Research Notes: The Barrow-Wights of Tyrn Gorthad

Overview

The Barrow-wights are among the most terrifying—yet often overlooked—threats in The Lord of the Rings. These undead creatures nearly killed all four hobbits in "Fog on the Barrow-downs" (Chapter 8 of The Fellowship of the Ring), yet many readers and viewers don't fully understand what they are, where they came from, or why they matter to the larger story. Most crucially, the weapon Frodo took from the Barrow-wight's hoard would prove essential to defeating the Witch-king of Angmar—a connection that completes a millennia-long arc of vengeance.

The Barrow-wights were evil spirits sent by the Witch-king of Angmar to possess the corpses in the ancient burial mounds of Tyrn Gorthad (the Barrow-downs) after the Great Plague of T.A. 1636 wiped out the last Dúnedain of Cardolan. These possessed corpses haunted the sacred tombs for over 1,400 years, preventing the restoration of the northern kingdoms.

Primary Sources

The Silmarillion

"And Haleth dwelt in Brethil until she died; and her people raised a green mound over her in the heights of the forest, Tûr Haretha, the Lady-barrow, Haudh-en-Arwen in the Sindarin tongue." (The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 17: "The Coming of the Men into the West")

- This provides the First Age precedent for barrow-burial customs among the Edain - Haleth was a chieftain of the Second House of the Edain (the Haladin) - The Haladin are commonly associated with Celtic traditions, suggesting Celtic-like barrow customs

According to The Return of the King (Appendix A): "The mounds of Tyrn Gorthad, as the Barrow-downs were called of old, are very ancient, and that many were built in the days of the old world of the First Age by the forefathers of the Edain, before they crossed the Blue Mountains into Beleriand. Those hills were therefore revered by the Dúnedain after their return; and there many of their lords and kings were buried."

The Lord of the Rings

The hobbits awake to find thick fog surrounding them. Frodo becomes separated from his companions and hears a cold voice: "I am waiting for you!" A dark figure takes him in a cold grip, and he falls unconscious.

When Frodo awoke, he lay on a stone slab inside the barrow, held motionless by the wight's evil spell. He saw Sam, Merry, and Pippin lying on stone slabs beside him, pale like the freshly-deceased, dressed in white robes, wearing golden crowns, with treasures strewn about them. A single, long sword lay naked across their necks.

"Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under stone: never more to wake on stony bed, never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead."

This incantation reveals the wight's belief about the Dark Lord—the reference to the Sun and Moon being destroyed refers to Morgoth (not Sauron) and the Last Battle at the End of Arda.

For a moment, Frodo considered putting on the One Ring and escaping, abandoning his friends. He fought this desire and prevailed. Tolkien writes: "There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow."

Unwilling to abandon his friends, Frodo grabbed a nearby dagger and cut off the reaching hand crawling toward the sword.

Frodo remembered the song Tom Bombadil had taught the hobbits and began singing it. Tom arrived, sang a song commanding the wights to disperse, and the barrow wall collapsed. Tom then "spread out the gold and treasures from the barrow on the grass, so that the barrow's spell was broken and scattered and no wight ever come back to it."

Tom selected a brilliant brooch for Goldberry and gave each hobbit one of four leaf-shaped daggers to use as short swords.

Tom described them: "Long, leaf-shaped, and keen, of marvellous workmanship, damasked with serpent-forms in red and gold. They gleamed as he drew them from their black sheaths, wrought of some strange metal, light and strong, and set with many fiery stones."

Tom Bombadil tells the hobbits: "A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind."

"But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee."

"So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse. But glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom when the Dúnedain were young, and chief among their foes was the dread realm of Angmar and its sorcerer king. No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will."

This is the critical connection most fans miss: the blade was forged specifically for the war against Angmar, enchanted to harm the Witch-king himself, and no other weapon could have broken the spell binding his undead form.

Unfinished Tales

"The Witch-king had now a clearer understanding of the matter. He had known something of the country long ago, in his wars with the Dúnedain, and especially of the Tyrn Gorthad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself."

