[Fordim Hedgethistle]

So much to say, so much to read, so much to address in this wonderful chapter: *pant* *pant*.

'Perilous indeed,' said Aragorn, 'fair and perilous; but only evil need fear it, or those who bring some evil with them. Follow me!'

I think that this comment is directed by Aragorn straight at Boromir, for he knows that Boromir, for all of his warrior’s abilities and nobility of heart, suffers from one of the greatest weaknesses in Men of this age: ignorance. Boromir doesn’t know about the Golden Wood, just as he didn’t know about the Balrog; Boromir is utterly ignorant of the conflict between light and dark that this chapter is so much about. Lord Melkor makes the interesting point that Boromir’s ignorance of the Balrog makes his charge more heroic than Aragorn’s which becomes by comparison foolhardy – to that, I would argue the contrary: it takes a brave man to charge a Balrog! (And you know what, given who Aragorn is, I think he might have stood a chance!) I’m afraid on this one I must agree with my esteemed colleague Bêthberry: Boromir is an admirable Man, but one who is interested primarily, if not wholly, in himself and his own land: his vision is narrow, and as a consequence he sees himself as a big fish in what turns out to be a pond smaller than he had supposed.

The word “perilous” is, of course, wonderful, for it sets up Lorien not as a dangerous place, but as one that is full of risks; it’s risky entering the Golden Woods, unlike going into Moria which is just downright dangerous. Like all risks, the dangers are offset by possible rewards. Nothing is given in Lorien without a commensurate price being paid (the Fellowship is admitted, but they must go blindfolded; they gain shelter for a time, but Gollum is now following them).

This leads me into another important comparison that I think is taking place in the chapter. The comments so far on the relationship between Dwarves and Elves have been wonderful, but what about the connection being stated between Lorien and the Shire?

'Welcome!' the Elf then said again in the Common Language, speaking slowly. 'We seldom use any tongue but our own; for we dwell now in the heart of the forest, and do not willingly have dealings with any other folk.'

'We had not heard of -- hobbits, or halflings, for many a long year, and did not know that any yet dwelt in Middle-earth. You do not look evil!'

Switch the words “Elf” and “Hobbit” in the above two quotes, and the speaker could easily be Ted Sandyman rather than Haldir! The Elves of Lorien seemingly have the same kind or parochial attitude as to the Hobbits: they are inward looking and concerned primarily with the preservation of their own world. In this way, they are a lot like Boromir as well, who knows little of the lands beyond Gondor and cares to know even less. In fact, of all the members of the Fellowship, it is only Aragorn (now that Gandalf is gone) who not only has knowledge of all these various realms, but who is welcome in each and is able to traverse them.

Frodo makes the distinction between Rivendell as a land of “memory” and Lorien as a place where “the Elder Days” still exist. This is the continuation and perhaps the fulfilment of his move from the Shire, where he got his first real ‘history lesson’ – he’s moving from history (the distanced and objectified relation of the past) through memory (personal/individual apprehension of the past) to actually being in the past. davem has already magnificently addressed the nature of Lorien as a timeless realm so I shall not duplicate his points here. I will merely add to this point the observation that from this point of the narrative and following, the company will move away from this timeless ‘heart’ and into the realm of history once more. It’s almost as though, having moved from history to the personal experience of the past, the company is now fully prepared to participate in that continuing history.

This chapter ends with one of the most affecting moments in the book; it gets me every time:

And taking Frodo's hand in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as living man.

This moment always reminds me of the affinity between Frodo and Aragorn; they are two very different kinds of heroes, but there are some important commonalities. For Aragorn, Lothlorien is his Shire: it is where he is content, and where he would like to remain at his ease forever, but it is his doom to leave this place forever in order to save it. Both Aragorn and Frodo gain through the course of their trials a wider vision of the world – Aragorn has already achieved this, while Frodo is on his way toward this wider view. The consequence of this larger apprehension, however, is the loss of the easy innocence which allows others to remain within the closed borders of their world. It’s telling that it is Frodo and Aragorn who stand atop Cerin Amroth and see ‘the lay of the land’ for they are the two heroes who are on journeys that will end with a full view of the world. The rest will be able to retain some of their innocence, some of their limited view, and retreat within the comfortable confines of their homes at the conclusion. At the same time, I think that Boromir is there as a warning against adopting too closed a view: by refusing to see wider or beyond, he falls to the peril of the Ring.