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Plurmo
Rohan
Dec 28 2012, 12:23am
Views: 1423
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In my view with few exceptions the bulk of the direct intervention by the Valar in the War of the Ring is done by Ulmo or at least under his interference.
Elsewhere I made the argument that Narya is the Ring of Ulmo. It is possible that Círdan gave it to Gandalf at the request of Ossë in a bid to subvert Gandalf into being an agent of Ulmo. It is clear that Gandalf behaves a lot like Ulmo, especially in the way he meddles in all affairs, his never settling, his kindling of hope and his unorthodox actions whose purposes are not very clear to the other Wise. Gandalf as the hand of Ulmo leading the opposition to Sauron makes a lot of sense to me.
Furthermore, the Line of Eärendil is under the direct protection of Ulmo. That includes Aragorn and Faramir, who dwelt in Ithilien behind a waterfall (much like his great-uncle Elrond who incidentally controls the flow of the Bruinen.) and used to have dreams full of presage (that also incidentally is the way of choice for Ulmo to communicate.) As did Frodo and the hobbits (except the sleeping log) near the Withywindle.
From Anduin taking the Ring for itself, to Gollum settling in an underground island surrounded by the waters where Ulmo speaks and doing nothing more than waiting, waiting for the right time to lose the Ring to a Hobbit, who would eventually take as heir a hobbit-boy whose relatives had drowned (or possibly had been taken away by Ulmo for this very purpose.) Well, the list of Ulmo-like actions is immense, including making people speak with the voices of others like Tuor did in Gondolin and Sam did against Shelob.
If Elrond dwells among waterfalls and has foresights, Galadriel dwells between rivers and uses a water mirror to probe the future. It is in water that she captures the light of the Silmaril and it is in a swan-like boat that she presents herself to Ulmo like the Teleri princess that she is. Even though she pretends to be the local Varda, she knows that Ulmo, the great conspirer, is the true emissary sent by Eru to Arda to take all the affairs of Middle-earth under his care.
Do the other Valar help? Yes! Stars and winds and healing sprinkes, to say a few, are all their work. But to put things into perspective consider that every moment the reader feels moved by the heroic deeds done by the peoples of Middle-earth in their struggle against Sauron he feels exactly what the Valar felt. And if his eyes twinkle it is with the light of Varda, and if he sighs it is with the winds of Manwë, and if he weeps it is with the healing tears of Nienna... but whenever he thinks with care about Middle-earth, its peoples great and small, its open places or hidden halls, he thinks with the mind of Ulmo.
PS: it seems very likely that Mandos is the great co-conspirator of Ulmo, but that is supposed to be a secret only known to them and that's why I will not mention it.
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Help from Varda?
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Nerven
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Dec 23 2012, 4:00pm
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My bet is on Varda
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CuriousG
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Dec 24 2012, 11:07pm
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With
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Nerven
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Dec 25 2012, 10:36am
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Part of the wonder of Tolkien is that the workings of 'magic' are hidden, but I think both Varda and Galadriel
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SilentLion
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Dec 26 2012, 8:25pm
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Maybe both
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dubulous
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Dec 25 2012, 11:43am
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Eru
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Cyberia
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Dec 27 2012, 12:49am
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Mostly Ulmo, I think.
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Plurmo
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Dec 28 2012, 12:23am
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Fascinating argument, and very well-constructed.//
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CuriousG
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Dec 28 2012, 1:18am
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Thanks, CuriousG! I see I wrote "relatives" (of Frodo) instead of "parents."
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Plurmo
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Dec 28 2012, 3:04am
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Au contraire, quite enjoyable to read them//
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CuriousG
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Dec 28 2012, 6:05pm
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It
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Nerven
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Dec 28 2012, 6:49am
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You know the lore of the Phial. You saw it being made.
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Plurmo
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Dec 28 2012, 4:55pm
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"Do not touch the water" question
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CuriousG
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Dec 28 2012, 6:12pm
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I think It's mainly a mirror, actually.
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Plurmo
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Dec 30 2012, 9:42pm
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