This explicitly confirms that the Witch-king personally sent the Barrow-wights to the mounds.

According to "The Hunt for the Ring: Time Scheme - Black Riders," the Witch-king visited the Barrow-downs and stayed there for three days to rouse the Barrow-wights and empower them to assist in the hunt for the Ring-bearer.

"The Black Captain stayed there for some days, and the Barrow-wights were roused, and all things of evil spirit, hostile to Elves and Men, were on the watch with malice in the Old Forest and on the Barrow-downs."

This proves the wights were active extensions of Sauron's network during the War of the Ring.

In an alternative version within Unfinished Tales, it states: "The Witch-king... had known something of... the Tyrn Gorthad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself."

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien

While specific letters about the Barrow-wights were not found in the search results, Letter #131 contains relevant information about Sauron's psychology: "The only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts."

This helps understand why the Witch-king would send evil spirits to haunt the Barrow-downs—to permanently prevent the restoration of Cardolan through psychological terror.

Key Facts & Timeline

First Age

Second Age

Third Age

Fourth Age

Significant Characters

Geographic Locations

Themes & Symbolism

The Barrow-wights represent the corruption of what was once holy—sacred burial grounds transformed into places of terror. This reflects Tolkien's Catholic reverence for death's sanctity and the consequences of evil corrupting what was pure. The ancient Edain and Dúnedain honored their dead with barrow-burial; the Witch-king deliberately profaned these graves by sending evil spirits to possess the corpses.

The Barrow-wights exist in a twilight realm, neither fully dead nor alive. They are "undead"—animated corpses possessed by evil spirits. Tolkien described them as beings who "have left humanity, but they are 'undead'. With superhuman strength and malice they can strangle men and rend them." This ambiguous state between life and death embodies fears about mortality and what lies beyond. From a Catholic perspective, this represents a perversion of the natural order established by Ilúvatar.

The Barrow-wights served a strategic purpose: preventing the restoration of Cardolan through psychological terror. Even after 1,400 years, the terror of the haunted mounds kept people away. The Witch-king understood that controlling history and memory—turning sacred sites into places of dread—could achieve lasting victory. Yet ironically, the weapons buried with the dead became instruments of his own destruction.

The hobbits' encounter with the Barrow-wight demonstrates Tolkien's theme of eucatastrophe—providential "good catastrophe." What seemed like disaster (capture by the wight) led to obtaining the Barrow-blades, without which the Witch-king could not have been defeated. Tom Bombadil's seemingly random gift of ancient weapons proved essential to victory. This reflects Tolkien's Catholic belief in divine providence working through apparent accidents.

Frodo's moment of temptation in the barrow—considering putting on the Ring and abandoning his friends—represents a crucial test. His choice to resist demonstrates that heroism isn't about being fearless but about choosing loyalty and duty over self-preservation. Tolkien wrote that courage is hidden deep in even the "fattest and most timid hobbit," waiting for desperate danger to make it grow.

The Barrow-blades represent poetic justice across a millennium. Forged specifically for the war against Angmar around T.A. 1409, these enchanted weapons were buried with the dead when Cardolan fell. Over 1,600 years later, one of these blades—carried by a halfling from the Shire—struck down the Witch-king who had destroyed the kingdom that forged it. The weaponsmith who made the blade "long ago in the North-kingdom when the Dúnedain were young" would have been glad to know its fate.

The Barrow-wights demonstrate sorcerous possession—evil spirits dominating dead flesh. This was necromancy (Morgul in Sindarin), "black magic" taught by Sauron to the Witch-king. The wights could "crush the will of an unwary traveler" through hypnotic spells, rendering victims mindless and luring them into the tombs. This reflects Tolkien's exploration of how evil seeks to dominate and corrupt free will—a central theme throughout LOTR.

Both the Barrow-wight and Tom Bombadil exercise power through song. The wight's incantation is cold and hypnotic, railing "against the mornings and warmth it could not have but for which it hungered." Tom's songs, by contrast, command nature and dispel evil. This reflects Tolkien's belief in the fundamental power of language and song, echoing the Ainulindalë where the world was created through music. Tom's authority isn't force but song—a manifestation of deeper authority over his domain.

