Magic (Middle-earth)
Encyclopedia
Magic, here defined as mystical, paranormal, or supernatural activity, appear in various forms in J. R. R. Tolkien
's fictional realm of Middle-earth
.
while wearing the One Ring
: of the appearance of both the Ringwraiths and the High Elf Glorfindel
in that world. Related creatures which may or may not have a connection to that realm are Barrow-wight
s, the ghost which dooms Barahir
's party, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow
.
Prophecy
is real in Middle-earth: Boromir
and Faramir
have "true dreams" about the One Ring and the Halfling, Glorfindel prophesies the nature of the Witch-king's doom, and both the Maia
Melian
and her descendant Elrond
are known to possess the "gift of foresight", allowing them to sense and see what is yet to come. Mandos declared the Prophecy of the North to the Noldor
. Any oath sworn by Ilúvatar and the Valar
also invokes magic of a kind, as did Fëanor
's terrible oath:
In the index of The Return of the King
, "wizardry" is described as "magic of kind popularly ascribed to the Wizards (Istari)."
's Door of Khazad-dûm is a prime example: the door itself is physical and could also exist in the primary world, but the moon-runes and its response to a password are supernatural and thereby magical. Moon-letters were also discovered by Elrond on Thorin's map of the Lonely Mountain
, which revealed the method of opening the secret entrance:
This special combination of spatial and temporal circumstances can be considered a form of magic too. In The Hobbit
, the Elvenking of Mirkwood
, Thranduil
, uses "magic doors" to guard his palace, making it almost impossible for anyone to enter or exit against his will.
The tower of Orthanc is said to contain wizardry "older and stronger than Saruman's", and thus the Ent
s were unable to damage it.
The Staves of the Five Wizards, the Istari, also seem to be objects of magic, as it appears to be a primary part of their own power and the Wizards frequently use them to help them in their labours.
Likewise Elven and Númenórean swords are not just masterfully created weapons, but they also frequently possess magical powers, such as the sword Sting which glows blue when Orcs are nearby. The lembas the Fellowship were given by the Elves of Lórien is capable of keeping a "traveller on his feet for a day of long labour", and the hithlain rope are described as strong, tough, light, long, soft to the hand, packs close and, at Sam
's spoken command, unknotted itself when Sam failed to do so. The elven-cloaks the Fellowship receive from the Elves were thought to be "magic cloaks" by Pippin, and although the Elves neither confirmed nor denied this, they said that the cloaks are "a great aid in keeping out of the sight of unfriendly eyes", as proven the cloaks conceal Frodo and Sam so well that even Gollum
could not detect them (functioning similarly to the Cloak of invisibility
often used in works of fiction). Some of the gifts Galadriel
gives to the Fellowship, such as Frodo's Phial and Sam's box of earth from the gardens of Galadriel, also seem to possess magical properties.
The Elves' craftsmanship displays their subtle, instinctive control of magic. They are able to create blades and items of great power, such as the Black Sword, wielded by Túrin Turambar
. The Black Sword was crafted by a Sylvan or Sindar
in Elf, who poured his hatred into the weapon. Crafted from a fallen star, it could pierce any earthly metal; even the scales of Glaurung
. However, it hated its wielder. It was indeed cursed, and led to the death of Beleg
. Turin, before killing himself with it, seems to hear it speak to him, declaring revenge on him for the death of its master and Brandir.
Saruman
's voice could also fit this category, as his enchanting voice exerts an effect which is similar to hypnosis, but more potent. In The Hobbit
, it is revealed that Gandalf
gave the Old Took "a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered." The palantír
i are similar to modern videophones, but are in Middle-earth clearly magical and more similar to divining spheres used by soothsayer
s. Not least of all are the Rings of Power
and the Silmaril
s themselves.
