Music and Magic in Middle Earth

[Boromir88]

I also wanted to know about the Istari staff. What is the importance of this staff? Is the power within the Istari, and the staff is just the necessary "tool" to perform their power, for example the light used to rescue Faramir, or the storm/darkening summoned by Gandalf at Bag End, and again in Meduseld. Or another theory, maybe the staff was necessary in Valinor, a necessary "tool" in Valinor, and the only reason they bought it to Middle-Earth was because they became attatched to it. If that is true, then we ask, why did Gandalf go and get a knew staff, if it wasn't important? As a personal anecdote, I've been working with hockey players for about 3 years now. I know the players can become quite attatched to their hockey sticks, and even when the sticks break, they will pay people to put them back together, or fix them. So, is the staff a "necessary tool" or a "sentimental attatchement?"

Forgive me, and just ignore me if this has no relevance to this thread, but I believe it does, as I truely think their is something magical, or atleast mysterical (is that even a word) about it. It's about Boromir's horn, here's a quote from The Bridge of Khazad-Dum,

The dark figure streaming with fire raced towards them. The orcs yelled and poured over the stone gangways. Then Boromir raised his horn and blew. Loud the challenge rang and bellowed, like the shout of many throats under the cavernous roof. For a moment the orcs quailed and the fiery shadow halted. Then the echoes died as suddenly as a flame blown out by a dark wind, and the enemy advanced again.

This is an interesting paragraph to me because Tolkien uses the term "challenge." As if, the horn's sound is sort of a "shield" or a "challenge" to the evil. Then we have the orcs quailing, and even the Balrog is stopped by the "challenge." Quickly the echoes run out, and once they do they advance again, but when that horn was blowing, it seemed as if it acted as shield, halting the Balrog. So, is it just a really loud horn? Or, is there something magical about it?

Here's the other quote we see, when Boromir blows the horn at Amon Hen.

Even as he gazed his quick ears caught sounds in the woodlands below, on the west side of the river. He stiffened. There were cries, and among them, to his horror, he could distinguish the harsh voices of Orcs. Then suddenly with a deep-throated call a great horn blew, and the blasts of it smote the hills and echoed in the hollows, rising in a mighty shout above the roaring of the falls.

Then we also know, Faramir also heard the horn, so it's obviously pretty loud.

In the first quote Tolkien said "like a shout of many throats," in the 2nd it's "deep-throated." Also, the horn is so loud it "rises" above the falls of Rauros. Again, is there something magical, or mysterious about the horn, or is it just really, really loud?

[Encaitare]

I doubt it's anything magical, but it is certainly a powerful instrument. They seem to be somewhat wary of magic in Gondor. Perhaps it's the strength of the individual blowing it which gives it such a loud and intimidating sound? Does anyone know a more detailed history of the Horn of Gondor, save that the firstborn son traditionally bore it?

[Aiwendil]

Boromir88 wrote:

So, is it just a really loud horn? Or, is there something magical about it?

Now, this only partially relates to your question - but I would suggest that, within Middle-earth, the question "Is x magical" simpliciter is not a well-defined or sensible question. It's a little like asking whether such and such a thing is art. Or perhaps like asking whether it's technology. These are concepts that are not always sharply defined. Forgive me, I seem to be unable to come up with a better analogy, though I suspect there must be one. But magic in Middle-earth is like art or technology in the real world - there isn't one class of things that are magical and another that are not.

Of course, from a certain point of view your question still undeniably does make sense. I think perhaps it can be understood sensibly as a question not about the fundamental nature of Boromir's horn (or anything else) but rather about the actual worth/power/artistry in the horn.

Interesting thoughts, by the way, from everyone in this thread - and especially from Davem in the chapter by chapter discussion. I'm afraid I'll have to ponder the whole business of magic a bit more before I have anything worthy to add to the discussion. I do wonder, though, about the relation of spells as such to "magical items" like the Rings, Elvish artifacts, etc.

