Quickly escalating conflicts, being defused peacefully

[Deleted member 12094]

I took an interest to look up occurrences whereby conflicts that could have turned violent were defused by subtle diplomacy or by understanding the opponent. Some of these diplomatic solutions occasionally show JRRT’s pen at its finest.

BTW this message is long, but mostly because of the many quotes; those of you who know these texts can be quick in reading.

Here is what I managed to collect:

Gimli – Éomer

The conflict arose in “The Riders of Rohan”, whereby Gimli got very upset at Éomer’s rash words about Galadriel. In an abbreviated manner:​

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‘Few escape her nets, they say. These are strange days! But if you have her favour, then you also are net-weavers and sorcerers, maybe.’ He turned a cold glance suddenly upon Legolas and Gimli. ‘Why do you not speak, silent ones?’ he demanded.​

Gimli rose and planted his feet firmly apart: his hand gripped the handle of his axe, and his dark eyes flashed. ‘Give me your name, horse-master, and I will give you mine, and more besides,’ he said.​

‘As for that,’ said the Rider, staring down at the Dwarf, ‘the stranger should declare himself first. Yet I am named Éomer son of Émund, and am called the Third Marshal of Riddermark.’​

‘Then Éomer son of Éomund, Third Marshal of Riddermark, let Gimli the Dwarf Glóin’s son warn you against foolish words. You speak evil of that which is fair beyond the reach of your thought, and only little wit can excuse you.’​

Éomer’s eyes blazed, and the Men of Rohan murmured angrily, and closed in, advancing their spears. ‘I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground,’ said Éomer.​

‘He stands not alone,’ said Legolas, bending his bow and fitting an arrow with hands that moved quicker than sight. ‘You would die before your stroke fell.’​

​

At this point when things started boiling over, Aragorn intervened by deflecting attention to a number of different subjects:​

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1. Good intentions and the promise of a tale of great interest for Éomer in this situation:​

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When you know more you will understand why you have angered my companions. We intend no evil to Rohan, nor to any of its folk, neither to man nor to horse. Will you not hear our tale before you strike?​

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2. Establishing the notion of a common cause (i.e. a common enemy):​

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‘Are you friend or foe of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor?’​

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3. Allowing the other party their own pride:​

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‘I serve only the Lord of the Mark, Théoden King son of Thengel’​

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3. Giving in to a logical demand from Éomer, he then uses the occasion to impress the other party:​

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We welcomed guests kindly in the better days, but in these times the unbidden stranger finds us swift and hard. Come! Who are you? Whom do you serve? At whose command do you hunt Orcs in our land?’​

[…]​

‘Elendil!’ he cried. ‘I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil’s son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!’​

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After this, the attention finally turns towards the issues at hand, namely the orc pack they had been pursuing, the perils of Rohan e.a. This way the conflict was defused, though temporarily only:​

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‘And I will come, too,’ said Gimli. ‘The matter of the Lady Galadriel lies still between us. I have yet to teach you gentle speech.’​

‘We shall see,’ said Éomer. ‘So many strange things have chanced that to learn the praise of a fair lady under the loving strokes of a Dwarf’s axe will seem no great wonder. Farewell!’​

​

I remember that this whole very fine dispute has been analysed in detail before by someone here (Squint-eyed Southerner, IIRC) but I failed to find the old tread here.​

Gimli – Éomer (bis)

The final solution of the previous conflict occurred upon Éomer’s return in Minas Tirith, where he could meet both Arwen and Galadriel. Eomer’s elegant diplomatic turn to put the dispute to an end is wonderful reading:​

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In three days, as the King had said, Éomer of Rohan came riding to the City, and with him came an éored of the fairest knights of the Mark. He was welcomed; and when they sat all at table in Merethrond, the Great Hall of Feasts, he beheld the beauty of the ladies that he saw and was filled with great wonder. And before he went to his rest he sent for Gimli the Dwarf, and he said to him: ‘Gimli Glóin’s son, have you your axe ready?’​

‘Nay, lord,’ said Gimli, ‘but I can speedily fetch it, if there be need.’​

‘You shall judge,’ said Éomer. ‘For there are certain rash words concerning the Lady in the Golden Wood that lie still between us. And now I have seen her with my eyes.’​

‘Well, lord,’ said Gimli, ‘and what say you now?’​

‘Alas!’ said Éomer. ‘I will not say that she is the fairest lady that lives.’​

‘Then I must go for my axe,’ said Gimli.​

‘But first I will plead this excuse,’ said Éomer. ‘Had I seen her in other company, I would have said all that you could wish. But now I will put Queen Arwen Evenstar first, and I am ready to do battle on my own part with any who deny me. Shall I call for my sword?’​

