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Kelvarhin
Gondolin
May 18 2009, 3:44am
Post #1 of 33
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Barrels Out of Bond Part I
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Hi All and welcome to our next chapter.
I've been pretty busy just lately so my questions are going to be pretty direct with little insight from me. So please bear with me.
The day after the battle with the spiders Bilbo and the Dwarves are captured by the elves. They didn't put up a fight and Bilbo avoids capture by putting on the Ring. With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight? Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
The Elvenking is described as sitting on "a chair of carven wood" with a "crown of berries and red leaves" and "in his hand he held a carven staff of oak". This is quite a different look to the elves of Rivendell, do you think this is a deliberate ploy of the Professors? Why? The elves of Mirkwood are presented as more woodsy and primitive almost in comparison. Do you think this was an effective contrast? Did it work for you? Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner? The Dwarves, who "were surly and angry and did not even pretend to be polite" or the Elvenking who accuses the Dwarves of three times pursuing his people and stirring up the spiders. Did you think the Elvenkings reasons for imprisoning the Dwarves were valid?
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin? Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
Regards
Kelvarhin
Warning items may fade in the wash.
Kelvarhin's Universe~~~~~~~Laerasea's Travelling TORn Journal
One book to rule them all
One book to find them
One book to bring them all
And in TORn bind them
In the land of TORnadoes...where the brilliant play
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Tolkien Forever
Mithlond
May 18 2009, 5:06am
Post #2 of 33
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With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight?
Should they have just given up and let themselves be eaten?
Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
I don't think children analyze this stuff to death the way most of the people up here on this site do. They just take it in & enjoy it.
do you think this is a deliberate ploy of the Professors? Why?
Yes.....
They are woodland Elves & although we don't know it at the time of The Hobbit's publication, Tolkien already has made up the sundering of the Elves that makes up the various the High Elves & Dark Elves & what not, at least to a large degree & it finds it's way into the story, just as the Necromancer & Gondolin do.
Do you think this was an effective contrast? Did it work for you?
I wouldn't be typing this if it didn't.
Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
Doubtful, but it depends on their age I guess.
Honestly, I doubt I gave it any thought myself when I first read The Hobbit at 15 years old.
And, the Noldor of Rivendell act pretty silly in this book anyhow, so how much difference is there?
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner?
I guess they both have their reasons.
Of course, we live in an increasingly polarized world, but must one side always be right & the other wrong?
I think they both have valid reasons for what they feel.
The Dwarves are trespassing on the Elves land & the King wants to know why, while the Dwarves want to keep their buisness to themselves.
Did you think the Elvenkings reasons for imprisoning the Dwarves were valid?
I would say no.
Personally, I think the Elven King comes off as a pompous jerk in the book.
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin?
I think he was hoping one or the other of the Dwarves would crack & talk & why would he tell them when they were caught seperately & imprisioned in 13 seperate cells?
What possible good would be in it for the Elves?
Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
Perhaps to further Bilbo being pushed into a leadership role.
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Twit
Menegroth
May 18 2009, 12:48pm
Post #3 of 33
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With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight?
Yes, a bit, but they are a bit knackered now, so it's understandable. It's almost as if they are welcoming being taken prisoner.
Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
Maybe.
This is quite a different look to the elves of Rivendell, do you think this is a deliberate ploy of the Professors?Why?
It complements the area they live in, it shows the positive, abundant side of the forest, carved oak, wreaths of leaves and berries as opposed to the strangled oppressed side outside.
The elves of Mirkwood are presented as more woodsy and primitive almost in comparison. Do you think this was an effective contrast? Did it work for you?
I personally like it, it reminds me a bit of tree sprites or spirits in Celtic stories. Some thing like the green man or even Mother Nature.
Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
Yes, but possibly it wouldn't have meant anythin good or bad to them.
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner?
I think they should all have their heads knocked together. They all seem to be reverting to the the cliches of what an Elf is (to a Dwarf) and what a Dwarf is to an Elf.
The Elf-King is correct in his accusations, although taken out of context, it seems as though the Dwarves were attacking the Elves and angering the spiders on purpose.
I don't like the King that much at the moment, despite knowing he is an Elf and therefore Good.
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin? Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
To see what would happen, what might be said. Tactics perhaps. This means that when Bilbo finds him, the find is all the greater.
Is it possible that the King is keeping them safe and well fed on purpose? They all need time to regain their strength and can now. Does this help to explain why the Elves got drunk and let them escape? It seemed odd to me that Elves would get drunk and basically act like, well, us.
