. Finally, Celebrimbor decides to speak with Halbrand, who informs him that the Three Rings did indeed work, and Lindon is healed, the elves are saved, and now Halbrand has returned to ask for Rings of Men.

At first Celebrimbor rejects this aspiration, until Halbrand reveals himself as Annatar, Lord of Gifts.

Lindon

Having worn her ring, Nenya, for some (indeterminate) time now, Galadriel has a vision of Celebrimbor being wrapped in vines and killed, as he recites the first three lines of the Ring Verse in Black Speech. A concerned Galadriel tells Gil-galad, who reveals ominous visions of his own.

Galadriel, convinced that Sauron must be in Eregion, requests Gil-galad’s leave to go and face Sauron herself; but Gil-galad refuses. Elrond supports Gil-galad in this decision, as he doesn’t trust Galadriel because of her role in helping return Sauron to power; nonetheless, after a conversation with the ever-wise Círdan, Elrond decides a small band of elves will attempt to travel to Eregion and speak with Celebrimbor, and he will lead the group, not Galadriel.

Rhûn

As Nori, Poppy and The Stranger make their way through Rhûn, a band of horse riders seem to be tracking them from a distance; they are revealed to be Gaudrim, and they are allied with a mysterious Dark Wizard in Rhûn who is also the leader of the Mystics. The Dark Wizard brings The Dweller, one of the Mystics who we saw in Season 1, back to life. The Dweller provides a report on Sauron’s whereabouts, which he shows keen interest in. The Dark Wizard tasks the Guadrim with capturing The Stranger.

Meanwhile, our trio in Rhûn have found the desert too taxing, and The Stranger collapses from thirst. Nori and Poppy drag him to a nearby well and fetch a pail of water. Unfortunately it has a bell which alerts the nearby Guadrim, and the trio are discovered. The Stranger however has woken up, and sees nearby the staff from his visions. Using the staff he creates a sandstorm to blow away the Gaudrim, but it goes out of control, and leads to Nori and Poppy also being pulled into it and blown away.

Overall Thoughts on Episode 2

Episode 2 was even stronger than Episode 1; it begins with an ominous look at the recently activated Mount Doom, which now continues to spew lava. Then we transition to a map and see its darkness spread, reminding us that this season, things will get worse for the free peoples of Middle-Earth.

This is reiterated with a very surprising scene of Celebrimbor reciting the Ring Verse in Black Speech to Galadriel in a vision; we know from S1 Episode 3, when Galadriel went to Númenor that she can read Black Speech, and so she was able to understand his words. Conveniently, the One Ring portion of the Ring Verse was left out. Galadriel’s connection to Sauron continues to be questioned, and this is thematically related to the question of the influence of Sauron on the Three Rings of the Elves.

This connection of Sauron is further brought up in Rhûn where we learn the Dark Wizard is keeping track of Sauron through his Mystics. Recall in S1, The Mystics thought The Stranger was Sauron, and sought to bring him to Rhûn. But their purpose remains unclear. The mysteriously masked riders are even more intriguing; one of them tells the Dark Wizard (played by Ciaran Hinds) to remove the “curse of the flesh” from them, but we do not yet learn what that curse is.

Lastly, but certainly most important, is Halbrand showing Celebrimbor his Annatar form. It’s a moment of pure maximalist fantasy; swirling lights and colors, a flowing white gown as Annatar walks toward Celebrimor and seduces him.

Rating: Overall I give this episode a 9.5/10. All the storylines are paced well, and the moment with Annatar’s reveal should go down in television history. Both Charlies did an incredible job in this scene.

Season 2, Episode 3

Titled “The Eagle and The Sceptre”, two important references to Númenorean lore.

I previously discussed the importance of the Eagles in an article after the first trailer was released.