Then Gimli bowed low. ‘Nay, you are excused for my part, lord,’ he said. ‘You have chosen the Evening; but my love is given to the Morning. And my heart forebodes that soon it will pass away for ever.’​

​

Faramir’s move was genial: Gimli could not diminish Queen Arwen in favor of Galadriel and wisely chose to at least agree on the fairness of both, as Faramir expected!​

Gosh, I love this part! ​

Sam – Faramir

This is about an event in “The Window on the East”. Faramir was questioning Frodo about Boromir and the Fellowship, showing suspicion and doubt. Sam, taking Faramir’s attitude as demeaning towards Frodo, got a fit of anger:​

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[Frodo:] ‘But he was alive and strong when we parted. And he lives still for all that I know. Though surely there are many perils in the world.’​

‘Many indeed,’ said Faramir, ‘and treachery not the least.’​

Sam had been getting more and more impatient and angry at this conversation. These last words were more than he could bear, and bursting into the middle of the ring, he strode up to his master’s side.​

[…]​

‘See here, Captain!’ He planted himself squarely in front of Faramir, his hands on his hips, and a look on his face as if he was addressing a young hobbit who had offered him what he called ‘sauce’ when questioned about visits to the orchard. There was some murmuring, but also some grins on the faces of the men looking on: the sight of their Captain sitting on the ground and eye to eye with a young hobbit, legs well apart, bristling with wrath, was one beyond their experience. ‘See here!’ he said. ‘What are you driving at? […] If you think my master murdered this Boromir and then ran away, you’ve got no sense; but say it, and have done! […] But it’s a pity that folk as talk about fighting the Enemy can’t let others do their bit in their own way without interfering. He’d be mighty pleased, if he could see you now. Think he’d got a new friend, he would.’​

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Faramir puts Sam on his place with great diplomatic mastery:​

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‘Do not speak before your master, whose wit is greater than yours.’​

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Obviously, Sam could not disagree with that…​

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‘I spare a brief time, in order to judge justly in a hard matter. Were I as hasty as you, I might have slain you long ago. For I am commanded to slay all whom I find in this land without the leave of the Lord of Gondor.’​

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Sam was being told that he was acting without much judgment whereas, if Faramir acted likewise, evil would have occurred already to both.​

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‘But I do not slay man or beast needlessly, and not gladly even when it is needed. Neither do I talk in vain.’​

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Faramir justifies his need for reflection and defuses therewith Sam’s earlier hasty protest. Sam has clearly lost the dispute he had thoughtlessly started himself by way of reason.​

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So be comforted. Sit by your master, and be silent!’​

Sam sat down heavily with a red face. Faramir turned to Frodo again.​

Denethor – Gandalf

This refers to their meeting in the fifth book “Minas Tirith”. At least in terms of strength of mind and will, this could well be called the conflict of giants:​

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[Gandalf:] ‘Is it naught to you that Théoden has fought a great battle, and that Isengard is overthrown, and that I have broken the staff of Saruman?’​

‘It is much to me. But I know already sufficient of these deeds for my own counsel against the menace of the East.’ He turned his dark eyes on Gandalf, and now Pippin saw a likeness between the two, and he felt the strain between them, almost as if he saw a line of smouldering fire, drawn from eye to eye, that might suddenly burst into flame.​

Denethor looked indeed much more like a great wizard than Gandalf did, more kingly, beautiful, and powerful; and older. Yet by a sense other than sight Pippin perceived that Gandalf had the greater power and the deeper wisdom, and a majesty that was veiled. […] He saw that Denethor and Gandalf still looked each other in the eye, as if reading the other’s mind. But it was Denethor who first withdrew his gaze.​

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Denethor’s festering disdain for Gandalf did not bring about open violence: both men were too worthy and wise to let their differences boil over. Quite similar an event between both occurred when Denethor realized what Frodo’s mission was, and which he vehemently disapproved:​

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‘If I had this thing now in the deep vaults of this citadel, we should not then shake with dread under this gloom, fearing the worst, and our counsels would be undisturbed. If you do not trust me to endure the test, you do not know me yet.’​

‘Nonetheless I do not trust you,’ said Gandalf. ‘Had I done so, I could have sent this thing hither to your keeping and spared myself and others much anguish. And now hearing you speak I trust you less, no more than Boromir. Nay, stay your wrath! I do not trust myself in this, and I refused this thing, even as a freely given gift. […]’​

