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The Lord of the Ringstrilogy’s extended editions are already close to four hours long. And even then, they seem to miss out on so many beautiful details from author J.R.R. Tolkien’s books that would further endear these characters to fans. One such moment is a kind and thoughtful gesture that Arwen makes towards Frodo, which is simply not talked about enough, even if implied plenty.
InThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringmovie, Arwen saves Frodo’s life by riding ahead with him to Rivendell after he is stabbed by the Witch-King. It’s not something Arwen does in the book;Frodo’s savior is Glorfindel. But Arwen does end up saving Frodo in another, more profound way at the end of the story. And while it is implied heavily in the films, the book offers a more elaborate and touching description of Arwen’s kind gesture towards the Ringbearer.
Arwen’s Kind Gesture for Frodo Isn’t Talked About Enough
A beautiful yet bittersweet moment fromThe Lord of the Ringsis the final scene fromThe Return of the King, when Frodo leaves Middle-earth on a ship to the Undying Lands with Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Celeborn, as a crying Sam, Pippin, and Merry watch. Many fans were able to join the dots—Frodo took Arwen’s place on the ship. But how was it possible?
As a daughter of Elrond Halfelven, Arwen Undómiel and her brothers had a choice. They could choose immortality; when their time on Middle-earth was over, they could sail from the Grey Havens to Valinor, the Undying Lands from whence their kind came. Or, they could choose a mortal life and spend the remaining days of it on Middle-earth and eventually die. When Arwen fell in love with Aragorn, her choice was made. She embraced the same fate as her ancestor, Lúthien, who fell in love with a mortal, Beren, son of Barahir, an ancestor of Aragorn. Arwen, too, forsook the grace granted to the Eldar and chose a mortal life. But withArwen not claiming her place on the shipto Valinor, someone else could’ve gone in her stead. And she had the foresight to offer her place to Frodo.
InThe Return of the Kingchapter “Many Partings,” after the coronation of King Elessar, the hobbits are showered with many titles, honors, and gifts. Arwen, now the Queen, offers a special gift to Frodo, the Ringbearer. She tells him that she won’t be leaving with her father for the Havens, but Frodo would go in her stead if he chooses to.
If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of your burden is heavy, then you may pass into the West, until all your wounds and weariness are healed.
But that’s not all. Arwen also gave Frodo a “….white gem like a star that lay upon her breast hanging upon a silver chain,” and told him that whenever he was troubled by the memory of the darkness and fear he endured, the white gem would help him. The gem can be considered an inspiration forthe Evenstar necklacethat Arwen wears in the movies, since in the book, she tells Frodo to wear the necklace “in memory of Elfstone [Elessar] and Evenstar with whom your life has been woven!”
Arwen Understood That Frodo Was Never Going To Be Completely Healed
Of course, Arwen couldn’t grant Frodo entry into Valinor, since only the Valar giveth and the Valar taketh away that grace. However,she was able to sense Frodo’s burdenand understand that he would never be fully healed in Middle-earth. What she did was an act of mercy and pity, which was often appreciated and rewarded by the Valar, a recurring theme in Tolkien’s works.
InThe Return of the Kingmovie, Frodo is seen wincing in pain on the anniversary of his stabbing at Weathertop. But in the book, his pain is much more grievous. Frodo falls sick twice each, on the anniversaries of his stabbing at Weathertop in October and his poisoning by Shelob in March. When journeying back to The Shire, a year from the Weathertop incident, he tells Gandalf, “The wound aches, and the memory of darkness is heavy on me.” A year later, Sam finds Frodo sick and in a trance as if looking at something far away, and saying, “I’m wounded; it will never really heal.”
I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?
It could also have been that Arwen understood Frodo because her mother had suffered a similar ordeal. Long before the events ofThe Lord of the Rings,Celebrían, wife of Elrond,was travelling from Rivendell to Lórien to meet her parents, Galadriel and Celeborn. But she was waylaid by a company of Orcs in the Misty Mountains, who captured and tortured her until her sons, Elladan and Elrohir, came to her rescue. Despite Elrond healing her grievous wound, Celebrían was unable to find any joy or peace in Middle-earth after that, and sailed to the Undying Lands before her time. Arwen could’ve wanted to offer Frodo the same respite that her mother received.
