Music and Magic in Middle Earth

[Mithalwen]

Since I don't know how to link I am quoting this post by davem from the Thread "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" in the chapter by chapter read through. It refers to Gandalf's struggle in closing the door.


"This is interesting, as it seems to show two kinds of magic at work - spell-casting, & the word of Command. It seems that casting spells is easier than speaking a word of Command. It appears the latter is reserved for extreme circumstances.

Spellcasting appears to work by a kind of 'hypnosis' - not simply hypnosis of people, but a kind of hypnosis of reality itself. Gandalf seems to have 'hypnotised' the door into being locked, by casting a 'spell' - sort of 'telling it a new story' - in the 'old' story it was unlocked (unlockable). Gandalf tells a new 'story', in which it is locked. Then the Balrog comes, & casts a counter spell, tells a new 'story' in which it is not locked. Gandalf & the Balrog contend - as do Finrod & Sauron, & the most powerful magician (ie the 'best', most convincing storyteller) wins out & takes control of 'reality' - from that point the world story carries on, including the changes the storyteller has made....

But we also have something different here - the Word of Command. Here we move away from the 'story' that seeks to convince both other minds & the physical matter of Arda to something else, a different kind of power - one that does not attempt to convince but to coerce. Gandalf attempts to Command the world to change rather than persuade it to.

In effect, in the first kind of magic we have the wizard still 'within' the world, trying to convince reality to alter, in the second kind its as if he steps outside the world, & force it to change into something else. Clearly in this case Gandalf is not up to the task, or not used to this way of working, because the door, rather than obeying his Command, simply explodes.

I think this maybe sheds some light on his two confrontations with Saruman - both begin with 'spellcasting' - both wizards attempt to 'persuade' the other into adopting their particular view of 'reality', but then the confrontations move on - in the first it appears it is Saruman who speaks the word of Command - he commands Gandalf to stay in Orthanc - in the second it is Gandalf who speaks the word of Command - Commanding Saruman to return to the balcony & commanding his staff to break. "
This has made me think a lot about magic in Middle Earth. Firstly that it is not a matter to be taken lightly - none of the casual playing around with magic that occurs in, say Harry Potter, also that it is not something that anyone can do .... though this is a clumsy way of putting it but I will elaborate more in relation to my main point.

It is not new to link magic and music - as E. Weatherwax points out, they are only 2 letters different, however the link between music and supernatural power is fundamental to Middle Earth because Arda was shaped in thought, if not in form, in the Music of the Ainur.

The terminology here is hard because it is relative .... one person's magic is another's technology ( and this partly explains the properties of elven swords and cloaks ) but there is another kind of magic, related to power innate to certain individuals - generally the Maia and the "Mighty among the first born".

Spellcraft seems to be something that can be learnt, at least up to a point, and it seems even those with innate power have to learn it (cf Gandalf trying to open the doors of Moria). Not meaning any disrespect but Thranduil, a sindar, is not the first person who springs to mind when you think of powerful elves but he has magic enough to protect his people and gates from random intruders. It is quite likely that he could have learnt spellcraft enough to do this from Melian in Doriath. However if his magic had been challenged by a mightier foe it surely would have cracked.

It is one thing to "hypnotise" objects, another to duel spells with another being. It is not clear whether Glorfindel, trades spells with the nazgul - my feeling is that with the ring-slaves, who seem incapable of much in the way of independent thought, it is a trade of innate power not aided by lore or spells - simply white light against the dark . Spellcraft was no doubt a factor in the flooding of the ford though.

However to get back to what I really want to say, it seems to me that while "defensive" magic , is relatively widespread (though with varying degrees of power from the Girdle of Melian down), the magic that changes reality is closely linked to music and chanting. I would suggest that therefore to change the nature of reality you need to create a "variation" to the music of the ainur. This would explain why the most powerful forms of magic seem limited ot the maiar - Istari / Balrogs who were part of the first music.

I know there have been many discussions on the nature of Luthien, and many ways she is a special case, but I feel it is significant that by the power of her song she gained power over even Morgoth and caused even Mandos to alter reality and allow Beren a second life and herself to die from the world.

Although not Maiar, Felagund and Galadriel both channel power through song. Felagund in his "duel" with Sauron,and Galadriel ( if I am not taking this too literally) in her "creation" of Lothlorien (" I sang of Leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew"). In a lesser way, Arwen's song of Valinor seems to speed the growth of the White Tree.

I perhaps should have thought this out more before posting. but I think I would have tied myself up in even more knots and posted nothing! So I present a tangled mass of wool for more skilled spinners and weavers to fashion!