“Thrice only in each year the King spoke, offering prayer for the coming year at the Erukyermë in the first days of spring, praise of Eru Ilúvatar at the Erulaitalë in midsummer, and thanksgiving to him at the Eruhantalë at the end of autumn. At these times the King ascended the mountain on foot followed by a great concourse of the people, clad in white and garlanded, but silent.” [Ed.: emphasis added]
The Fall of Númenor

And…

“It is written that ‘the sceptre was the chief mark of royalty in Númenor’18 from the reign of the First King to that the Twenty-Fifth King and that having survived for 3,287 years it was lost with Ar-Pharazôn at the Downfall.”
The Fall of Númenor

Synopsis:

There are six (!) plots we follow in this episode:

Southlands

Berek the horse ventures into Mordor, and after having an encounter with orcs, he finds Isildur. Unfortunately, Isildur has been webbed up by Shelob, and a fight ensues before Isildur and Berek can ride to safety. Isildur comes across an attacked caravan. As he is investigating it, he’s stabbed by a Southlander girl, Estrid, who thought he was an orc. Estrid tells Isildur that some of the Southlanders and Númenoreans had set up camp at the abandoned colony of Pelargir, and they make their way there.

Pelargir

Isildur and Estrid make their way to Pelargir, stopping to help an attacked caravan. It turns out to be a trap, and after a scuffle, Berek is stolen by these Wild Men; luckily Arondir comes in and saves Isildur and Estrid. He takes them to Pelargir, where a funeral pyre has been set up; Bronwyn has died, succumbing to poison from the arrows the orcs shot at her. Theo and Arondir are struggling to deal with this loss and maintain their father-son relationship without Bronwyn to connect them. Isildur talks to Theo about Númenor; Theo tells him he can help him get Berek back.

Estrid and Isildur talk about their mothers, we learn Isildur’s mother died while saving him, which has left him with a sense of profound guilt. After Isildur leaves, Estrid uses a hot knife to burn out a brand that has been put on her, Adar’s brand, indicating at some point she swore fealty to him. Theo and Isildur go to the camp where Berek is being held; they free Berek, but a complication arises as someone or something attacks the Wild Men’s Camp.

Númenor

Elendil is paying his respects to the deceased King at his funeral; Eärien tells him that he doesn’t need to blame himself for Isildur’s death, they can blame the Queen. Míriel shows up to her father’s funeral, and is confronted by a woman who lost her son in the expedition to Middle-earth; Miriel comforts her.

Later, Pharazôn talks to Míriel about her coronation, and hints that she should choose to move Númenor forward, and not backwards in a return to the Faithful ways as her father tried. However, she seems to refuse. Pharazôn, Kemen and Eärien are in a bar talking to Lord Belzagar, a Númenorean lord from the north who dislikes Míriel and thinks Pharazôn should rule.

Valandil confronts the table, and makes a clear threat to Kemen. Eärien tells Lord Belzagar about the Palantír. During Míriel’s coronation, Eärien reveals the Palantír to the Númenorean court, inciting the crowd against Míriel. A Great Eagle of Manwë swoops in on the open perch; Pharazôn walks up to it, and Lord Belzagar starts a Pharazôn chant, leading the crowd to join in and proclaim their desire for Pharazôn to be their new ruler.

Khazad-dûm

Durin talks to his father about Celebrimbor’s new proposal; he tells King Durin that he’s uncertain about this, and how they had talked previously about the elves trying to cheat death. King Durin brushes off Durin IV’s concerns, as the needs of Khazad-dûm are too great right now.

Eregion

Celebrimbor tells Disa and Durin about the rings, and how he can make more to help them if they provide him with mithril. Durin is a bit more skeptical and explains that he is not on speaking terms with his father, King Durin, and cannot bring a new proposal to him.

Annatar interjects, and after a failed attempt at flattering Durin, tries to convince them they need the rings. Later, Annatar tells Celebrimbor that Gil-galad did not want him to make any more and doesn’t even know that Annatar is in Eregion. Celebrimbor takes offense to this and pens a letter to Gil-galad, lying about closing up shop so that they can let the work continue. Later on, King Durin arrives with mithril, which Celebrimbor and Annatar use to make new rings.

