Barrow Wights

[Algamesh]

We have yet to discuss much concerning the Barrow Wights that make a brief appearance in Fellowship. I, myself, got drawn into a conversation elsewhere concerning the Wights, their origins, and purposes.

I had previously thought that the Barrow Wights were re-animated by Sauron as he entered Dol Guldor and became the Necromancer. Fortunately, someone was around to correct this error in my thought process :rolleyes: . It was actually the WitchKing who was responsible for raising those ghastly spirits and it appears that they were agents of his early in the Third Age. So ... why did he not utilize them at all during the WOTR? What are your thoughts? :huh:

Good sources of information on these beings can be found in the Appendices at the end of LOTR and in Unfinished Tales (Hunt for the Ring). :read:

We shall use this thread to come to grips with the Wights. If you have any questions or would like to add any comments about them ... this is the place to do it! :thumbs:

[Tar-Ancalimë]

Ummm... what happened to the one Frodo defeated? Anyone know?

[Algamesh]

Actually, I think that when Tom Bombadil opened the tomb allowing the Sun to shine in, the Wight disolved into the air and was wisp away on the winds out across Mirkwood. Similar to the ending of the RingWraiths. Is this correct?

[Tar-Ancalimë]

i don't remember/i didn't notice...
that's why i asked :)

[Fatty]

Hmm yes though seems that there was some link between the treasure or tomb items and the wight's spirit. Since he casts them out to disperce etc.

This is a good topic, not oftne exploreed and quite an odd bit in book. Something very occult about it...you think?

I will need to go read UT iro this. Infact was the tomb not that of some noble woaman of Cardolan. very fair was she that wore this etc.

Wights and werewolves, very interesting.

[Catz]

i suspect the Wights would not have been much use in a war as thier main weapon was terror and their interests were not Saurons...unless you had them en masse as the spirits of the Oathbreakers were....they were really more nite fears and waylayers of passing travellers....and they are a part of folklore in many parts of the world where barrows are found....the spirits of the restless dead, tied to thier remains....i dont think it was a womans tomb Fatty....tho i do recall the phrase...i do believe that the brooch (it was a brooch wasnt it?), was just a part of the goods in the tomb...
The interesting thing for me is that at the time this was written the Sutton Hoo ship burial had recently been found....the richest Saxon treasure trove in the history of the UK...you can def get echoes of the beautiful objects found there in the Wights treasure......
And yeah in most traditions if you allow light to enter the barrow and disperse the goods therein, you will destroy the guardian spirit, so Tolkien stuck with tradition.....
:catz:

[TheRingBearer]

The Wights were very mysterious to me. I would really like to read that Unfinished Tales book!!

[Algamesh]

Actually, it was believed that the Barrow in which the Hobbits were trapped was the final resting place of a Prince of Caladon circa 1409 3rd Age (This can be found in the Appendices at the end of ROTK).

The whole deal with the brooch is VERY interesting ... in all my reading, I've yet to come across a referece to it anywhere else. I think perhaps the color 'blue' may be a hint of some kind ...

[Orc]

If I remember from UT, the Withking sent the Barrow Wights from the north to inhabit the old toombs and cause general havoch in the region.

[Stormrider]

The wights and other evil spirits from Angmar were put in the burial mounds years ago by Sauron. Then the Witchking stirred up the wights many years later when he was in the Old Forest and at the barrows during the "search for the Ring."

I wonder what would have happened if the wight had been able to keep all of the Hobbits in its control and killed them. What would it have done with the Ring? Would it have turned it over to Sauron? Would it even have been able to communicate to Sauron that it had it? Would it have put the Ring on itself alerting Sauron to Its location? Did Sauron even think to have the Ringwraiths check back in the barrows to see if a wight had laid its claws on any Hobbits?

Just a little something to think about!:elfeek:

[Grond]

Originally posted by Stormrider
The wights and other evil spirits from Angmar were put in the burial mounds years ago by Sauron. Then the Witchking stirred up the wights many years later when he was in the Old Forest and at the barrows during the "search for the Ring."

I wonder what would have happened if the wight had been able to keep all of the Hobbits in its control and killed them. What would it have done with the Ring? Would it have turned it over to Sauron? Would it even have been able to communicate to Sauron that it had it? Would it have put the Ring on itself alerting Sauron to Its location? Did Sauron even think to have the Ringwraiths check back in the barrows to see if a wight had laid its claws on any Hobbits?

Just a little something to think about!:elfeek: The wights were not placed in the mounds by Sauron but by the Witch-king of Angmar. from The Return of the King, Appendix A
In the days of Argeleb II the plague came into Eriador from the South-east, and most of the people of Cardolan perished, especially in Minhiriath. The Hobbits and all other peoples suffered greatly, but the plague lessened as it passed northwards, and the northern parts of Arthedain were little affected. It was at this time 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 wights entered the mounds in 1636 during the reign of Argeleb II 1589-1670. And we know the Witch-king sent them there from this quote. from Unfinished Tales, The Hunt for the Ring
The Witch-king had now a clearer understanding of the matter. He had known something of the country long ago, in his wars with the Dúnedain, and especially of the Tyrn Gothad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself. 19

19 Cf. 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."

[Tinuviel]

Its been eon since i last posted....;) RL and all that ....

But i must say that this is a really interesting topic. I remembered feeling very unsettled and genuinely spooked when I came to that part.

Am going off to read that passage again.

perhaps I'm totally off tanget, but I've always been fond of the idea that Tolkien got a lot of ideas from his experience in the war. I've read similar passages related by war vets.....its got something to do about violence and savagery leaving an imprint on the environment.... geez....how off topic can I get?! Off to bed now to sleep of my migraine.

toodles :grin:

[Gwaihir]

This is really one of the most mysterious parts of the book! I must finish reading the appendixes! I also got to read the Unfinished Tales! :)