The Green Light in the Barrow and the god Lugh

[Balfrog]

The second in Ms. Seth’s three part inter-linked series on Bombadil and Middle-earth Faerie explores several unique ideas:


https://priyasethtolkienfan.wordpres...o-fairyland-2/


(a) After being a potential part of three fairy tales and one medieval legend (per previous essays), the idea is put forward of Tom also being the source of the Celtic legends surrounding the demi-god Lugh.
(b) The landscape of the downs, particularly the hill with its standing stone, is linked to Celtic Tara in Ireland – the legendary home of Lugh.
(c) The idea that ‘green glow’ in the Barrow was Tolkien’s vision of a ‘green sun’ in Middle-earth faerie – an otherworld proximate to the barrows.


Admittedly the stuff is radical in terms of no-one having ever put forward such propositions before. And perhaps it’s a bit cheeky telling ‘Barrow-downers’ what really happened in this part of the tale. Nevertheless the proposals have merit and indeed appear quite logical. Have we all (including the so-called experts) not understood what Tolkien did with this segment of the hobbits’ journey?

What we ought to think seriously about is whether Tolkien embedded deeper underlying stuff than we have not yet grasped. I wouldn’t put it past the Professor. When it comes to ‘Fog on the Barrow-downs’, I have to ask myself:

(a) Why was a hill chosen for strange happenings to occur?
(b) Why did the hill have a bowl shape to it and a standing stone at its center?
(c) What was the purpose of the standing stone?
(d) Why was the standing stone cold?
(e) Why did the hobbits fall asleep against it for hours on end?
(f) Why was the hill located close to the barrows?
(g) Why did a fog roll in after a bright hot day?
(h) What was the purpose of the magically appearing and disappearing standing stones?
(i) Why did Tolkien impress upon the reader that the opening between them was like a door?
(j) Why did darkness envelop Frodo upon passing between the standing stones?
(k) Why could the other hobbits not hear Frodo while on the other side of the standing stones?
(l) Why were the hobbits so far away when Frodo was only fleetingly in the blackness?
(m) Why was Frodo de-horsed in the blackness and why did his pony later bolt?
(n) Should we take better note that Tom gave individual and specific warnings for the journey ahead?
(o) What did Tom mean by “open doors”?
(p) How did Tom hear Frodo’s song for help?
(q) How did Tom get to the barrow so quickly?
(r) Why are his feet faster?
(s) Why did his voice seem to come from underground?
(t) What was the green light in the barrow?
(u) Why did it seem to come from the ground too?
(v) Why and how was the green light suddenly extinguished?
(w) Why had the cold stone fallen?
(x) Why did Tolkien have Tom choose a brooch?
(y) Why does Frodo keep having visions in the presence of Tom?
(z) Why does Tom stay within specific boundaries?

On their own the above questions might individually have reasonably logical and benign answers. But when thought about collectively one might conclude that they can all be linked to a contrived adventure on the borders of a Middle-earth Faerie with a fairy-being. Especially when taking into account Tolkien’s comments in OFS.

More evidence is to come in Part III – which I am already privy to – so I suggest that those interested in this subject put off voicing too much negativity until the rest is revealed. Perhaps after all these years – we will finally understand a puzzling part of the tale. I must say if all this is true – it’s not surprising if admiration of Professor Tolkien’s literary skill only grows. Mine certainly has!