July 11, 2002

Re: Brett C. - Now You Mention It...
Jeff C.

Brett, I thought I would address some of your questions in your previous post:

"Why didn't Glorfindel just grab up Frodo and ride him to the ford like Arwen did on the horse?"

Well, first of all, that really would have been quite a unpolite thing to just leave your friends like that in a lurch. Also, this would have foiled the flooding of the wraiths. Also, if you recall, Frodo was injured and riding the horse by himself (in the book) when the wraiths attacked, and Tolkien doesn't really say that Glorfindel was right next to his steed when this happened. Needing every second to escape the wraiths, I would imagine that there probably would not have been enough time.

Also, it was a good battle plan that in the end flanked the wraiths and drove them into the flooding river.

"Why did it take Gandalf 17 years to find out the information about the ring if it was really that important?"

Actually, I believe Gandalf sets this straight in the council of Elrond in the book:

"Time passed with many cares, until my doubts were awakened again to sudden fear."

Remember, the Isitari had many duties to attend to upon landing on Middle Earth, which is why five were sent, since 4 of them obviously went on to their own designs, Gandalf's load undoubtedly increased even though Saruman feigned some support.

Also, Gandalf really had to be careful, if he spent all of his time looking for the ring, surely he would have drawn some suspicion, indeed, when he started to figure out that Bilbo's ring was "The Ring", he started visiting the Shire more often which was noticed by Saruman.

"Why did Saruman let Gandalf retain his staff and Glamdring while he was imprisoned atop Orthanc?"

As for Glamdring, I am not sure I have an answer for that other than, I am not really sure he had Glamdring with him at the time, and why should he? He was not yet in any war as of yet.

As for the staff. It is my belief that Saruman probably could not take the staff away. It would seem that he would need some sort of power from the West to do so. Indeed, Gandalf needed to return to the West to receive this power himself, to BREAK Sarumans staff.

It may also note that Gandalf ASKED Saruman for his staff before he BROKE it.

Of course, most of these answers are just my opinion. I too still have some questions myself.

If Sauron never touched the other rings, why were they corrupt and linked to his ring? I don't think Tolkien ever really explained that in enough detail. All I can figure is that the actual knowledge on making magical rings was owned by Sauron or that he somehow hijacked them.

If either of these apply, then when he first put on the ring, why wouldn't he instantly have a few elf wraiths right then and there (those who were currently wearing the rings at the time)?

How come there was no mention of Radagast (or the other Isitari for that matter) when they all sailed to the West? Wasn't the Isitari's job over? How come he wasn't there? If he was, you would think he would have been mentioned.

Those are a couple, but I guess I have to reread the books (already did once this year) to come up with some more.

- Jeff C.