Book 2 Chapter 5: The Bridge of Khazad-Dum

First off, the last post pushed me over 1,000 lifetime views which is pretty cool. Thanks for reading my ramblings on here. I hope I'm providing a bit of insight and some thought provoking ideas but will settle for a few pity reads. 

Thank you for the pity reads.

The Bridge of Khazad-Dum is one of the most memorable chapters in Tolkien due primarily to the loss of Gandalf into the darkness of Moria. This first breaking of the Fellowship is the most significant set-back thus far (which is a pretty bold statement in itself!) and shapes the entire narrative of the next four books.

Sam the Fearless Guardian

At the beginning of the chapter, the Fellowship fights for their life in the Tomb of Balin. Frodo is famously stabbed (saved by his mithril!) and everyone gets to show off their cool action-figure-y skills. (Boom, headshot! says Legolas)

During the course of the battle, Sam is the only one to receive any physical injury: a scratch across his face. Narrowly avoiding a much deeper blow, Sam thrusts his sword through the offending orc. Here's Tolkien's description:

"A fire was smouldering in his brown eyes that would have made Ted Sandyman step backwards, if he had seen it."

Can you imagine Sam doing this only a single chapter ago before they entered Moria? How about when he thought that Rivendell would be the end of their trip? Is Sam just discovering a part of himself that was always there or is he changing?

I think Sam is discovering who he really is. Shedding naivete and starting to see the broader scope of their task, Sam is building on the tenacity that was already there. It doesn't matter if it is a stubborn weed in the Gaffer's garden or an army of Orcs in Moria, if Sam needs to do something, he is going to do it.

A version of the Balrog that leans heavily on the Peter Jackson interpretation.

A Balrog is come!

Of course, despite how awesome Sam's inner ferocity is, most of y'all are going to take away just one thing from this chapter and that's Durin's Bane, a damned Balrog of Morgoth.

We discussed Balrogs a few times in previous sections and I'll probably discuss them again (because they are awesome) but the real winner here is Gandalf.

As the Fellowship fled from the Tomb of Balin, Gandalf tried to place a shutting spell on the door (not the same level as a "Cheat Code"-esque Word of Command, more like exploiting a glitch for personal gain). However, this was apparently not enough.

"I have met my match and have nearly been destroyed...I am rather shaken."

Alright, so Gandalf is appearing visually exhausted but what caused this? Just that spell? Tolkien explains,

"The counterspell (to the shutting spell) was terrible. It nearly broke me. For an instant the door left my control and began to open. I had to speak a Word of Command."

Gandalf's power hasn't been directly matched yet and here is something that stands right up to him and seems like an equal. Balrogs were once Maia (the lesser Valar) like Gandalf himself before they became corrupted by Morgoth. This gives them abilities above and beyond creatures like the Nazgul and more like Saruman or Sauron himself.

So Gandalf is pretty messed up already, but they're nearing the exit. Finally, they reach the bridge which was built as an ancient defense, forcing armies to walk single-file across bridge. I can't describe the scene any better than Tolkien himself did so here it is, in his own words:

"It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped across the fissue. The flames roared up to greet it and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its steaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it. In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held a whip of many thongs."

Gandalf's Speech

Legolas basically craps himself when seeing the Balrog and Gimli is dumbstruck over seeing Durin's Bane in person. Gandalf stands alone on the bridge urging the Fellowship on. Turning on the Balrog, Gandalf defies him with probably the most iconic line in the story.

"You cannot pass!"

That's right. Cannot pass. This is different than the films but unlike most of the minor changes, this one is important. "You CANNOT pass" makes it a physical impossibility. The Balrog literally cannot physically pass the bridge. Gandalf's words are not idle threats or taunts at Durin's Bane, they are proclamations of law.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow. You cannot pass."

He may have been challenged before by the Balrog but he did not know his opponent at that time. Now, he knows what he faces and specifically how to defeat it.

To do so, he is invoking some powerful phrases here. Let's break it down.