[Boromir88]

Aiwendil, you know, I think you are right, "magic" isn't the right word for Boromir's horn. I don't know if the word would be "enchanted," or something, but I do think "magic" is a bad term for it. I just think from the description giving it isn't your typical horn, so maybe it's just a super powerful horn .

[davem]

This subject seems to get more complicated the more you look into it

The closest mythological ‘echo’ to Boromir’s horn I can find is the Gjallarhorn (Clangorous Horn) of Heimdall. Heimdall is the god who guards the rainbow bridge, Bifrost, to prevent the invasion of the frost giants. ‘The Gjallarhorn could be heard throughout all the levels of heaven, earth & the otherworld. It will summon all the gods to battle when the Ragnarok dawns’ (Matthews, The Aquarian Guide to British & Irish Mythology’). ‘When this comes to pass, Heimdallr stands forth & blows lustily on Gjallarhorn to turn out all the gods, who fall in together’ (Branston, ‘Gods of the North’).

There’s also Roland’s horn, Olivant, which he won from the giant, Jutumundus. ‘When he was attacked by the Saracens at Roncevalles he sounded it to give Charlemagne notice of his danger. At the third blast is cracked in two, but it was so loud that birds fell dead & the whole Saracen army was panic struck’ (Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable).

Back to Tolkien’s world: we seem to have various kinds of ‘magical’ object - swords, Palantiri, cloaks of Lorien, The Standard of Arwen, hithlain, etc, & then there’s Miruvor & Lembas.

They seem to work in different ways: the swords - Sting, Orcrist & Glamdring, glow blue at the edges when orcs are near, but they don’t have to be activated - it seems to be an innate reaction of the weapons, whoever wields them, & they also induce fear in the orcs who encounter them - is this simply due to their reputation, or is there some psychological or spiritual power at work too? And how, exactly, do they work? Is it that in some way the swords ‘register’ the presence of the orcs & respond - & is there some ‘awareness’ within the swords?

The naming of weapons was commonplace in the ancient world - Arthur’s sword, excalibur is best known, of course, but he also had a spear, called ‘Ron’, & a ship, Prydwen, which he used in his assault on the Otherworld, (as told in the poem, Preiddu Annwn). This ‘naming’ seems important, as if by naming the weapon one gives it a power & a personality of its own, so that it becomes a kind of ‘ally’ in the battle. Its certainly of the utmost significance that when Narsil is reforged it is no longer called Narsil, but renamed Anduril. It isn’t simply put back together, it is ‘reborn’ as something else.

The Palantiri seem to work at the command of the operator’s will, & don’t need to be ‘invoked’ - & neither do the Silmaril’s - they shine, they blaze forth, almost of their own will (sentience again?). The staffs of the wizards seem to be channels for the power of their owners, yet to break a wizard’s staff seems to be symbolic of breaking his power, r at least of removing his ability to act, his authority.

Arwen’s Standard also seems to have some innate power, which doesn’t require invoking. So do the elven cloaks (whose broooches don’t fall ‘idly’.) Galadiel’s Mirror doesn’t seem to require a ‘spell’ to make it work, yet Galadriel tells the hobbits that she can ‘command’ it to show many things’.

Then we have the Phial - when Frodo holds it up in Shelob’s Lair it begins to blaze before he cries to Earendel, but its only after Sam has called out to Elbereth that it glows forth again - yet Tolkien says its

As if his indomitable spirit had set its potency in motion

so ‘that it blazed suddenly like a white torch in his hand’.

Then there are the Rings - The One seems to have a mind & will - but is this its own, or Sauron’s? And do the Elven rings also have their own will?

Miruvor & Lembas seem to have a ‘power’ to strengthen not only the body but also the will & ‘spirit’ of those who ingest them, but how?

