 | |
| Chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring | |
| The Shadow of the Past | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Number | 2 |
| Date written | 1938 |
| Synopsis | |
| Event | Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring's history; Frodo decides to take the Ring from the Shire with Samwise appointed his companion. |
| Date | T.A. 3001 — 12/13 April T.A. 3018 |
| Location | Bag End |
| Navigation | |
| Preceded by | A Long-expected Party |
| Followed by | Three is Company |
Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
The Shadow of the Past is the second chapter of the first book of The Fellowship of the Ring. The chapter follows a conversation between its key characters, Gandalf and Frodo.
The chapter first tells of the events immediately following Bilbo's disappearance, Gandalf's return to Bag End after many years, much about the One Ring and its history, the story of Gollum, and the decision to take the Ring away from The Shire.
Overview
After Bilbo's Disappearance
The disappearance of Bilbo Baggins became the primary subject of conversation in Hobbiton, the general opinion being that Bilbo had finally gone mad and run off. Some thought that Bilbo was dead, and it was rumoured that he was murdered by Frodo and Gandalf for his legendary gold, supposedly earned during his journey to Erebor.
Despite this, things eventually settled down. Like Bilbo, Frodo appeared to age unnaturally slowly, which others called "good preservation". He continued to live at Bag End and spent most of his time with his cousins Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took. Despite Bilbo's absence, Frodo continued to throw him a birthday party every year.
Rumours of Trouble
As Frodo's fiftieth birthday approached, rumours began spreading throughout the Shire of trouble in distant lands. Dwarves passing through on their way to and from the Grey Havens told stories of a resurgence of "The Enemy" in the land of Mordor, far to the east - names that Hobbits barely recognized from long-forgotten legends. Samwise Gamgee, sat at The Green Dragon with Ted Sandyman, shared rumours of strange things happening near the Shire itself, including a story of a giant Tree-man spotted near the North Moors. He told Sandyman that Frodo - for whom Sam now worked as a gardener - believed that the Elves had been sailing west out of the Grey Havens. Much like his father, Ted Sandyman was incredulous about such rumours; Sam, however, remarked that he was very eager to meet an Elf some day.
That same night, Gandalf reappears at Bag End after several years of absence, and is welcomed by Frodo. The two had a long, cryptic and ominous conversation regarding Bilbo's ring, but Gandalf insisted that the conversation be paused until daylight.
The One Ring is Identified
The next morning was bright and sunny in the Shire. After breakfast, Gandalf and Frodo sat in front of the hearth as the sound of Samwise Gamgee gardening outside could be heard through the open window. Gandalf resumed the previous night's conversation by telling Frodo that Bilbo's ring was one of the Rings of Power, created by the elves in Eregion long ago. He warned Frodo of the ring's danger: prolonging its bearer's life and bestowing invisibility upon them, but ultimately causing them to fade away and become an unwilling servant of a dark power. Frodo confirmed that Bilbo had warned him in his parting letter that the ring was treacherous, so he kept it on a chain and had never put it on, which Gandalf commended as "very wise".
Gandalf explained to Frodo how he came to be suspicious of Bilbo's ring as early as the Battle of Five Armies, but was inexplicably reluctant to bring the subject up with Saruman the White, the chief of his order and a scholar of Elven-rings lore. Gandalf recounted that in his final conversation with Bilbo before he left the Shire, Bilbo's sudden reluctance to part with the ring aroused his suspicion even further.
Gandalf asked Frodo to give him the ring and held it up to demonstrate that it had no markings upon its perfect, smooth surface. He then threw the ring into the fireplace, let it sit for a few moments, and after retrieving it, handed it to the startled Frodo. A glowing Elven script gradually appeared on the ring's surface, which Gandalf explained formed part of an ancient verse in the dark language of Mordor:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
With this revelation, Gandalf concluded that Bilbo's ring was in fact The One Ring, which belonged to the Dark Lord Sauron himself. He said that Sauron had lost the Ring a long time ago, which weakened him greatly, but because he had arisen again and returned to his Dark Tower in Mordor, he was once again becoming a threat to all the Free Peoples of Middle Earth. Gandalf insisted that Sauron must not be allowed to regain the ring under any circumstances; its absence from him was the only thing that stood between him and complete domination.
