Sam's rope

Well, I would think that the rope loosened itself. It all goes back to the whole elf thing. The rope contained in it the will of the elves (that's the best way I can describe it right now - need sleep), and that "magic" in it caused it to be elf-like. It was firm and did not break, even though Sam worried that it might, and then it untied itself when the wish was made for it to do so. I would think that if someone had been watching up at the top they would have simply seen the knot untie itself gracefully.

I think that any rope made by the Elves of Lorien would come if called. It's really that simple. I don't profess to know the hows and whys... I just feel I know the is... and that is that the rope can when tugged on with a feeling of need.

Why did the Phial of Galadriel flare up when the name Elbereth was spoken? Why did Lembas provide adequate sustenance to keep a man alive for a whole day when only eating one? Why did the Elven-boats given the Fellowship stay upright when heavily loaded and when Boromir's was carried over the falls? It's Elven magic, pure and simple.

But the rope is different, even though it may have worked for the same reason as those other things. If the rope just untied it's self that would be a sight to see. We know what the Phial looked like and can imagine what the boat looked like, but no telling what this rope looked like in action. I am not sure that one could have observed it untie it's self, but I wonder what other people think. If the rope intied without the aid of anything else I think it would have looked like the rope just slipped out of the knot, as if it where slimey or something. I am still not sure of this though. When I ask how people think it worked I do not expect them to explain the magic, but to actions taken by the rope. The actions of the boat: it stayed afloat. But the rope? It does not say. It just came unconnected somehow.

wow all you people have confused me. I never really gave it a thought before and I always just assumed that gollum had untied the rope in an attempt to kill frodo and sam, but he just untied it too late. But now that I think about it gollum couldn't have done it because it hurt him just to touch the rope, so maybe it was magic but for some reason, I don't know why, that just seems a little far-fetched to me.

Glad we could give you something to think about. Just remember that what seemed like magic to humans was not magic to the elves.

As for the rope untying, I think that Confusticated's idea of the knot just slipping out makes the most sense out of all the ideas offered so far. The knot at one point just was tight and at the next moment it wasn't . Confusing elves are, are they not? (A little Yoda for you there.)

BTW, great new avatar Confusticated! Looks like you got out your drawing pencils again and, yet again, came up with something great!