Mordor

The orcs prepare for war, and Glûg talks to Adar about his concerns regarding this new direction; why go to war when they already have a home now? Adar assures him that there will be no peace for orcs unless they make sure Sauron is no more.

The Hill Troll known as Damrod arrives at Adar’s camp, and asks “Where is Sauron?”

Overall Thoughts on Episode 3

Episode 3 has a lot of plots to juggle and that ends up affecting the pacing. Despite this being the first episode where we see Númenor this season, there’s really only four scenes, and it jumped from the end of last season so that we don’t get to see Míriel’s initial reaction to learning her father died, nor Eärien’s reaction to the loss of Isildur. Instead we are thrown right into the politics of Númenor, which some could argue have not been thoroughly set up to warrant such jumps.

Conversely though, the Pelargir plotline was really well done. We’re introduced via an ambitious five-minute scene from Berek’s point of view, as the horse journeys to find his rider, Isildur. From there we expand to the addition of a new character and then a new location in Pelargir. As this happens we learn more about where the characters are at now, and it feels a lot more natural than Númenor.

But it benefits from having the most screen time of any plot this episode.

We don’t get much of Eregion, Khazad-dûm or Mordor, and we do not see Lindon or Rhûn in this episode. It’s still a gripping episode, particularly the end scene where the Seven Rings are made, but the sheer number of plotlines being followed makes it feel a bit more disjointed compared to the first two.

Rating: Overall I give this episode a 8.0/10. There are some interesting developments (Seven Rings, Great Eagle, Shelob battle, the hint of Ents, Damrod), but it feels a bit like too much to juggle in one episode.

The first three episodes of Season 2 are more cohesive than Season 1. S1 had a two-episode premiere, but both episodes ended with Galadriel stranded in the middle of the ocean, so it felt like we were still getting started.

Season 1 also had a lot more setup to do, whereas with the first three episodes of Season 2 we jump right into the story. Theres also less mystery: Galadriel tells Gil-galad the truth about Halbrand right away, and we follow Sauron around and see his manipulations with Adar and Celebrimbor go into effect. The pacing of the episodes are more favorable too as significant events happened in each of the first three episodes of Season 2: the Great Tree of Lindon is healed, Annatar has arrived, the seven rings are being made, and so on.

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The Rings of Power S2 is fast approaching. To keep you thinking, TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler’s back today with some more pre-release analysis and some interesting insights into a character who will only become more important as the story unfolds: Elendil the Faithful.

The Rings of Power: analysing Elendil the Faithful

by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler

The following analysis contains mild plot spoilers from recent news articles and trailers, so avoid if you do not wish to know. I’m going to try to talk about the thematic arc of Elendil in S2, but I’ll start with a recap of Elendil’s actions in S1.

In a S1 interview with Nerd of the Rings, Lloyd Owen mentions The Story of Job from the Bible as a source for understanding Elendil. I thought it was interesting, as Tolkien describes Elendil as a “Noachian figure” in Letter 131 (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien). But Job also works.

Job from the Bible (a quick primer)

Job is a righteous man who was blessed with a good life, family, wealth, etc. Job’s faith is then tested and he loses everything. Job however praises God, but is given more trials. He then curses himself for being born, but still does not rebuke God (yet).

Job is an interesting comparison, because in S1, Elendil is a Faithful. In S1, Ep. 3, he justifies bringing Galadriel to Númenor, telling Miriel “The Sea put her in his path”. Elendil has already lost his wife at this point. But he still retains some level of his faith.

However, by Episode 7, after losing Isildur, Elendil comes close to rebuking his faith: he wishes he never “pulled that Elf on board” his ship. It’s similar to Job cursing himself for being born.

The fault is still not with “The Sea”, his Faith, but rather his own actions.

