📖👀 The Passing of the Grey Company

[Top Drawer Snacks]

In reading "The Passing of the Grey Company" I was confused about why Théoden took the long, slow paths through the mountains to Dunharrow, instead of the faster way with Aragorn. Was it simply to give the muster time?

 

[Halasían]

Read the 2nd paragraph. Aragorn says:

'The king is now determined to set out at once. Since the coming of the winged shadow, he desires to return to the hills under cover of night'

They were 'riding in secret' and Théoden would have wanted to get word out of the muster. Aragorn was also until he decided that he needed more haste after battling Sauron through the Palantir.

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

The pace of the narrative is picking up now as we see Rohan preparing for the big battle with Sauron. Merry is missing Pippin just as much as he is missed by Pippin. Merry also pledges his fealty to King Theoden who is much friendlier than Denethor. Theoden has also recently lost his son but has got over it: he's not taking out his grief on everybody. Theoden gives Merry a hill pony and a seat by him at table (where his own son would have sat). There's pessimism all around here as each character gets ready for what is to come.

Out of the blue, a small band of doughty northern Rangers commanded by Halbarad, including the two sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir, turn up. They have a mysterious message for Aragorn about the Paths of the Dead and a mysterious black cloth from Arwen (remember her?). The Rangers had received a message from Galadriel who clearly knows where Aragorn is. Legolas tells us there is war in Mirkwood (Dol Guldur?) so the elves there have their own problems.

After a discussion with Halbarad, Aragorn has decided to tread the Paths of the Dead through the White Mountains to the Gondor hinterland. These paths are fearsome to all the Rohirrim. We later learn that Baldor, an early member of the royal family vowed to tread the Paths of the Dead, and never returned. He may not have been the only one since a navigable short cut to the rural countryside of Gondor would be good for trade: horses for agricultural produce say. But no Rohirrim will want to go that way now.

We now have a bit of romantic writing as our shield maiden, Eowyn. virtually throws herself at Aragorn. Having failed to dissuade him from his chosen course, she offers to go with him. This shows great courage motivated by romantic love. Eowyn addresses Aragorn with the familiar thee and thou (cf French tu) but Aragorn addresses her as you. He also drops a huge hint about Arwen in Rivendell without naming her. Aragorn has also confronted Sauron in the Palantir "see this sword Sauron, does it look famliar. I'm coming to finish the job" My words not Tolkien's but I think the meaning is close.

We now get Tolkien the ghost story writer. He had some of M R James' books. A long time ago, Isildur had cursed the mountain men for letting him down in a previous battle with Sauron. There is a huge spherical stone on the Hill of Erech (brought from Numenor) which is a meeting place for them. Aragorn challenges them to help him deal with the threat from the southern Corsairs at Pelargir and he will release them. Aragorn unfurled the banner he had received from Arwen. We get a description of their journey through rural Gondor followed by the army of the dead. The rural Gondorians keep a low profile. There would be much to talk about at the next market day.

 

[Eljorahir]

Aragorn has also confronted Sauron in the Palantir

'...in the end I wrenched the Stone to my own will. That alone he will find hard to endure. And he beheld me. Yes, Master Gimli, he saw me, but in other guise than you see me here...He is not so mighty yet that he is above fear...'

I find the business of the "other guise" in which Sauron saw Aragorn very thought-provoking. What is meant by "other guise"? Did Sauron see a view of Aragorn's might and majesty, something beyond a simple superficial view of the man? So, Aragorn uses the Palantir to strike fear into Sauron in a similar way that Sauron uses it to bring Denethor to a state of despair?

 

[Halasían]

'... But Merry had eyes only for Aragorn, so startling was the change that he saw in him, as if in one night many years had fallen on his head. Grim was his face, grey-hued and weary.'

The observation of Aragorn by Merry in this chapter has always stuck with me ever since I first read the books in 1975. Merry obviously saw a big change in his appearance, and it was here where my mind's eye changed its vision of Aragorn from the rough-hewn ranger as Halbarad and the other rangers were described just before this passage, to a more aged-looking 'kingly' man with tinges of grey at his temples and crows feet beside his eyes. A struggle with Sauron through the Palantir had to of taken a lot to be able to wrest control from him and have him see the kingly Isildur's Heir. It's yet another reason why PJ's fanfic dungs me to tears.

 

[TrackerOrc]

'They are a strange company, these newcomers,' said Gimli. 'Stout men and lordly they are, and the Riders of Rohan look almost as boys beside them; for they are grim men of face, worn like weathered rocks for the most part, even as aragorn himself; and they are silent.'

I've always thought of the Dunedain of the North (the few that remain of course, and perhaps there's a clue in that only 30 could be gathered at haste), as much grimmer and battle-hardened than either the Rohirrim or the Men of Minas Tirith. Much more your lone wolf guerilla-types than a formal army if you like.

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

Yes both good points well put, Eljorahir and Halasian. I think the much laboured point about Tolkien and allegory comes from Tolkien's concern that the reader should be allowed to see his/her own parallels and applications rather than being told what a particular passage is supposed to mean. In fact, I heard this point in a talk about Beowulf where the speaker said it is much easier to say what a poem does do (for the reader) than is supposed to do.