And toss-pot is quite rude round these parts you know, Mr Twit and I were shocked!
'... no spider has ever liked being called Attercop, and Tomnoddy of course is insulting to anybody.'
(The Hobbit)
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Twit
Menegroth
May 18 2009, 1:01pm
Post #4 of 33
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Apparently toss pot used to mean drunkard, which makes sense...
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sador
Gondolin
May 18 2009, 2:22pm
Post #5 of 33
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So please bear with me. {{{Kel}}};
With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight?
How? Especially with the Mr. Remarkable Baggins taking a powder!
Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
I think a child would very easily identify with wanting to fight back, but being too tired - s/he will be used to it, from the fights whether to go to bed!
Do you think this is a deliberate ploy of the Professor's? Why?
He wants us to realise they are different.
Do you think this was an effective contrast?
Yes. Note that these elves are in tune with the seasons, in way that Elrond gives no hint of.
Did it work for you? Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
I think so; especially once Tolkien mentioned twice before these were different elves.
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner?
Bilbo. Why sneak away and leave friends in the lurch?
Did you think the Elvenkings reasons for imprisoning the Dwarves were valid?
What was his alternative? He doesn't even know where they were going or what they wanted!
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin?
He knew they were connected; and he hopes one of them will break down.
Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
The dwarves' loyalty! In such a position, without even knowing where their leader is or whether he is alive, they refuse to disclose information which is his to give! Truly impressive.
"There's nothing in the feeling of weight in an idle toss-pot's arms." - Galion
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
May 18 2009, 5:33pm
Post #6 of 33
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With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight? Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
Even as a child I knew that they were sitting ducks, too sick, and too worn out with their fight against the spiders, to put up any kind of resistance.
The Elvenking is described as sitting on "a chair of carven wood" with a "crown of berries and red leaves" and "in his hand he held a carven staff of oak". This is quite a different look to the elves of Rivendell, do you think this is a deliberate ploy of the Professors? Why? The elves of Mirkwood are presented as more woodsy and primitive almost in comparison. Do you think this was an effective contrast? Did it work for you? Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
It worked for me, especially having already read the introductory material stating that these elves were different from the ones in Rivendell. It introduced me to the concept of elves having many cultures and subcultures, same as human beings.
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner? The Dwarves, who "were surly and angry and did not even pretend to be polite" or the Elvenking who accuses the Dwarves of three times pursuing his people and stirring up the spiders. Did you think the Elvenkings reasons for imprisoning the Dwarves were valid?
I side with the dwarves, here. I'd be rude, too, if met with unfair accusations, like being accused of attacking when I was just hungry and wanted to beg for food, or being accused of stirring up attackers who had tried to kill me. Talk about blaming the victim!
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin? Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
To keep them leaderless and therefore more malleable.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
May 18 2009, 5:37pm
Post #7 of 33
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Apparently toss pot used to mean drunkard, which makes sense...
What does toss-pot mean now? I just took it to mean drunkard from the context.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 19 2009, 1:06am
Post #8 of 33
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in the Annotated Hobbit, "a heavy drinker or drunkard", and the term was there in the original manuscript.
However, "toss-pot" does hearken back to the good old days when one would walk through narrow streets and hear the shout "Gardy-Loo", or "garde-l'eaux" ("watch out for the water"), which was not exactly what was being tossed from chamber pots down onto the street from the higher-up windows...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 19 2009, 1:59am
Post #9 of 33
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Would you have expected the Dwarves to fight?
I think the Dwarves expended their last ounces of energy in battling the spiders. They are now nearly dead with thirst, hunger, and exhaustion; and despite the mutual mistrust, at least they know they aren't going to get eaten by these captors!
The elves of Mirkwood are presented as more woodsy and primitive almost in comparison. Do you think this was an effective contrast?
You can tell right away that these are not the tra-la-la-lally type of Elves! No silliness here: they're protective of their realm, somewhat paranoid and xenophobic, which is no wonder if you've got the inhabitants of Mirkwood living next door and all around you. Their being "in tune" with the seasons, as sador pointed out, gives them a rustic appeal.
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner?
I'm going to give this award to the Elves. The Dwarves' manner can be excused, due to their physical condition (although they probably would have acted that way had they been in top shape, as well). But the Elven-king went over the top with his anger, due, I think, to racial prejudices. Not that the Dwarves weren't also prejudiced! But they were at the disadvantage.
Come to think of it, don't both sides sound like groups of little kids arguing?