The Barrow-downs embody the tragedy of Arnor's fall—the slow decay from great kingdom to divided realms to haunted ruins. The cairns of kings became prisons for travelers. This theme of decline and lost glory pervades Tolkien's work, reflecting his sense of history as a long defeat (with occasional eucatastrophic victories).

Scholarly Interpretations & Theories

The most debated question is: what exactly were the evil spirits that became the Barrow-wights?

Tolkien never explicitly stated their origin. The spirits were "sent" by the Witch-king, meaning they existed independently before he commanded them. Since Sauron (or his servants) cannot create spirits—only Ilúvatar can do that—these must have been pre-existing evil spirits. The possible theories:

1. Perverted Maiar (Úmaiar): Some scholars suggest they were lesser Maiar corrupted by Morgoth or Sauron, similar to Balrogs but less powerful.

2. Spirits of Evil Men: They might have been the unhoused spirits (fëar) of particularly wicked Men who refused to leave Arda, similar to how some evil Elves could become houseless and potentially possess bodies.

3. Spirits of Orcs or Fallen Avari: Less likely, but some suggest they could be spirits of Orcs or Elves who fell to darkness.

The consensus is that they were most likely either evil Maiar or spirits of wicked Men, empowered by the Witch-king's sorcery to possess the corpses in the barrows.

Since the wights were independent spirits the Witch-king sent rather than created, they were not bound to him the way Barad-dûr's foundations were bound to the One Ring. Most scholars believe the Barrow-wights likely survived the Witch-king's death, though their power may have been diminished. They were not his direct creations or extensions of his life force—he merely commanded and empowered them.

Tom's power over the Barrow-wights demonstrates his unique nature. He has absolute authority within his domain (Old Forest and Barrow-downs) but never ventures beyond these boundaries. His power manifests through song, suggesting connection to the primordial Music of the Ainur.

Tolkien intentionally left Tom's nature mysterious, stating in Letter #144: "And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)."

Theories about Tom range from: - A Vala (possibly Aulë or a nature Vala) - A Maia governing nature or time - The personification of Arda itself - The Spirit of the Music of the Ainur - Simply an enigma beyond categorization

His claim to be "Eldest" (Iarwain Ben-adar—"Oldest and Fatherless") and his statement that he "knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless—before the Dark Lord came from Outside" suggests he predates even the Valar's entry into Arda.

Christopher Tolkien's publication of "The Hunt for the Ring" in Unfinished Tales revealed that the Barrow-wights were active agents in Sauron's network during the War of the Ring, not merely lingering horrors from the past. The Witch-king's three-day visit to rouse and empower them shows they were deployable assets. This demonstrates how Sauron and his servants built a comprehensive intelligence and harassment network across Middle-earth.

The fulfillment of Glorfindel's prophecy ("Not by the hand of man will he fall") required both Merry and Éowyn. Some scholars debate whether Merry's blow alone would have eventually destroyed the Witch-king, or whether Éowyn's strike was necessary.

The text suggests both were required: Merry's enchanted Barrow-blade broke the spell binding the Witch-king's undead flesh to his will, but it was Éowyn's sword thrust "into his unseen head" that delivered the killing blow. The prophecy's fulfillment required both a woman and a hobbit—neither being "men" in the traditional sense.

Scholar Patrick Callahan notes parallels between the Barrow-wight episode and the final fight in Beowulf, where the king battles a barrow-dragon. In both cases, the hero confronts an undead horror guarding treasure, and the curse on the treasure is broken. Tom Shippey observes that the wight's incantation mirrors the somber tone of Old English poems like The Wanderer, emphasizing loss and exile.

The direct source is Norse mythology. Tolkien derived the concept from draugr and haugbúi ("mound-dwellers") in Icelandic sagas, particularly Grettis saga. In his lecture on Beowulf, Tolkien explicitly stated he gave the name "barrow-wights" to "that terrible northern imagination" of the undead inhabiting tombs.

