What are the wights of Barrow-Downs? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Celebaglar · 03-14-2005, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elianna

I have no idea of the purpose of clothing the Hobbits in their finery. The purpose of sacrificing the Hobbits, I don't know. Don't even know who they were being sacrificed to, though that's probably just up to speculation.

Ibelieve that they perhaps might have been sacrificing them, to create more bodies for other unanimated spirits, intersting point. But this is merely my oppinion and is up to speculation by anyone.

Celebuial · 03-15-2005, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Ibelieve that they perhaps might have been sacrificing them, to create more bodies for other unanimated spirits, intersting point. But this is merely my oppinion and is up to speculation by anyone.

I always wondered about this, I think that this is probaly the best reason I've heard, not that I've heard many mind you. It seems to make sense and fit nicely.

mark12_30 · 03-15-2005, 07:14 AM

From In The House of Tom Bombadil:

Quote:

Suddenly Tom’s talk left the woods and went leaping up the young stream, over bubbling waterfalls, over pebbles and worn rocks, and among small flowers in close grass and wet crannies, wandering at last up on to the Downs. They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind. Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight.

The hobbits shuddered. Even in the Shire the rumour of the Barrow-wights of the Barrow-downs beyond the Forest had been heard. But it was not a tale that any hobbit liked to listen to, even by a comfortable fireside far away. These four now suddenly remembered what the joy of this house had driven from their minds: the house of Tom Bombadil nestled under the very shoulder of those dreaded hills. They lost the thread of his tale and shifted uneasily, looking aside at one another.

Celebaglar · 03-15-2005, 07:18 PM

Why aren't there wights anywhere else? Like the wights of osgiliath, i like that one. And thank you to celebuial for the compliment.

Elianna · 03-15-2005, 07:38 PM

Wights of Osgiliath?

Perhaps another reason for sending the wights to the Downs was to scare the Hobbits into staying where they were and not messing with the outside world. Of course that would imply that the Witch-King knew and cared about Hobbits, which porbably isn't true.

Celebaglar · 03-15-2005, 08:05 PM

haha, wights of osgiliath. Just random craziness i thought of. The wights perhaps were sent there due to lack of a better place to put them, they were possibly vassals of the witch king, and simply were placed in the closest grave yard. They could be just like the oath breakers, and would not have been released from the barrows until they did something for the witch king. I like the way you think Elianna, you keep me thinking.

Tinuviel of Denton · 04-11-2005, 04:32 PM

I suppose I always imagined that the Wights were some sort of unquiet spirits; men who had something left on their souls when they died, and so were sort of doomed to eternally (or at least as eternally as Middle-Earth was to last, anyway) haunt their tombs.

But I'm actually more interested in the sacrifice.

Has it occurred to anyone else that perhaps it was a version of the religion that Sauron espoused on Numenor? The one that worshipped Morgoth as the Giver of All, or some such? (I don't have the books right to hand, so forgive me if I make silly comments.)

It seems to me that I remember the adherents of the Sauron/Morgoth, er, 'faith' sacrificing people to Morgoth, or something. Could it perhaps be related to that?

03-15-2005, 07:38 PM	#5
Elianna Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ad finem itineris Posts: 384	Wights of Osgiliath? Perhaps another reason for sending the wights to the Downs was to scare the Hobbits into staying where they were and not messing with the outside world. Of course that would imply that the Witch-King knew and cared about Hobbits, which porbably isn't true. __________________ Enyale cuilenya, ú-enyale mandenya.

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03-15-2005, 07:18 PM	#4
Celebaglar Animated Skeleton Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Among the host of the noldor, and the last high elves that dwell in middle eath Posts: 31	Why aren't there wights anywhere else? Like the wights of osgiliath, i like that one. And thank you to celebuial for the compliment.

03-15-2005, 08:05 PM	#6
Celebaglar Animated Skeleton Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Among the host of the noldor, and the last high elves that dwell in middle eath Posts: 31	haha, wights of osgiliath. Just random craziness i thought of. The wights perhaps were sent there due to lack of a better place to put them, they were possibly vassals of the witch king, and simply were placed in the closest grave yard. They could be just like the oath breakers, and would not have been released from the barrows until they did something for the witch king. I like the way you think Elianna, you keep me thinking.

04-11-2005, 04:32 PM	#7
Tinuviel of Denton Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Amid the hills and dales of the Shire... or not. Posts: 579	I suppose I always imagined that the Wights were some sort of unquiet spirits; men who had something left on their souls when they died, and so were sort of doomed to eternally (or at least as eternally as Middle-Earth was to last, anyway) haunt their tombs. But I'm actually more interested in the sacrifice. Has it occurred to anyone else that perhaps it was a version of the religion that Sauron espoused on Numenor? The one that worshipped Morgoth as the Giver of All, or some such? (I don't have the books right to hand, so forgive me if I make silly comments.) It seems to me that I remember the adherents of the Sauron/Morgoth, er, 'faith' sacrificing people to Morgoth, or something. Could it perhaps be related to that?