FtF Part II: From Rivendell to Lothlórien

[Urambo Tauro]

Follow the Fellowship: Part II
From Rivendell to Lothlórien

Welcome to Follow the Fellowship!
In this thread we will explore Frodo & co.'s journey from Rivendell to Lothlórien. At the same time, we will track what is happening with Gandalf (post-Bridge) as well.

Because we use many different editions of the text, page numbers will rarely match. However, I will try to provide enough info for you to follow along in your own reading.

Our first entry is:
18 Two-III
267 The sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir,
269 seven days the Company must depart.'

"18" is the date, Foreyule the 18th (our December 18th).
"Two-III" is book-and-chapter. Remember, Tolkien wrote TLotR as six books (Book Four is Frodo's story in TTT). So, "Two-III" is The Ring Goes South, but we're not looking at the whole chapter, we're looking at...
"267 The sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir," is where the reading starts. "267" is the page number in the hardcover one-volume edition that I use. If it doesn't match yours, I hope it will give you an idea. After "267" is the first six words of the passage to read.
"269 seven days the Company must depart.'" is where the passage ends. Here we have the ending page number and the last six words of the passage.Please throw me a PM if this is confusing. I'm more than willing to change this format to help you out. For reference, the one-volume edition I use is ISBN 0-616-12901-4.


Well, let's get this ball rolling! Discuss the journey and post observations. Generate some discussion. Ask questions.

We begin at Rivendell.

[Urambo Tauro]

Week One:
Saturday, Foreyule 18 through Friday, Foreyule 24
(or December 18 through December 24)


18 Two-III
267 The sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir,
269 seven days the Company must depart.'

? Two-III
269 The Sword of Elendil was forged
270 would take notes of Frodo's adventures.


The Silmarillion - Of Beren and Lúthien
190 Among the tales of sorrow and
191 known to the servants of Morgoth.

191 On a time of autumn he
192 were dismayed, and their arrows wild.

192 Thereafter for four years more Beren
192 of them came even into Doriath.

192 At length Morgoth set a price
193 a great doom lay upon him.

193 It is told in the Lay
194 a chain was upon his limbs.

194 There came a time near dawn
195 great, though the time was brief.

195 But Daeron the minstrel also loved
200 smiled and went from the halls.

200 On an evening of autumn Felagund
216 Tinúviel. And it was spring again.

216 Thereafter Beren was named Erchamion, which
221 a while unwithered on the grass.

221 Then a winter, as it were
222 the beloved, whom they have lost.


This is the week of preparation. I am not sure when exactly Narsil was re-forged, so I left it open to be read at any time during the week.

They try to make the best of their time during this last week, and the hobbits hear the full lay of Beren and Lúthien. I have included a selection of "break-points" to divide the account in the Silmarillion. I have not assigned any of these sections to a particular day, so feel free to use your own judgement and read at your own pace. The hobbits will have this tale fresh in their minds as they begin their journey, and Sam will refer to it later.

I am using a paperback copy (Dringenberg cover art) of the Silmarillion, ISBN 0-345-32581-8, so the page numbers may or may not match yours.

[Urambo Tauro]

Week Two:
Saturday, Foreyule 25 through Friday, 1 Yule
(or December 25 through December 31)


25 Two-III
270 On the morning of the last
274 eyes were keen was the rearguard.

Two-III
274 Their purpose was to hold this
275 fall, or down into treacherous swamps.


On the first day of this week, the Fellowship sets out on their Quest. They will be travelling for a couple of weeks before anything exciting happens. The second passage above applies to all days this week.

Happy holidays, everyone!

[Urambo Tauro]

Week Three:
Saturday, 2 Yule through Friday, Afteryule 06
(or January 01 through January 07)


Two-III
274 Their purpose was to hold this
275 fall, or down into treacherous swamps.


(Sorry for the late post; my computer's down.) Fortunately, this is an uneventful week. This short passage applies to each day this week.

Each day brings the Fellowship a little closer to the mountains. Don't worry, the real action begins soon- next week, in fact!

