Ancalagon
12-16-2002, 04:02 PM
The Origins of Barrow-Wights
Ok, here is an essay I have been working on for a while (remember Walter ) that members may wish to assist with? If not, I will continue with it anyway and post the full version in the Wiki as originally intended. If you want to add, subtract or change any aspect, feel free to add your comments.
Part One
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A (I, iii. The North-kingdom, and the Dúnedain): "It was at this time [during the Great Plague that reached Gondor in 1636] that an end came of the Dúnedain of Cardolan, and evil spirits out of Angmar and Rhudaur entered into the deserted mounds and dwelt there."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The origin of the Wights can be studied from two perspectives. Firstly, we can consider Tolkien's own encounter with them and his continual development of them from the initial seed. Secondly, we must consider their origin from within the confines of Middle-Earth and how they fit in this tale.
Tolkien had first flirted with the concept of the Wights while developing Tom Bombadil as a character. prior to the publication of The Lord of the Rings. In 1934, ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil’ were printed in The Oxford Magazine. He describes in this poem Tom, Goldberry, Old Man Willow and a Barrow-Wight. Interestingly, this was published three years prior to the first chapter of ‘The Fellowship.’
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Out fled Barrow-Wight through the window leaping,
through the yard, over wall like a shadow sweeping,
up hill wailing went back to leaning stone-rings,
back under lonely mound, rattling his bone-rings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even as he developed them in his early writings of The Fellowship, they were more akin to ‘horsed Nazgul’ than the final version we commonly accept.
In a sense, it must be considered that a Wight is not a Tolkien creation as such; A Wight is a creature, shadowy figure in Middle English. The term itself may have been derived from the Germanic term ‘Wiht’ meaning creature or thing. Certainly not beyond the realm of a Philologist to adapt and elaborate upon the term! Historically folklore has told tales of Wights in many forms, even locally to Tolkien himself in the Berkshire Downs, where the idea could easily have sprung. Although the term ‘Wight’ is described as a ‘anarchic person’ in The Oxford English Dictionary, it seems acceptable enough for our purposes to understand Tolkiens use of the term as a ‘ghostlike’ entity, based on less commonly used ‘Middle-English’ meanings of the term.
He did refer to Wights in another work, aside from ‘The Fellowship’ and ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.’ In The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Beorhthelm’s Son , his epic ‘sequel’ to the Anglo-Saxon poem (possibly scribed around the early 1940’s, but not published until 1954), The Battle of Maldon ;
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And your eyes fancied
Barrow-Wights and bogies.
It’s a black darkness since the moon foundered,
But mark my words: not far from here we’ll find the master by all accounts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is worth pointing out the resemblance of the line from this quote from the poem, to that of a line quoted from ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil’
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We don't let Forest-folk nor bogies from the Barrows…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although both poems have no thematic link, the descriptions used help us to understand Tolkien’s imagery of Wights as an unearthly, supernatural entity. This leads us then to look at their origins within Middle-Earth.
There are a great many avenues open to exploration surrounding the Wights. Why they were sent? From where did they originate? What was their purpose? Who are they?
Ok, here is an essay I have been working on for a while (remember Walter ) that members may wish to assist with? If not, I will continue with it anyway and post the full version in the Wiki as originally intended. If you want to add, subtract or change any aspect, feel free to add your comments.
Part One
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A (I, iii. The North-kingdom, and the Dúnedain): "It was at this time [during the Great Plague that reached Gondor in 1636] that an end came of the Dúnedain of Cardolan, and evil spirits out of Angmar and Rhudaur entered into the deserted mounds and dwelt there."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The origin of the Wights can be studied from two perspectives. Firstly, we can consider Tolkien's own encounter with them and his continual development of them from the initial seed. Secondly, we must consider their origin from within the confines of Middle-Earth and how they fit in this tale.
Tolkien had first flirted with the concept of the Wights while developing Tom Bombadil as a character. prior to the publication of The Lord of the Rings. In 1934, ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil’ were printed in The Oxford Magazine. He describes in this poem Tom, Goldberry, Old Man Willow and a Barrow-Wight. Interestingly, this was published three years prior to the first chapter of ‘The Fellowship.’
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Out fled Barrow-Wight through the window leaping,
through the yard, over wall like a shadow sweeping,
up hill wailing went back to leaning stone-rings,
back under lonely mound, rattling his bone-rings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even as he developed them in his early writings of The Fellowship, they were more akin to ‘horsed Nazgul’ than the final version we commonly accept.
In a sense, it must be considered that a Wight is not a Tolkien creation as such; A Wight is a creature, shadowy figure in Middle English. The term itself may have been derived from the Germanic term ‘Wiht’ meaning creature or thing. Certainly not beyond the realm of a Philologist to adapt and elaborate upon the term! Historically folklore has told tales of Wights in many forms, even locally to Tolkien himself in the Berkshire Downs, where the idea could easily have sprung. Although the term ‘Wight’ is described as a ‘anarchic person’ in The Oxford English Dictionary, it seems acceptable enough for our purposes to understand Tolkiens use of the term as a ‘ghostlike’ entity, based on less commonly used ‘Middle-English’ meanings of the term.
He did refer to Wights in another work, aside from ‘The Fellowship’ and ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.’ In The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Beorhthelm’s Son , his epic ‘sequel’ to the Anglo-Saxon poem (possibly scribed around the early 1940’s, but not published until 1954), The Battle of Maldon ;
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And your eyes fancied
Barrow-Wights and bogies.
It’s a black darkness since the moon foundered,
But mark my words: not far from here we’ll find the master by all accounts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is worth pointing out the resemblance of the line from this quote from the poem, to that of a line quoted from ‘The Adventures of Tom Bombadil’
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We don't let Forest-folk nor bogies from the Barrows…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although both poems have no thematic link, the descriptions used help us to understand Tolkien’s imagery of Wights as an unearthly, supernatural entity. This leads us then to look at their origins within Middle-Earth.
There are a great many avenues open to exploration surrounding the Wights. Why they were sent? From where did they originate? What was their purpose? Who are they?