Constant Reminders of Death

            In Tolkien’s world there are many traditions and roles that men and hobbits participate and play in their respective societies that serve as constant reminders that death looms right around the corner. Hobbits and men share many similarities, and this should be unsurprising as Hobbits potentially are descended from men as it appears that no Valar took part in their direct creation and Tolkien does not provide any other strong basis for their emergence in Arda. Both of these mortal races have their members play pivotal roles in the events of the Tolkien’s trilogy, making mortals play the parts of heroes that would shape the Fourth Age rather than the immortal elves. The prevalence of birthdays in the world of men and hobbits and the ubiquitous need for healers in the world of men serve as constant reminders of death for both the reader and the world of Tolkien. Tolkien interweaves death as a constant threat for the mortal races, where even the Hobbits experience pain and affliction leading to their torment and possible deaths under Sharkey.

            The characterization of birthdays as constant reminders of death can even be seen in our modern world and throughout history in various cultures. In times when infant and childhood mortality rates were much higher, the first to first few birthdays would be considered very important, signs of a healthy child who was able to survive the beginning trials of life. Birthdays such as these are often thought of as great celebrations of life; however, they are also reminders of those who did not make it to through those beginning years. The Lord of the Rings begins with Bilbo’s 111^th birthday, a symbol of unnaturally youthful long life, as shown through Bilbo’s physical description at the time. Bilbo’s birthday exhibits the traditional aspects of a Hobbit’s birthday, just on a much larger scale. For Hobbits, birthdays serve as a way of bringing the community and/or family together, where with each coming birthday, gifts and tokens of appreciation are given to and from the Hobbit whose birth is being celebrated. Birthdays serve as a mechanism to strengthen the family and communities of Hobbits, a mechanism that could potentially help combat the threat of death by keeping Hobbits close to each other or at least in contact with one another. The inclusion of birthdays as being such an important part of Hobbit culture and traditions shows that while it may not be a conscious reminder of death, the mortality of hobbits is readily apparent through this simple idea. A race such as the Elves or the Ents have no real use of the concept of birthdays as time isn’t always on their mind like men and hobbits. Mortality is something that every hobbit and man faces, a reason why adventure is so tempting to some, yet also so frightening. Everyone wants to make the most of their time in Arda, and birthdays serve as a reminder to the limited time one has.

            Men, a race with a long history of conflict has need for healers and houses of healing probably more than any other race in Tolkien’s world. Men are the most susceptible to ailments, thus increasing their need in the knowledge of remedies and cures for diseases and wounds. As seen with the downfall and legacy of the Numenoreans, there is a constant obsession with death, and with their once friendship with the elves, the knowledge of healing and cures allowed them to pass on this information and instill a natural ability for healing into their descendants. One of these descendants, Aragorn, becomes the larger than life heroic figure that complements the other hero, Frodo. The need for one of the heroes and savior of men to possess the ability to heal serves two main purposes. This shows that there is a constant need for men to have the ability to endure the blows that come their way; the king, their leader and savior, has the knowledge and ability to provide and heal his people in their times of need. This is demonstrated after Strider is able to slow the damage from the wound Frodo suffered at Amon Sul. Men and hobbits are bound to Middle Earth during their time on Arda, they are unable to venture to the Undying Lands like the Elves, so for these two races there needs to be the ability to preserve and prolong their lives within their own kind. I suppose that healing and healing houses are only major parts of the societies of men as hobbits possess natural resistances to disease and they do not have a history that is as full of conflict and violence as men.  

            Although these two features of hobbit and human societies might appear to be minor aspects and details, I think that these combine to show just how pressing the idea of death is to the mortal races of Middle Earth. Even though these constantly remind us of death, they also serve as avenues to keep death at bay or to keep a community’s spirits up in the defiance of death’s gaze.

-AS