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin?
No sense in having them all just say, "Talk to our leader, not us"! Besides, letting them think that their leader is dead might help "soften" them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
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batik
Dor-Lomin
May 19 2009, 3:13am
Post #10 of 33
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small chance of success...) ah..save that for another time...
Nope, not going to argue with Tolkien's logic here--these Dwarves are tuckered out and under-armed.
Mirkwood elves---the carved chair and staff aren't so unusual. The crown of berries and leaves--now that's pretty earthy (although I do see that as more of a circlet and much less like the drawing in TAH of the Elvenking!)
Yes, I got the contrast--much more so in the passages that describe the company's approach to each dwelling. Other than remarking that the elf-friend's house "was perfect", I don't see that the house itself was described. The Elvenking's dwelling--not too bad (if you are OK with caves, that is)--at least it was "filled with a cleaner air", and had "pillars of living stone". I can imagine that some children might catch on to the welcoming/unwelcoming vibes related to the different locations.
Bad behavior...or poor communication skills?
The Elvenking has stated his *right* to know why the Dwarves are in Mirkwood; the Dwarves decline to explain--standoff! I suppose they could have been allowed to stay together as *guests* rather than separated and put into cells. That's where the Elvenking's manipulation tactics become apparent.
Where's Thorin... maybe the purpose of this was to overhear someone say something about Thorin and in the process speak of the mission? Another information-gatherering tactic.
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Kelvarhin
Gondolin
May 19 2009, 4:49am
Post #12 of 33
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Something I've always had trouble understanding with this chapter, is that the Elvenking knew about the Dwarves and of them being attacked by the spiders, and yet he did nothing to assist them. He'd already captured Thorin, so why did he take this approach? Did he hope that they would be killed by the spiders and thus save him of the bother of them? It's such a stark contrast to the helpfulness of the elves of Rivendell. Is there a greater dislike between the Avari and Dwarves, than between elves of the Noldor/Sindar and Dwarves? Is it simply because of the coming of Smaug?
Warning items may fade in the wash.
Kelvarhin's Universe~~~~~~~Laerasea's Travelling TORn Journal
One book to rule them all
One book to find them
One book to bring them all
And in TORn bind them
In the land of TORnadoes...where the brilliant play
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Kelvarhin
Gondolin
May 19 2009, 4:58am
Post #14 of 33
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thought I'd wandered into the wrong forum for a second there 
Yeah but being tuckered out and under-armed never seems to occur to children, especially little boys. Going by comments from my three (Aw but MUM! Why didn't they just smash them elves?!!) Apparently elves are sissy and easily beaten  (even by exhausted Dwarves *bangs head on desk... why do I bother arguing with them?*)
Do you think a cave would be less welcoming? Or is it sort of harking back to the cave of the Goblin-king? It's air is cleaner, but it's still a cave and therefore a bad place to be?
Warning items may fade in the wash.
Kelvarhin's Universe~~~~~~~Laerasea's Travelling TORn Journal
One book to rule them all
One book to find them
One book to bring them all
And in TORn bind them
In the land of TORnadoes...where the brilliant play
(This post was edited by Kelvarhin on May 19 2009, 4:59am)
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sador
Gondolin
May 19 2009, 5:22am
Post #15 of 33
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that the dwarves were being attacked by spiders?
I thought he learned that only after Balin told him - which he immediately turned against them.
I fact, realising that the spiders were aroused and have crossed the enchanted river - that must have been a very vexing thought!
Note that Bilbo did see the spiders watching them from the woods while in the Elf-path (once again, calling them 'insect-eyes' - which squire disapproves of); and that in Thrain's Map the arrow titled 'Elvenking' points to a different direction than 'in Mirkwood the Great there are Spiders'.
"There's nothing in the feeling of weight in an idle toss-pot's arms." - Galion
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squire
Gondolin
May 19 2009, 6:14am
Post #16 of 33
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"Are the spiders your tame beasts?"
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I'm not sure that in saying the dwarves had "roused" the spiders, the king meant that the spiders had crossed the enchanted river and thus entered his realm. He probably meant that the dwarves had left the safety of the path.
For one thing, we know his magic repels the spiders both from his path and from his people's gathering places. The spiders are annoying, but not dangerous to him and his people.
Then it's not clear that the enchanted river is a "boundary" of the Wood-elves' kingdom. The elf-path has the magic power of keeping the spiders away long before they reach and cross that river; but it is almost four days more before they come to the beech-woods where the elves have their revels; and according to the map of Mirkwood, the Elven-king's halls are both far to the east and north of where the path crosses the river.