So having put allegory aside I saw some parallels here with Jesus descending to the dead and characters from Greek myth descending to the underworld. Aragorn is being transformed from the "mere Ranger" to the royal king of Gondor and this experience of leading Legolas, Gimli and the northern Rangers through this forbidding place and getting the army of the dead to agree to his proposal is a large step in this process. Tolkien could have just left this out and have them accompany King Theoden's forces to what was not exactly an easy task as we shall see. Both Merry and Eowyn are set to play their own major part in the story. "take that witch king", says Merry "and that" says Eowyn.

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

'They are a strange company, these newcomers,' said Gimli. 'Stout men and lordly they are, and the Riders of Rohan look almost as boys beside them; for they are grim men of face, worn like weathered rocks for the most part, even as aragorn himself; and they are silent.'

I've always thought of the Dunedain of the North (the few that remain of course, and perhaps there's a clue in that only 30 could be gathered at haste), as much grimmer and battle-hardened than either the Rohirrim or the Men of Minas Tirith. Much more your lone wolf guerilla-types than a formal army if you like.

Yes, apart from the occasional stay at The Prancing Pony they don't seem to have their own home. Would they bivouac in The Forsaken Inn during winter?

 

[Elthir]

"take that witch king", says Merry "and that" says Eowyn.

I love Tolkien's double use of "that" here. . . a detail that I'm sure that our Ent didn't fail to notice.

sorry

 

[TrackerOrc]

Yes, apart from the occasional stay at The Prancing Pony they don't seem to have their own home. Would they bivouac in The Forsaken Inn during winter?

And look at the reception (decidedly mixed, to say the least) that the Rangers receive in Bree - even though they are saving Butterbur from 'foes that would freeze his heart'. I think Faramir and Co wouldn't last long in the North, accustomed as they are to the relative comforts and civilisation they are surrounded with. The Window on the West is like a well-appointed airbnb compared to the hard scrabble life of the 'real' Dunedain.

 

[Vardarianna]

I really love this chapter because it co-stars my uncles Elladan and Elrohir along with Halbarad. All stuff left out of the movie.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

'...in the end I wrenched the Stone to my own will. That alone he will find hard to endure. And he beheld me. Yes, Master Gimli, he saw me, but in other guise than you see me here...He is not so mighty yet that he is above fear...'

I find the business of the "other guise" in which Sauron saw Aragorn very thought-provoking. What is meant by "other guise"? Did Sauron see a view of Aragorn's might and majesty, something beyond a simple superficial view of the man? So, Aragorn uses the Palantir to strike fear into Sauron in a similar way that Sauron uses it to bring Denethor to a state of despair?

There have been a number of discussions on the significance of "guise" here, over the years, some insisting it's interchangeable with "disguise", and having the same meaning. That certainly seems to be true of Aragorn's adventures as "Thorongil", where the word "guise" is used -- he was clearly at pains not to reveal his true identity and lineage there -- but it doesn't appear credible here, where he shows the Sword to Sauron, and wrenches control of the palantir from him.

So what does Sauron "see"? I'd suggest there may be a glimpse of this back in "The Riders of Rohan " chapter, at the moment Aragorn declares himself to Eomer:

Gimli and Legolas looked at their companion in amazement., for they had not seen him in this mood before. He seemed to have grown in stature while Eomer had shrunk; and in his living face they caught a brief vision of the power and majesty of the kings of stone. For a brief moment it seemed to the eyes of Legolas that a white flame flickered on the brows of Aragorn like a shining crown.

I emphasize that last sentence because there's a contrasting difference here: both "see" the "power and majesty ", but apparently only Legolas sees, or seems to see, the "white flame". We've had several examples of his "elf-eyes" by this point, so his vision into what could be called the "unseen" can be accepted as one more difference from Men.

If that's case for Elves, what would it be for a Maia? Especially seeing the rightful King, with the blood of the Elves in him?

Aragorn is being transformed from the "mere Ranger" to the royal king of Gondor

Indeed. In terms of Northrop Frye's fictional modes, he's modulating from a Romance-mode to a High Mimetic- mode hero, something signaled initially in the earlier "Palantir" chapter, Gandalf gives the palantir to him, saying 'Receive it, lord! in earnest of other things that shall be given back.' This surprises those nearby.

The Paths of the Dead constitutes for Aragorn the katabasis the hero must undergo as part of his transformation. And the banner is an important symbol-- even though we don't see it at this point, it's embroidered with the White Tree. Frye points out the persistence through transformation of the Tree of Life of myth: in Romance, it becomes the wizard's staff; in the High Mimetic, which centers on kingship, it transforms into the fluttering royal banner.

 

[Vardarianna]

One thing that always intrigued me in this chapter was the standard that Arwen made and sent with her brothers south with the Grey Company. When I first read it, I wanted to know what it looked like. First unfurled at the Stone of Erech to proclaim Aragorn's kingship to the Dead...

