Tolkien Geekery Watch

Gary has put up FOTR, Book 2, Chapter 6 - Lothlorien.

It just goes to show how useful it can be reading somebody else's description of the book, because even after all these readings I'd never made the connection between Frodo's night on the flet and his dream way back at Crickhollow before. Also, I don't think I've ever read the events of the Elder Days - the Kinslaying, the Ban of the Valar, the destruction of the Elven Kingdoms in the West of Middle Earth and the destruction of Thangorodrim described as "such a great brouhaha". (Just teasing.)

Another important aspect of this chapter is that it gives some sense of the way in which the power of the Elves works. As they travel deeper into Lothlorien, Sam says he feels like he's "inside a song" from the Elder Days. Frodo, undoubtedly because of the Ring, can feel the source of that power even from a distance, and when he climbs up the flet of Amroth and Nimrodel (the name of which escapes me at the moment) with Haldir, he can clearly see the difference between the Land of Lothlorien, in which the light of the Elder Days is preserved, and the world outside, which is subject to all the ills and decay of mortality (or as Tolkien puts it, on which the shadows lie).

Gary also mentions the conflict between the Elves and the Dwarves. This is a theme that Tolkien used a lot - strife among various peoples who ought to be allies against the True Enemy. It comes up a number of times and, indeed, is said by Gandalf later on to be one of Sauron's chief strengths and delights.

UPDATE: Following up on Gary's comment, I had to post this: Eeeexcellent.