The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith (Part One)

 

The Tale

Pippin looks out from under Gandalf’s cloak. They are still riding on Shadowfax and going at an enormous pace. The hobbit tries sleepily to reckon the stages of their journey since the appearance of the Nazgul over Theoden’s camp.

That first terrible ride had ended at dawn in Meduseld, with a silent town and the empty hall on the hill. They had just gotten there when the Nazgul passed overhead again, and ‘men wilted with fear.’ But Gandalf comforts him and Pippin goes into an uneasy doze, broken by men talking and Gandalf giving orders. Then it was more riding. This is now the third night since he’d looked into the Palantir, and with that ‘hideous memory’ of his encounter with Sauron he wakes up completely, shivering. ‘[T]he wind became filled with menacing voices.’

He looks out and sees the light of the rising moon. He asks Gandalf where they are, and the wizard answers that they are now in the realm of Gondor. They have almost passed through the land of Anorien.

Pippin suddenly sees a flare of red fire, and he asks if there are dragons in this land. Gandalf urges Shadowfax on as another flame flares up. ‘The beacons of Gondor are alight, calling for aid. War is kindled. See, there is the fire on Amon Din [‘silent hill’], and flame on Eilenach [meaning unknown, but neither Elvish nor Numenorean]; and there they go speeding west: Nardol [‘fire – hilltop’], Erelas [unknown meaning], Min-Rimmon [‘peak of the Rimmon’], Calenhad [probably ‘green-place’], and the Halifirien [Rohirrric ‘holy -mountain’] on the borders of Rohan.’

But Shadowfax pauses, slowing to a walk, and neighs. There are horses approaching. Suddenly three riders pass them ‘like flying ghosts’, heading west into Rohan. Then the great horse speeds up again. Gandalf explains to the drowsy Pippin that these were messengers from Gondor, which maintains fresh horses along the route for speedy communication, as are the beacon hills. It has been a long time since the beacon-fires were needed, and in the old days they had the Seven Stones to communicate with.

The mention of the Palantiri makes Pippin uneasy, but Gandalf assures him that he is headed for the safest place in Middle-earth. If Minas Tirith falls, not even the Shire will be safe.

Pippin is not comforted, but nevertheless he starts to fall asleep. The last thing he remembers is the westering moon setting over high white mountains. ‘He wondered where Frodo was, and if he was already in Mordor, or if he was dead; and he did not know that Frodo from far away looked at the same moon as it set beyond Gondor ere the coming of the day.’

After another day of hiding and a night of hard riding, Pippin awakes near dawn to voices discussing him. One is Gandalf; the others are from a group of heavily cloaked men guarding a looming wall of stone. Even in the pre-dawn hours the sounds of repair on the wall can be heard. The leader of the men, named Ingold, knows Gandalf, whom he refers to as Mithrandir, and the wizard has the passwords to the Seven Gates, but as usual with most people Ingold is stymied by the presence of a hobbit. In this time of unrest they want no strangers in the land, unless it be a mighty warrior of proven faith.

Gandalf says he will vouch for him before the seat of Denethor, and that valor is not to be measured by inches. Pippin has already been through more battles and danger than Ingold has, and he is very weary. ‘His name is Pippin, a very valiant man.’

Ingold questions the term ‘man,’ and his companions laugh. Pippin is roused, and declares that he is not a Man, and no more valiant than he has to be. He is a Hobbit!

Ingold, of course, has never heard the word, and Gandalf explains it means a Halfling. The look of wonder on the men’s faces shows that they’ve heard the words of Boromir’s dream, but Gandalf explains that he’s not the Halfling of the verse, but one of his kin.  Pippin explains he journeyed with Boromir, and that the man saved him, both from the snows of the North and from Orcs, where he died defending him.

Gandalf mildly rebukes Pippin, saying that this news should have been kept first for Denethor, Boromir’s father. Ingold says it has already been guessed; there have been strange portents of late. Hu urges them on. Denethor will want to hear such sure news of Boromir from one who saw him last, be he man or -. Hobbit, Pippin concludes. Maybe Pippin can do little for the Steward, but what he can do he will, in memory of Boromir’s bravery.

Ingold hopes Gandalf will bring Denethor good counsel, though he is said to always brings tidings of grief and danger when he appears. ‘Because I come seldom but when my help is needed.’ As for counsel, the wizard says maybe they are a little late repairing the wall. Ingold replies this is the last bit of repair and that it will be finished by the evening. Gandalf replies that ‘Courage will now be your best defense’.

Ingold asks if Gandalf thinks Rohan will answer the summons. Yes, but they have already fought many battles. The road to Rohan is no longer safe and should be defended and watched. ‘But for Gandalf Stormcrow you would have seen a host of foes coming out of Anorien and no Riders of Rohan. And you may yet. Fare you well, and sleep not!’

Bits and Bobs

Ingold and his men are posted at the Forannest [‘north+gate’], the northern gate in the Rammas Echor [‘great wall of the outer circle’], the encircling wall of the Pelennor [‘fenced lands’] Fields. Anorien translates to ‘Sun Lands’ and refers to its connection to Anarion, Isildur’s brother, ruler of the South Kingdom, and does not refer to any particular heat of the lands. Anorien refers to the fiefland between Rohan and Minas Tirith. Ingold was an Elvish name, rather popular among people of Numenorean descent.

Gandalf rather idiosyncratically refers to Pippin as a man, which leads to another humorous passage denigrating the hobbit’s stature. Perhaps Gandalf is just using ‘man’ as a cognate for ‘male person’; in the original version of The Hobbit Gandalf calls Bilbo ‘an excitable little man’, later changed to 'fellow'. Or perhaps he alludes to the Hobbits as a branch of humanity.

Contrasting the books and the Jackson films, in the book Denethor has already called for Theoden and Rohan even before Gandalf and Pippin arrive at Minas Tirith. When seeing the beacons alight, Book Gandalf says "War is kindled!", while Movie Gandalf says "Hope is kindled!"

Everybody in Gondor seems well aware of the business of the House of Stewards, whether it be prophetic dreams or rumors of their missions. We will learn more about the ‘strange portents’ in time, but Faramir’s vision of Boromir in the elven-boat is surely one of them.