The Eyes of Tolkien

Bregalad "Now he stood before them, a few paces off, and his clear eyes, deep grey with glints of green, looked solemnly from face to face of the men that were gathered round him" (The War of the Ring, The Road to Isengard)

Ilúvatar "Ilúvatar raised up both his hands, and in one chord, deeper than the abyss, higher than the firmament, more glorious than the sun, piercing as the light of the eye of Ilúvatar, the music ceased." (The Lost Road and other Writings, The Music of the Ainur and the Coming of the Valar)

Tulkas "Swifter than they Tulkas ran before them, and the light of the anger of his eyes was as a beacon." (The Lost Road and other Writings, Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor)

Eldacar said:

Bregalad "Now he stood before them, a few paces off, and his clear eyes, deep grey with glints of green, looked solemnly from face to face of the men that were gathered round him" (The War of the Ring, The Road to Isengard)

Ilúvatar "Ilúvatar raised up both his hands, and in one chord, deeper than the abyss, higher than the firmament, more glorious than the sun, piercing as the light of the eye of Ilúvatar, the music ceased." (The Lost Road and other Writings, The Music of the Ainur and the Coming of the Valar)

Tulkas "Swifter than they Tulkas ran before them, and the light of the anger of his eyes was as a beacon." (The Lost Road and other Writings, Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor)

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I added them.

I see Bregalad has the green in common with Treebeard, but that's about it.

Bregalad: clear eyes, deep grey with glints of green
Treebeard: penetrating…brown, shot with a green light

This one's eye-conic...

Sauron’s eye: “terrible, yellow, fire, nothing”: The Mirror of Galadriel: “In the black abyss there appeared a single Eye…So terrible…rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.”


Tom Bombadil’s eyes: “blue, bright”: The Old Forest: “He had a blue coat and a long brown beard; his eyes were blue and bright, and his face was red as a ripe apple, but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter.”




Tom's thoughts on the color blue: 'a merry hue and lasting',
from Bombadil Goes Boating:


Strange that Tolkien uses eyes "like coals" for both Gandalf and an orc.

However, coals that could "leap suddenly into fire" goes well with Gandalf's "quick to anger" reputation.

An entry for Gandalf added today:

Gandalf’s eyes: “dark, coals, fire”: Many Meetings: “Gandalf…In his aged face under great snowy brows his dark eyes were set like coals that could leap suddenly into fire.”

Previously listed:

The Orc-chieftain’s eyes: “like coals” The Bridge of Khazad-dum: “…a huge orc-chieftain, almost man-high, clad in black mail from head to foot, leaped into the chamber; behind him his followers clustered in the doorway. His broad flat face was swart, his eyes were like coals, and his tongue was red; he wielded a great spear…”

Eljorahir said:

Strange that Tolkien uses eyes "like coals" for both Gandalf and an orc.

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I quite like this, actually. Things which are a natural part of the world should not always have negative connotations, in my opinion. What most matters is not the character's appearance, but their motives and intent.

Fire can be destructive and dangerous, yet it can also be used for warmth and creation. A volcanic eruption can be hugely destructive, yet volcanic soil is very nutrient-rich and new life can thrive in it.

Saruman’s eyes: “white light, lust”: The Council of Elrond, Gandalf telling of his encounter: “…in his eyes there seemed to be a white light, as if a cold laughter was in his heart…a lust which he could not conceal shone suddenly in his eyes.”

by Tony Galuidi...

Then there is also Gollum's description of: "terrible Elves with bright eyes" in The taming of Smeagol.
Or the description of the Wraith Lord in The Siege of Gondor: "naught was there to see, save only a deadly gleam of eyes"

Thanks @Ugluk. I added those two and one more for the Nazgul:

Elves’ eyes (according to Gollum): “bright”: The Taming of Smeagol: “They’re always awake. Dwarves, Men, and Elves, terrible Elves with bright eyes.”

The Witch-king’s eyes: “deadly gleam”: The Battle of the Pelennor Fields: “A crown of steel he bore, but between rim and robe naught was there to see, save only a deadly gleam of eyes…”

The Nazguls’ eyes: “cold, glittered”: Flight to the Ford: “Swords were naked in their pale hands; helms were on their heads. Their cold eyes glittered, and they called to him with fell voices.”

Somehow this one feels like an exceptionally good entry for the collection even if I don't really know what "keen as lances in the starlight" really means.

The eyes of Galadriel and Celeborn: “keen lances, profound, memory”: The Mirror of Galadriel: “They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord Celeborn was of silver long and bright; but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.”

(My own eyes happen to be blunt as spoons in the soup.)

Eljorahir said:

Somehow this one feels like an exceptionally good entry for the collection even if I don't really know what "keen as lances in the starlight" really means.

The eyes of Galadriel and Celeborn: “keen lances, profound, memory”: The Mirror of Galadriel: “They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord Celeborn was of silver long and bright; but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.”

(My own eyes happen to be blunt as spoons in the soup.)

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I would think it's a way of describing a piercing gaze. 'Keen' can mean sharp or penetrating, and a lance is a kind of spear: its metal head might shine in the light.