... 'For I am Elessar, Isildur's heir of Gondor.'​

And with that he bade Halbarad unfurl the great standard which he had brought; and behold! it was black, and if there was any device upon it, it was hidden in the darkness.​

I admit to being a bit disappointed that it was all black, but I did have hope for more by the way Tolkien wrote it. Later in the book in the chapter 'The Battle of The Pelennor Fields', the standard brings hope from the despair King Eomer felt when he first saw it as he made his last stand...

And then wonder took him, and a great joy; and he cast his sword up in the sunlight and sang as he caught it. And all eyes followed his gaze, and behold! upon the foremost ship a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it as she turned towards the Harlond. There flowered a White Tree, and that was for Gondor; but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it, the signs of Elendil that no lord had borne for years beyond count. And the stars flamed in the sunlight, for they were wrought of gems by Arwen daughter of Elrond; and the crown was bright in the morning, for it was wrought of mithril and gold.​

The device of the standard was illuminated in the light of day, and appeared black in darkness. I always marveled at that. I should take this specific discussion to its own thread or find a thread on it to necropost to.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

The device of the standard was illuminated in the light of day, and appeared black in darkness. I always marveled at that. I should take this specific discussion to its own thread or find a thread on it to necropost to.

On some old thread or other there was a suggestion that, at the Stone of Erech, only the Dead could see the emblems on the banner. Whether that's actually the case, I wouldn't know, but it's an interesting idea.

 

[Vardarianna]

Yeah, that is an interesting thought. I don't think it's canon though. Another thing that intrigued me was the silver horn that Aragorn blew before he proclaimed himself to the dead. Was that another heirloom of the line of kings?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Hmm. Well, the fact that it's handed to him by Elrorhir seems significant, and earlier, when he recites the words of Malbeth the Seer, there are the lines:

at the Stone of Erech they shall stand again,
and hear there a horn in the hills ringing,
Whose horn shall it be? Who shall call them
from the Grey twilight, the forgotten people?
The heir of him to whom the oath they swore,

Taken together, the two may well indicate the horn once belonged to Isildur, and made it to Rivendell at some point.

Good catch, @Vardarianna -- I'd never considered this before!

 

[Vardarianna]

Hmm. Well, the fact that it's handed to him by Elrorhir seems significant, and earlier, when he recites the words of Malbeth the Seer, there are the lines:

at the Stone of Erech they shall stand again,
and hear there a horn in the hills ringing,
Whose horn shall it be? Who shall call them
from the Grey twilight, the forgotten people?
The heir of him to whom the oath they swore,

Taken together, the two may well indicate the horn once belonged to Isildur, and made it to Rivendell at some point.

Good catch, Vardarianna -- I'd never considered this before!

... or was it one of Fingolfiin's 'silver trumpets'?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

It seems unlikely -- though maybe you can work out a reasonable scenario. 😄

It's clearly not the "great horn" blown by Halbarad on setting out from Helm's Deep. I still lean toward my original idea, but you did make me consider the possibility that it may well have come fron Numenor with Isildur; in which case, could it not, like the palantiri, have been a gift of the Elves? That would go far in explaining its power over the Dead, when sounded by the rightful King.

On a separate subject, no mention has been made of an "error" in this chapter-- an odd situation I noticed on first reading the book. Not until many years had passed did I learn the reason. I brought it up in another thread, so rather than discussing it here, will post the link:

Why has there been no discussion on Dunharrow in this 📔book section?

I'm somewhat astounded to find that not a single discussion has been had on this important book since the creation of this section. I'll take the opportunity to make the first post. There are many insights into the development of the story to be discovered in this volume, but the one I'll...

thetolkien.forum

One more note: since I mentioned Halbarad's horn, there's a word in the passage @Eljorahir might consider adding to his list:

Then Halbarad lifted a great horn, and the blast of it echoed in Helm's Deep; and with that they leapt away, riding down the Coomb like thunder, while all the men that were left on Dike or Burg stared in amaze.

 

[Vardarianna]

'...in the end I wrenched the Stone to my own will. That alone he will find hard to endure. And he beheld me. Yes, Master Gimli, he saw me, but in other guise than you see me here...He is not so mighty yet that he is above fear...'

I find the business of the "other guise" in which Sauron saw Aragorn very thought-provoking. What is meant by "other guise"? Did Sauron see a view of Aragorn's might and majesty, something beyond a simple superficial view of the man? So, Aragorn uses the Palantir to strike fear into Sauron in a similar way that Sauron uses it to bring Denethor to a state of despair?

I originally pictured in my mind reading this 'other guise' that he appeared as Isildur cutting the One Ring from his hand, really making Sauron mad.
I also have thought he appeared as the heir of Elendil and that all the centuries that Sauron tried to make sure the line was ended, realizing the Witch-king failed him in the north.

 

[Valandil]

Interesting thoughts. “…in other guise…”

I have noticed those words before but not thought about them a lot.

What it means though, is not only did Aragorn have the strength of will to wrench control of the Stone from Sauron - but also to control how Sauron (a Maia!) saw him through the Stone, even before he ripped control away.

Impressive!