I can’t find any explanation of how objects are infused with magical power, or how they will work for some & not for others - how can Lembas sustaing Frodo & Sam, but choke Gollum? Is its ‘power’ selective - does it decide who it will sustain & who it won’t? Probably not, but that means that its power is dependent on who eats it - so must the eater be in a certain ‘spiritual’ state before he can benefit from it? If so, then it must work differently fromn the elven swords, which glow blue in the presence of orcs, whoever is holding them - & the Palantiri, it seems, will work for any individual whose will is strong enough, no matter their moral or spiritual state - Sauron can use one, & the Silmarils shine even in Morgoth’s crown.

Then there is the power of natural places - the Old Forest seems to have a power of its own, so does Caradras - where does this power come from - the Elves taught the Trees to ‘speak’ (ie made them ‘self-conscious’) - did they do the same to the land itself? If Sauron can control the storms in the Mountains of Shadow, it seems that Galadriel also has some control over the elements, even in Mordor:

’There now, Mr Frodo, its you that’s talking of water this time!’ said Sam. ‘If only the Lady could see us or hear us, I’d say to her: ‘Your Ladyship, all we want is light & water: just clean water & plain daylight , better than any jewels, begging your padon.’ But its a long way to Lorien.’

Whether its down to Galadriel or not, when they do find water later on:

Sam sprang towards it. ‘If I ever see the Lady again, I will tell her!’ he cried. ‘Light & now water!’

Is this a ‘spell’ Galadriel has cast, or a Word of Command she has spoken, or is it ‘elvish magic’? How can the elements be controlled? Are they in some way ‘alive’? Or is it possible to bring them to life - on a small scale in metal, glass, cloth, & on a large scale in terms of whole environments? How is it that the earth does not forget the elves if once they have dwelt there? Can something unconscious, something ‘dead’, have memory?

It seems that there is a kind of innate consciousness in the stuff of Arda, which can be roused by those with the ability - it can be awakened & ‘persuaded’ (or controlled) by those with power, to obey their will.

Its been said that there isn’t much ‘magic’ performed in Middle earth - certainly in comparison with other fantasy novels, where magic is wielded with ease by magicians, so much so that it really does become a case of deus ex machina - & all the more unconvincing for that - there isn’t much blatant ‘practical magic’; but ‘magic’ seems to suffuse the very suff of Arda.

Of course, that doesn’t explain what, exactly, it is.

[Boromir88]

Very nice post Davem (as usual) and some really interesting points. It's going to take some time for me to get my thoughts together and some more answers but I will say I agree with you on the "wizard's staff." The breaking of the staff does seem important, now I don't think the "staff" is the Istari's power, the Istari's power is within himself. The Staff is just the necessary weapon to, as you say, "channel" their powers, or to "use" their powers. We see Gandalf has to go to Galadriel and get a new staff and again with Saruman, Gandalf breaks his staff. Even with Saruman's staff broken though, he can still be dangerous, he still has that persuasive, powerful voice, so he still has his powers, but he can't perform the "magic of command or spell casting" without his staff. Those are my thoughts for now.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

My sense of magic in Middle-Earth is that it is a concept that exists in the attribution rather than in the performance. That is, there are certain phenomena in M-E that to many of the peoples in it are inexplicable or wondrous, and so they call it magic. Like a stone-age hunter suddenly confronted with an airplane or antibiotics, these things seem magical while they are explicable to those who know more about them. The same for magical lands: what if that same stone age hunter were a desert nomad and he suddenly found himself in the arctic, or Amazonia??

The way I like to think about the magical items, moments, places and persons in M-E is through analogy with our modern way of controlling and ordering the world: technology. Elves have a technique that they use in making rope which means that it comes untied when you need it to. This is perfectly sensible and normal to them but unknown to Sam, who calls it 'magic'. In the same manner, Sauron knows how to make the One Ring; his precise technique and motivation are different, but the process is similar -- he has a technique that is unknown to others, with the result that it appears magical.

