Wights

[Lady Eowyn]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Newly Deceased
Posts: 9</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
I was wondering. What exactly is a Wight??
And why did he &quot;run&quot; away from Tom Bombadil??

</p>

[The Barrow-Wight]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wraith of Angmar
Posts: 1302</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/bluepal.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Wights

The wights of the Barrow-Downs were evil spirts sent there from Angmar and Rhudaur by the Witch-King of Angmar. They entered the burial mounds and dwelled there, trapping unwary (and wary) travelers and slaying them with spells of death.

The mounds themselves were quite ancient, built and used by the forefathers of the Edain as burial chambers. When the Edain came back to Middle-Earth after the destruction of Beleriand they used the Downs for the same purpose - internment of dead. It is thought that the wight that caught Frodo and friends was in the grave of the last Prince of Cardolan.

The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)
<font size="2">I usually haunt http://www.barrowdowns.comThe Barrow-Downs</a> and The Barrow-Downs http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgiMiddle-Earth Discussion Board</a>.</p>

[Suldaledhel]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/bluepal.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Wights

I always believed they fleed from Bombadil because as we said, He is not an elf, or a man, or anything else for that matter!!!! But he does possess great power over Everything that enters his &quot;domain&quot; so too speak. Where he is from or what he is I cannot say.

"See, half-brother! This is sharper than thy tounge. Try but once more to usurp my place and the love of my father, and maybe it will rid the Noldor of one who seeks to be master of thralls." -Feanor to Fingolfin- -=I may be found merrymaking at either <a href=http://pub24.ezboard.com/bmountgundabad>Mount Gundabad</a> or at <a href=http://www.barrowdowns.com/>The Barrow Downs</a>=-</p>

[JesTheJade]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Animated Skeleton
Posts: 41</TD><TD><img src=http://www.geocities.com/monopatino/39mini.jpg WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=60></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/bluepal.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Wights

Perhaps Tom is as unknown to the wights as he is to us. Remember that old saying...or, I don't know if it's really a saying, but the one about things fearing what they do not understand? Maybe it is like that with Tom Bombadil and the wights, eh?

Jes

I usually watch over <a href=http://www.barrowdowns.com>The Barrow Downs</a> and <a href=http://pub8.ezboard.com/bthelotrmoviesite>The White Council Discussion Board</a>.

<a href=mailto:GrahamTheGrey@aol.com>GrahamTheGrey@ao l.com</a></p>

[The Barrow-Wight]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wraith of Angmar
Posts: 1313</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/bluepal.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Wights

Both the wight and TB cast their spells with incantations. But their chants/songs had to have been drawing on some power in order to create the desired effect. TB, being a much older and powerful creature, had more power in his song than the wight. If you ever read the Adventures of TB you see that Tom has more power than all of the other creatures in his domain. So Tom's 'magic' was much stronger than the wight's and that's what chased it of/ killed it.

The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)
<font size="2">I usually haunt http://www.barrowdowns.comThe Barrow-Downs</a> and The Barrow-Downs http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgiMiddle-Earth Discussion Board</a>.</p>

[Saulotus]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
Posts: 61</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/bluepal.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: Wights

&gt;&gt;Both the wight and TB cast their spells with incantations.&lt;&lt;

Bombadil is an enigma and may not apply.

IIRC the wight was attempting to keep Frodo from moving. That this used words still refers back to the Dominate use of 'magic' as Gandalf also used words many times. Aragorn used words to call the Deadmen, the ring inscription itself may be a 'spell' in words to bind the other rings, Galadriel did not appear to use words for the Mirror in the text, but her lying in wait and eavesdropping may have only been because she was already preparing the Mirror for use (speculation).

This may be a facet of the Dominate aspect of 'magic' as opposed to preservation.

Galadriel makes comment to Frodo that he could not use the powers of the ring until he trained his will to the dominance of others.

Tom spread the gold outside for any to take to break the spell.

J.R.R. Tolkien THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
&quot;He bade them lie there 'free to all finders, birds, beasts, Elves, or Men, and all kindly creatures', for so the spell of the mound should be broken and scattered and no wight ever come back to it.&quot;

</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000133>Saulotus </A> at: 9/22/00 2:14:31 am

[Serevian The Ranger]

just bringing old ones back to life

[Elrian]

Bombadil was a Maia, there were no enigmas in Tolkien's world. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[obloquy]

Hah, try jigging the bait a bit, Elrian, or adjusting your reel speed. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Bruce MacCulloch]

The Barrow Wight obeyed Tom Bombadil, because Tom was secretly the Witch-King in disguise. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]
Don't any of you people know that? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Jessica Jade]

Good ole' Tom Bombadil is secretly the Witch King?Are you serious?! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]I thought the witch king was the head of the Ringwraiths! How can he be both at once? [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img] Ack, sorry, i have only read Fellowship and Hobbit so far, i'm not very educated in Tolkien lore yet. But could you please tell me, if he IS indeed the witch king, why does he live as a jolly happy fellow? What would his purpose be, and why??

note: umm, if the answers to my questions will spoil the rest story for me (i'm barely done w/ Fellowship!) , the please don' tell me yet. If it doesn't interfere with the rest of the LOTR and the Sil, then by all means, enlighten me. That is very curious indeed abotu Bombadil, and i really want to know.

[Bruce MacCulloch]

[img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]
IT'S A JOKE!!!!!

[Jessica Jade]

ahhhhhhhhhh okay, so it was a joke...heh heh, i can be really gullible, espeically about these books, because i dont' know much about them. Yea, i know you think i'm realllly dumb. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

yeah...I just always thought that the Barrow Wights were spirits of the dead kings..silly me

[The Silver-shod Muse]

So did I Smusha, until these enlightened Tolkienists cleared it up for me. Actually I was under the impression that they were the spirits of the dead kings that were corrupted by Sauron inhabiting their mouldy corpses again. Guess not. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[ May 07, 2002: Message edited by: The Silver-shod Muse ]