"Servant of the Secret Fire"

To Tolkien, the Secret Fire was what we would refer to as the "Holy Ghost" or "Holy Spirit". It's the surrounding factor in our lives that emanates from Eru (God) and breathes life into the world. Gandalf is invoking the supreme directly, bypassing the Valar and the Balrog's original master Morgoth. This is the most powerful force in Middle-Earth.

"flame of Anor"

Anor is the sun, which is a fire and light that gives us life. Without the sun's fire, we couldn't exist. This reinforces Gandalf as a servant of fire, like Sauron and the Balrogs, but unlike them, he is a servant of the "good" fire.

"flame of Udun"

Tolkien likes his fire metaphors. The flame of Udun is conversely, the flame of darkness or the flame that destroys. Fire can be a fantastic tool for growth, culling brush so that forests may thrive and providing sustenance and warmth for survival. However, taken too far, fire can destroy absolutely. 

Conclusion

Tolkien uses fire as a common metaphor because it is precisely the theme of the overall story. The Lord of the Rings  is about the corrupting nature of power and that while some power is needed to accomplish great things (Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam each wield a certain "power") but taken too far, this power can bring anyone to ruin including those who wish to use the power for good (Saruman).

Fire, like power, is necessary in the world but a balance is needed otherwise the fire will consume you.

Book 2 Chapter 4: Journey in the Dark - "The Wild West of Middle-Earth"

A Journey in the Dark is like "A New Hope" of chapters. The Rebels (Fellowship) are a bit down and out after being thwarted in their plans (Path over Caradhras and the capture of Princess Leia aboard the Tantive IV) There's a bit of soul searching and naval gazing before being forced to commit to a path that will really define the rest of the story (Burning of the Lars' Farm in Star Wars, and the entrance to Moria being blocked by the Watcher).

There's a lot of tension building and from the title itself, it's clear that things will not go well for the party.

Road to Moria

After fleeing down the mountain, defeated, a council is held by the Fellowship and Gandalf quickly outlines the two options before them: go back defeated, or continue on through other means. Only Sam, Merry, and Pippen seem excited about the chance of returning. Frodo quickly quenches this simply stating that they "must go on". Frodo, perhaps alone apart from Gandalf, knows the true weight of the Ring.

With that in mind, there are two options: journey south through the Gap of Rohan or go through the halls of the former Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-Dum or Moria. The Gap of Rohan is very narrow and adjacent to Saruman which everyone agrees would be a bad path to take. However, Moria does not seem much more appealing.

Boromir compares Moria (which is Elvish for "Black Pit" by the way) to the tower of Sauron himself in its dark and wicked reputation. Gandalf is very quick to refute that. He alone of the party has been to a fortress of the Enemy (Dol Guldor) and he knows that Sauron is the most formidable enemy currently imaginable.

Also, both Gandalf and Aragorn have made the trek through Moria before so it is not a wholly untrodden path. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Aragorn warns Gandalf. "It is not of the Ring, nor of us others that I am thinking now, but of you Gandalf. And I say to you, if you pass the doors of Moria, beware."

I don't think Aragorn is particularly magically gifted with foresight but this prophecy is pretty clearly fulfilled in the following chapter. Similar to how Frodo received visions of Gandalf earlier in the book, I think this is a sort of "divine spark" that Aragorn receives. Tolkien is pretty blatant in that all forms of "magic" flow from the divine and that these visions are what the Valar or Eru Illuvatar (God) himself wants them to see.

But Gandalf wants none of that crap, and so they push towards Moria.

But the path is pretty rough. They are surrounded and attacked by packs of Sauron's wargs and Gandalf is forced to use a Word of Command again to summon fire and frighten away the Wargs.

Once again, Gandalf decides that if he does not tap into a "cheat code", they will all perish. I think the films gloss over just how damn dangerous and rough this journey was in favor of nearly indestructible adventurers swashbucklin' through Middle-Earth. Not that this wasn't entertaining but Gandalf is literally an angel and has to resort to a higher power to pull them through the darker points.

