[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

This is the chapter that raised a question for me that could only be solved by beginning to write a story (which, alas, I have sadly neglected) - my fan fiction that answers the question, "Whatever happened to Folco Boffin?" He's never again mentioned, though he is here said to be one of the four closest friends. I must continue it soon...

I must say I was never that troubled concerning Folco (probably like many others I just ignored him as a minor character), but since you alerted me of it some (longer) time ago, I started to think about it more. And I think you should return and continue that story, if you have time (and inspiration, mainly), because it's great!

This chapter also repeats the poem that is most important to me, "The Road goes ever on".

Actually, this chapter is stuffed with poems, resp. songs, as it is in several of the following chapters (the most, of course, with Tom Bombadil) - these are the merry walking tunes before we end up in the silent and unfriendly wilderness (though even there we are going to hear some songs, like Sam's song about the troll or the Fall of Gil-Galad or the bit from Beren and Lúthien's tale). You have "The Road goes ever on", then this marching song, and praise for Elbereth. All these songs are beautiful and when I read them, it recalls the memories of my first readings of the book - I don't know how to explain that, probably the songs "preserve" the most the original feeling. Or it has maybe something to do with the fact that when I was some 9 years old, I read and sang (with my own melody that I invented at the very moment) all the songs from the beginning of the book till the end of chapter 6, and I still have them recorded on tape.

The closing part of the chapter, with Frodo's talk with Gildor, is full of quotable sentences! "The wide world is all about you..."; "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards..." (always good for parody versions like the one with ketchup!); "Go not to the Elves..."; "Advice is a dangerous gift..."; and "Courage is found in unlikely places...", to name the most important lines.

True indeed. This is also the first time since Elrond or the Elven King in the Hobbit when we meet a significant Elf character, and so he can provide us with information in the Elven fashion. Anyway, Gildor is a great character and he would deserve more, or, better said, he stimulates one to think more about him in person - he seems very complex even though his role is still minor; at least to me.

Oh, by the way, Hammond and Scull suggest that the line Frodo uses to call Sam away from the beer barrel at the beginning of this chapter could purposely be similar to that heard in an English pub at closing time!

Hooray!
Or it was unintentional byproduct of Tolkien's subconscious

Anyway, as for overall feeling of this chapter, I just glimpsed davem's post at the beginning on this thread where he said this chapter contains a transition from one world to another. I wholeheartedly disagree. Even the Elves and Gildor still belong to the Shire for me, even the Rider chasing the Hobbits, despite Frodo's debate with Gildor about that "this is not their own Shire". We are still in the, so to say, kindergarten-stage (with no negative meaning), it is a pleasant Shire and I always had the feeling that this could happen to me everyday during a walk - simply because this is our own Shire. In other words, one Black Rider during the day and a group of elves in the night is what is the thing closest to experience even in the most mundane circumstances, because the hobbits also experienced it in the most mundane circumstances.