Ringbearers in Valinor
Christopher C. Arp
sailed to the West were they granted immortality or just allowed to live out
their lives in bliss. There was a precedent for the granting of the life of
the eldar- Tuor husband of Idril Celebrindal "alone among Man was considered
of the Noldor," but was never allowed to travel to M-e again.
I'm interested in hearing your opinions.
--->Chris
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Smaug<ka...@minerva.cis.yale.edu> "Never laugh at live Dragons"
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Fletcher P Adams
>Something I've always wondered. When Frodo and Bilbo, and later Sam and Gimli,
>sailed to the West were they granted immortality or just allowed to live out
>their lives in bliss. There was a precedent for the granting of the life of
>the eldar- Tuor husband of Idril Celebrindal "alone among Man was considered
>of the Noldor," but was never allowed to travel to M-e again.
>I'm interested in hearing your opinions.
> --->Chris
From the FAQ :
16) Did Frodo and the others (Bilbo, Sam, and Gimli) who passed over the
Sea eventually die, or had they become immortal?
They remained mortal. Tolkien's conception was that a creature's natural
lifespan was intrinsic to its spiritual and biological nature, and that this
could not be altered save by a direct intervention of the Creator. There
were three occasions when this did happen (Luthien, Tuor, Arwen), but it did
not in the cases of Frodo & Co. Tolkien stated explicitly in more than one
letter that Frodo's journey over the Sea was only a *temporary* healing, and
that when the time came he and the others would die of their own free will.
References are Akallabeth, Silm. p 264 :
For it is not the land of Manwe that makes its people deathless, but the
Deathless that dwell therein have hallowed the land.; and there you would
but wither and grow weary the sooner, as moths in a light too strong and
steadfast.
Letter 154 :
But in this story it is supposed that there may be certain rare excep-
tions or accommodations (legitimately supposed? there always seem to be
exceptions); and so certain 'mortals', who have played some great part in
Elvish affairs, may pass with the Elves to Elvenhome. Thus Frodo (by the
express gift of Arwen) and Bilbo, and eventually Sam (as adumbrated by
Frodo); and as a unique exception Gimli the Dwarf, as friend of Legolas
and 'servant' of Galadriel.
I have said nothing about it in this book, but the mythical idea
underlying is that for mortals, since their 'kind' cannot be changed for
ever, this is strictly only a temporary reward: a healing and redress of
suffering. They cannot abide for ever, and though they cannot return to
mortal earth, they can and will 'die' -- of free will, and leave the world.
Letter 246 :
'Alas! there are some wounds that cannot be wholly cured', said
Gandalf -- not in Middle-earth. Frodo was sent or allowed to pass over
the Sea to heal him -- if that could be done, *before he died*. He would
have eventually to 'pass away': no mortal could, or can, abide for ever on
earth, or within Time. So he went both to a purgatory and to a reward, for
a while: a period of reflection and peace and a gaining of a truer under-
standing of his position in littleness and in greatness, spent still in
Time amid the natural beauty of 'Arda Unmarred', the Earth unspoiled by
evil.
Thanks goes to Bill Loos for providing all of this.
Thorongil
Christopher C. Arp
of Tuor, for he was granted immortality and counted among the Noldor.
Brian Cuttler
for _Letters_? I don't seem to have a copy of the local book
store couldn't find the right info.
thanks,
--
Brian R Cuttler | bitnet: sysbrc@albnyvms
Senior System Programmer | internet: sys...@uacsc1.albany.edu
State Univ of NY at Albany | phone: 518-442-3906 fax: 518-442-3697