A Short History of The Ring
Frodo struggled to understand how such a legendary item ended up in his care. Gandalf first explained what happened to the other Great Rings: The Seven Dwarf-rings had all been lost, while the Nine Rings of Men had fully corrupted their owners and turned them into Ringwraiths - the ghostly servants of Sauron. Though the Three Rings of the Elven-kings remained safely hidden in their possession, Gandalf asserted that if Sauron were ever to recapture the One Ring he would have dominion over them, undoing all of their great works and subverting them to his will. According to Gandalf, the Dark Lord believed that the One Ring was destroyed, but nevertheless sought it relentlessly.
Sauron’s Loss and Isildur’s Betrayal
When Frodo asked how Sauron had come to lose the Ring, Gandalf told the story of the Battle of Dagorlad: how Elves and Men of Westernesse defeated the Dark Lord and took the Ring from him. He told of Isildur, son of Elendil, who carried the Ring along the river Anduin where he was waylaid and killed by Orcs. The Ring betrayed Isildur by slipping from his possession when he needed it most. It laid at the bottom of the river for hundreds of years, becoming forgotten to the world.
Sméagol’s Treachery and Bilbo’s Gain
Gandalf told the story of Sméagol, a Hobbit-like creature from a long-gone race that once lived near the Anduin. Sméagol and his friend and relative, Déagol, had been fishing on the river, when Déagol was suddenly dragged down into the water by a fish he'd hooked. Underwater, he spotted the Ring on the river bed and picked it up. Once Sméagol caught sight of the Ring, he desired it for himself and murdered Déagol to acquire it. Sméagol put on the Ring, returned to his village, and discovered that it had made him invisible. He abused this newfound power, and quickly became resented and shunned by all his relations. He developed a gurgling cough for which he was nicknamed "Gollum". Eventually, Sméagol was exiled from his people. He wandered the wilderness, lonely and ever more resentful of the world. Finally, he found an entrance into the Misty Mountains where he lived in the tunnels and caves for many hundreds of years, until his fateful meeting with Bilbo.
Frodo balked at the possibility of a connection between Gollum and Hobbit-kind. Gandalf said that this connection might explain how Bilbo and Gollum found some sort of common ground, which gave Bilbo the chance to escape the creature's vicious hunger. He speculated that some speck of Gollum's mind may have not have yet been corrupted, and that a part of him might have been overjoyed or intrigued to meet someone who reminded him of the world outside his lair. Gandalf explained a duality in Gollum – both a deep love and a seething hatred for the Ring – which Gollum could not reconcile.
Gandalf explained that the Ring itself had played a part in all of these circumstances, first slipping off Isildur's hand at the least opportune time, then finding Sméagol and finally abandoning him. He suggested that a greater power must have intervened in order for the Ring to end up in the possession of Bilbo Baggins, of all people, and through him, Frodo.
In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought.
Gandalf’s Regret
Gandalf learned Gollum's history from the mouth of Gollum himself. At Frodo's prompting, he recounted what happened to Gollum after his encounter with Bilbo. Gollum's obsession with the Ring had drawn him out of the Misty Mountains in trail of Thorin and Company, tracking them all the way to Erebor and back towards the Anduin. Some unknown influence, however, caused Gollum to change direction, instead of tracking them back to the Shire. He went through Mirkwood, causing enough of a disturbance to be detected by Wood Elves who alerted Gandalf, but Gollum left the woods to the south and his trail was lost.