I think this is very important to Tolkien in both his personal view of "higher powers" and for replicating an "authentic" mythological vibe. Personally, Tolkien was always adamant about the power of religion and it played a huge role in his personal life. His closest friend was fellow professor and noted Christian author C.S. Lewis and Tolkien is not shy that Christianity deeply affected his work both directly and indirectly. Within the context of Middle-Earth, "higher powers" often play a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of heroes. In Greek mythology, most stories are literally about the Gods messing around with mortals and directly changing their lives. Tolkien is tapping into this tradition by having Gandalf, a minor deity in his own right, play such a direct and powerful role.

Essentially, he is saying that some things are beyond the mortal races, and that's okay.

The Door

I think the "Watcher in the Water" is one of the cooler and weirder things in Middle-Earth since it is a creature unmentioned in any of Tolkien's other works, unlike Balrogs, Dragons, or Orcs, and instead stands on its own: a mystery like Tom Bombadil, not meant to be solved.

Password into Moria by Ted Nasmith

Gandalf remarks that there are "older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world" as the Fellowship approaches Moria. I think its clear that he means that the deepest depths of places like Moria contain things that no one can really comprehend. Later in the chapter, Gandalf comments that the lower levels of Moria are flooded, which could allow such a creature to escape a subterranean prison (perhaps the lake the Gandalf/Durin's Bane fall into?). Perhaps the creature fled because of Durin's Bane? Maybe or maybe not, but it's plausible and I like to think that there is only room for one real big bad guy in Moria at a time.

Also notable when the Fellowship enters Moria, is that no one really feels a sense of dread. Its understood that Moria is a FREAKIN' HUGE PLACE! It spans the length of a mountain change and goes up and down several levels. There's no possible way that Gandalf, Gimli, or anyone else could possibly say if Gimli's cousin Balin successfully resettled a portion of Moria because it might take days to even reach the other side. 

I think this is significant because Moria is sort of the "Wild West" of Middle-Earth. It's unknown around each corner if law or chaos will rule and there's a real sunovabitch who runs around in the lawlessness of the lower levels (Durin's Bane). Balin (Gimli's cousin and Bilbo's friend from "The Hobbit") is playing The Sheriff and resettling the lawless land. 

Mithril!

While walking through Moria, Gandalf comments that the wealth of Khazad-Dum was not in gems or gold, but in  mithril, a substance that is like Kevlar in protection and diamond in preciousness. Gandalf remarks that Bilbo received a full suit of Mithril mail from Thorin as a present for retaking Erebor. Gimli is astonished at the gift, as mithril is both incredibly rare and valuable, even for kings. 

No one else in the party knows that Bilbo gave Frodo that magnificent armor but Frodo is thinking deeply about it. Frodo wonders if Bilbo knew about how valuable mithril was when he gave the armor to Frodo. Frodo eventually decides that Bilbo did know and consciously chose to give Frodo the mail any way.

This is very significant and one of the reasons that Frodo is carrying the Ring instead of anyone else. The Hobbits are unique among the mortal races in being able to fathom giving away personal power, wealth, and glory. Gimli can't imagine Thorin giving away such a gift, Elrond is afraid to touch the Ring, and Boromis tries to take the Ring later. Frodo (and the other Hobbits) are the only ones who care about each other more than power over their fellows. This virtue alone is the crux of the entire story and the real strength of Hobbits. The humblest of the races offers the most to their salvation.

Conclusion

This chapter has some other cool parts, especially in the description of Moria itself. Even after reading the books several times and watching the films, I still marvel at the size and grandeur of Moria. It's like if Buckingham Palace was the size of Vermont and each room had a unique story to tell. 

Just imagine all the cool things the dwarves left in there!

My favorite part of Moria that is often overlooked is that the Dwarves built God damned skylights into the inner halls! Thousands of feet through sheer rock, the Dwarves cut straight paths that allow natural light to enter the dark halls. It seems like such a small accomplishment when Tolkien throws it in casually near the end of the chapter, but it really speaks to the grandeur of Khazad-Dum.

Reread this chapter and think about how Moria was constructed in the first place. It was the "Garden of Eden" for Dwarves (where Durin first woke at the dawn of time), and the first Dwarven kingdom.

The Dwarves had millenia to construct Moria. Even after centuries of occupation, Khazad-Dum remains, in my opinion, the most marvelous and spectacular single location in Middle-Earth.