"A shadow & a thought" - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Son of Númenor · 06-01-2004, 01:05 PM

I like what Mark 12:30 is getting at, though I can't say I have much to add to her beautiful post.

When I read the "a shadow & a thought" line, I always took it to mean that Eowyn loved an ideal in Aragorn that was not a reality - that she lusted for a great lord to sweep her off her feet, away to love, war & honour. I never considered any of the many connotations that the word 'shadow' might have in Tolkien's works. Aragorn's use of 'shadow' in the given quote was akin, in my mind, to Woolf's "Angel in the House," - the Victorian ideals of the housewife, however positive- or pleasant-sounding, being described as 'phantoms' & 'ghosts' that had to be overcome by the modern woman.

In the Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond", Boromir says:

"...we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope, if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past."

This is the only other time that I can recall the word 'shadow' being used without being a reference to Sauron or evil in general. In this case, 'shadows' connotes Boromir's skepticism of the exiled line of Isildur; the statement is indirectly but unambiguously questioning Aragorn's merit as the Heir of Isildur, even challenging Aragorn to prove his worth.

Are these the examples of Boromir's & Aragorn's uses of 'shadow' connected? Not really, except that neither fit Tolkien's 'definition' of the word that davem talked about in his opening post.

I'm pressed for time... Hopefully more later, & less jumbled!

Edit: davem, I started writing this before your last post, & did not read yours before posting mine.

06-01-2004, 01:05 PM	#9
Son of Númenor A Shade of Westernesse Join Date: May 2004 Location: The last wave over Atalantë Posts: 515	I like what Mark 12:30 is getting at, though I can't say I have much to add to her beautiful post. When I read the "a shadow & a thought" line, I always took it to mean that Eowyn loved an ideal in Aragorn that was not a reality - that she lusted for a great lord to sweep her off her feet, away to love, war & honour. I never considered any of the many connotations that the word 'shadow' might have in Tolkien's works. Aragorn's use of 'shadow' in the given quote was akin, in my mind, to Woolf's "Angel in the House," - the Victorian ideals of the housewife, however positive- or pleasant-sounding, being described as 'phantoms' & 'ghosts' that had to be overcome by the modern woman. In the Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond", Boromir says: "...we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope, if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past." This is the only other time that I can recall the word 'shadow' being used without being a reference to Sauron or evil in general. In this case, 'shadows' connotes Boromir's skepticism of the exiled line of Isildur; the statement is indirectly but unambiguously questioning Aragorn's merit as the Heir of Isildur, even challenging Aragorn to prove his worth. Are these the examples of Boromir's & Aragorn's uses of 'shadow' connected? Not really, except that neither fit Tolkien's 'definition' of the word that davem talked about in his opening post. I'm pressed for time... Hopefully more later, & less jumbled! Edit: davem, I started writing this before your last post, & did not read yours before posting mine. __________________ "This miserable drizzling afternoon I have been reading up old military lecture-notes again:- and getting bored with them after an hour and a half. I have done some touches to my nonsense fairy language - to its improvement."