A Trip to Rivendell

This is my second post analyzing world-building in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

 

Frodo resumes his adventures in The Fellowship under the care of the Elvish king Elrond in the city of Rivendell. These events take place in Chapter 1 of Book Two of The Fellowship.

After Frodo largely recovers from his wounds, he attends a large celebration in Elrond’s home.

During the party, Bilbo sang a song he had written, with the help of Aragon, about a sea-farer named Eärendil.

After Bilbo finished his song, he discussed his work with a group of Elves. Bilbo also shared his thoughts about the song with his nephew Frodo.

These brief discussions illuminate the social and cultural context of Rivendell, while also referencing important parts of Elvish history.

 

The chanting ceased. Frodo opened his eyes and saw that Bilbo was seated on his stool in a circle of listeners, who were smiling and applauding.

'Now we had better have it again,' said an Elf.

Bilbo got up and bowed. 'I am flattered, Lindir,' he said. 'But it would be too tiring to repeat it all.'

'Not too tiring for you,' the Elves answered laughing. 'You know you are never tired of reciting your own verses. But really we cannot answer your question at one hearing!'

 

 

Bilbo wrote a book, “There and Back Again,” about his adventures with the Dwarves to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo also wrote a song about a celebrated Elvish historical figure.

I appreciate the Elves’ observation that Bilbo never tires of reciting his own handiwork.

As a fellow writer, I understand wanting other people to read and hear what you’ve written.  

'What!' cried Bilbo. 'You can't tell which parts were mine, and which were the Dunadan's?'

'It is not easy for us to tell the difference between two mortals' said the Elf.

'Nonsense, Lindir,' snorted Bilbo. 'If you can't distinguish between a Man and a Hobbit, your judgement is poorer than I imagined. They're as different as peas and apples.'

'Maybe. To sheep other sheep no doubt appear different,' laughed Lindir. 'Or to shepherds. But Mortals have not been our study. We have other business.'

'I won't argue with you,' said Bilbo. 'I am sleepy after so much music and singing. I'll leave you to guess, if you want to.'

 

 

Bilbo, a hobbit, asked his Elven audience if they could tell which parts of the song he had written, and which parts had been written by his human friend Aragorn.

The Elves couldn’t tell who had written which parts of the song.

Bilbo was surprised, and remarked that hobbits and men were very different from each other. The Elves replied they couldn’t tell much of a difference between the two mortal races.

The interaction features several clever lines of dialog. Importantly, it also demonstrates the importance of racial identity to the inhabitants of Middle Earth, and how they view their races as being meaningfully distinct from each other.

 

He got up and came towards Frodo. 'Well, that's over,' he said in a low voice. 'It went off better than I expected. I don't often get asked for a second hearing. What did you think of it?'

'I am not going to try and guess,' said Frodo smiling.

'You needn't,' said Bilbo. 'As a matter of fact it was all mine. Except that Aragorn insisted on my putting in a green stone. He seemed to think it important. I don't know why. Otherwise he obviously thought the whole thing rather above my head, and he said that if I had the cheek to make verses about Eärendil in the house of Elrond, it was my affair. I suppose he was right.'

 

 

While not explained here, Eärendil is Elrond’s father. That genealogical information can be found in The Silmarillion, which tells of the history of Middle Earth prior to the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Writing and singing a song about a king’s father in the king’s home requires a bit of presumptuousness and confidence that Aragorn recognized in Bilbo’s character.

The “green stone” that Bilbo refers to is a Silmaril, one of three jewels that compelled many key events in Elvish history, which were described in The Silmarillion.

It makes sense that Bilbo, a hobbit, wouldn’t fully appreciate the significance of the Silmarils and the role they played in centuries of Elvish history.

 

'I don't know,' said Frodo. 'It seemed to me to fit somehow, though I can't explain. I was half asleep when you began, and it seemed to follow on from something that I was dreaming about. I didn't understand that it was really you speaking until near the end.'

'It is difficult to keep awake here, until you get used to it,' said Bilbo. 'Not that hobbits would ever acquire quite the elvish appetite for music and poetry and tales. They seem to like them as much as food, or more.

 

 

Bilbo observes that Elves love music, poetry, and storytelling. This demonstrates the value Elves place on these elements of high culture.

In the movie The Fellowship of the Ring, the depiction of Rivendell is absolutely beautiful.

 

In my next analysis, I will discuss the Council of Elrond, the departure of the Fellowship from Rivendell, and the significance of oaths and promises in Tolkien's tales.