So in S2, I think Elendil will continue a Job-like story arc. We’ve seen from behind-the-scenes footage and promotional material that he’s jailed. We’ve read that Eärien might turn against him to seek justice for the loss of Isildur. He likely will lose his position as Captain; more trials for Elendil.

An aside: there’s a moment in S1, Ep. 6 when he talks to Isildur about horses and Númenoreans. He mentions learning it from his wife.

I wonder if she was more Faithful of the two. I imagine her death caused strife within the family; Why Anárion became more devoutly Faithful.

The Parable of the Faithful Son

We’ve established Elendil’s Job-like story arc in S1. Indications are this will continue in S2. But how does it conclude? He can’t just suffer endlessly for no reason. So where does it take him, and why?

In an interview with Black Girl Nerds, Lloyd Owen talks about Elendil’s arc in S2. Lots of good stuff, but at around 27:00 Lloyd says, “And to take that gift with me on my horse and ride with it, super special.”

What is this gift, where does he go?

Many have guessed that the gift is Narsil, and he rides west to Andúnië, but I want to ask why and how. Here I bring up another Biblical comparison, which I believe leads to Anárion’s appearance, either at the end of S2 or in S3. And that is the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

This Parable features three characters: A father and two sons. The younger son asks the father for his inheritance, leaves the family, and goes off gallivanting. He spends all the money, becomes destitute, and returns home. And yet, the father welcomes him back with open arms.

The older brother, who stayed dutiful to the father, complains, and then the father says in Luke 15:32, roughly, “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

The parable is about redemption.

Thje Rings of Power flips this around. You have a son (Anárion) who is Faithful, who leaves his Father and siblings, who choose to be less Faithful in order to fit into Númenorean society. In S1, Ep. 3 Elendil says: “The past is dead. We either move forward or die with it”.

He wants to leave the old ways.

In the Parable the son returns to the father, seeking forgiveness and redemption. However, here it is reversed; I think it’s the father (Elendil) who will return to the son (Anárion), seeking forgiveness and redemption.

This is why I think Elendil rides off at the end of S2.

There’s a setup for this too. In the same dinner scene, Elendil says, “There is nothing for us on our western shores”. Ironically by the end of S2, there might be nothing for Elendil in Armenelos: one son is presumed dead; Eärien hates him; he’s likely no longer Captain.

It’s unclear how things with Míriel are, but likely, she will play the role of appeasing Pharazôn and the King’s Men. In the same interview with Black Girl Nerds, Lloyd mentions that “his leadership qualities are being taught to him” by Miriel. There are also hints of unspoken love.

This scene could be a goodbye scene between them, where Míriel gives Elendil his sword. If so, it’s a variation on Elrond giving Andúril to Aragorn in The Return of the King. Elendil must set aside the Sea Captain, and become who he was born to be.

There are hints in S1 about what Elendil’s lineage might be. I’ve previously discussed how the show is doing Elendil’s lineage from the Lords of Andúnië . I think there’s reason to explore that further in S2, leading to him receiving Narsil.

So I think that all of this, Elendil’s suffering, his struggle with Faith in Armenelos, will lead him to going West. Narsil is a Quenya name that symbolically refers to the Sun and the Moon. Anárion means Son of the Sun.

To renew his Faith, Elendil must turn to the Sun.

*The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power* (Season Two: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack)

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returns with Season 2 on August 29 and we have our first official glimpse with a teaser trailer and a behind-the scenes preview.

TORn Discord Moderator DrNosy has the lowdown on what it all could mean.

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April showers bring May flowers and, with it, the much-awaited return of the second season of Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power (TROP). The official marketing has kicked-off with an enticing teaser and a captivating behind-the-scenes look. Brace yourselves, as the series is set to return on August 29th of this year.

Stealing the spotlight and the most intriguing development is the return of our Lord-and-not-Savior, Sauron, portrayed by the talented Charlie Vickers. Sauron’s appearance in this teaser unveils Vickers in a dual role, as both Halbrand (Sauron disguised as a Man) and a character that die-hard Tolkien fans have long yearned for, the Annatar, where Sauron takes the form of an Elf and infiltrates Eregion.

