Goldberry - nearer to mortal ❤️...

[Ithrynluin]

From TFOTR; In the House of Tom Bombadil:

The hobbits looked at her in wonder; and she looked at each of them and smiled. ‘Fair lady Goldberry!’ said Frodo at last, feeling his heart moved with a joy that he did not understand. He stood as he had at times stood enchanted by fair elven-voices; but the spell that was now laid upon him was different: less keen and lofty was the delight, [color=sky blue]but deeper and nearer to mortal heart[/color]; marvellous and yet not strange. ‘Fair lady Goldberry!’ he said again. ‘Now the joy that was hidden in the songs we heard is made plain to me.

How do you interpret Frodo's feelings?

Why is the delight 'deeper and nearer to mortal heart' than that of encountering Elves?

I suppose that to us mortals, Goldberry would be just as 'magical' as the Elves. Why this distinction then?

 

[Eriol]

This depends on what exactly Goldberry is, a question almost (almost!) as thorny as the question of what Tom Bombadil is. If the "River's daughter" is seen as a personification of the land, of the Nature (note the capital N) of the Withywindle, then I suppose Frodo's feelings are akin to the feelings humans get when being uplifted by Nature.

Elves, on the other hand, are alien. While Nature is our sister / mother, Elves would be a race completely different from us, similar in looks but with the great rift of mortality between us and them.

I know I feel close to Nature. I'm not sure I would feel 'closeness' with an unknown Elf singing. And in the folktales these 'elvish songs' ('faeries songs'), while enthralling, were also scary. Somewhat similar to siren's songs.

(this last paragraph is a wild speculation, I know nothing of 'faeries songs'...)

 

[YayGollum]

Deeper = Way cooler and more interesting than any boring elf.

Nearer to mortal heart = Okay. Sure. Why not? Less alien than some boring elf. She's doing a good job at fitting in, while the elves wouldn't try.

 

[Niniel]

Maybe it means that Frodo felt that he could trust Goldbery more than the Elves. Elves are strange and magical beings, but also a mysterious; you never really know what they will do and if you can trust them. Maybe Frodo felt that Goldberry understood him (and other mortals) better than the Elves did and that made him more comfortable around her.

 

[Lantarion]

Perhaps it just means that Goldberry's charm was more 'rural'; less lofty, amazing and wonderful in the 'magical' or 'Elvish' way, and more a sort of commonly beautiful. If that makes any sense.

 

[Ithrynluin]

Originally posted by Lantarion
Perhaps it just means that Goldberry's charm was more 'rural'; less lofty, amazing and wonderful in the 'magical' or 'Elvish' way, and more a sort of commonly beautiful. If that makes any sense.

I guess it all boils down to what kind of creature she was. If her charm is more rural, as you say, then that would rule out her being a Maia or anything 'lofty' or 'elevated'. Would it not?

Elves are strange and magical beings, but also a mysterious; you never really know what they will do and if you can trust them.

Hmm...I don't think that the Elves 'generate' a distrustful feeling from anyone - and they are not easily spoiled or corrupted by evil.

Great answers everyone.

 

[Lantarion]

Originally posted by ithrynluin
I guess it all boils down to what kind of creature she was. If her charm is more rural, as you say, then that would rule out her being a Maia or anything 'lofty' or 'elevated'. Would it not?

Yup. I don't believe she (or Tom!) was a Maia, even though I wouldn't rule out that possibility.
But I think she could (theoretically) be a Maia even if her 'charm' wasn't as lofty.. Not all Maiar reveal themselves in majesty or angelic raiment (e.g. the Istari).

 

[Ithrynluin]

But the Istari were 'forced' to appear as old men, whereas Goldberry remains a mystery... And her appearance certainly IS angelic, at least in my opinion.

 

[FrankSinatra]

Well

He fancied her, and thats not as remote a possibility as it may seem at first glance.

She probably made good eye-candy and appealed to Frodo's male side.