, which was written in a more childish style than the other stories concerned. Here we find speaking purses, magical fireworks, shapeshifting
, and speaking animals. While this lighthanded use of magic occurs less in the other works, in The Fellowship of the Ring
, Tolkien still writes about how Gandalf
uses spells to conjure fire, create light, open the doors to Moria, "bless" Sam's pony Bill with "words of guard and guiding", hold the door in the Chamber of Mazarbul (and how the Balrog
tries to open the door with its own counterspell) and break the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf also says to Frodo that "it has not been hard for me to read your mind and memory", and both Aragorn
and Glorfindel
are able to tell the severity of Frodo's injury and to a certain degree heal it by mere touch. In The Two Towers
, Gandalf first uses magic to disarm Aragorn
and Gimli
and destroy an arrow Legolas
fired at him and later in the book, he uses his voice to prevent Saruman
from retreating to Orthanc, break Saruman's staff, and dismiss him after doing so. Gandalf also tells Gimli that Saruman could "look like me in your eyes, if it suited his purpose with you"; in other words, Saruman can create illusions with his magic. In The Return of the King
, Gandalf uses "a shaft of white light" to drive off the Nazgûl
assaulting him. The Witch-king of Angmar
is known as a dark Sorcerer (and hence many failed to destroy him), and Galadriel
uses her mirror to show scenes from the past, present, and future. Likewise in the stories of The Silmarillion
Lúthien
and Beren
change shape in order to infiltrate Angband
, and Lúthien uses magic to lull Carcharoth
, Melkor
and everyone in Melkor's castle into a deep slumber. Finrod sings spells to hide his identity from Sauron
, Melian
uses magic to create a barrier around her land of Doriath
which is for a time seemingly impenetrable to all, and Sauron uses wizardry to create a phantom of Eilinel to deceive Gorlim
and then kills him. In The Hobbit
, Beorn
is described as "a skin-changer. He changes his skin: sometimes he is a huge black bear, sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard" and Bilbo
, Gandalf and the dwarves put "a great many spells" over the buried pots of gold from the cache of the trolls, though this may merely be superstition.
There are talking and sapient Eagles
of immense size found in Middle-earth.
The first two categories are intrinsic to Middle-earth and are therefore not specifically recognized as magic in the stories themselves. The two final groups are hard to combine in a satisfying fashion: while it is clear that they are magical, this magic does not come from a single source and is very dissimilar. This difference is voiced in The Lord of the Rings by Galadriel:
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fictional realm of Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
.
Laws of nature
In Middle-earth there is a shadow realm where the creatures such as the Ringwraiths have a distinctly different presence than that observable in the normal world. According to Gandalf, High Elves exist simultaneously in both worlds: "...for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power." This accounts for the experiences of Frodo BagginsFrodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
while wearing the One Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
: of the appearance of both the Ringwraiths and the High Elf Glorfindel
Glorfindel
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Glorfindel is a name used twice for an Elf appearing in the tales of Middle-earth. He is introduced in various material relating to the First Age of Middle-earth, including The Silmarillion. The second instance is for a character of The Lord of the Rings, which...
in that world. Related creatures which may or may not have a connection to that realm are Barrow-wight
Barrow-wight
Barrow-wights are wraith-like creatures in J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, based on the Old Norse Draugr. Barrow refers to the burial mounds they inhabited and wight is a Middle English word for "living being" or "creature", especially "human being"...
s, the ghost which dooms Barahir
Barahir
Barahir is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian and the Grey Annals.-Character overview:...
's party, and the Dead Men of Dunharrow
Dead Men of Dunharrow
The Dead Men of Dunharrow are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
.
Prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
is real in Middle-earth: Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
and Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
have "true dreams" about the One Ring and the Halfling, Glorfindel prophesies the nature of the Witch-king's doom, and both the Maia
Maia (Middle-earth)
The Maiar are beings from J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy legendarium. They are lesser Ainur who entered Eä in the beginning of time. Tolkien uses the term Valar to refer both to all the Ainur who entered Eä, and specifically to the greatest among them, the fourteen Lords and Queens of the Valar...
Melian
Melian
Melian the Maia is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Children of Húrin, the Annals of Aman and the Grey Annals....
and her descendant Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
are known to possess the "gift of foresight", allowing them to sense and see what is yet to come. Mandos declared the Prophecy of the North to the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
. Any oath sworn by Ilúvatar and the Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
also invokes magic of a kind, as did Fëanor
Fëanor
Fëanor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium who plays an important part in The Silmarillion. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Serindë...
's terrible oath:
In the index of The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
, "wizardry" is described as "magic of kind popularly ascribed to the Wizards (Istari)."
