Reading “The Lord of the Rings”: "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm”
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Welcome to Tolkien Tuesdays, where I talk about various things that I love about the lore and writings of Tolkien, whether in a chapter reading or a character study or an essay. I hope you enjoy reading these ruminations as much as I enjoy writing them and, if you have a moment, I’d love it if you’d subscribe to this newsletter. It’s free, but there are paid options, as well, if you’re of a mind to support a struggling writer. Either way, thank you for joining me!
In the early parts of the chapter we learn more details about the tragic fate of Balin and the other Dwarves who set out to reclaim their old kingdom. As it turns out, Balin was shot by an Orc hiding behind a rock, a rather ignominious end for someone who was a part of the company that retook the Lonely Mountain. Moreover, there’s something just as horrifying about the revelation that Óin was taken by the Watcher in the Water, particularly since Óin was Gimli’s uncle. Ill-judged and foolish though the attempt to take Moria might have been, it’s hard not to feel a bone-deep sadness at the fate of Bilbo’s former companions.
As so often in Tolkien’s work, a brief victory is followed by a period of decline, failure, and fall. Though the Dwarves did manage to reclaim at least parts of their ancestral homeland, it was doomed to failure from the beginning, in part because of the number of Orcs who made the old caverns their home and, presumably, because of the ever-present threat of the Balrog. However, if the Fellowship succeeds in its quest to destroy the Ring, it can be hoped that such places can be rescued from the darkness and restored to at least some measure of their former glory. Even if the might and splendor of the past can never be fully recovered, there might at least be some measure of it that can be regained.
Then there’s the Book of Mazarbul itself. It’s one of those moments where Tolkien seems to reveal something of himself in his work, as Gandalf is something of a literary detective, softly thumbing through the fire-damaged pages to try to discern what happened to Balin and those who accompanied him. Of course, there are some things that can never be known, simply because the text has been damaged too badly and because the light is simply not strong enough for even Gandalf to be able to read. One can’t help but wonder just what other revelations were revealed in the damaged tome, though at least we can surmise that it survived, since Gandalf gave it into Gimli’s care after he was finished reading it. Like so often in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien tantalizes us with a vision that he never entirely fulfills.
This chapter also includes one of the rare moments in The Lord of the Rings where we see an actual use of what we would call magic. For all that this book has exerted a tremendous and indelible influence on the entire genre, there are relatively few moments when we see characters casting spells, but in the first encounter between Gandalf and the Balrog we know that both of them use some sort of power to try to subdue the other. We don’t know just what form this magic takes, mind you, which I think is for the best, but it’s a compelling moment nevertheless, and it neatly presages the titanic conflict that will take place on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm.
If there’s one moment which can be said to be the emotional heart of The Fellowship of the Ring, I would vote for this one. As anyone who has read the book can attest, sacrifice is one of its enduring and most emotionally resonant motifs, and it’s hard to think of a more potent moment of it than when Gandalf faces the Balrog alone and unaided. It’s hard at this point to recapture quite the feeling I had when I first read this part of the book, but I do remember being devastated at the idea that Gandalf had actually perished and that the Fellowship would go on without him. Such is Tolkiens’ power at crafting character that one can’t help but feel this is a true emotional punch in the gut, particularly since Gandalf so clearly enjoins the others to flee rather than trying to save him or avenge his death. In the last split second before he plunges into the abyss, his first thought is for his companions and their mission rather than for himself.
All of this is made all the more intense by the nature of the Balrog itself. A terrifying being of shadow and flame, one can practically feel the earth tremble beneath its mighty feet as it stomps its way toward the Fellowship, while its wings trail out on either side (I’m in the “Balrogs do have wings” camp, by the way). As I’ve written before, Tolkien was remarkable in that he had the ability to imbue his fantastic world with elements of horror, and it’s hard to think of a creature more terrifying to behold than this ancient monstrosity in all of its fiery splendor.
What’s also remarkable is just how quickly Gandalf’s scene unfolds. It seems to happen in a blink, as he wields his power and influence to deflect the might of his enemy. And yet, at the same time, he ultimately seems to realize that it is better to outsmart the Balrog rather than to try to defeat it in hand-to-hand combat, which is why he strikes the bridge so that it will buckle beneath its weight. Gandalf is no fool, even though he does end up becoming ensnared by his enemy.
This is, to be sure, one of the best chapters in the entirety of Fellowship, and no matter how many times I read it I find myself feeling the Fellowship’s grief as they contend with what it means to have lost their leader. As time will tell, Gandalf’s demise will have a tremendous impact on their subsequent efforts to find the right way to proceed. Though they might not realize it just yet, this is an event that will have reverberations and consequences for all of Middle-earth, both for good and for ill.
Next up, we’ll join the Fellowship as they start to make their way to the Golden Wood, where they will come face to face with the Lady Galadriel, as well as the power she wields.