The Lord of the Rings ended with the destruction of the One Ring, thanks largely to Frodo, but J.R.R. Tolkien said something else was at foot. The entire quest saw the Fellowship gather and set out to find a way to get the One Ring to the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor, Sauron’s own realm. Frodo did much of the work, but Tolkien had another take.
According to the author, Frodo did all the heavy lifting, but in the end, it was a higher power who ensured that the One Ring ended up thrown into the fires of Mount Doom. In the end, while the Fellowship deserves all the credit for their hard work, it was all part of a greater plan, and one that the Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, and warriors only had a hand in.
Eru Ilúvatar Was Responsible For Gollum Falling Into Mount Doom, According To Tolkien
Frodo took the One Ring to Mount Doom, and Gollum was there to stop him from throwing it in. Finally reaching the top, Frodo gives in to the Ring’s power and puts it on. However, Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger and takes the Ring before they both fall from the ledge. Sam saves Frodo, and Gollum dies with the Ring.
While this looked like luck for Frodo, it was more than that, according to J.R.R. Tolkien. In Letter 192, written by Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author said he wanted to discuss Frodo’s “failure.” Tolkien said that Frodo’s failure was inevitable and that it was a real ending, not a fairy-tale ending.
Furthermore, Tolkien said that Eru Ilúvatar, God in the world of Middle-earth, was the one who saved the day and ensured that Gollum fell into the fire, destroying the One Ring.
“The Other Power then took over: the Writer of the Story (by which I do not mean myself), ‘that one ever-present Person who is never absent and never named.'”
As Tolkien said, it was God who tripped Gollum, sending him into the fire and destroying the One Ring, saving the world. However, while this is true, according to the story’s author, it also raises interesting questions about what it means for the characters who went on this perilous journey.
How Tolkien’s Revelation Changes The Lord Of The Rings’ Ending
The Lord of the Rings follows a group of warriors who team up as the Fellowship and set out to destroy the One Ring. Frodo and his Hobbit friends faced odds that should have seen them ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but they persevered on and made it to the end of their journey, where it seemed they helped destroy the One Ring.
This made the entire film end with a great moment where the Hobbits were honored and everyone bowed to them, praising them as great heroes. However, with Tolkien’s revelation, it seems that they might not have deserved the honor. They took credit for something that God did, which not only saved them but also saved the world.
In the same letter, Tolkien also noted that Frodo was a “scoundrel” and that he should have been “hung and not honoured.” Tolkien also seemed to have little respect for Frodo, saying that in an era where good people were tortured and broken, he didn’t see how anyone could be “so fiercely simpleminded and self-righteous.“
Simply looking at the movies, the Hobbits were honored as heroes, and Aragorn told them they never needed to bow before anyone again. Gandalf looked at Frodo and his friends with a proud look in his eyes. However, based on what Tolkien said, this was an honor that they might not have completely deserved.
Why Eru Didn’t Just Destroy The Ring From The Start
This also raises an interesting question: why did Eru not destroy the One Ring at the beginning of the story? However, this is a religious debate that plays into much of Tolkien’s world. The entire idea is that God works through people, and when needed, he will help out if the individuals do their part first.
J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Catholic whose own faith shaped the morality of Middle-earth. Eru is Tolkien’s version of God. The Maiar were the world’s version of angels, although Gandalf was made mortal, which mostly limited his powers. With all that said, Eru still demanded that the Fellowship set out on its dangerous mission.
Unlike his contemporary C.S. Lewis, who used a straightforward allegory in his novels, Tolkien preferred to show how people could live a righteous life, with consequences. Gandalf said at one point that some people who deserve to live will die, and some who deserve to die will live. It is up to the characters to make their own way.
Since the Valar distanced themselves from Middle-earth at the end of the First Age, Eru knew people needed to create their own destiny. Eru had already struck against Sauron in the Second Age, so he made sure Gandalf was depowered enough only to advise the Fellowship to find their way.
Eru needed people like Frodo and Aragorn to play their parts in saving the world, and when all looked lost, this God stepped in and helped destroy the Ring. In the letter, Tolkien also wrote:
“Frodo deserved all honour because he spent every drop of his power of will and body, and that was just sufficient to bring him to the destined point, and no further. Few others, possibly no others of his time, would have got so far.”
This was Tolkien’s way of admitting Frodo might not have deserved the praise, but did enough to warrant it. Frodo had to show the will to fight for the world before God could step in and say they deserved to live. In The Lord of the Rings, Eru saved the world, but Frodo needed to do the hard work.
The Lord of the Rings
- Movie(s)
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The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
- Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- First Film
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The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- Cast
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Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt
- TV Show(s)
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Character(s)
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Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon тιтled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
