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.His humility in offering forgiveness and love towards Gollum is essential in theoverall scheme.Tolkien talks of this; His humility [with which he began] and his sufferings were justly rewarded by thehighest honour: and his exercise of patience and mercy towards Gollum gained himMercy: his failure was redressed. [Letters p.326]Tolkien also mentioned; I myself saw the value of hobbits, of the need of putting earth under romance, and onproviding subjects for 'ennoblement' and heroes more praiseworthy than theprofessionals :.we are all equal before the Great Author, qui deposuit potentes desede et exaltavit humiles [who humbles the proud and exalts the humble]. [Lettersp.215]Once again, all of the main heroes carry this humility and healthy distrust of self.Even with extraordinary power and wisdom, Gandalf the Grey and also the more confidentGandalf the White carries a distrust of self that leads to deeper wisdom.This is demonstratedwhen Frodo offers the One Ring to Gandalf at Bag-End.Gandalf exclaims; ' No! with that power I should have power too great and terrible.And over me the Ringwould gain a power still greater and more deadly.' His eyes flashed and his face was litas by a fire within.'Do not temp me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lordhimself.Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desireof strength to do good.Do not temp me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe,unused.The wish to wield it would be too great for my strength.I shall have such needof it.Great perils lie before me. [LotR p.60]This passage highlights an attribute that is critical to healthy distrust of self; that is knowledgeof self.Gandalf knows his weaknesses and strengths and this leads to true humility.He will70 www.mythictruth.com 71not even risk the possibility of entering into a situation where the Ring could have power overhim and hence cause his downfall.Gandalf ensures that he never actually touches the Ringitself.Gandalf enforces this virtue with his comment to Denethor regarding the Ring; .nay, stay your wrath, I do not even trust myself in this. [LotR p.796]And in regards to confronting Sauron in the Palantír Gandalf says; I am not ready for such a trial if indeed I shall ever be so. [LotR p.581]Tolkien writes of Gandalf s sacrifice on the bridge; It was a humbling and abnegation of himself. [Letters p.203]Gandalf .sacrificed himself& an act that one doesn't make without humility. There canbe no love without humility'; a great spiritual truth taught by St Thérèse.[Letters p.203]Aragorn also knows his limits.When he had the chance to take the Ring he resists [in Bree];his nobility, wisdom and knowledge make it seem easy for him.But due to the fact that heknows of the fault of Isildur in taking the Ring, Aragorn understands the dangers.Tied in withthis, are the years of sacrifice he has already made in the fight against Sauron and theheritage that weighs heavily on his shoulders.As the Fellowship prepare to leave Rivendell tostart the journey, Aragorn sat with his head bowed to his knees; only Elrond knew fully what this hourmeant to him. [LotR p.273]Aragorn becomes part of the Fellowship due to his connection with the Ring, For men you shall have Aragorn son of Arathorn, for the Ring of Isildur concerns himclosely. [LotR p.268]Aragorn understood the responsibility and importance of righting the wrong of Isildur.Aragorn was the most noble and skilled man in Middle-earth; Thus he became at last the most hardy of living men, skilled in their crafts and lore,and was yet more than they; for he was Elven-wise, and there was a light in his eyesthat when they were kindled few could endure. [LotR Appendix p.1035]His Elvish up-bringing gave him a wisdom and self-knowledge that rooted him in the truth; thetruth that the Ring was all-together evil.No man could totally resist it in his own strength.In the Quest, Aragorn is a little unsure in his decisions, especially after Gandalf 'dies' whichdisplays his healthy self-knowledge, [i.e.he recognizes he doesn't know everything].But heuses the many skills he has and listens to his friends.Then, at need and when the time isright, Aragorn takes up the mantle of royalty, as is shown when he looks into Palantír.Hesees his course, takes action with all his strength and true valour, but remains humble.Faramir, like Aragorn, understands the need for good self-knowledge, and hence this leadshim to wisdom; Or I am wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man mustflee& Faramir referring to the Ring.[LotR p.666]71 www.mythictruth.com 72Sam is the other of the great heroes of the story.Possibly the most important, because he'seems' like the least important.Tolkien wrote; Indeed my Sam Gamgee is a reflection of the batmen and privates I knew in the 1914war. where Tolkien witnessed everyday English men commit heroic acts of sacrifice andbravery.[J.R.R.Tolkien: A Biography p.89]He also praised Sam with the saying, .the Englishry of this jewel among Hobbits. [Letters p.88]This is very much another source of the ennoblement of the ignoble theme that Tolkien writesthat he loves.One can see that Tolkien was extremely moved and edified by the acts of menwho may not have been very educated or even had any faith in a God of Love, but knewabout sacrifice and service and loyalty.Sam is content to serve his master, and makes him the primary focus of his journey.Andwhile he exemplifies simplicity, he is not without depth as is eloquently shown in Frodo andSam's talk about the seamless web of tales on the Stairs of Cirith Ungol; .we're in one, of course; but I mean; put into words, you know, told by the fireside, orread out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. [LotR p.697]Sam begins the journey with an immature innocence as Stratford Caldecott is quoted in Man& Myth [by Joseph Pearce p.115], and after experiencing many hardships and sufferings hematures; but retains his childlikeness and innocence.But most importantly he does notharden his heart or become cynical through his experience of life, he grows in love and truewisdom; he grows into a mature innocence.Pippin and Merry also pass through this growing up of sorts and come to learn about sacrificeand courage themselves.Merry helps to kill the Witch-King and save Éowyn and Pippin helpssave Faramir, which further entrenches Tolkien's theme of exalting the humble. The ennoblement of the ignoble I find especially moving. [Letters p.220]Galadriel, after her 'test' with the Ring says, I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel. [LotR p.357]Her humility and her resistance to the Ring is rewarded.She is allowed to return to Aman.Similar themes are found with John the Baptist, & he must increase and I must decrease
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