The map also shows spider webs (symbolically) in the woods on both sides of the enchanted river. Four days east of the river, Bilbo worries about meeting the giant spiders as he climbs the lookout tree. This suggests that the party's early sightings of cobwebs beside the path, when they first entered Mirkwood to the west, had continued to this point.
Although I agree that in hindsight Bilbo's vision of extra-large "insect eyes" during his first few nights in the wood probably refer to the spiders, I never used to take them that way. The moths that annoy the party are also large, and I always assumed this meant there were large beetles, flies, and other bugs in the woods, as well as those spiders with their webs.
And as a small point, if we are to focus on the book's misidentification spiders as insects, it is actually Bilbo who calls them "insect eyes" at this point. The hobbit may be ignorant of the distinction, or as I say, they might actually be insects. It's the authoritative narrator who calls the spiders "insects" during the battle. I don't consider the narrator to be Bilbo, despite the "memoirs" gag that is tacked on at the end.
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion; and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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Twit
Menegroth
May 19 2009, 9:15am
Post #17 of 33
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I don't think I would be allowed to put it on here, 'tis a bit adult. Look it up on wikipedia (English version). If my kids came home and said it they would be severely told off.
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
May 19 2009, 4:53pm
Post #18 of 33
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I don't think Bilbo left them in the lurch. I think he took a page from Gandalf. It is easier to free your friends from captivity if you yourself do not fall captive.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
May 19 2009, 5:09pm
Post #19 of 33
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I do think that living in Mirkwood has made these elves, well, just a tiny bit murky. They are primarily good, but some stain has gotten in.
I think that Thranduil's out of line in imprisoning Thorin until he "tells the truth", because he has carefully said nothing but the truth the entire time. The proper thing to do with suspicious, starving strangers, is to first feed them (so far so good) and then escort them to the border of your land under guard. At least that's what seems reasonable to me. Get rid of them, make sure they don't cause trouble, but don't lock them up in a dungeon for no good reason. They aren't deliberate trespassers, because nobody told them that there would be any border-crossing issues on the road that they took. Accidental trespassers need to be expelled, but not punished.
Except that plainly the elf-king wants that treasure! He wants to extort it out of Thorin in exchange for freedom. That's just plain wrong, and Thorin has every right to resist.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
May 19 2009, 5:16pm
Post #20 of 33
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I agree with much of what you say. However, I think that the giant spiders were more than annoying to the elves. The Spiders had something tender to compare to the tough dwarvish hides, after all. And the mercilessness with which elves slay giant spiders bespeaks of a grudge that has to come from somewhere.
When you live in the vicinity of dangerous wild beasts (as I do) you can make your house more or less safe from them, and gathering places safe from them, but you cannot guarantee your safety to and from these places, nor on errands into areas beyond your control, such as when one hunts or gathers nuts and mushrooms. Sometimes you have to go into their territory, and there's nothing you can do about it except stay alert.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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Dreamdeer
Doriath
May 19 2009, 5:25pm
Post #21 of 33
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Ohhhhkay. Plainly this usage had not yet come into existence in Tolkien's day.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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GaladrielTX
Dor-Lomin
May 19 2009, 5:33pm
Post #22 of 33
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With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight? Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
Nah, they were too tired and starved. (I was a wimpy little girl so I doubt I would have expected a fight.)
Do you think this was an effective contrast? Did it work for you? Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
Yep. They wear a different uniform.
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner? The Dwarves, who "were surly and angry and did not even pretend to be polite" or the Elvenking who accuses the Dwarves of three times pursuing his people and stirring up the spiders. Did you think the Elvenkings reasons for imprisoning the Dwarves were valid?
I’m with the camp that believes the Elves teased the Dwarves and entrapped them. So the Elvenking’s reason for taking them captive in the first place was mischievousness and curiosity, not very admirable. Now Elvie thinks he may have hit onto something so he’ll keep them all prisoner. I’d say they have every right to be surly.
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin? Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
To make them feel even more helpless. Also, with the leader out of the way in the Dwarves’ minds, maybe they’d be more likely to betray whatever the big secret was.
~~~~~~~~
The TORNsib formerly known as Galadriel.
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GaladrielTX
Dor-Lomin
May 19 2009, 6:21pm
Post #23 of 33
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Is that where the word “loo” came from? /
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~~~~~~~~
The TORNsib formerly known as Galadriel.
