Unfinished Tales - Part Three - I - The Disaster of the Gladden Fields

[Inziladun]

I enjoy this chapter.

The insight into Númenórean military tactics is rare in the books, and that much more appreciated. It's said here that they used their stature to their advantage in fighting the Orcs, and the Noldor-like quality of their arms and armour is notable; another sign of their being the closest among mortals to the Eldar.

As for Saruman being a jackdaw, that is defined as

a glossy, black, European bird, Corvus monedula, of the crow family, that nests in towers, ruins, etc.

Dragons find huge hoards of treasure and sit on them. Birds flit around looking for bits and pieces, mostly to use in nest-building, but sometimes snatching things up for apparently no reason.
Saruman as a tower-dwelling collector of shiny things he doesn't necessarily need (or even want) lends to an apt comparison there.

The Elendilmir is an odd thing. Why was Isildur wearing it in battle? Why did he not, as with the shards of Narsil, entrust it to Ohtar and his companion? Forgetfulness in the moment of stress?

I do admire Isildur for one thing, though. He earlier (according to the words of his scroll as recounted by Gandalf at the Council of Elrond) had thought the Ring suitable as an "heirloom" for Arnor. Yet, he shows that he indeed fully realized the peril of it at that point at the Gladden Fields, and it apparently never crossed his mind to try and give it to Ohtar to be carried away. The argument is there that maybe Isildur was incapable of giving the Ring up. However, I think he could have done it, had he desired to do so enough. He had not had it in his possession for very long, and Sauron was vanquished and far away. I think Isildur knew he stood a good chance of dying before he could reach any help, and the thought of doing so in the wilderness, where the Ring was unlikely to be found for at least many long years, was the main reason he retained it when he left. Indeed, what other reason did he have for leaving? Why not die with the rest of his men?

[Dilettante]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I do admire Isildur for one thing, though. He earlier (according to the words of his scroll as recounted by Gandalf at the Council of Elrond) had thought the Ring suitable as an "heirloom" for Arnor. Yet, he shows that he indeed fully realized the peril of it at that point at the Gladden Fields, and it apparently never crossed his mind to try and give it to Ohtar to be carried away. The argument is there that maybe Isildur was incapable of giving the Ring up. However, I think he could have done it, had he desired to do so enough. He had not had it in his possession for very long, and Sauron was vanquished and far away. I think Isildur knew he stood a good chance of dying before he could reach any help, and the thought of doing so in the wilderness, where the Ring was unlikely to be found for at least many long years, was the main reason he retained it when he left. Indeed, what other reason did he have for leaving? Why not die with the rest of his men?

Good point! Perhaps Isildur had the Ring just long enough that it was starting to take hold of him, but not quite long enough that he still had his own will. Maybe he saw what it was starting to do to him and realized what a terrible thing it would be, so he ran away with it in an attempt to keep his men and his descendants from the same fate.

[Galadriel55]

I must say I really loved the narrative of the chapter. The story is glossed over briefly in LOTR, and I was so happy to uncover a separate mini-tragedy in it as well. When I was reading it I had oh so many points to make, but now I can barely remember them.

I wasn't really thinking about the technical details and explanations for things such as the Elindimir. However, I quite enjoyed the dimension it added to the story (the bitterness of Saruman's treachery, for example).

When before UT this was a few odd facts put together, after this chapter it became a story.

[Guinevere]

As Esty said, the story itself is really short, but as I kept switching to the notes it took me quite a long time to read! In addition, I looked up places on the map several times. There are a lot of geographical descriptions! (Also in the appendices c & d of the last chapter which I finally managed to read as well.) However, these notes add greatly to the feeling of reality.

I wondered a bit about these orcs beeing completely ignorant of Sauron's destruction two years afterwards... compared to the text in RotK :

even at that moment all the hosts of Mordor trembled, doubt clutched their hearts, their laughter failed, their hands shook and their limbs were loosed. The Power that drove them on and filled them with hate and fury was wavering, its will was removed from them;

As when death smites the swollen brooding thing that inhabits their crawling hill and holds them all in sway, ants will wander witless and purposeless and then feebly die, so the creatures of Sauron, orc or troll or beast spell-enslaved, ran hither and thither mindless; and some slew themselves, or cast themselves in pits, or fled wailing back to hide in holes and dark lightless places far from hope

What moved me most in the story is the poignant dialogue between Isildur and Elendur, and I have much more sympathy for Isildur after reading this.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Guinevere

I wondered a bit about these orcs beeing completely ignorant of Sauron's destruction two years afterwards... compared to the text in RotK

Ah, but destroying Sauron doesn't destroy all evil. It is shaken by his fall - it is not organised, not backed up, it lacks motivation beyond personal gain or survival, etc. - but it's still there. That host of orcs was by no means something ME-threatening; just a band of scattered orcs that grouped together two years after their great loss.