Galadriel welcomes Frodo and Sam to come on in and see what’s happening with her Mirror. Sam receives a vision of some devilry at work in the Shire; but the Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds, and Sam is forced to choose between going on and going home. Frodo catches a glimpse of someone who fortunately can’t see him just yet, and Galadriel faces a temptation of epic proportions. Eärendil shows up to shine a little light on the situation, and we speculate about everything from ring resizing to Irish linguistics.
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Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 353-57, “The Mirror of Galadriel”
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Silmarillion (Mariner Books, paperback)
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner Books, paperback)
Garth, John. Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth (Mariner Books, hardcover)
Kocher, Paul H. Master of Middle-earth: The Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien (Del Rey, paperback)
Another great episode.
No, Tolkien doesn’t do strong women, does he? 🙂 – (people who believe that have a crude and naive notion of what strength is)
The word “nasc” pricked my ears – knowing Tolkien’s interests I wondered if the word had a broader set of meanings in Old Irish, as many words do.
Checking Wiktionary I got “fastening, tie, spancel, ring; legal term, bond, obligation” for the Old Irish meanings.
Double-checking with the more academically-minded and managed eDIL (Electionic Dictionary of the Irish Language – tick “Headword only” to avoid entries for lots of other words that it’s mentioned with) confirmed that, with examples. It also includes examples where it means a metal collar or chain, but generally as a mark of distinction or honour.
There is an equivalent verb that means “tie, bind; link, chain, tether, connect” – I’m pretty sure Tolkien was thinking of “nasc” as it was used in the early Middle Ages, and was attracted by all the associations of “binding”,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them…
Great episode. Some ideas, questions, and gentle rants:
1, Tolkien referred to the elves as embalmers. I think though there was some the embalmer in Tolkien as well. Had he (Tolkien) a ring of power would he not have kept the English countryside the way he remembered it? Is the price of serial longevity the will to endure change?
a. Diversion: 3 Stooges – (Moe )Enlightened, (Larry) Enchanted, (Curley) Embalmed.
2. The mirror of Galadriel as a palantir. It seems that the mirror had some of the features of the palantir.. Who provided the tech? Galadriel herself?
3. Lamps to Trees to Silmarils to Phial. Certainly an example of Dr. Fliegers discussion of the diminution of the light is seen here. The capturing of the light is again a sigh of tech in Lothlorien. Again who provided tech? The phial is a mini Silmaril is it not?
4. Gripes: Nuclear Galadriel was BIG disappointment in the movies even though Cate Blanchett was an inspired choice to play Galadriel. I actually think Bakshi got it right in his version. Also hated televangelist Gandalf with Theoden and the cluster that ensued as Gandalf was doing the equivalent of HEAL!!! Again Bakshi did it better. The Balrog in Bakshi though looked like a demonic project runway mishap with wings that looked like a cape: Jackson did his balrog better.
Again love you guys and the great job you all do,
Best
Chuck Abbott
I think I just heard the first Iron Maiden reference. “If you’re gonna die! Die with your boots on!”
I think I’m 2 years late but still – Love the show.