As I sadly don't have the book with me at this point, I will only speak about the scene that is most vivid in my mind, that is of course, the final one of the chapter.
The mood that grips the Rohirrim at this stage is similar to the so called 'beserk' mood that the Viking warriors used to indulge in at times, although Tolkien thankfully lacks in gruesome detail in favour of an epic big picture. The so called 'beserker warriors' dressed in animal skins and caught in the battle frenzy commited various acts of cruelty like ripping limbs off with bare hands. They became legendary and their behaviour made them very frightening to their enemies. I think this is also what
Aldarion was referring to as 'blood lust' (correct me if you has something else in mind).
Quote:
|
These things are inside them, as they were inside their ancestors.
|
Yes, and this also fits with Tolkien's obvious inspiration from Anglo-Saxon culture for the Rohirrim. He greatly admired their culture and way of life, and he preferred their simplicity to the evolution brought on by Norman conquest.
This battle scene, does seem to be as
Estelyn put it quite the paradox. I'd even be so bold to say it's a paradox when it comes to the feelings it awakens in the reader. We are moved, in spite of ourselves, in spite of us thinking of ourselves as civilised people not delighting in battle and slaughter :P. But in the end, what moves us are words, polished words, poetry, as
Davem brilliantly points out. I doubt many of us would be moved by it were we to be there at the centre of blood and gore. But I think a storyteller's aim is not to make us feel what we would if we were there ourselves, but to make us feel like the central characters of the story, like Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, and the other Rohirrim that stood on that hill and watched Minas Tirith overcome with enemies. And if we, while reading it, feel a bit of their cold fury and grim pleasure in the destruction of evil, then Tolkien has proven his genius once more. And we have once more proven to ourselves our ability to immerse completely into a well written book and come out a little richer in feelings.
I think it would be dumb to generalize from here and say that battles are glorified, or even worse, to use such scenes as an attempt to justify modern day wars, which habit frankly disgusts me. Sorry for the brief slip into subjective mode.
As for the singing....I think I have a pretty good idea what Theoden and his men were singing as they rode into Gondor.
Has anyone heard the Italian power metal band Rhapsody? They have a couple of really epic songs that echo LOTR to me, and the song
'Knightrider of Doom' reminds me very powerfully of the ride of the Rohirrim. I'll quote the chorus here to give you a taste of it:
'In this blood red dawn / I will wash my soul to call the spirit of vengeance / To deny my wisdom for anger/ To break the scream of the silent foe and be a Knightrider of Doom."
Give this song a listen if you're open to new experiences
.