The arrival of Annatar and his relationship to Celebrimbor is one of Tolkien’s greatest stories, but it was never entirely penned as a literary epic. The little we know of Annatar comes from the Letters of Tolkien, Unfinished Tales, and a short essay in The Silmarillion, “Of the Rings of Power.”

From today’s teaser, the Annatar makes his appearance after the events of “Alloyed” (S1.E8), where Sauron as Halbrand reveals himself to Galadriel. Though this encounter momentarily stifles Galadriel, she and the others proceed with the creation of the three Elven rings: Vilya, Nenya, and Narya.

Following the TROP storyline, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), the genius and talented maker of the Elven rings and the others (lesser) that followed, has now become Lord Sauron’s prime target. The threat he faces from Sauron is imminent. Unbeknownst to Celebrimbor, when Sauron comes knocking on your door, he always comes bearing gifts.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Annatar.
Annatar, who?
Annatar. I am an emissary of the Valar. I have come bearing gifts.

(If you were expecting a knock-knock joke, I have deceived you. The Annatar on your doorstep is not a laughing matter.)

The siege of Eregion, led by Adar (Sam Hazeldine) and his army of Orcs, will be catastrophic to the city and its vast forests. Will Galadriel, Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and the other Elven warriors be able to defend this Elven kingdom? Will King Durin (Peter Mullan) and the Dwarven warriors of Khazad-dûm come to their aid? Well, those answers probably depend on whether or not the ring the Dwarves have received is already tainted with Sauron’s evil influence. Compared to what I expected the last season, there are now more rings to keep track of than ever before.

What I find pretty delightful to observe is the three Elven rings that have made their way onto the hands of the first-ever Ring-bearers: the High King of the Elves, Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), Galadriel as the Commander of the Northern Armies, and the wisest Elf that ever Elfed and his lovely beard we have yet to witness, Círdan (who will be portrayed by Ben Daniels).

We also witness other moments with rings, particularly with King Durin caressing a massive blue-crystal jeweled gold ring that might rival the Arkenstone. Also, what appears to be a consequence of the siege’s mayhem, we are teased with a moment where Celebrimbor seems to be destroying rings in a furnace. We also see him missing a hand. (That probably has many Silmarillion fans wondering if this is something to do with the Silmaril-mithril connection (S1.E5), how Beren lost his hand, and… Alright, alright, I won’t go there!)

With these rings and the return of Sauron, now comes all the things I find myself scratching my head over. As a horror genre fan, I could not ignore the highly spooky vibes of this teaser. I’ve often said that to understand the eucatastrophe described by Tolkien, you must also (sometimes) recontextualize what he wrote in the framework of existential nihilism. For a Tolkien-inspired television series, this recontextualization can translate to the screen as (seemingly) unrelated horror moments. As far as this teaser goes, I have no Tolkienian clue what is happening with the tar creature, the Rhûn moth witch, the creeping vines, and the horrifying Cthulhu-shark. All I can say is that I’m disturbed, unnerved, and distressed, and this is precisely the feeling I want when Sauron comes to visit.

The image of an Orc-licking a blood-soaked dagger… BRING IT ON, HERUMOR! DEAAAAAAATTTTHHHH!

Finally, I would like to make a statement. Fans of fantasy television can debate ad nauseam about which show is better, The Rings of Power or The House of Dragon. Regardless, I would like it settled once and for all that there is only one Lord (of the Wigs), and he does not share fashion power!

An addendum. For the few who know me and my fondness for Númenor and Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle). There is much I can speculate about Númenor, but I will not do so. (I’m still sore about Season 1.) What I do offer, however, is one hypothesis that Pharazôn will most definitely be riding an eagle this season. He absolutely has no ill intentions toward any of Manwë’s beloved creatures. Given his beard, I’m sure that makes him look ultra-friendly to the giant birds, who have always loved helping out other bearded dudes in the Third Age.

