This is the third post of
a series of posts on J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. This series focuses on the first volume
of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring.
You can find the first
post here.
The second
post here.
The third
post here.
Summary: Bk1 Ch 4_5_6
Chapter 4: A Shortcut to Mushrooms
The next morning the hobbits awoke to find the elves gone, but they had left some of their delicious bread. From the elves’ warning the night before, Frodo wanted to leave for Bucklebury immediately and insisted that the other hobbits let him go alone. The other hobbits refused leaving him and reaffirmed their commitment to their journey. Frodo then insisted that they take a shortcut through the forest rather than travel by the road. As they started off, they heard a distant shrieking cry which made they move on.
Once they came to the end of the forest they were forced to turn southward and they came upon a section of land that was “well-ordered.” They recognized it as the land of Farmer Maggot, a farmer who many years before had terrified Frodo with his dogs when Frodo was a lad. Frodo then had been caught stealing some of Maggot’s wild mushrooms, and Frodo had never forgotten. As they approached the house, they were confronted by Maggot and his three dogs. After recognizing Pippin and then the others, Maggot invited them in for supper with his wife. After supper and reminiscing discussion, Maggot with his sons decided to drive them in his wagon the five miles to the ferry. At the ferry they met Merry who has been waiting for them. Maggot had left them a surprise of mushrooms.
Chapter 5: A Conspiracy Unmasked
Merry led the others to a flat-bed ferry boat which he had moored at a bank, and climbing on board with the ponies they pushed off. During the slow float across the river, Frodo felt his life transformed. When they got to the other side, Sam and Frodo looked back across the river and could see a dark figure that had been following them.
It was still some distance to go from the Brandywine River to Frodo’s house at Crickhollow, but that dark figure on the other side without a boat would have to spend a day to get to a crossing bridge and another day to get down, The hobbits felt safe enough to spend one night at Frodo’s house before moving on. Once they got to the house, where the fifth hobbit, Fatty Bolger, was waiting, Frodo felt it was just like home since the other hobbits had moved his old furniture in. Each hobbit took a bath, singing and splashing each other, and they had a late supper. Again Frodo wanted to leave the other hobbits behind because the quest was going to be too dangerous, but to his surprise the other hobbits revealed that they knew about the ring and the quest all along and insisted on going. So they ate, drank, and sang a song of fellowship. They decided in the morning to be off and not go by the road but through the Old Forest. Fatty would not be going.
Chapter 6: The Old Forest
The hobbits got up very early in the morning and headed out. Fatty Bolger was happy he would be staying behind.
It was difficult making it through the forest, and it seemed that the surroundings were forcing them in directions they did not want to go. At one point they realized the trees were shifting to guide them in a particular direction. At another point the trees allowed them to pass into an opening in the forest, and the hobbits rushed through it. Merry recognized the valley as leading to the Withywindle River, and they realized they were headed in the wrong direction. So they veered northward, into a dense wood again.
It was hot and they were tired. They had been traveling a fortnight by now, and suddenly as they reached a bank of a stream drowsiness came upon them. Frodo felt this was an unnatural drowsiness and wanted to move on. But they laid down, Merry and Pippin down against a huge willow tree. Sam got up to look for the ponies when he heard a plash. Frodo was in the water, and when he got out said the tree had pushed him in. When they looked for the others, Merry and Pippin were trapped inside the crevice of the big willow tree. The tree had swallowed them up. They didn’t have an axe, so they decided to try to burn the tree.
Suddenly they heard a strange singing and a man came upon them singing a nonsensical song. It was Tom Bombadil, and when Frodo and Sam told him about Merry and Pippin, he yelled at Old Man Willow to let them out. He broke a branch off the willow and started hitting the tree. Tom started singing inside the crack and lo and behold the willow tree let Merry and Pippin out. Tom invited the four house to his house for supper, and they accepted. Tom moved too fast for the hobbits to follow but they followed his voice which continued to sing his nonsensical song.
###
Michelle Comment:
Tom Bombadil is almost like an angel, appearing suddenly when needed, and advising the hobbits 🙂
Ellie Comment:
What I noticed in these chapters was the emphasis on
companionship and fellowship, which I think is very important not only in
Catholicism but in Christianity in general. Frodo could have left alone, but
his friends were there to support him and I think Tolkien wanted to show how
important companions are for an individual.
I've also always thought of Tom Bombadil as Tolkien personified in his own book and looking at chapter 6 as well as future chapters, I think Tom Bombadil might be Tolkien, the 'subcreator' who knows a whole lot about what's going on but also he seems like some sort of God-figure, if I can call it that... but that's for future discussions. I think Tom Bombadil is a really fun character but one who has a lot of wisdom to share, somebody who doesn't judge and takes in these stray hobbits
My Reply to Ellie:
Yes, I think you're absolutely right. I planned to elaborate on that in the coming days. But you almost took the words out of my mouth.
