The wisdom of Middle-earth
Feb. 13th, 2013 04:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerThey are having a neat discussion at TORN about the wisdom of Middle-earth. Seems like it would be a fun thing to explore here.
My own response is here behind the cut, but I'd love to see what others might say:
1. Mercy: From TH: "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 sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: 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 second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.
No great leap for a man, but a leap in the dark. Straight over Gollum's head he jumped, seven feet forward and three in the air: indeed had he known it, he only just missed cracking his skull on the low arch of the passage..."
From LotR: "Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends."
2. Generosity: No particular quote comes to mind, but the characters display it often. Bilbo gives away the Arkenstone to make peace, and gives away most of his treasure as well. Elrond is known for his kind hospitality. Eomer generously lends horses to strangers in his land; Faramir gives succour and supplies to Frodo and Sam in spite of danger to himself. Merry even gives some of his pipeweed to Saruman who doesn't deserve it in the least, and to bring things full circle, Bilbo gives away the last of his treasure to Sam…there are countless other examples but those always come to my mind first.
3. Friendship and Loyalty: From LotR: " 'It all depends on what you want,' put in Merry. 'You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin—to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours—closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway; there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the Ring. We are horribly afraid—but we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.' "
(This quote is the one that made me lose my heart to hobbits 45 years ago; friendship like that is rare and precious, and most earnestly to be desired. Up until that point, I had been enjoying a nice story. From that point on, it became personal.)
4. Courage: Again, too many for only one example to stick out, though the first one that comes to my mind is Frodo in the Barrow, and the second is Merry facing the W-k. Bilbo deciding to go back after the Dwarves after he escapes the Goblin caverns also comes to mind—he did not know at that point that they had already escaped, or that they were discussing leaving him behind at that very moment…
5. The Value of Simple Things: From TH: "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
From LotR: "And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and put little Elanor upon his lap.
He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said."
6. The Beauty of Sorrow and Joy: From LotR: "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."
And also: "And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them, now in the Elven-tongue, now in the speech of the West, until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness."
(That second quote always and inevitably brings both a tear to my eye, and a smile to my lips.)
7. Sacrifice: From LotR: "It must often be so, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."
(And this is the quotation I most often think of when I hear of the sacrifices made by our guardians in the military or in law-enforcement.)
There are many other lessons I've learned from Tolkien's words, but these stand out for me above all others.
My own response is here behind the cut, but I'd love to see what others might say:
1. Mercy: From TH: "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 sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: 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 second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.
No great leap for a man, but a leap in the dark. Straight over Gollum's head he jumped, seven feet forward and three in the air: indeed had he known it, he only just missed cracking his skull on the low arch of the passage..."
From LotR: "Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends."
2. Generosity: No particular quote comes to mind, but the characters display it often. Bilbo gives away the Arkenstone to make peace, and gives away most of his treasure as well. Elrond is known for his kind hospitality. Eomer generously lends horses to strangers in his land; Faramir gives succour and supplies to Frodo and Sam in spite of danger to himself. Merry even gives some of his pipeweed to Saruman who doesn't deserve it in the least, and to bring things full circle, Bilbo gives away the last of his treasure to Sam…there are countless other examples but those always come to my mind first.
3. Friendship and Loyalty: From LotR: " 'It all depends on what you want,' put in Merry. 'You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin—to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours—closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway; there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the Ring. We are horribly afraid—but we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.' "
(This quote is the one that made me lose my heart to hobbits 45 years ago; friendship like that is rare and precious, and most earnestly to be desired. Up until that point, I had been enjoying a nice story. From that point on, it became personal.)
4. Courage: Again, too many for only one example to stick out, though the first one that comes to my mind is Frodo in the Barrow, and the second is Merry facing the W-k. Bilbo deciding to go back after the Dwarves after he escapes the Goblin caverns also comes to mind—he did not know at that point that they had already escaped, or that they were discussing leaving him behind at that very moment…
5. The Value of Simple Things: From TH: "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
From LotR: "And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and put little Elanor upon his lap.
He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said."
6. The Beauty of Sorrow and Joy: From LotR: "The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."
And also: "And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them, now in the Elven-tongue, now in the speech of the West, until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness."
(That second quote always and inevitably brings both a tear to my eye, and a smile to my lips.)
7. Sacrifice: From LotR: "It must often be so, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."
(And this is the quotation I most often think of when I hear of the sacrifices made by our guardians in the military or in law-enforcement.)
There are many other lessons I've learned from Tolkien's words, but these stand out for me above all others.
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no subject
Date: 2013-02-13 11:48 pm (UTC)I really love this quote: “Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends." It has long been a favorite and I can’t rightly pinpoint why. It rings very true to me and hits a cord, but I’m not able to express why. I do think there is a lesson in not judging so quickly and as harshly as humans often do and that regardless of what anyone has done there is more to them than those actions.
Hope is perhaps not a lesson, but to me Middle-Earth is full of hope. Hope that there is an end where kindness and beauty still flourishes. That regardless of how dark and weary the world is, beauty is still to be found and all the more beautiful because it is mingled with grief. I will forever love Sam’s speech about why people don’t turn back, even when things are at the worst, because they know there is something worth fighting for. Goodness and decency. That although they and the world will never be the same, and parts will most certainly be well beyond healing, there will be a time when one can breathe a sigh and let go of a burden. Where one can enjoy laughter, friendship and beauty.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-14 01:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-14 12:51 am (UTC)a leap in the dark. Straight over Gollum's head
Wasn't that done beautifully in the film?
*happy*
no subject
Date: 2013-02-14 01:22 am (UTC)The entire "Riddles in the Dark" sequence was one of the most perfect things I have ever seen. Andy Serkis has never been better as Gollum (and he was great to begin with) and Martin Freeman just continued to BE Bilbo!
It was stunning.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-14 03:17 pm (UTC)