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 19 2009, 8:40pm
Post #24 of 33
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
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Darkstone
Elvenhome
May 19 2009, 9:52pm
Post #25 of 33
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"If you want to be mad, I will make you welcome!"
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They stared at the stranger, stunned, a very long time.
For each man wondered what it might mean
that man and mount both shone a shade
as green as the grass, and greener even
than green enamel glows when gold makes it brighter.
All eyes were on him, and some edged closer,
wondering what in the world he would do.
They had seen enough strange sights to know how seldom they are real;
therefore they feared him for a phantom, a sending from the Unseen Realm.
So of all those noble knights, none dared answer
but sat there stupefied by the strength of his voice.
A silence fell filling that rich hall as if they'd all fainted
or suddenly slept: their voices just vanished
at their height.
Some, I suppose, were not floored,
but chose to be polite,
letting their leader and lord
be first to speak to that knight.
Arthur stood watching adventure advance
and answered quickly as honor bid, neither awed nor afraid,
saying, "Wanderer, know you are welcome here.
dismount, if you may; make merry as you wish,
and we may learn in a little while what you would like."
-Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The day after the battle with the spiders Bilbo and the Dwarves are captured by the elves. They didn't put up a fight and Bilbo avoids capture by putting on the Ring. With what's gone on before would you have expected the Dwarves to fight?
It’s obvious the Elves aren’t as dangerous as the spiders. The Elves aren’t going to eat them, and one suspects some sort of Geneva Convention type treatment.
Do you think a child would have expected them to fight back?
Probably they’d hope they wouldn’t, since the Elves are previously described as Good.
The Elvenking is described as sitting on "a chair of carven wood" with a "crown of berries and red leaves" and "in his hand he held a carven staff of oak". This is quite a different look to the elves of Rivendell, do you think this is a deliberate ploy of the Professors?
It definitely seems to be the vegetable garb of the mythological Green Man (later transformed into the pagan Green Knight).
Or Sprout, the Jolly Green Giant's little sidekick.
Why?
The ceremonial attire of Kings can seem pretty silly.
The elves of Mirkwood are presented as more woodsy and primitive almost in comparison. Do you think this was an effective contrast?
Tra-la-lallying up in the trees like a troubadour Tarzan seems pretty woodsy and primitive to me.
(And remember, like Balrog Wings, Elrond wasn’t yet an Elf. “He was as noble and as fair in face as an elf-lord.” He was an Elf-friend.)
Did it work for you?
Why not?
Would the contrast have been noticed by a young child?
It’d imply there were different types of Elves, just like there are different types of people.
Tolkien’s lesson in tolerance: “We’re all the same, only different.”
Who do you think behaved in the worse manner? The Dwarves, who "were surly and angry and did not even pretend to be polite" or the Elvenking who accuses the Dwarves of three times pursuing his people and stirring up the spiders. Did you think the Elvenkings reasons for imprisoning the Dwarves were valid?
I think the one who behaved the worst was Gandalf, who sent Dwarves into an Elven wood without securing the proper diplomatic permission and paperwork.
As it is, the Elves save the Dwarves from starvation, spiders, and death.
In turn the Dwarves don’t show much gratitude.
Then again, the Elves start by ramping up the tensions with aggressive tactics.
But the Dwarves had snuck up on the Elves without warning.
But then the Elves ought to be aware of what has entered their forest.
All in all, it’s like two pig-headed egoists escalating a confrontation until neither can back down.
Which I guess it is.
But in the end, the real answer is that writer Tolkien had to have somebody to hold The Idiot Ball or else there wouldn’t have been any dramatic tension for this part of the story. (See Screenwriting 101, especially in regards to Jackson’s Faramir, Denethor, and “Go Home Sam.”)
Why do you think the Elvenking didn't bother to tell them about Thorin?
Isolate and conquer.
See The Prisoner’s Dilemma:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma
Why did the Professor make such an emphasis on this?
I believe he was familiar with interrogation techniques from WWI, but others’ mileages vary.
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The audacious proposal stirred his heart. And the stirring became a song, and it mingled with the songs of Gil-galad and Celebrian, and with those of Feanor and Fingon. The song-weaving created a larger song, and then another, until suddenly it was as if a long forgotten memory woke and for one breathtaking moment the Music of the Ainur revealed itself in all glory. He opened his lips to sing and share this song. Then he realized that the others would not understand. Not even Mithrandir given his current state of mind. So he smiled and simply said "A diversion.”
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