Patrick Comment:
Does anybody connect Tom Bombadil with the concept of
the Numinous presented in "The Wind in the Willows" chapter 7,
"Piper at the Gates of Dawn"?
The god of nature, Pan, a satyr, appeals to the
characters in that chapter. Early Christians saw Pan as a Christ-figure.
I mention this because Tolkien loved Kenneth Grahame as a child, and Tom Bombadil fits in the mold of mystical caretaker of nature.
My Reply to Patrick:
Patrick, I am not familiar with The Wind in the Willows (though I have a vague memory of reading some of it years ago) but you might be onto something there. The tree that swallowed Merry and Pippin was a willow tree and was referred to as Old Man Willow. Thanks for that insight.
Kerstin Reply to Patrick:
Tom Bombadil is one of the hardest characters to classify. The mystical caretaker of nature seems to me a favorite one especially from a secular perspective. But I find that too limited. He exudes the joy of life like no other character I know of. Always cheerful and fully aware of his surroundings, probably to a deeper extend than we are. He reminds me of the famous quote by St. Irenaeus, The glory of God is man fully alive. Tom Bombadil is fully alive. The negative things of life don't touch him because he is too alive for them. Julian of Norwich comes to mind as well, All shall be well, and all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well.
My Reply:
Let's hold off discussing Tom Bombadil. The very next chapter is devoted to him. Let's wait for the next section.
L Comment:
Thank you very much for the helpful summary, Manny. The sixth chapter really stood out for me with Tolkien's depiction of the awful unending confusion of the hobbits lost amid the quiet menace of the trees. I felt nearly as dizzy reading it as the poor hobbits must have been trying to find their way through the Old Forest! Tom Bombadil's nonsense verses again reminded me of George McDonald's character Curdie, who makes up nonsense rhymes to ward away goblins in 'The Princess and the Goblin'. I think Curdie is the purest human depiction of courage that I have ever come across in fiction.
My Reply to L:
You're welcome, and that is anoher allusion that is quite possible. I believe Tolkien was a fan of McDonald. I have not read McDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, from which Curdie is from, so I can't comment.
Kerstin Reply to L:
Oh that's a great comparison! I hadn't thought of that
at all, and I lead the discussion on the book in 'Victorians!' last year, lol.
Now my follow-up thought would be, what is it about nonsense rhymes that wards off evil? I'll have to think about that.
My Reply to Kerstin:
That is a very interesting question. Late 19th and
early 20th century English literature is populated with nonsense rhymes, both
as stand alone poems or set pieces within novels. I'm thinking of Lewis
Carrol's Alice in Wonderland which contains nonsense rhymes and the poetry of
Edward Lear. You can read
about nonsense verse here:
There are various forms of nonsense verse. Here are
some that I can think of. One is employing words that make sense but together
do not seem like a logical statement; second is employing language that is
completely made up or are just phonemes; third is a combination of one and two;
fourth is a creation of a whole language (here I'm thinking of James Joyce's
Finnigan's Wake which is a whole novel in nonsensical language). There may be
more. That article doesn't mention it, but I think nonsensical language is
linked to folklore.
With Tom Bombadil, my guess is to set him apart from a
common society. Shared language is at the basis of a shared community. Someone
with his own language and sense is apart from the community or is from a
community in one's past. Just like when we read Old English and it seems
nonsense to us, so could a person who speaks in an older version of a language
suggest a hereditary lineage.
Or he could just be crazy....lol.
###
Have you noticed how in almost every single chapter, there is a meal shared between several persons?
From chapter 2, on the last night at Bag Ends:
The four younger hobbits were, however, in high
spirits, and the party soon became very cheerful in spite of Gandalf’s absence.
The dining-room was bare except for a table and chairs, but the food was good,
and there was good wine: Frodo’s wine had not been included in te sale to the
Sackville-Bagginses.
‘Whatever happens to the rest of my stuff, when the S.-B.s get their claws on it, at any rate I have found a good home for this!’ said Frodo, as he drained his glass. It was the last drop of Old Winyards.
Later in that chapter,
after being on the road and meeting the elves, the hobbits join them for
supper.
Pippin sat up and rubbed his eyes. He shivered. ‘There
is a fire in the hall, and food for hungry guests,’ said an Elf standing before
him.
At the south end of the greensward there was an
opening. There the green floor ran on into the wood, and formed a wide space
like a hall, roofed by the boughs of trees. Their great trunks ran like pillars
down each side. In the middle there was a wood-fire blazing, and upon the
tree-pillars torches with lights of gold and silver were burning steadily. The
Elves sat round the fire upon the grass or upon the sawn rings of old trunks.