Contradictions & Different Versions

In earlier manuscript versions, the origins of the Barrow-wights and their connection to Angmar weren't as clearly defined. The published version in The Lord of the Rings mentions "evil spirits out of Angmar and Rhudaur" but doesn't explicitly identify the Witch-king as their sender. This was clarified in Unfinished Tales, where Christopher Tolkien included his father's notes stating the Witch-king "had known something of... the Tyrn Gorthad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself."

In the 1934 poem "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" (published in Oxford Magazine), Tom encounters a Barrow-wight as one of several mysterious valley residents trying to capture him. In this version, the wight is more of a local nuisance than a servant of ancient evil. When Tolkien incorporated Tom and the Barrow-wight into The Lord of the Rings, he significantly expanded their backstory and connected them to the larger narrative of Arnor's fall.

Early drafts of the story said the barrows belonged to "men who fought against the evil foes" when "the world was still young." Only in later versions did Tolkien identify the specific barrow as belonging to the last prince of Cardolan and connect it explicitly to the kingdom's fall in 1409 and the subsequent haunting after 1636.

The wight's song mentions the time "till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead," referring to the Last Battle when the "dark lord" breaks free. Some readers initially assumed this meant Sauron, but Tolkien's mythology makes clear this refers to Morgoth's prophesied return from the Timeless Void to destroy the Sun and Moon in the Dagor Dagorath (Last Battle). This suggests the Barrow-wight's spirit is ancient enough to know of Morgoth rather than just Sauron—supporting the theory that these spirits predate even the Second Age.

Cultural & Linguistic Context

The name literally means "mounds of wraith/spirit of the dead" or "burial mounds of the dead spirits."

An archaic form Tyrn Goerthaid appeared in drafts of the Appendices, apparently the plural of gorthad with affected vowels.

"Barrow-wight" is an invented name in English, coined by translators Eiríkr Magnússon and William Morris in their 1869 translation of Grettis saga. They used it to translate the Icelandic haugbúi ("mound-dweller").

- Barrow: Old English beorg, meaning burial mound or tumulus - Wight: Old English wiht, meaning creature, being, or person (later acquiring connotations of supernatural beings)

Tolkien adopted this term for his own undead creatures. In his lecture on Beowulf, he explained that orcneas ("hell-corpses") represented "that terrible northern imagination to which I have ventured to give the name 'barrow-wights'."

Tolkien's Barrow-wights were directly inspired by Norse undead:

- Draugr: Corporeal undead or revenants, the reanimated corpse of the deceased. In sagas, they appear "blár sem Hel" (black/blue as Hel) or "nár-fölr" (corpse-pale). Draugr could leave their barrows to haunt the living.

- Haugbúi: "Mound-dwellers" who remain primarily within their barrows, unable to leave their grave sites. They attack only those who trespass.

Tolkien's Barrow-wights combine elements of both: they dwell in barrows like haugbúi but also actively lure travelers like draugr. The most direct influence was Kárr "the Old" from Grettis saga and Glámr, whom Tolkien mentioned explicitly in his lecture.

The association of barrow-burial with the Edain, particularly the Haladin (Second House), reflects Celtic traditions. The Haladin lived "in isolated farmsteads," similar to ancient Celtic communities. Irish-style mound burial chambers from the Neolithic period (like Newgrange) provide real-world parallels to the Barrow-downs.

"Westernesse" is the English translation of Númenor (the Westland). "Blades of Westernesse" refers to weapons forged with secret Númenórean knowledge—superior metallurgy and craftsmanship that was largely forgotten by the late Third Age. The term eket referred to a short stabbing sword in Dúnedain terminology.

Questions & Mysteries

Tolkien never addressed their ultimate fate. If they were independent spirits sent (not created) by the Witch-king, they likely survived his death, though possibly weakened. Did the coming of the Fourth Age diminish their power? Did anyone eventually cleanse the Barrow-downs? These questions remain unanswered.

Tom had absolute authority over the Barrow-downs and could easily dispel the wights (as he demonstrated). Yet he allowed them to haunt the mounds for over 1,400 years. Why?

