… continued from my previous post
If one looks at the element’s chemical symbol – what might be interpreted is that a cross forms a foundation over which a ring has a connection, but no hold – for ultimately the upper ring is broken.
Mercury – Element Symbol
To the ancient Gauls Mercury is accredited as the ‘inventor of the arts’:
“Julius Caesar in his Commentaries on the Gallic War … of the gods of the continental Celts, … declares that their principal divinity was Mercury, whom they held to be the inventor of the arts …”.
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The Religions of the World, Chapter XV – pg. 290, G.A. Barton, 1919
Mercury then is a true master just like Bombadil:
“ ‘… Tom Bombadil is master.’ ”
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The Fellowship of the Ring, In the House of Tom Bombadil
“He is master in a peculiar way: …”.
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter #153 – September 1954, Edited by H. Carpenter, 1981 (Tolkien’s italicized emphasis on ‘master’)
Tolkien may have inwardly chuckled as the god has a linguistic side. Apart from the ‘erm’ and ‘mer’ in Hermes and Mercury being interchangeable, the Professor may have been reminded of these deities often enough in constantly dealing with ‘hermeneutics’ – the science of interpretation. The god had mastery over philology then!
In legend, Mercury watched over roads and borders while protecting travelers:
“The Gaulish ‘Mercury’ … presided over roads, markets, and boundaries, …”.
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Origins of English History, Chapter X – pg. 258, C. Elton, 1882
“… their principal god was Mercury, … guide of travellers; …”.
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Orpheus: A General History of Religions, Caesar on the Gods of Gaul – pg. 119, S. Reinach, 1909
Such facets are reflected in the novel through Tom escorting the hobbits to the edge of his land, along with his own claims:
“Tom’s country*ends here: he will not pass the borders.”
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The Fellowship of the Ring, Fog on the Barrow-downs
“ ‘… He made paths before the Big People, …’ ”.
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The Fellowship of the Ring, In the House of Tom Bombadil
It is well known Mercury was a messenger and trickster god. Both angles were displayed by Tom in the ‘tricks’ he played with the ring and the multiple dream-vision messages the hobbits received while in his company:
“Tom laughed again, and then he spun the Ring in the air – and it*vanished with a flash.”
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The Fellowship of the Ring, In the House of Tom Bombadil
“… as he spoke they had a vision … Men, tall and grim with bright swords, and last came one with a star on his brow.”
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The Fellowship of the Ring, Fog on the Barrow-downs
… to be continued