Heed no nightly noises

[Nerwen]

Re: radagastly's speculation about whether the fog might have been caused by Tom to protect the hobbits– I should say definitely not. Nothing in the way it's presented suggests there's anything at all benign about it. If it's magical at all (which isn't clear), it seems to me much more likely to be the work of the Barrow-wight.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Re: radagastly's speculation about whether the fog might have been caused by Tom to protect the hobbits– I should say definitely not. Nothing in the way it's presented suggests there's anything at all benign about it. If it's magical at all (which isn't clear), it seems to me much more likely to be the work of the Barrow-wight.

Since rain had obviously been in the area the preceding days, I don't think a natural explanation for the fog is unlikely.

In agreement with Nerwen, I think Tom would have realized that the fog would have been more of an impediment for the hobbits, and likely to make them lose their way. How were they supposed to "keep to the west side" of a barrow with fog all about them?

[radagastly]

Originally posted by Nerwen:

Re: radagastly's speculation about whether the fog might have been caused by Tom to protect the hobbits– I should say definitely not. Nothing in the way it's presented suggests there's anything at all benign about it. If it's magical at all (which isn't clear), it seems to me much more likely to be the work of the Barrow-wight.

Yes, it was speculation without research. I have since found this:

From "Fog on the Barrow Downs," The Fellowship of the Ring:

When they caught a glimpse of the country westward the distant Forest seemed to be smoking, as if the fallen rain was steaming up again from leaf and root and mould. A shadow now lay round the edge of sight, a dark haze above which the upper sky was like a blue cap, hot and heavy.

So either a natural phenomenon because of a day of heavy rain, or possibly the angry Old Forest spitting it's last bit of venom at them, the last trick in its bag.

[Lalwendë]

The fog might not be natural. The main forms of fog are: radiation fog; advection fog; and sea fog. Obviously Sea Fog could be discounted in this case - it's something I'm very used to from holidays in Whitby, where a fret can roll in off the sea within minutes, but they never spread to more than a mile or two inland.

Radiation fog is also very unlikely as this tends to form overnight when humid air meets a cool ground surface. These thick fogs might last throughout the day if the weather is still and cool enough (very common in the Yorkshire autumn) or they may also burn off to reveal a lovely sunny day (very common in Lancashire in the summer). The mist/fog which descends as they ride with Farmer Maggot may be a radiation fog as it forms lightly at dusk and the morning mist is described as lifting when they are in the Old Forest and find a gap in the trees

Advection fog is mostly unlikely as for this to form there would need to be either a large body of water (lake or sea) or a snow field. Of the sub types, frontal fog might be ruled out as the weather front has already passed over the day previously with Goldberry's Washing Day (and it sounds like it was a considerable front - was Middle-earth affected by the Jetstream?).

However, it could possibly be an Upslope fog, which forms when very humid and warm air is forced up a rising land mass by a steady and quite strong wind. However, there is no fog or mist described as hanging over the Old Forest earlier in the day when they set off across the Downs, the weather is very fine and bright.

What's described as falling on them that afternoon on the Downs is more like Scotch Mist, i.e. drizzle and low cloud. Not as evocative as fog, I'll give you, but if it's to have a meteorological answer, that'd be it, I reckon. I do prefer the idea of some supernatural fog