The most likely answer is Tom's fundamental nature: he simply is, without wanting to change the world or fight others' battles. As Goldberry said, he is "Master," but he doesn't seek dominion. He helped the hobbits because they called to him, but he doesn't proactively intervene in the world's affairs. He is "benevolently neutral"—willing to help those who ask, but not joining the great conflicts of the age.

The Witch-king sent evil spirits to Tyrn Gorthad specifically. Were there similar haunted barrows elsewhere in Middle-earth? The text doesn't mention others, but it's possible. The strategic purpose was preventing Cardolan's restoration, so other barrow-sites may not have warranted the effort.

Tom selected "a brilliant brooch, which he intended to give as a gift to Goldberry in memory of its original owner." The text suggests Tom knew this person—a "fair" woman buried in the last prince's barrow. Who was she? The last prince's wife or daughter? Someone from even earlier? Tom's age and the phrase "in memory" suggest he personally knew her, raising questions about his relationship to ancient Cardolan.

Tolkien wrote that "no other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it" could have dealt such a bitter wound. Does this mean the Witch-king was literally invulnerable to normal weapons, or merely that only the Barrow-blade could break the spell binding his undead form? If Éowyn had struck first without Merry's blow, would her blade have had any effect? The text suggests she needed Merry's blow first, implying the Witch-king could not be permanently harmed without the enchanted blade breaking the spell.

Tom gave the hobbits four blades from one barrow. Were there more? How many were forged during the wars with Angmar? The text says they were made by "smiths of Arthedain in the middle of the Third Age" and "buried in a barrow in Tyrn Gorthad along with the last prince of Cardolan, who fell in battle with Angmar in TA 1409." This suggests they were rare and valuable weapons, possibly only given to high-ranking warriors.

Tom Shippey notes it as a "great moment" when Merry awakens and "remembers only a death not his own." Merry seems to have experienced memories or personality fragments from the ancient warrior whose body the wight possessed. Did he temporarily share the warrior's consciousness? This suggests the possession was more complex than simple reanimation—the original person's memories or identity might have been partially present.

Compelling Quotes for Narration

1. "Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under stone: never more to wake on stony bed, never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead." — The Barrow-wight's incantation (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 8)

2. "There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow." — Tolkien, on Frodo's courage (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 8)

3. "Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights." — Tom Bombadil (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 7)

4. "A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind." — Tom Bombadil explaining the wights (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 8)

5. "So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse. But glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom when the Dúnedain were young, and chief among their foes was the dread realm of Angmar and its sorcerer king. No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will." — (The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter 8)

6. "The Witch-king had now a clearer understanding of the matter. He had known something of the country long ago, in his wars with the Dúnedain, and especially of the Tyrn Gorthad of Cardolan, now the Barrow-downs, whose evil wights had been sent there by himself." — (Unfinished Tales, "The Hunt for the Ring")

7. "Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee." — (The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter 6)

8. "The Black Captain stayed there for some days, and the Barrow-wights were roused, and all things of evil spirit, hostile to Elves and Men, were on the watch with malice in the Old Forest and on the Barrow-downs." — (Unfinished Tales, "The Hunt for the Ring")

9. "The 'undead'. Those dreadful creatures that inhabit tombs and mounds. They are not living: they have left humanity, but they are 'undead'. With superhuman strength and malice they can strangle men and rend them." — Tolkien's lecture on Beowulf, defining the northern concept of barrow-wights

10. "Not by the hand of man will he fall." — Glorfindel's prophecy about the Witch-king (fulfilled by Éowyn, a woman, and Merry, a hobbit)

11. "Long, leaf-shaped, and keen, of marvellous workmanship, damasked with serpent-forms in red and gold. They gleamed as he drew them from their black sheaths, wrought of some strange metal, light and strong, and set with many fiery stones." — Description of the Barrow-blades (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 8)

