Tuesday, September 3, 2024

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

 

The Tale

‘Gandalf did not look at Pippin or speak a word to him as they went.’ A guide leads them out, past the Court of the fountain, to a house close to the wall of the citadel, on its north side. They are led up to an apartment on the second floor, sparsely but adequately furnished, ‘with goodly hangings of dull gold sheen unfigured.’ There is a table and chairs, beds, and a place to wash up. There are three tall windows. Pippin pulls up a bench to look out.

Gandalf has not spoken a word to Pippin, and the hobbit asks the wizard if he is angry with him about his talk with Denethor? He did the best he could.

Gandalf laughs and comes to stand by Pippin at the window. Looking up Pippin sees under the lines of care and worry in the wizard’s face great joy, ‘a fountain of mirth enough to set a kingdom laughing, were it to gush forth.’

Gandalf says that Pippen did alright, for being between the gaze of two such terrible old men. But he did reveal a little more than he realizes: that after Moria they were led by a man held to be greater than Boromir, who was coming to Minas Tirith, and that he had a famous sword. The Steward has been mulling the old stories of Gondor and the words of the dream and especially the words Isildur’s Bane.

Denethor is not like other men; the blood of Numenor seems to run nearly true in him, as it does in Faramir but not in Boromir. ‘He has long sight.’ He can perceive the thoughts of men, even those from far away. He is hard to fool, and it’s dangerous to try to do so.

He asks Pippin to remember that now that the hobbit is in the Steward’s service. ‘I did not hinder it, for generous deed should not be checked by cold counsel.’ But now he is at Denethor’s command. It will help him move around the City, but he should be careful about what he says and does.

Gandalf sighs. Well, no use brooding about what tomorrow will bring; for one thing, all tomorrows for a while will just be getting worse. The ‘board’ is set and the game is in motion. One piece he would like to find is Faramir, who is now the Heir to the Stewardship of Gondor. Meanwhile the wizard must go to the lord’s council Denethor has called, where he will try to find out what he can. Great events are in motion that are as likely to affect the low as the high, so Pippin should sharpen his sword.

The wizard turns as he leaves and asks Pippin to do him a favor. ‘Go and find Shadowfax and see how he is housed. These people are kindly to beasts, for they are a good and wise folk, but they have less skill with horses than some.’

Bits and Bobs

As a messenger of the Valar and Eru, and a Maiar (lesser angel) himself, Gandalf of course has knowledge of ‘great good news’ beyond the cares and sorrows of Middle-earth. This is the source of the well of joy within him, now clearer than ever after his return and enhancement. His mission, after all, is to inspire hope.

Denethor is noted to have ‘long sight’ beyond that of ordinary men, a legacy of his Numenorean blood, perhaps, that runs almost true in him. This might also be a clue to what is later revealed about his character and what he’s been doing.  

Gandalf’s phrase about the futility about brooding about tomorrow seems to echo the Bible verse: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’ -Matthew 6:34.

Gandalf also uses the metaphor of chess and a chessboard for the war; particularly apt, maybe, because many chessboards are black and white, and this is a conflict between the White Tower and the Dark Tower.

Among all his troubles and worries, Gandalf still has time to think about the faithful Shadowfax. The people of Gondor, perhaps especially in the City, are noted to not be a horsey folk, certainly not on the level of expertise of Rohan, the great horse’s birthplace.


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