The artist behind Pharazôn Rides An Eagle is Stickybeebae. You can follow (and tip) her on Instagram.

About the author:

DrNosy is a scientist (physical science), scholar, and Tolkien enthusiast. Her primary interests lie in review and analysis of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. She is an active contributor and Moderator on TheOneRing.net Discord where she also hosts live open-forum panel discussions on The Rings of Power, The Silmarillion, and a variety of Tolkien-related topics. You can reach her on Instagram.

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What is ‘The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir’ and where does it fit into Tolkien works? Is Amazon’s The Rings Of Power making up new lore?

In this article, TORn Discord Moderator DrNosy examines the introduction of a new Elven Folklore – ‘The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir’ – in Season One’s fifth episode as a plot device in The Rings Of Power.

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What is “The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir”?

In the words of Elrond himself, ‘The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir’ is “an obscure legend regarded by most to be apocryphal” [Ed note: emphasis added]. Elrond is underscoring the point that this legend is folklore.

The fantasy works of Tolkien are based in European folklore. Folklore is described as the beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, that might be passed within that community through the generations. Folklore often contains details specific to the beliefs of the community.

Now, this is what makes folklore interesting — their origins are often based in truth. Not literal truths but something akin to parables and fables that hint at a truth. After all, you may have heard it said, “the truth is [more frightening] than fiction”.

For example, in Western folklore, we are familiar with the concept of ‘werewolves’. This lore is entirely fictitious. Yet the lore itself arises from a truth, and has a purpose. That purpose was our ancestors’ way of warning us about metaphorical wolves in our midst, i.e., ‘serial killers’.

Werewolf legends derive from early Nordic folklore. Specifically, The Saga of the Volsungs tells of a tale of a father and son who discover wolf pelts with the power to turn people into wolves. Donning these pelts, the father and son duo embark on a rampage killing many. There is also have a fifteenth-century account of a vicious serial killer in Bedburg, Germany, whose actions were enshrined into local folklore as a man that turned into wolf-like creature at night before his killing spree.

Folklore and fables are essential to human survival. They function as a warning to the listener about the realities of the world without exposure to the brutality of its truths. They are a way to keep us safe.

`Nobody goes off-trail and nobody walks alone`

Returning to our `apocryphal` origin of mithril, ‘The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir’ is not based in any Tolkien texts. Within The Rings of Power story, however, it functions as an Elven folklore founded on the nature of mithril and the truth of what else might lie beneath the Misty Mountains.

Note the words of Celeborn, one of the wisest of Tolkien’s Elves, who offers a pertinent reminder to not cheaply discount (their) lore.

‘Then I need say no more,’ said Celeborn. ‘But do not despise the lore that has come down from distant years; for oft it may chance that old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know.’
Farewell to Lórien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Making mythril

An Elven warrior (`with a heart as pure as Manwë`) and a Balrog (`all his hatred`) poured themselves into a tree bearing the light of Silmarils. One seeking to protect it, the other seeking to destroy it. Lighting (likely from Manwë) struck the tree which resulted in the creation of the tree’s roots… veins of mithril into the mountain.

This sacrifice made by both warrior and Balrog resulted in the subcreation of mithril — a thing of unimpeachable goodness yet also of unsurpassed peril.

`The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir` is a cautionary fable for all the peoples of Middle-earth. While mithril will bring glory to Dwarves, salvation to the Elves, and riches to Men, it will also bring inevitable Doom upon those who seek it.

In this fashion, Gil-galad’s hope in mithril (as of Episode 5) also mirrors an aspect that Tolkien described in a letter to Milton Waldman:

[But] the problem: this frightful evil can and does arise from an apparently good root, the desire to benefit the world and others.
Letter #131, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien

Thus, even though mithril comes from a good root a frightful evil will arise from it.

About the author:

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