In the first half of Book I, Chapter 5 of The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbits cross the Brandywine and come to Frodo’s new digs at Crickhollow, where a hot bath and all the comforts of home await them. Frodo does his best to enjoy a well-earned second supper and good company, but a dark cloud hangs over him as he dreads having to tell his friends he won’t be staying. Also in this episode: architectural musings, more mushrooms, and speculation on why ordinary Hobbits like Maggot and the Gaffer don’t go all Sir Robin when face-to-face with a Ringwraith.
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Recommended Reading:
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner Books, paperback)
With regard to the question of why both the Gaffer and Farmer Maggot seemed to be less afraid of the Black Riders, perhaps their connection to growing things provides a level of protection from the evil of the Black Riders. It certainly seems that throughout the LOTR, those individuals who are most in touch with nature and are dedicated to growing things are the least susceptible to evil including the influence of the black riders and the ring. We see it in the Gaffer and Farmer Maggot, in Tom Bombadil, later on with the Ents and even eventually with Sam. However, there is another individual who seems to be able to standup to the Black Riders and that is Barliman who ” bid the black fellows be off and slammed the door on them.” I cannot explain his bravado on being close to nature, so I can only suspect that Barliman’s words to Nob just before he confronted the black riders was along the lines of “Here, Hold my beer”.
“Hold my beer” indeed! That’s an interesting suggestion; as the Ringwraiths are “unnatural” in more than one way (for example, their lives extended unnaturally by the artifice of the Ring, and against their nature as Men) it seems symbolically appropriate that characters close to nature like a gardener and farmer would be able to stand their ground — pun intended! — against them. As for Barliman, maybe an innkeeper’s job isn’t that close to nature, but he does have a botanical surname like many Breelanders. Maybe there’s something in that. Or it could be that the beer itself gave him a bit of the ol’ liquid courage. 🙂
The close to nature defense also works for Sam in the Old Forest. He is the most able to resist the singing of Old Man Willow. As a gardener, he is also the most in touch with the natural world.
That’s an interesting point too. Of course, Old Man Willow is more a part of the natural world than the Ringwraiths are… but being in touch with the natural world can be a defense against the willow, as shown by Tom Bombadil who is so in touch with nature that he “knows the tune for him.”