For a moment the eyes of Denethor glowed again as he faced Gandalf, and Pippin felt once more the strain between their wills; but now almost it seemed as if their glances were like blades from eye to eye, flickering as they fenced. Pippin trembled fearing some dreadful stroke. But suddenly Denethor relaxed and grew cold again. He shrugged his shoulders.​

‘If I had! If you had!’ he said. ‘Such words and ifs are vain. It has gone into the Shadow, and only time will show what doom awaits it, and us. The time will not be long.​

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Again, both men chose a calm exit from crisis. Still, whereas Denethor’s mindset had gone too deep into despair to be receptive for fine diplomacy, the conflict brought no physical violence. Left aside Denethor’s tragic end, of course.​

Frodo – Saruman

Suffice it to say that, both during Frodo’s return way to Rivendell and later in the Shire, violence was under no consideration for solving ever more terrible grievances against Saruman: Merry’s pipeweed on their return way to Rivendell, Frodo’s insistence of a non-violent conclusion after an attempt of assassination. Very indicative is Saruman’s bitter comment after his failed attack, just before he met his end:​

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‘No, Sam!’ said Frodo. ‘Do not kill him even now. For he has not hurt me. And in any case I do not wish him to be slain in this evil mood. He was great once, of a noble kind that we should not dare to raise our hands against. He is fallen, and his cure is beyond us; but I would still spare him, in the hope that he may find it.’​

Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. ‘You have grown, Halfling,’ he said. ‘Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely foretell.’​

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JRRT shows the superiority of non-violence in conflict, much like he had praised Bilbo for not killing Gollum when he could have done so.​

Some conclusions

JRRT pleaded for well-reasoned, peaceful solutions to conflicts at many occasions.

He also pointed to uncivilized aspects of conflict solution by brute force: each time Orcs had something to resolve it invariably ended in bloodshed:

• Uglúk - Grishnákh
• Gorbag - Shagrat
• The tracker and the warrior in Mordor
• The fights at Carach Angren

I hope that some of you liked these reflections. Much attention has been paid of late to all sorts of military conflicts, battles etc; yet lots of other things are there to discover too! ☺

 

[Olorgando]

Really a tour-de-force, Merroe! 🤩

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Fascinating reflections, Merroe -- well done!

Is this the thread you were referring to?

https://thetolkien.forum/threads/elendil-i-am-aragorn-son-of-arathorn.17907/page-3

If so, it's not surprising that you didn't locate it -- it was way back on Page 9 of the LOTR forum.

Some very interesting ideas by Alcuin on that thread, too -- from 15 years ago! --- that could be read with profit, in conjunction with yours here.

A possible addition to your list might be the Frodo-Sam-Gollum triad: Sam may well have just killed Gollum, without Frodo's intervention. That would have proved disastrous.

 

[Deleted member 12094]

Is this the thread you were referring to?

Yes, that's the one I remembered!

A possible addition to your list might be the Frodo-Sam-Gollum triad: Sam may well have just killed Gollum, without Frodo's intervention. That would have proved disastrous.

I quite agree: an excellent addition. Perhaps there are even more...!

 

[Olorgando]

JRRT pleaded for well-reasoned, peaceful solutions to conflicts at many occasions.

He also pointed to uncivilized aspects of conflict solution by brute force: each time Orcs had something to resolve it invariably ended in bloodshed:

• Uglúk - Grishnákh
• Gorbag - Shagrat
• The tracker and the warrior in Mordor
• The fights at Carach Angren

This reminds me of a book that I own and have read at least a couple of times, "Getting to Yes", originally published in 1981 by Roger Fisher and William Ury, joined in the 1991 revised edition by Bruce Patton. I have the 22nd (!) German printing from 2004 (the German title is "Das Harvard-Konzept", as all three authors are - or were - involved in the Harvard Negotiation Project).

What the daily news brings us currently, unfortunately, is mainly Orcs.

Reading the book, I thought that Mohandas Karamchand "Mahatma" Gandhi was a precursor of sorts in how he handled his non-violent opposition to British Imperial rule in India. But I have one caveat: Gandhi was fortunate in having "only" to deal with perhaps the least bloodthirsty Empire of all times, the British one. During the time of the Mahatma's activities there were at least two empires in which he would have lasted far less than a month, if "lucky" only sent to a concentration camp / gulag, otherwise murdered: Hitler's and Stalin's.

In Middle-earth terms, this "Harvard Concept" would have utterly failed with Sauron. In our world, chucking such rings could be helpful (maybe someone did that in that volcano on Sumatra that's in the news - nah, just run-of-the-mill "Ring of Fire" normalcy ...)

