"You carry the fate of us all, little one."

[Neferchoirwen]

"taking on the sins of Middle Earth."

I generally agree with Frodo taking on a significant role in the middle of a eucatastrophy, bringing the One Ring to Mordor doesn't mean that he is taking on the "sins" of the entire world per se. In comparison to Christ, what he did was more than just throwing some "nuclear bomb" into where it should be. "Sins" right there seems to me as a heavy word.

Although, it is enough to say that Frodo did the improbable (because no one else would wanted to deal with the Ring and Mordor ever) and that made him Christ figure enough.

I agree more with the idea of Gandalf as a prophet. He does have a stellar identity (literally) more than the characters he interacts with will ever realize. He does remind me of Jesus Christ the man who gave up being a divine being in Heaven to help save the people of earth. But Gandalf takes on a more "behind the scenes" part in the comings and goings of Middle Earth. The amazing thing about him is that he puts up with the humans he deals with, and harnesses a lot of patience laced with a lot of fascination when he goes around. Call that unconditional love. But I don't find him of a Christ figure in that he did not sacrifice anything compared to what Frodo did. He was more of a fact-finding initiator and ambassador.

I do get it that Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn put together make the complete picture of Christ. But the one who does it for me most is Frodo.

(as of this post, an earth quake just happened; at first, I thought I was getting dizzy and began to worry about forgetting the whole point of this post--oh well)

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Great post, Neferchoirwen!

I didn't intend to say that the Ring is the sins of Middle-earth, but it certainly is a good symbol for them. It represents the desire that was the first sin of Melkor: desiring power apart from Eru. It is also like sin in its (almost) irresistability to all (except Bombadil, of course).

Gandalf is very much a prophet, I agree, but his powers seem to go a bit farther than that. His healing of Theoden is, perhaps, the act of a prophet, but the charge to dispel the Nazgul in the fields of Pelennor is beyond any mortal's ability (and, obviously, we know he isn't mortal).

Tolkien called Gandalf "strictly an angelos" (the Greek word with the dual meaning of "angel" or "messenger"). This is a good way to describe him because, as mentioned, he is of divine race, and he was sent by the Valar with the explicit purpose of being a messenger to the Free Peoples of Middle-earth.

I agree with your comments on Gandalf and Frodo. This is certainly a fascinating discussion, and I look forward to more feedback.

[tar-ancalime]

Great posts, everyone!

The Elves, the Hobbits, and the Dwarves (and the Ents, too) are the diminishing races of Middle-Earth at the end of the Third Age. Why must Frodo take their tokens with him to Mount Doom? Why are Men, who will be the dominant race of Middle-Earth in the following Ages, only so peripherally involved in Frodo's symbolic Fellowship? Along the way, Men like Aragorn and Faramir provide aid to Frodo, but they never continue to travel with him in the way that Elves and Dwarves do (in the form of the items he is given). They remain in their own world, to fight different kinds of battles.

And most interesting to me (because I can't seem to reconcile it with my idea yet), why is it necessary for Frodo to lose the symbols of the other races and face the chasm naked and alone?

[Imladris]

And most interesting to me (because I can't seem to reconcile it with my idea yet), why is it necessary for Frodo to lose the symbols of the other races and face the chasm naked and alone?

We must all fight evil, every single one of us. We can have help, but ultimately it comes down to us. Ultimately the individual decides whether he will give in willingly, or go down fighting. Nobody can help us with that at the bitter end. It is ultimately up to us.

Unfortunately, no one can win that battle, hence Frodo's defeat.

[Boromir88]

Unfortunately, no one can win that battle, hence Frodo's defeat.

Praise Gollum! For just happening to slip in and take the ring with him!

[Elladan and Elrohir]

No, praise Eru. Nothing "just happens" in Middle-earth, least of all the destruction of the Ring.

"Some other will than the Ring's was present. I can only say that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker." - Gandalf, Book I, Chapter II

"No, chance brought me then, if chance you call it." - Tom Bombadil, Book I, Chapter VII

"I think this task has been appointed for you, Frodo, and if you do not find the way, no one will." - Elrond, Book II, Chapter II

"A chance-meeting, as we say in Middle-earth." - Gandalf, Appendix A