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Old 09-11-2020, 03:23 PM   #14
Boromir88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuruharan View Post
Not that I am disputing the contention, but I've hunted and I haven't found an explicit statement from Tolkien (in his authoritative voice) saying that a Ringwraith was not directly involved in the attack on the attack on the Pony. Can anybody point me to the specific reference?

Admittedly, my HoME library is not complete.
I'm not aware of a specific reference, I just go by Aragorn's (and Butterbur's) statements. Being characters in the story, they could be wrong, but they make sense...

Quote:
'No, I think not,' said Strider. 'They are not all here yet. And in any case that is not their way. In dark and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people - not until they are desperate, not while all the long leagues of Eriador still lie before us. But their power is in terror, and already some in Bree are in their clutch. They will drive these wretches to some evil work: Ferny, and some of the strangers, and, maybe the gatekeeper too...'~Strider
On September 26th 2 Nazgul enter Bree (4 were in the Shire, the other 3 were said to be keeping a watch on the Greenway south of Bree). Butterbur says he shut the door on them and bid them off.

September 29th is Frodo's "accident" in the Prancing Pony.
September 30th, over night Crickhollow and The Prancing Pony are attacked.

However, I don't think it was the Nazgul that ripped up the beds because of Aragorn's point they aren't all there yet "and in any case that is not their way." Because they aren't all there yet to where they would attack a "house where there are lights and many people," not when they could drive Ferny and his men to some mischief.

Also, there's Butterbur: "But spooks or no spooks, they won't get in The Pony so easy.' He already shut the door on the 2 that came to Bree on the 26th, so there's no reason to think he's blowing smoke by telling the hobbits they won't get into the Pony easily.

I believe the attack on the pony, in combination with Ferny having the only horse available, was meant to try to delay their departure until all 9 could be gathered together and then the Nazgul could attack them in the open land. There's 1 in Bree (Merry comes under the black breath) but on September 29th at most there only appears to be 2 Nazgul and they were simply putting Ferny to work in order to delay Aragorn and the hobbits departure.

Edit:

Another point that I kept reminding myself during my most recent reading...as the readers we learn all the information, but it's interesting to step back and think that not all the Ringwraiths have all the same information that we have.

Only 4 enter the Shire, so it's reasonable to imagine the 5 who did not, don't know all the information that the 4 who entered the Shire know. The 4 then find out Frodo's moving to Crickhollow, but did not know Frodo was leaving Crickhollow and Fatty's diversion worked. The 2 that came to Bree only know Frodo had not come there yet, but he might be. I imagine there had to be quite a lot of messages going back and forth as the 9 are rather spread out until early October, when all 9 attack Gandalf on October 3rd.
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Last edited by Boromir88; 09-11-2020 at 03:49 PM.
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