 

[Hisoka Morrow]

Reading the book, I thought that Mohandas Karamchand "Mahatma" Gandhi was a precursor of sorts in how he handled his non-violent opposition to British Imperial rule in India. But I have one caveat: Gandhi was fortunate in having "only" to deal with perhaps the least bloodthirsty Empire of all times, the British one. During the time of the Mahatma's activities there were at least two empires in which he would have lasted far less than a month, if "lucky" only sent to a concentration camp / gulag, otherwise murdered: Hitler's and Stalin's.

Hmmm...I'm wonder even if the Nazis or USSR dare use such iron fists due to a key point-population.

Another similarly blood-thirsty Empire-Imperial Japan was using the same policy no kinder than the USSR or Nazis Germany, represented by the Nan-jin Massacre in 1937, however, in only 1 year, the Imperial was forced to change their policy into setting Puppet states instead of any Iron Fist. Yeah, concentration camp / gulag were only set in nations without superiority of population by the USSR or Nazis, yet I doubt if they do so in India, their precious all kinds of military stuff might be consumed by the massacre heavily instead of any military operation, standing as nothing but obvious waste. I doubt no matter how bloodthirsty any tyranny will be, economic consideration will highly possible to force them to face the music.

In Middle-earth terms, this "Harvard Concept" would have utterly failed with Sauron. In our world, chucking such rings could be helpful (maybe someone did that in that volcano on Sumatra that's in the news - nah, just run-of-the-mill "Ring of Fire" normalcy ...)

Of course it will fail, yet I think it's that Sauron has no economic consideration XDD Yeah, all his military resources were cheater-level productive, unless facing some much more destructive War-Machine states whose destroying rate much faster than "his productive rate" XDD

Good work, Merroe. I applause these analysis, so comparable to many masterpiece involve Stratagems . I wonder JRRT has ever read any stuff involve Stratagems, like romance of the 3 kingdoms before, all these Stratagems are so artistic.
It's too bad that JRRT didn't mention Gondor's diplomatic ruses among the massive Easterlings and Harrad enemies it faced for so many times. I wonder why such possible source of such allegory-Byzantines's RUSE against all it's surrounding foes, isn't described in details by JRRT's works.

 

[Alcuin]

There is another instance, or a series of related instances, of Aragorn the peacemaker, easily overlooked because the immediate cause of conflict removed itself, or himself, from the scene.

After his victory in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Aragorn has his tents set outside the city of Minas Tirith. This is because he is already aware of Denethor’s jealousy, and is seeking to avoid any confrontation or division in the alliance necessary to defeat Sauron. Éomer points out that he has already fought using the banner of Elendil and so publicly proclaimed his claim to the throne of Gondor, but Imrahil concurs, conceding that Denethor has been strange since Faramir was struck down.

Perhaps Aragorn could have avoided or reduced any friction with Denethor through this ruse, but Denethor was already dead by his own hand. Instead, when Aragorn did quietly enter the city with Gandalf in order to save Faramir, Éowyn, and Merry, he reminded Éomer and Imrahil that he was acting only as the Chieftain of the Dúnedain or Arnor, and that all should unite behind Gandalf. The next morning in the Last Debate, he did not claim to command any man, but both Imrahil and Éomer acknowledged his lordship over them.

And so through humility and performance – in battle, in healing, and in wisdom – he won the acclaim of the lords of Gondor and Rohan, and returned from the Black Gate undisputed High King of the Númenóreans.

 

[Hisoka Morrow]

There is another instance, or a series of related instances, of Aragorn the peacemaker...

+10000 like. This really recalls me about King David's acts of his well-mastered political art such as releasing Shimei or King Saul, and the way he combined Saul's factions after the death of Ishbosheth. What implies Aragorn political competence more is his policy to the Easterlings and Harrads, making the foes kept more than centuries as hostiles against his nation into friends.

There is another instance, or a series of related instances, of Aragorn the peacemaker...

One more shows Aragorn's wisdom of humility is his Distinguished Service Award in the aftermath of the War of the Ring about Rohan, by claiming Rohan as a equally independent...nation(?), yeah, I'm not sure there's discrimination between the Numenor Exiles and ME's natives like Rohan in Gondor, at least stereotype can be proved to exist so according to King Valacar's marriage, official language(Gondor used Sindarin instead of Westron), and for centuries, Rohan seem to have been being a vassal of Gondor even seemingly till the War of the Ring(Rohan's military service was obligation, just like Byzantine and it's Orthodoxy's vassals like Russia). Aragorn's no reward to Rohan is the most precious option...and the most economic one to not waste more budget on foreign nation that might increase the Council of Sceptre's hostility to him