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.

Morgoth and the 1st Age

After Brandon's comment on my "Knife in the Dark" post, I realized that I've neglected to provide any background on an important, if rarely mentioned character - Melkor, the original big bad guy whom the Elves call Morgoth or "Black Foe".

First thing to understand is that the Valar are divided into two "castes" for lack of a better word. At the beginning of time, the Ainur (the "higher" ranked caste) joined with Eru (the one God) to sing the world into creation. Melkor was the greatest among the Ainur and Eru's most trusted servant. While the other Ainur had individual realms that they ruled (for example: Ulmo - the sea, Orome - wildnerness, the hunt) Melkor held sway in each of these areas. So he was pretty damn powerful.

One of the big themes in the Silmarillion is the idea of the "creator". Tolkien's personal beliefs made him uncomfortable creating a polytheistic world and so he made a singular deity (Eru) above the "pantheon" he had already created. One of the outcomes of this was that only Eru has the power to create, which he does by creating the Elves and Men in Middle-Earth.

We can contrast with the story of the Dwarves. Aule, the Smith of the Valar, labored under the mountains of Middle-Earth and created the seven Dwarf fathers but he could not give them life - only Eru has that power. When Eru discovered, Aule offered to destroy them since he did not have the ability or permission to create, but Eru stayed his hand and gave the Dwarves life, but they could only awake after the Men and Elves did.

Now, Melkor was not humble about this ability like Aule was. He was a bit jealous of the ability to create and wanted to create his own ideas.

During the initial song of creation, Eru gave each Valar the notes that they needed to sing in order to create the world. Melkor decided to edit his parts and create something original. This change did not fit in with Eru's plan, and Melkor's new notes created discord in the song which is what Tolkien used to explain how bad things entered the world. The discord in the song created strife, pain, and suffering.

Morgoth by Ted Nasmith

Cast Out of the Valar

His strength of song was praised by Eru but he was admonished for being selfish and everafter, Melkor resented the other Valar and actively waged war against them.

When the Elves first awoke, Melkor was the first to encounter them and swayed many to his side, corrupting them into the Orcs. This is an important distinction because he did not CREATE the Orcs, only corrupted what already existed.

With the Orcs, evil men, as well as many other terrible and fell servents - spirits of the world manifested like Glaurung the father of all Dragons, or corrupted Maiar (which are the lower "caste" of the Valar) like Sauron - Melkor waged war against the Valar and caused much strife.

The Valar eventually assaulted Utumno, Melkor's fortress, and captured him. Chained in unbreakable chains, he was imprisoned in Mandos (purgatory) for a long, long time. After this, he pretended to be repentant and the Valar bought it because they didn't understand evil or the depth of Melkor's fall. 

He began to spread lies quietly among the Elves, sowing anger and dissent against the other Valar. The most vocal of these Elves was Feanor, a powerful lord and the greatest Elvish craftsmen to ever live. Feanor was brought before Manwe (think Zeus) for judgement and Melkor's lies were discovered leading to another massive manhunt for him. But Melkor evaded them and continued to seek the Silmarils - legendary, perfect jewels crafted by Feanor which not even Aule, the Smith "God" could make.

This hunt for the Silmarils and the ensuing back and forth conflict is known as the Silmarillion...

The Fall

Anyway, I want to save most of the Silmarillion for another time because there is just too many great stories. Beren and Luthien takes place here, as does the story of Turin Turambar, the greatest warrior who ever lived. And as mentioned before, Feanor is a fantastic character. He is Tolkien's Elvish equivalent to Original Sin and his story arc is very distinct from most Elves we encounter. We can have separate posts for each.

But Melkor is renamed Morgoth by Feanor meaning "Black Foe" and this is how he is known by later generations. Eventually, the Host of Valinor, led by brave lords of men and Elves and with the Valar joining as well. They capture Morgoth, bind him again, and this time cast him out into the "Void", the netherworld between worlds where he cannot escape.

His legacy lives on through Sauron who was his top lieutenant and inherited control over the fell creatures and the Orcs. The prophecy states that Morgoth will eventually escape his chains and return to the world causing the Dagor Dagorath or the apocalypse. At this time, Manwe (Zeus) will unleash all of the dead spirits and the full might of the Valar against the renewed hosts of Morgoth.

Hope this was useful in explaining more about the Great Enemy that is occasionally referenced in the Lord of the Rings but never explained!