A couple more characters with eyes experiencing some sort of combustion.

Eomer’s eyes: “blazed”: The Riders of Rohan: “’…let Gimli the Dwarf Gloin’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.’ Eomer’s eyes blazed….”

Gimli’s eyes: “smouldering fire”: A Journey in the Dark: “’The road that I speak of leads to the Mines of Moria,’ said Gandalf. Only Gimli lifted up his head; a smouldering fire was in his eyes…”

So far, "flickering eyes" seem to be only present in our Entish friends. I wonder why?

There is a woodpecker called a "flicker", but that can't be it. Ents and woodpeckers must be natural enemies.

Two more entries for the collection:

Treebeard’s eyes: “green flicker, green fire”: Treebeard: “I’ll call you Merry and Pippin, if you please—nice names. For I am not going to tell you my name, not yet at any rate.’ A queer half-knowing, half-humorous look came with a green flicker into his eyes.//Treebeard thumped his hand on the table. The vessels of light trembled and sent up two jets of flame. There was a flicker like green fire in his eyes…”

Ents’ eyes: “green, flicker, flash”: Treebeard: “But when the Ents all gathered around Treebeard…the hobbits saw that they were all of the same kindred, and all had the same eyes: not all so old or so deep as Treebeard’s, but all with the same slow, steady, thoughtful expression, and the same green flicker.//He put the hobbits down. Before they walked away, they bowed low. This feat seemed to amuse the Ents very much, to judge by the tone of their murmurs, and the flicker of their eyes…//’We come, we come with roll of drum: ta-runda runda runda rom!’…Treebeard was at their head, and some fifty followers were behind him…As they drew near the flash and flicker of their eyes could be seen.”

How exactly did we miss so far on the eyes of Melkor? They are in the Ainulindale.

Melkor "And he descended upon Arda in power and majesty greater than any other of the Valar, as a mountain that wades in the sea and has its head above the clouds and is clad in ice and crowned with smoke and fire; and the light of the eyes of Melkor was like a flame that withers with heat and pierces with a deadly cold."

Eldacar said:

How exactly did we miss so far on the eyes of Melkor? They are in the Ainulindale.

Melkor "And he descended upon Arda in power and majesty greater than any other of the Valar, as a mountain that wades in the sea and has its head above the clouds and is clad in ice and crowned with smoke and fire; and the light of the eyes of Melkor was like a flame that withers with heat and pierces with a deadly cold."

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I added it to the collection. Thanks.

Might be obvious but. I always come back to this part.

herlig9 said:

Might be obvious but. I always come back to this part.
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I'm away from home and "The Hobbit". When I return I'll check and see if there's a description of Gollum's eyes at that critical moment when Bilbo applied his sense of pity.

Numenoreans: Therefore they grew wise and glorious, and in all things more like to the Firstborn than any other of the kindreds of men; and they were tall, taller than the tallest of the sons of Middle-earth; and the light of their eyes was like the bright stars. Akallabeth

I added the Numenoreans and the description from Gollum's final scene in The Hobbit.

Thanks @Starbrow and @herlig9 !


"a black shadow in the gleam of his own eyes" is a pretty cool phrase, IMO:

Gollum’s eyes: “gleamed cold, green”: Riddles in the Dark: "Gollum had brought Bilbo to the way out after all, but Bilbo could not get in! There was Gollum sitting humped up right in the opening, and his eyes gleamed cold in his head, as he swayed it from side to side between his knees...Gollum stiffened at once, and sniffed, and his eyes went green...Though he was only a black shadow in the gleam of his own eyes, Bilbo could see or feel that he was tense as a bowstring, gathered for a spring."

I am currently reading The Road to Middle Earth by Tom Shippey and there were two passages that seemed eerily familiar, when I passed them. Both appear in the Chapter Philological Inquiries.

The first describes a passage from Beowulf in which Grendel appears. It reads "The fiend stepped onto the painted floor; angrily he paced; from his eyes there stood an ugly light, like fire."

The second concerns a philological essay by Tolkien on the origins of the Old English word Sigelware and reads as follows. "[...] when an Anglo-Saxon of the preliterate Dark Age said 'sigelhearwan', what he had in mind was rather the sons of Múspell [the Norse fire giant] than of Ham, the ancestors of the Silhearwan with red-hot eyes, that emitted sparks with faces black as soot."

We have seen both descriptions also used by Tolkien directly. The sparks only once with Rog and the People of the Hammer of Wrath but the description of a fire of some kind, several times. I wonder if Tolkien used these in conscious reference or rather unconsciously and to what extent he took his inspiration for the description of eyes from the Mythologies he studied. The next book I am reading is his translation of Beowulf, so maybe I'll find out soon.

Eldacar said:

The first describes a passage from Beowulf in which Grendel appears. It reads "The fiend stepped onto the painted floor; angrily he paced; from his eyes there stood an ugly light, like fire."