This works for objects that have beem made in such a fashion that appear magical. When we see spells being cast, I think about it the same way. The analogy I would use here is someone completely ignorant of the internal combustion engine watching a competent mechanic at work. The mechanic goes through a series of very strange actions and rituals that we cannot decipher, moving around parts and laying hands upon things that confoud us, and in the end, the engine comes to life. Magic!

When we then come to use that object -- like Frodo with the Phial -- it responds to us and to our direction (I make the car go where I want it to) but it appears as a magical thing: how is it that this large object is moving from point A to point B simply because I move this wheel and press that pedal??

The difference, obviously, is the sense of wonderment. A phial that glows in the presence of evil is something so alien and new to our experience that the wonderment of it is immediatly perceived as magical. We do not have any idea what kind or technique of art could produce such an effect, so we imagine that there is 'something' behind the phenomenon. Galdariel, however, I am sure understands how it works -- she is the mechanic who could explain the technique whereby the light of the Star is captured in the phial. Of course, like the mechanic who tried to explain the carbeurator (sp?) to me, she might find her audience incapable of understanding, and thus the technique is doomed to appear magical to me forever.

What has this to do with music? To the layperson (that is, someone not trained in music) music has this same nature and effect. I listen to a piece by Mozart and I am transported with wonderment by the effect of the whole. I do not consciously 'get' the combination of notes and their composition; the technique whereby the effect has been achieved is beyond me (and I want it to be) and I am immersed only in the phenomemon. To know the technique is not to lose the 'magic' but to understand it, and to become a magician oneself. Were I to spend a lifetime studying music I could begin to compose pieces of my own, but they would never be as wonderful as Mozart's, making me but a lowly mage to his wizardry.

Magic, like music, is something that may remain beyond the understanding of most individuals, but it is still of this world and within the bounds of human (or Elvish) understanding.

[Encaitare]

This ‘naming’ seems important, as if by naming the weapon one gives it a power & a personality of its own, so that it becomes a kind of ‘ally’ in the battle.

I remember reading or seeing somewhere that smiths gave names to the swords they made, and it was almost like the sword's destiny to fulfull the meaning or implications of its name. I cannot recall exactly where I got this information from... I can tell it will bother me all night, so I'll post the source when and if I think of it.

Galadiel’s Mirror doesn’t seem to require a ‘spell’ to make it work, yet Galadriel tells the hobbits that she can ‘command’ it to show many things’.

As I said of Boromir's horn, it is probably the power behind the one using the mirror which makes it work. Galadriel is one of the most powerful individuals in Middle-earth, as well as the mirror's owner (creator?), so she can make it work for her -- perhaps like Sauron and the Ring? Only Galadriel can bend the Mirror to her will, and only Sauron can bend the Ring to his?. Frodo and Sam have no control over what they see in the Mirror. Perhaps this works similarly to the Ring? Galadriel says that Frodo cannot

see all the others [Rings of power] and know the thoughts of those that wear them

because he has not tried to. She warns him:

Do not try! It would destroy you ... Before you could use that power you would need to become far stronger...

The excerpt goes on to speak more about the Rings, but the part above also seems to describe what is needed to use many magical objects, the Mirror, the Palantiri, and the Rings themselves. Whether the Mirror has the ability to destroy a person I am not sure, although perhaps the sheer number of images would drive a person to madness if he continued to use it but could not discriminate between the "things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be." If "even the wisest cannot always tell" between them, it's not possible to expect the average person to do so.

Also, Galadriel was with Frodo when he looked into the mirror and saw the Eye. He began to slip forward and it was only her gentle reminder, "Do not touch the water!" which brings him out of the trance-like state. It probably would have been quite unwise for Frodo to have tried to use the Mirror on his own -- perhaps impossible since Galadriel breathed on the water, as if to "activate" it.

Argh... I wish I could continue, but alas, I must depart. More later if brilliance strikes.