12. "The mounds of Tyrn Gorthad, as the Barrow-downs were called of old, are very ancient, and that many were built in the days of the old world of the First Age by the forefathers of the Edain, before they crossed the Blue Mountains into Beleriand." — (The Return of the King, Appendix A)

Visual Elements to Highlight

1. The Fog Descending on the Barrow-downs: The hobbits traveling through suddenly thickening fog, becoming disoriented and separated, with ancient mounds rising from the mist

2. Frodo Hearing the Cold Voice: A dark figure emerging from the fog, the moment when Frodo hears "I am waiting for you!" and the cold hand grips him

3. Inside the Barrow: The four hobbits lying on stone slabs like corpses, dressed in white robes with golden crowns, treasures scattered around them, a single sword laid across their necks, in the dim light of the burial chamber

4. The Crawling Hand: A long, pale arm with skeletal fingers walking on its fingertips toward the sword, while Frodo struggles against paralysis

5. Frodo's Choice: The moment of temptation—Frodo considering the Ring, then grabbing the dagger and cutting off the hand

6. Tom Bombadil's Arrival: The barrow wall collapsing, sunlight streaming in, Tom singing while the wight flees with a shriek

7. The Treasure Spread on the Grass: Tom laying out gold, jewels, and weapons on the green grass, breaking the barrow's spell, with the blue-jeweled brooch prominent

8. The Four Barrow-blades: Tom presenting the four leaf-shaped daggers, gleaming with serpent-forms in red and gold, fire-stones in the black sheaths

9. The Wars Against Angmar: Dúnedain warriors of Arthedain and Cardolan fighting against the forces of the Witch-king, circa 1409, when the blades were forged

10. The Great Plague: Deserted villages, empty barrows, the last survivors dying—then dark spirits entering the mounds from Angmar (shadow figures descending on the cairns)

11. The Witch-king Visiting the Barrow-downs (September 3018): The Lord of the Nazgûl on his black horse, standing among the mounds for three days, rousing the wights with his power

12. Merry's Strike at Pelennor: Merry stabbing upward from behind, the Barrow-blade piercing the Witch-king's knee, breaking the spell—then Éowyn's killing blow

13. The Blade Burning Away: Merry's Barrow-blade writhing and withering, vanishing like a dry branch in fire after touching the Witch-king

14. The Ancient Smith: A Dúnedain weaponsmith of Arthedain in his forge, slowly crafting one of the enchanted blades, working serpent-forms in red and gold into the metal

15. Haleth's Burial: The First Age—the Haladin raising the green mound of Haudh-en-Arwen over their chieftain in the heights of the Forest of Brethil

Discrete Analytical Themes

Theme 1: Sacred Ground Profaned — The Weaponization of Death

Theme 2: The Undead as Possession Horror — Bodies Without Souls

Theme 3: The Millennium-Spanning Weapon — Poetic Justice Across Ages

Theme 4: Tom Bombadil's Bounded Sovereignty — Power Within Limits

Theme 5: Frodo's First True Test — The Temptation to Abandon

Theme 6: The Edain's Death-Culture — First Age Roots of Third Age Horror

Theme 7: The Failure of the Line — How Kingdoms Die

Theme 8: The Northern Imagination — Old English and Norse Horror Transplanted

Sources Consulted

Tolkien Gateway

LOTR Wiki (Fandom)

Wikipedia

Academic and Analytical Sources

Game/Entertainment Sources

Forums and Discussion

Linguistic Resources

Other Sources

Additional Notes

The Barrow-wights episode was entirely cut from Peter Jackson's film trilogy, replaced with the hobbits arriving in Bree immediately after leaving the Shire. This means film-only audiences never see: - How the hobbits obtained their weapons (the films simply show them armed) - The significance of Merry's blade at Pelennor Fields (reduced to just "a sword") - Tom Bombadil's introduction (also cut entirely) - Frodo's first real test with the Ring's temptation

The omission significantly weakens the thematic connection between Cardolan's fall, the enchanted weapons, and the Witch-king's defeat. The providential element—that the blade waited over 1,600 years to fulfill its purpose—is completely lost.