Supernatural beings
The Ainur possess vast supernatural abilities that are seen by some as a form of magic.Magic items and constructions
DurinDurin
Durin is the name of seven Kings of Dwarves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They were held by the Dwarves to be the reincarnations of the first one, Durin the Deathless, resembling him in appearance and said to have preserved memories of their 'earlier lives'.Tolkien took the name Durin, like...
's Door of Khazad-dûm is a prime example: the door itself is physical and could also exist in the primary world, but the moon-runes and its response to a password are supernatural and thereby magical. Moon-letters were also discovered by Elrond on Thorin's map of the Lonely Mountain
Lonely Mountain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the Lonely Mountain is a mountain in the northeast of Rhovanion. It is also the source of the Celduin river.- Origins of the Kingdom Under the Mountain :...
, which revealed the method of opening the secret entrance:
This special combination of spatial and temporal circumstances can be considered a form of magic too. In The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, the Elvenking of Mirkwood
Mirkwood
Mirkwood is a name used for two distinct fictional forests in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. In the First Age, the highlands of Dorthonion north of Beleriand were known as Mirkwood after falling under Morgoth's control. During the Third Age, the large forest in Rhovanion, east of the Anduin in ...
, Thranduil
Thranduil
Thranduil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is a supporting character in The Hobbit, and is referenced briefly in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.-In literature:...
, uses "magic doors" to guard his palace, making it almost impossible for anyone to enter or exit against his will.
The tower of Orthanc is said to contain wizardry "older and stronger than Saruman's", and thus the Ent
Ent
Ents are a race of beings in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world Middle-earth who closely resemble trees. They are similar to the talking trees in folklore around the world. Their name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for giant....
s were unable to damage it.
The Staves of the Five Wizards, the Istari, also seem to be objects of magic, as it appears to be a primary part of their own power and the Wizards frequently use them to help them in their labours.
Likewise Elven and Númenórean swords are not just masterfully created weapons, but they also frequently possess magical powers, such as the sword Sting which glows blue when Orcs are nearby. The lembas the Fellowship were given by the Elves of Lórien is capable of keeping a "traveller on his feet for a day of long labour", and the hithlain rope are described as strong, tough, light, long, soft to the hand, packs close and, at Sam
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
's spoken command, unknotted itself when Sam failed to do so. The elven-cloaks the Fellowship receive from the Elves were thought to be "magic cloaks" by Pippin, and although the Elves neither confirmed nor denied this, they said that the cloaks are "a great aid in keeping out of the sight of unfriendly eyes", as proven the cloaks conceal Frodo and Sam so well that even Gollum
Gollum
Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
could not detect them (functioning similarly to the Cloak of invisibility
Cloak of invisibility
A cloak of invisibility is a theme that has occurred in fiction, and is a device which is under some scientific inquiry.-Cloaks of invisibility in fiction:...
often used in works of fiction). Some of the gifts Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
gives to the Fellowship, such as Frodo's Phial and Sam's box of earth from the gardens of Galadriel, also seem to possess magical properties.
The Elves' craftsmanship displays their subtle, instinctive control of magic. They are able to create blades and items of great power, such as the Black Sword, wielded by Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...
. The Black Sword was crafted by a Sylvan or Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
in Elf, who poured his hatred into the weapon. Crafted from a fallen star, it could pierce any earthly metal; even the scales of Glaurung
Glaurung
Glaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the first of the Dragons. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of...
. However, it hated its wielder. It was indeed cursed, and led to the death of Beleg
Beleg
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beleg is a major character who appears in numerous books, tales and poems about the First Age of Middle-earth such as The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and the Children of Húrin.-Name:...
. Turin, before killing himself with it, seems to hear it speak to him, declaring revenge on him for the death of its master and Brandir.
Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
's voice could also fit this category, as his enchanting voice exerts an effect which is similar to hypnosis, but more potent. In The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, it is revealed that Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
gave the Old Took "a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered." The palantír
Palantír
A palantír is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír A palantír (pl. palantíri) is a magical artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy legendarium. A palantír...
i are similar to modern videophones, but are in Middle-earth clearly magical and more similar to divining spheres used by soothsayer
Fortune-telling
Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination...
s. Not least of all are the Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
and the Silmaril
Silmaril
The Silmarils are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The Silmarils were made out of the crystalline substance silima by Fëanor, a Noldorin Elf, in Valinor during the Years of the Trees...
s themselves.
