July 11, 2004

Decipher and Halls of Mandos for Men
Bob Praz

In response to Strider, I have just seen the Erkenbrand and Ghan-buri-ghan cards for myself, and I agree with you: Ghan-buri-ghan looks like some kind of uruk-hai shaman or something, but Erkenbrand looks good, save that I always pictured him as a broader figure. Also, I suppose this could be confirmation that there will be no Ghan-buri-ghan in the extended edition of RotK. Of the other cards, the only one that really interested me was Glorfindel. As someone on TORn (I believe) pointed out a while ago, the actor who is in that card is seen in the movie: at Aragorn’s coronation scene, I believe he is standing behind Legolas, just before we see Arwen. He may have been at the Council of Elrond as well, but that I don’t know.

As for my post on the fate of Men and the Halls of Mandos, I must indeed correct one thing. I am about half-way through the Quenta Silmarillion again, and I read about a detail that I had forgotten. So as Eonwe was thinking, Men DO go to the Halls of Mandos, but their halls are apart from those of the elves, and are but a kind of “waiting room”, if you wish, between Arda and whatever awaits them beyond. So that’s why, at the bidding of Mandos, Luthien and Beren were able to meet again after death.