Thoughts on “The Stairs of Cirith Ungol”

/ Apple Hill Cottage
This winter seemed an appropriate time to read (for the third time) J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

 

The story of two brave little halflings summoning their courage and overcoming the odds to stop the all-encompassing Evil? Yes.

The story of beings of all persuasions–Elves, Dwarves, Men, Wizards, Hobbits, Ents, Trees, Eagles–uniting together despite their differences to defeat the return of evil? Yes.

The story of Evil, gathering its shadowy powers a second time, through lies, webs, and deceit? Yes, again.

I’m nearing the end of The Two Towers. If you remember, you know that this is some of the darkest of dark times. Frodo and Sam have followed Gollum up the winding, treacherous stairs of Cirith Ungol, which in Sindarin means the cleft of the spider. Even Gollum has made veiled references to the harrowing tunnel ahead. I have looked at the name of the next chapter, “Shelob’s Lair.” I know both what is immediately ahead, and further ahead. It’s the unpleasant-est of journeys.

I put the book down and wonder if I should continue reading now, or perhaps later.

My son texts me–the name of a podcast I should listen to. I text him back–I feel like we are climbing Mt. Doom with Frodo and Sam. Following after Gollum.

I close my eyes and consider. The sun is shining, but it is 18 degrees, with a wind chill of 2. Even with the sun coming through the glass, I am under a blanket on the couch. It’s only two o’clock. I will finish this chapter.

“In a dark crevice between two great piers of rocks they sat down…”
The two hobbits think perhaps it might be the last meal they share together. And then Sam begins to talk as if they were really in a story, wondering if it was a happy-ending kind of tale or a sad ending, and how the people in the tale don’t really know. And how it would be a bad story if they did know. Frodo laughs–the first laugh for many days. ‘But you didn’t put anything in about Sam,’ he says. ‘And Frodo wouldn’t have gotten very far without Sam, would he dad?’ And then Frodo says,
“You and I, Sam, are still stuck in the worst places of the story, and it is all too likely that some will say at this point: ‘Shut the book now, dad; we don’t want to read anymore.'”
Yes. That’s just how I felt.
 
In truth, it’s how I feel every day. Shut the book now, dad; we don’t want to read anymore. Turn the page, turn to the next chapter, where the villain is defeated, and the heroes are celebrating. Wounded, yes, but celebrating their bravery and courage.
 
It is true that the best stories often turn out to be the hardest of journeys.
 
But that is only if the heroes win.
 
But I can’t end there, can I? Because I believe that ultimately, heroes do win.
 
It’s just that right now, we’re in that hard part of the tale….
 

6 thoughts on “Thoughts on “The Stairs of Cirith Ungol””

  1. As you well know, I cannot comment on the characters in the book, but I certainly can identify with the analogies you draw. And I hope that, as in the book, in our present times, the heroes ultimately will win. (At least I am assuming that’s how the book ends!)

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