Spells, rituals and anthropomorphism
"Actual" magic as seen in fairy tales is rare outside of The HobbitThe Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, which was written in a more childish style than the other stories concerned. Here we find speaking purses, magical fireworks, shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
, and speaking animals. While this lighthanded use of magic occurs less in the other works, in The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...
, Tolkien still writes about how Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
uses spells to conjure fire, create light, open the doors to Moria, "bless" Sam's pony Bill with "words of guard and guiding", hold the door in the Chamber of Mazarbul (and how the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
tries to open the door with its own counterspell) and break the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf also says to Frodo that "it has not been hard for me to read your mind and memory", and both Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
and Glorfindel
Glorfindel
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Glorfindel is a name used twice for an Elf appearing in the tales of Middle-earth. He is introduced in various material relating to the First Age of Middle-earth, including The Silmarillion. The second instance is for a character of The Lord of the Rings, which...
are able to tell the severity of Frodo's injury and to a certain degree heal it by mere touch. In The Two Towers
The Two Towers
The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King.-Title:...
, Gandalf first uses magic to disarm Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
and Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
and destroy an arrow Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
fired at him and later in the book, he uses his voice to prevent Saruman
Saruman
Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
from retreating to Orthanc, break Saruman's staff, and dismiss him after doing so. Gandalf also tells Gimli that Saruman could "look like me in your eyes, if it suited his purpose with you"; in other words, Saruman can create illusions with his magic. In The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
, Gandalf uses "a shaft of white light" to drive off the Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
assaulting him. The Witch-king of Angmar
Witch-king of Angmar
The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain among other names, is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. In Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl , the chief servants...
is known as a dark Sorcerer (and hence many failed to destroy him), and Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
uses her mirror to show scenes from the past, present, and future. Likewise in the stories of The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
Lúthien
Lúthien
Lúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Lord of the Rings and the Grey Annals, as well as in other material.-Character overview:Lúthien is a Telerin ...
and Beren
Beren
Beren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...
change shape in order to infiltrate Angband
Angband (Middle-earth)
-External links:*...
, and Lúthien uses magic to lull Carcharoth
Carcharoth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Carcharoth , Sindarin for "The Red Maw", was the greatest werewolf that had ever lived. He was also called Anfauglir...
, Melkor
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
and everyone in Melkor's castle into a deep slumber. Finrod sings spells to hide his identity from Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
, Melian
Melian
Melian the Maia is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Children of Húrin, the Annals of Aman and the Grey Annals....
uses magic to create a barrier around her land of Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
which is for a time seemingly impenetrable to all, and Sauron uses wizardry to create a phantom of Eilinel to deceive Gorlim
Gorlim
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Gorlim the Unhappy was the son of Angrim and one of the twelve companions of Barahir. In the Lay of Leithian it is told how Barahir, last lord of the Men of Ladros , remained as an outlaw in his own land after it was lost to Morgoth in the Dagor...
and then kills him. In The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
, Beorn
Beorn
Beorn is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Hobbit as a shape-shifter , a man who could assume the appearance of a great black bear.-Literature:...
is described as "a skin-changer. He changes his skin: sometimes he is a huge black bear, sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard" and Bilbo
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
, Gandalf and the dwarves put "a great many spells" over the buried pots of gold from the cache of the trolls, though this may merely be superstition.
There are talking and sapient Eagles
Eagle (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the eagles were immense flying birds that were sapient and could speak. Often emphatically referred to as the Great Eagles, they appear, usually and intentionally serving as agents of deus ex machina , in various parts of his legendarium,...
of immense size found in Middle-earth.
The first two categories are intrinsic to Middle-earth and are therefore not specifically recognized as magic in the stories themselves. The two final groups are hard to combine in a satisfying fashion: while it is clear that they are magical, this magic does not come from a single source and is very dissimilar. This difference is voiced in The Lord of the Rings by Galadriel:
External links
- Magic in Middle-earth by Steuard Jensen
- Principles of Tolkien's Magic by John H. Kim
- http://fin.yserve.net/layers/html/magic.htm, http://tolkien.cro.net/mearth/magic.html – Other webpages that address the issue
- Magic (Middle-earth) -LOTR Database Project