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Priya · 11-02-2025, 09:33 PM

Summary Discussion: Barrow-downs Episode

So with that last post summing up how ‘widershins’ was so cleverly woven into the tale, I’m going to reemphasize some of the more important findings from all of my posts.

As well as attempting to reconcile from where Tolkien might have pulled literary fragments, experiences and information from our real-world into The Lord of the Rings, my ultimate aim has been one notch higher. And that is to use source knowledge to understand the story. Because my contention is that without it - we cannot make sense of specific text in The Lord of the Rings. With my underlined emphasis, text such as:

“ … ‘Whoa! Whoa! steady there!’ cried the old man, holding up one hand, and they stopped short, as if they had been struck stiff.

“ ‘ … Don’t you go a-meddling with old stone …’ “.

“… suddenly he saw, towering ominous before him and leaning slightly towards one another like the pillars of a headless door, two huge standing stones. He could not remember having seen any sign of these in the valley, when he looked out from the hill in the morning.”

“He had passed between them almost before he was aware: and even as he did so darkness seemed to fall round him.”

“Sam!’ he called. ‘Pippin! Merry! Come along! Why don’t you keep up?’
There was no answer.“

“… he ran back past the stones shouting wildly: ‘Sam! Sam! Merry! Pippin!’ The pony bolted into the mist and vanished.”

“… a pale greenish light was growing round him.”

“ … the light seemed to be coming out of himself, and from the floor beside him, …”.

“After a long slow moment he heard plain, but far away, as if it was coming down through the ground or through thick walls, an answering voice singing:
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, …”.

“Though Frodo looked about him on every side he saw no sign of the great stones standing like a gate, …”.

I’m sad to say that until now I have not seen any scholarship that addresses these items adequately, and none that tackles them collectively. Indeed, there is very little published about them at all. And what does exist barely scratches the surface. But my feeling is that a very important part of the tale has been missing from our understanding.

This all leads me to conclude, in repetition from a previous post, that there really are no ‘experts’. Very simply if one is unable to explain the story - how can an expertise be claimed? The only ‘expert’ was the Professor himself. In any case:

Do you now understand the episode on the Barrow-downs?
Do you understand why Tolkien decided to include a shallow green-mounded hill with a single standing stone in the middle of its hollow?
Do you understand how the landscape ties in with Celtic Lore and Tara?
Do you understand why Tolkien employed fog?
Do you now understand how a purposely designed route around the central standing stone was surreptitiously inserted into the text?
Do you understand why magical menhirs (forming a gate) appeared?
… Why there was darkness upon passing between the standing stones?
… Why Frodo’s friends didn’t answer him after he’d passed through the gateway formed by the standing stones?
Do you understand why a time-lapse occurred in the separation of Frodo from his friends?
Do you understand part of Tom’s Celtic persona?
Do you understand why Tom’s voice appeared to come from underground in his rescue?
Do you understand why a growing green light appeared inside the barrow?
Do you understand why it seemed to emanate from the ground?
Do you understand how the episode ties in with Faërie and Tolkien’s pointed comment in OFS?

“Most good “fairy-stories” are about the adventures of men* in the Perilous Realm or upon its shadowy marches.”

Yes - central to Tolkien’s plan was the inclusion and presence of another faërie:

Middle-earth Faërie !!!

* For of course, Hobbits are just a diminutive branch of mankind.

11-02-2025, 09:33 PM	#27
Priya Animated Skeleton Join Date: Sep 2023 Posts: 33	Summary Discussion: Barrow-downs Episode So with that last post summing up how ‘widershins’ was so cleverly woven into the tale, I’m going to reemphasize some of the more important findings from all of my posts. As well as attempting to reconcile from where Tolkien might have pulled literary fragments, experiences and information from our real-world into The Lord of the Rings, my ultimate aim has been one notch higher. And that is to use source knowledge to understand the story. Because my contention is that without it - we cannot make sense of specific text in The Lord of the Rings. With my underlined emphasis, text such as: “ … ‘Whoa! Whoa! steady there!’ cried the old man, holding up one hand, and they stopped short, as if they had been struck stiff. “ ‘ … Don’t you go a-meddling with old stone …’ “. “… suddenly he saw, towering ominous before him and leaning slightly towards one another like the pillars of a headless door, two huge standing stones. He could not remember having seen any sign of these in the valley, when he looked out from the hill in the morning.” “He had passed between them almost before he was aware: and even as he did so darkness seemed to fall round him.” “Sam!’ he called. ‘Pippin! Merry! Come along! Why don’t you keep up?’ There was no answer.“ “… he ran back past the stones shouting wildly: ‘Sam! Sam! Merry! Pippin!’ The pony bolted into the mist and vanished.” “… a pale greenish light was growing round him.” “ … the light seemed to be coming out of himself, and from the floor beside him, …”. “After a long slow moment he heard plain, but far away, as if it was coming down through the ground or through thick walls, an answering voice singing: Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow, …”. “Though Frodo looked about him on every side he saw no sign of the great stones standing like a gate, …”. I’m sad to say that until now I have not seen any scholarship that addresses these items adequately, and none that tackles them collectively. Indeed, there is very little published about them at all. And what does exist barely scratches the surface. But my feeling is that a very important part of the tale has been missing from our understanding. This all leads me to conclude, in repetition from a previous post, that there really are no ‘experts’. Very simply if one is unable to explain the story - how can an expertise be claimed? The only ‘expert’ was the Professor himself. In any case: Do you now understand the episode on the Barrow-downs? Do you understand why Tolkien decided to include a shallow green-mounded hill with a single standing stone in the middle of its hollow? Do you understand how the landscape ties in with Celtic Lore and Tara? Do you understand why Tolkien employed fog? Do you now understand how a purposely designed route around the central standing stone was surreptitiously inserted into the text? Do you understand why magical menhirs (forming a gate) appeared? … Why there was darkness upon passing between the standing stones? … Why Frodo’s friends didn’t answer him after he’d passed through the gateway formed by the standing stones? Do you understand why a time-lapse occurred in the separation of Frodo from his friends? Do you understand part of Tom’s Celtic persona? Do you understand why Tom’s voice appeared to come from underground in his rescue? Do you understand why a growing green light appeared inside the barrow? Do you understand why it seemed to emanate from the ground? Do you understand how the episode ties in with Faërie and Tolkien’s pointed comment in OFS? “Most good “fairy-stories” are about the adventures of men* in the Perilous Realm or upon its shadowy marches.” Yes - central to Tolkien’s plan was the inclusion and presence of another faërie: Middle-earth Faërie !!! * For of course, Hobbits are just a diminutive branch of mankind.