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Here's another version of the "Grendel's eyes" reference. This a verse from a 19th century translation by Lesslie Hall:

The fell one had flung then—his fury so bitter—
Open the entrance. Early thereafter
The foeman trod the shining hall-pavement,
He strides furiously into the hall.
Strode he angrily; from the eyes of him glimmered
A lustre unlovely likest to fire.


Pretty cool! And, regarding the eye description, quite Tolkienesque.

One more added:

Legolas’ eyes: “glitter, bright”: The Passing of the Grey Company (Gimli and Legolas riding together on the same horse): “…evening came on and a deep blue dusk; and still fear pursed them. Legolas turning to speak to Gimli looked back and the Dwarf saw before his face the glitter in the Elf’s bright eyes.”

Another added:

Smaug’s eyes: “scarlet lightning”: Inside Information: “Then Smaug really did laugh—a devastating sound which shook Bilbo to the floor…’Revenge!’ he snorted, and the light of his eyes lit the hall from floor to ceiling like scarlet lightning.”



I added a couple entries for Feanor's eyes to the collection. In The Silmarillion, variations of piercing eyes are used for Eru, Melkor/Morgoth, and Feanor. (Not sure if there are others.) Maybe this is intended to support the stature of Feanor's character?

Feanor’s eyes: “piercingly bright”: Of Feanor: “…Feanor grew swiftly, as if a secret fire were kindled within him. He was tall, and fair of face, and masterful, his eyes piercingly bright and his hair raven-dark; in the pursuit of all his purposes eager and steadfast.”

Feanor’s eyes: “burned, pierced”: Of The Silmarils: “…Feanor’s heart was still bitter at his humiliation before Mandos…[Melkor] said at the last: ‘…think not that the Silmarils will lie safe…’…Feanor looked upon Melkor with eyes that burned through his fair semblance and pierced the cloaks of his mind, perceiving there his fierce lust for the Silmarils…he shut the doors of his house in the face of the mightiest of all the dwellers in Ea.”




This one's a little different, I think; it suggests the eye-light is brightest when the elves are in Valinor and it dims the longer they reside in Middle-earth. The light in the eyes fades just as the elves themselves slowly fade when they are away from their true home.

The eyes of the Noldor: “the light of Aman not yet dimmed”: Of The Return of the Noldor: “…the Second Battle…Dagor-nuin-Giliath…the Battle-under-Stars…The Noldor, outnumbered and taken at unawares, were yet swiftly victorious; for the light of Aman was not yet dimmed in their eyes, and they were strong and swift, and deadly in anger, and their swords were long and terrible.”


I tried 5 or 6 iterations, but the image generator just wasn't cooperating on this one. Oh well, I guess one orc somehow has the light of Aman in his eyes. (Maybe he stole it.)


It seems Aldarion’s eyes are blue when he’s in “good boyfriend” mode. Then they turn grey and cold when he’s hungry for a sea voyage.

Aldarion’s eyes: “blue, grey, cold, hunger”: Unfinished Tales, Aldarion and Erendis – The Mariner’s Wife: “Then her heart was shaken; for the blue eyes of Aldarion seemed to her now grey and cold, yet she perceived as it were a hunger in his gaze. That look she had seen too often before…”


(Couldn't find any artwork showing Aldarion's colorful eyes.)

A few more.

Mim’s eyes: “red light”: The Children of Hurin, Of Mim the Dwarf: “Turin entered softly and stood behind Mim, and spoke to him. ‘What is the trouble, master?...’ Mim turned his head, and his eyes had a red light…’This is my son…He died at sunset. Your bonds held me from healing him.’”

The eyes of Turin and Glaurung: “fire” versus "serpent-eyes": The Children of Hurin, The Fall of Nargothrond: “Then Turin sprang about, and strode against him, and fire was in his eyes, and the edges of Gurthang shone as with flame. But Glaurung withheld his blast, and opened wide his serpent-eyes and gazed upon Turin.”

Glaurung’s eyes: “the fell spirit of Morgoth”: The Children of Hurin, The Journey of Morwen and Nienor to Nargothrond: “And there right before her [Nienor] was the great head of Glaurung, who had even then crept up from the other side; and before she was aware her eyes had looked in the fell spirit of his eyes, and they were terrible, being filled with the fell spirit of Morgoth, his master.”

I'm sure I've seen that eye somewhere before. But where?

A powerful moment. Gollum's eyes shift from the grey eyes of someone with the possibility of redemption. Then: snap! back to the evil green glint.

Gollum’s eyes: “dim, grey, old and tired” then “green glint”: The Stairs of Cirith Ungol: “And so Gollum found them…In his [Frodo’s] lap Frodo’s head, drowned deep in sleep…Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired…’Hey you!...What are you up to?...sneaking…you old villain?’…a green glint flickered under his heavy lids…protruding eyes…the green glint did not leave his eyes.”

A comparison, Tolkien's Boromir versus Edgar Allen Poe's unforgettable perpetrator (The Murders in the Rue Morgue, 1841)...

Boromir's worst moment:
"His fair and pleasant face was hideously changed; a raging fire was in his eyes…"

The Perpetrator:
"The sight of blood inflamed its anger into frenzy. Gnashing its teeth and flashing fire from its eyes..."