Gandalf said that he rued his decision to allow Gollum to escape, instead of pursuing him. He explained that years afterward, shortly after Bilbo's birthday party, he resumed the search alongside his friend Aragorn, whom he described as "the greatest traveler and huntsman of this age of the world." After a long search, Gandalf was willing to give up, but Aragorn came through and captured the creature. To Gandalf's horror, Gollum's interrogation revealed that in the intervening years he had actually made it all the way to Mordor, where he was captured by Sauron and tortured. During that torture, Gollum revealed Bilbo's name and the name of his homeland - the Shire - to the Dark Lord.
Frodo’s Decision to Take the Ring Away From the Shire
Gandalf surmised that the Dark Lord had nearly all of the information he required to find the Ring, and that Sauron's minions must already have been searching for the Shire. At this, Frodo cursed Gollum and wished Bilbo had killed him when he had the chance. Gandalf rebuked Frodo, telling him that Bilbo's pity was probably a blessing; it may have shielded him from the negative effects of the Ring he had just acquired. Gandalf expressed a sliver of hope that Sméagol may yet be cured of his affliction, and speculated that Gollum may yet have a part to play in the events to come. He also revealed that Gollum was being held prisoner by the Elves of Mirkwood.
Frodo chastised Gandalf for not sending him a message earlier to alert him that the Ring must be destroyed. Gandalf dared Frodo to try and destroy the Ring, but Frodo discovered that he was already captured by its charm and wished it no harm. Gandalf explained that even if Frodo had the will to destroy the Ring, there was no handy method by which to do so; not even the forges of the dwarves or the magic of the elves could undo it. The only method to destroy the Ring was to throw it back into the Cracks of Doom, deep inside the volcano Orodruin in Mordor, where it was made by Sauron himself.
Frodo confessed that he lacked the strength and heart to perform such a monumental task. He offered the Ring to Gandalf, asking him to perform it instead. Gandalf recoiled in alarm, refused to take it, and explained that the Ring would corrupt him, subverting all of his desires to do good deeds and instead turn him into yet another Dark Lord like Sauron himself. Nevertheless, Gandalf swore to do whatever was in his power to assist Frodo in the task at hand. He urged Frodo to come to a decision quickly, as the Enemy became stronger with every passing moment.
Frodo was hesitant and fearful, but ultimately decided that the Ring must be taken as far from the Shire as possible; though he did ask Gandalf to seek a better Ring-bearer as soon as possible to replace him. Secretly, Frodo also felt a yearning to follow in Bilbo's footsteps and explore the greater world. Gandalf commended Frodo for his courage, and suggested that he leave the name "Baggins" behind, since the servants of the Enemy would be looking for someone of that name. He suggested Frodo use the surname "Underhill".
A Companion Is Appointed
Gandalf warned Frodo that traveling alone would be too dangerous, and suggested finding a trustworthy companion. He warned Frodo that even with such a companion at hand, Frodo should be careful with his words, as the Enemy employed many spies. At this point, Gandalf heard a rustle in the bushes outside the window. Reaching out, he grabbed a startled Samwise Gamgee, who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, despite protesting desperately to the contrary. Frodo vouched for Sam's innocence, and tried to swear Sam to secrecy about everything he'd heard. Gandalf, however, had a different idea. Sam would be Frodo's companion for the journey. Sam was elated to learn that he would finally get to meet elves.
History
The chapter was written in the book's revision in September–October of 1938, after Tolkien had developed the backstory of the One Ring and had decided the direction of the story. Its first title was "Ancient History". Sam is also first introduced here.[1] Previously, it was Gildor Inglorion who was narrating to "Bingo Baggins" the story of the Ring, until Tolkien decided it should be Gandalf, and created this intermediate chapter (making Three is Company the third chapter).[2]
It has been considered an allegory of the political situation with Nazi Germany, but the declaration of war came in 1939, a year after its writing. Tolkien denied the allegorical nature in the second edition Foreword.[3]
References
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. xxi
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Return of the Shadow, "The First Phase: III. Of Gollum and the Ring"
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. lxxv