[tar-ancalime]

I don't know about these arguments that hold that women were excluded because of an unfortunate lack of warrior-princess-ness or even because of their moon cycles. Every member of the Fellowship was imperfect, and each gave to it according to his ability. The hobbits, for example, had to be carried down the mountain when the snow was too deep for them, and they made up 44% of the Fellowship. Their journey to Rivendell also was not exactly an advertisement for their worldliness or discretion. And they're not the only ones who don't always seem to be assets to the strength of the group.

Dwarves don't ride well, Elves have no stomach for caves, and the Gondorian never even said he was along for the whole journey. I don't think the Fellowship was ever about usefulness--I think it was symbolic, made up of all the Free Peoples (except Ents, evidently), and the number nine was arbitrarily chosen not for any practical purpose but to set Nine Walkers against Nine Riders. I really think that the purpose of the Fellowship was to show solidarity among the many races of Middle-Earth, to make a highly symbolic move against the Enemy, and only incidentally to help Frodo. Everyone knew that it would eventually come down to a hobbit, standing alone at the Sammath Naur, and that were he accompanied by a whole army the end of the journey would be the same.