“You Shall Not Pass!”
While I read the books well before watching the movies, I will forever remember Gandalf and his fight with the Balrog. Slamming his twisted, power-filled staff into the rocks, holding back the Balrog, then Gandalf pulled into the abyss. It sends shivers down my spine. But today, today I am reminiscing about a quiet hobbit pulled by his everyday life into the Fellowship of the Ring.
Biblo is content with his life. He lives in his wonderful, cozy hobbit hole, coming from a long line of very respectable Hobbits. Hobbits respected the Baggins because of their lack of excitement and adventure. Bilbo changed all that. Though he was not the one who decided on an adventure. It was not his fault he lost the respect of his neighbours. It all started one morning while Bilbo was enjoying a morning pipe when Gandalf passed by Bilbo’s hobbit hole.
We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventure. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Makes you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.
Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit y J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo’s Home, Baggin’s End
Fortunately for the readers and Bilbo, Gandalf ignores his remarks and scratched a sign on Biblo’s door. The Dwarves arrived the adventure began. That first meeting was already too much adventure for Bilbo, yet set the tone of the adventure through their “deep-throated singing,” of a dwarven tale.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.
On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.
Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.
The pines were roaring on the height,
The wind was moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.
The bells were ringing in the dale
And men looked up with faces pale;
The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.
The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.
Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!”
J.R.R. TOlkien, The Hobbit
It was the song that stirred Bilbo’s blood and woke his need for adventure. He still denied that he wanted to go, but deep inside the adventure called him. To be a member of the dwarven company on a journey to take back the Mountain from Smaug, the dragon. The story of Smaug taking the Mountain, killing the dwarves, and eating the inhabitants of Dale, was enough to scare the Took out of him, (Took being the adventurous side of his family) ensuring he decided not to go.
Yet when morning came, Bilbo found himself chasing Thorin & Company, on his first adventure.
Bilbo learned that a brave few fought for all beings’ safety.
Trolls almost ate Bilbo in the first part of his adventure. The next part involved Goblins, then the scariest part of his adventure; when Bilbo was alone with Gullum. Gullum remains one of my favourite characters, a truly tortured soul. And a true test of Bilbo’s guile and if he had what it takes to be a burglar.
Riddling with Gullum
If you haven’t read the book, I urge you to. Then follow it up with The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings Movie Trilogies. It was the first epic fantasy I could see in my dreams, and when watching the movies, I was not disappointed. My family even lived in New Zealand for a short time and visited many of the sights. It was before the filming of The Hobbit, so there were no sets and tourist sites, instead, we hiked out to the sights and would envision the movie. The lands are beautiful and I understood why Peter Jackson set LOTR there.
Happy Reading!