[Urambo Tauro]

Week Four:
Saturday, Afteryule 07 through Friday, Afteryule 13
(or January 08 through January 14)


07 Two-III
274 Their purpose was to hold this
275 fall, or down into treacherous swamps.

08 Two-III
275 They had been a fortnight on
279 wind.' Nothing further happened that night.

09 Two-III
279 The next morning dawned even brighter
279 mountains towered up, nearer and nearer.

10 Two-III
279 For two more nights they marched
279 mountains towered up, nearer and nearer.

11 Two-III
279 On the third morning Caradhras rose
284 At last the snow stopped altogether.

12 Two-III/IV
284 As the light grew stronger it
291 singed the hair off my head!'

13 Two-IV
291 When the full light of the
306 nose, and the puff of smoke.


As this week begins, the Fellowship is merely continuing their uneventful journey southward. They are soon to encounter serious obstacles.

At one point, Frodo imagines Bilbo saying something about "snowstorms on January the twelfth". This happens on our January the twelfth, (which is Afteryule eleventh), and is marked appropriately in this post.

On the last day of this week, they enter and spend their first night in Moria.

[Urambo Tauro]

Week Five:
Saturday, Afteryule 14 through Friday, Afteryule 20
(or January 15 through January 21)


14 Two-IV
306 It was Gandalf who roused them
310 pale points of light approaching, slowly.

15 Two-IV/V/VI
310 He woke and found that the
337 soon as it is fully light.'

16 Two-VI
337 Day came pale from the East.
340 eyes, and they could not climb.

17 Two-VI/VII
340 In the morning they went on
349 sound or dream disturbed their slumber.

18 Two-VII
349 When they woke they found that
350 tears and not yet for song.

19,20 Two-VII
349 They remained some days in Lothlórien,
350 tears and not yet for song.

15,16,17,18,19,20 Three-V
490 'Long time I fell,' he said
490 unbroken spiral in many thousand steps,

? Two-VII
350 It was Frodo who first put
351 of bringing the news to him.'


On the first morning of this week, Gandalf chooses the right-hand passage (upward, not downward as in the film), and guides them toward Hall Twenty-one.

Now, Gandalf's account from The White Rider only narrates the events, not the days. So, I just applied the passage to multiple days.

Before the week is over, the Fellowship reaches Lothlórien and takes a nice long break there, but only for about a month this time. (I can't be sure of when exactly Frodo creates his rhyme.) Although this stage of the Fellowship's journey is over, Gandalf has unfinished business with the Balrog, as we will see next week.

[Urambo Tauro]

Week Six:
Saturday, Afteryule 21 through Friday, Afteryule 27
(or January 22 through January 28)


21,22,23,24,25,26,27 Two-VII
349 They remained some days in Lothlórien,
350 tears and not yet for song.

21,22 Three-V
490 'Long time I fell,' he said
490 unbroken spiral in many thousand steps,

23 Three-V
490 'From the lowest dungeon to the
491 and steam. Ice fell like rain.

24 Three-V
490 'There upon Celebdil was a lonely
491 and steam. Ice fell like rain.

25 Three-V
490 'There upon Celebdil was a lonely
491 roads that I will not tell.


At last the great Battle of the Peak takes place as Gandalf pursues the Balrog to Zirakzigil.

His body remains there at Durin's Tower, as the other members of the Fellowship continue their stay in Lothlórien.

[Urambo Tauro]

The hobbits are now in Lothlórien, and will rest for about three weeks. There is less to do here than in Rivendell, but they are quite content to eat and drink and rest. Gimli is a changed Dwarf, and oddly enough spends much of his time with Legolas.

The loss of Gandalf weighs heavy on everyone's mind, and some express it through song.

Unknown to all, Gandalf's body lies atop a snow-covered Celebdil. The rest of him, on the other hand, is... elsewhere.


The second stage of Frodo's journey is over. Thirty-eight days have passed. From the time Frodo leaves Rivendell until he reaches Lothlórien, 22 days pass. (Overall, Frodo has not seen the Shire in four months.) In our reading, we have covered just over 80 pages.

This concludes the second part of the Ring's journey, from Rivendell to Lothlórien.