[davem]

Let me try something, inspired by Flieger's Splintered Light. It was originally put together about the movie, but maybe someone will find it relevant here.

In the movie, Arwen defies the Ringwraiths at the Ford. She has already told Aragorn that she does not fear them. But The Ringwraith's greatest weapon is terror. They make one go to pieces with terror. That is how they effect virtually everyone who encounters them. When they want to kill someone they have to use weapons.

In Tolkien's philosophical/theological worldview this 'make one go to pieces' is important. Bear with me.

Tolkien sees the process of change as being based in fragmetation/splintering of a primal unity. Change is necessary - it is the manifesting of the Music of the Ainur, but it is a movement away from unity.

The world begins when Eru speaks the single word EA! ('Let these things (the things sung in the Music) Be!'). Then this single word becomes language, as more words (because more 'things') are brought into being. So we have Valarin, the language spoken by the Valar. This is intimately tied to the idea of Light. At this time ME is lit by the lamps, which Melkor subsequently throws down. The light of the Lamps is a constant, pure light. Byt the time the Elves arrive, Light is supplied by the Two Trees, the Light is now dual, Gold & Silver, & it pulsates, so the Light is splintered & lessened. Therefore the language of the Elves, Quenya, is lesser than the Valarin, but it still reflects the Light. The Light is further splintered into the Silmarils, its now three. Then we return to ME with the Exiles, & we encounter Sindarin, a lesser language, but there are also other Elven languages - Tolkien depicted various fragmentations of Elven tongues, a continuous process, with the Green Elves, etc. Light is splintered & so is language, moving further & further away from a language which can express the purity of the Light, to ones which brings in more & more metaphor & similie.

So the idea Tolkien is trying to communicate is of Unity fragmenting into smaller & smaller parts, moving further & further from the single word & Light of Eru. Necessary change if the music is to be played out, but change away from, rather than toward an ideal - at least until the ultimate ideal is achieved, & the music is played out in full.

So as the Light is fragmented it is lessened with each fragmenting. Ultimately, the fragmentation, if pushed to its extreme, is darkness, the darkness of Ungoliant, if you like, an 'unlight' rather than mere absence. The Ringwraiths symbolise this. At the Ford, Nine fragments of darkness are confronted by One Light - Glorfindel. And it has to be Glorfindel. It cannot be Arwen. Arwen is one of the Half Elven, as much in danger of the power of the Ringwraiths as any other 'ordinary' being in ME. She would 'go to pieces - her being would be fragmented. She would be 'infected by their fragmentation, which would overwhelm her 'unity' of identity.

Glorfindel, on the other hand, is one of the Exiles, who had seen the light of the Trees. The Light (unity) of Aman was in his face. He had also died, & been purified of his 'sin' in Mandos, so he also has returned to his state of primal perfection, before his 'fall' in the rebellion. He can defy the Ringwraiths, as he did the Witchking earlier in the Third Age. Arwen could not. What the filmakers do, by having Arwen able to stand against them, is to lessen their power, & go directly against Tolkien's philosophical/theological vision

We see the same thing happen when Gandalf the White(the 'single', unified' light), confronts & overcomes Saruman of Many Colours (the 'fragmented', broken light - 'He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of Wisdom'. Saruman has broken the primal unity of Light & Language, & therefore betrayed his mission, which is to fight the deliberate, malicious, unnatural fragmenting of the Light by Sauron.) Change, fragmentation is necessary, but it can be pushed too far, & lead to the complete shattering of Arda, where darkness replaces light, & the music is ended before it can be completed