More Extreme Tolkien Geekery

Yesterday, in answer to my musing on the meaning of the red star that Frodo sees low down in the southern sky during his visit to Rivendell, commenter STEVE responds:

I think Tolkien is suggesting that Frodo can indeed see further due to effects of the ring. I assume he is actually seeing all the way to Mordor (or it just may be a vision.)

Well, if this enhanced sight is an effect of the Ring, then not only does it allow its wearer to see further, it also allows him to bend his vision up, down and around. In the passage, the star is clearly said to be in the southern sky. However, by the map of Middle Earth, Mt. Doom is not only south of Rivendell, it is also better than 500 miles east. Plus, their are at least two mountain ranges (the Misty Mountains and the Mountains of Shadow) that stand between Frodo's window and either Mt. Doom or Barad-Dur.

I'm still going with the symbolic on this one. And given Tolkien's later explanation of the formation of the stars by Varda the Valar that makes clear they are beyond the reach of the forces of eeeeevil in Middle Earth, I wonder whether its inclusion isn't just another oversight by the old boy.

Speaking of which, I've always been juuuuust a bit dubious of the passage in The Two Towers in which Legolas stands at the doors of Edoras and is able to see both Mt. Doom and Minas Tirith. Again, looking at the more detailed map of Gondor and environs, there is the problem of the mountain mass looming up directly to the east and south of Edoras. It seems possible that Legolas would have line of sight to Mt. Doom from that vantage point. However, it seems quite implausible that he would also be able to see Minas Tirith, as many of the peaks of the White Mountains, and especially Mt. Mindolluin, lie in the way.

"Tom," I can hear you saying, "you need to get a life."

Geek Yips! from Gary:
There's a forum that bandies around theories of this "red star". My own theory is that the star is the same one he saw in the sky in Chapter Three of "Fellowship", Three Is Company. Here it's referred to as Borgil, and probably corresponds to Aldebaran or Betelgeuse. Though, allegorically, it could certainly represent the red eye of Mordor.

"DUH!" YIPS from Steve-O:

That's no star.......it's a space station!

Sorry, couldn't resist.