Amazon's The Rings of Power Season 2 included Barrow-wights in Rhovanion (east of Mirkwood), where they're encountered by the Stranger (implied to be a Blue Wizard). The show had them chanting "Cold be hand and heart and bone" while being controlled or influenced by the Dark Wizard. This is a significant departure from book canon, as: - The wights were specifically sent to the Barrow-downs of Cardolan, not Rhovanion - They weren't sent until after the Great Plague of T.A. 1636 (Second Age in the show's timeline) - Their connection to the Witch-king and strategic purpose is lost

However, the show did introduce them to a new audience and used Tolkien's actual chant.

In Peter Jackson's The Two Towers, Gollum chants an altered version of the Barrow-wight's song in the Dead Marshes: "Cold be heart and hand and bone..." This was a creative decision to incorporate the atmospheric poem even though the Barrow-wights were cut. It's thematically appropriate for the Dead Marshes, another place haunted by the dead.

One of the three palantíri of the North was at Weathertop (Amon Sûl), which was a major point of contention between Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. The Barrow-downs were in Cardolan, relatively close to Weathertop. The strategic importance of this region—controlling both the palantír and the burial grounds—cannot be overstated. The Witch-king understood that controlling Tyrn Gorthad through supernatural terror was as important as any military conquest.

What happened to the Barrow-wights after Sauron's fall is one of Middle-earth's unresolved questions. If they survived (as seems likely), did Aragorn as King Elessar eventually cleanse the Barrow-downs? Did he send Gandalf or other wizards to dispel them permanently? Or did they gradually fade as the Fourth Age progressed and magic departed from Middle-earth? Tolkien never addressed this, leaving it to reader imagination.

Tom's claim to be present "before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights" is significant. He predates not just the haunting (T.A. 1636) but the graves themselves (First Age, over 7,000 years before). His presence "before the river and the trees" and remembering "the first raindrop and the first acorn" suggests he either: - Witnessed Arda's creation - Came into being during the Music of the Ainur - Is somehow an aspect of Arda itself

Gandalf's comment at the Council that Treebeard is the "oldest living thing" specifically excludes Tom with the word "living"—suggesting Tom is something else entirely.

The Barrow-blades were "damasked with serpent-forms in red and gold." In Tolkien's legendarium, serpent/dragon imagery is associated with evil (Glaurung, Ancalagon, Smaug) but also with warrior culture and heraldry. The serpent-forms on the blades may represent: - The dragon of Angmar (serpent as the enemy to be fought) - Ancient Númenórean heraldic traditions - Serpents as symbols of wisdom and ancient power (pre-dating their association with evil)

The red and gold coloring suggests fire and treasure—appropriate for weapons meant to fight the forces of darkness.

After striking the Witch-king, Merry's arm was permanently injured—"blackened as if by frost"—from touching the Nazgûl even through the blade. This shows that even the enchanted weapon couldn't fully protect the wielder from the Witch-king's power. Aragorn used athelas (kingsfoil) to heal Merry in the Houses of Healing, demonstrating that only the true King could heal wounds from the Shadow.

If Arthedain's smiths could forge blades enchanted specifically against the Witch-king, why weren't such weapons more common? Possible explanations: - The knowledge was rare and possibly lost after Cardolan's fall - The enchantment required specific materials or conditions - Only a few master smiths possessed the skill - The blades were experimental and these four were among the only successes - They were exceptionally expensive/time-consuming to make

The text emphasizes they were works of "Westernesse"—Númenórean craft—suggesting they incorporated knowledge from the Second Age that was already rare by the mid-Third Age.

The Barrow-wights episode contains strong parallels to the Christian concept of the "Harrowing of Hell"—Christ descending into the underworld to free captive souls. Frodo descends into the tomb (a type of underworld), is trapped among the dead, but is rescued by a mysterious powerful figure (Tom) who breaks the power of death over that place. This is one of many Catholic themes Tolkien wove "unconsciously at first, but consciously in the revision" into LOTR.

The episode explores the boundaries between life and death, the corruption of the body after death, and the hope of rescue from death's domain—all central to Catholic eschatology.