Some went to and fro bearing cups and pouring drink; others brought food on
heaped plates and dishes.
‘This is poor fare,’ they said to the hobbits; ‘for we
are lodging in the greenwood far from our halls. If ever you are our guests at
home, we will treat you better.’
‘It seems to me good enough for a birthday-party,’ said Frodo.
Indeed, the next morning
after the elves have departed, the hobbits had breakfast with the leftover
bread. In chapter 4, Farmer Maggot
invites the hobbits in for supper with his family.
Frodo now accepted the invitation gratefully, to the relief of Pippin and Sam. The sun was already behind the western hills, and the light was failing. Two of Maggot’s sons and his three daughters came in, and a generous supper was laid on the large table. The kitchen was lit with candles and the fire was mended. Mrs. Maggot bustled in and out. One or two other hobbits belonging to the farm-household came in. In a short while fourteen sat down to eat. There was beer in plenty, and a mighty dish of mushrooms and bacon, besides much other solid farmhouse fare. The dogs lay by the fire and gnawed rinds and cracked bones.
In chapter 5, when the
hobbits reach Frodo’s house at Crickhollow and have their splashing fun in
their baths, they have a late supper.
They had supper in the kitchen on a table near the
fire. ‘I suppose you three won’t want mushrooms again?’ said Fredegar without
much hope.
‘Yes we shall!’ cried Pippin.
‘They’re mine!’ said Frodo. ‘Given to me by Mrs. Maggot, a queen among farmers’ wives. Take your greedy hands away, and I’ll serve them.’
There are more instances, and let’s not forget the novel starts with a birthday party and moves in short order to another birthday party years after. This gathering for a meal is certainly more in the novel than just the natural need for people to eat at certain time intervals. Tolkien, with this rhythmic punctuating of gathering for a meal, is raising the meal to something more than the obvious. Can we think of it as a metaphor? I would.
So what does this metaphor stand for? When people come together for a meal, they come together in a bond or through the meal they form bonds. There is a shared goodwill between those at the table. Family and friends come together for a meal. You are in communion with those at the table. Indeed, communion implies Holy Communion. In Holy Communion one is in communion within the Body of Christ. Notice at Mass the taking of Holy Communion comes after the Eucharistic prayer that stitches together the whole Church body (living and dead), after the community praying of the Our Father—if we share a Father, then we are brothers and sisters—and after we offer peace to all in the Body. The holy meal follows that bonding process. This is what I think Tolkien is suggesting with his rhythmic pacing of meals. Those at table come into communion. This is why such a good feeling is shared after the dinner with the elves. This is why the hobbits have such shared fun in splashing each other as they bathe at Crickenhollow.
One step then from communion I think is fellowship. What is fellowship? From Merriam-Webster’s, and I’ll only include the definitions that apply here: (1) companionship, (2) community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience, (3) a company of equals or friends; an association, (4) the quality or state of being comradely.
Fellowship, then, is being in communion of friends with a particular shared interest or activity. The hobbits are in fellowship with each other with the shared interest of the quest to dispose of the ring. This fellowship is formed, stitched, and sealed through the process of shared meals. (Let me guess, there will never be a shared meal between the hobbits and orcs.) The novel’s first volume is called “The Fellowship of the Ring.” In time, if I remember correctly, I think the whole first volume is an enlarging of this fellowship.
###
Kerstin Comment:
Yes! If I remember correctly there is only Gollum in
the entire book who goes off and eats alone, but that won't be until "The
Return of the King".
There is something so deeply mystical about sharing a
meal. We do it all the time and don't think much about it. Yet it gives us
sustenance far beyond the nourishment of the body. Who would ever think of
having a get-together without a meal or at least some kinds of refreshments?
Thinking about this I am reminded of the Odyssey and how hospitality takes on a very different character than what we're used to today. The arriving stranger, mostly Odysseus or in the beginning his son Telemachus, is offered a meal first, then his name is asked, and what brings him to this particular place. The meal goes before everything else, even asking the stranger his name or who he is!
Bruce Comment:
Also the Iliad and American Indian stories have
multiple stories of how a brave soul faces down death by walking fearlessly
into an enemy camp to retrieve a daughter, wife, or even a corpse, and there
stories nearly always include calmly sharing a meal with an enemy who respects
your courage. The story of Leo the Great and Attila the Hun may be another
version of this story.
Iliad, Blog 3, Visiting
the Enemy Camp, Greeks vs Indians
The Warrior Cultures of the Iliad and the American
Indian, Bravely Visiting the Enemy Camp
