Summary — The Council of Elrond
In the morning, Gandalf summons Frodo and Bilbo to the
Council. Messengers from many lands and races are there seeking
Elrond’s advice. Glóin says that the Dwarves are worried: the Dwarf-king Balin,
who journeyed to the Mines of Moria under the Misty Mountains to
reestablish the ancient Dwarf-kingdom that once flourished there,
has not sent word for quite a long time. Furthermore, a messenger
from Mordor has come offering the Dwarves an alliance, as well as
new Rings of Power, in exchange for news about a certain Hobbit.
The wise Elrond tells of the origins of the Rings of Power,
forged by the Elven-smiths in the Second Age, and of the One Ring,
which Sauron made to rule the others. Elrond speaks of the great
battle in which Isildur cut the Ring from the Dark Lord’s hand,
and of the loss of the Ring in the Anduin River when Isildur perished.
Afterward, the realms of the Men of Westernesse went into decline:
the northern realms were mostly abandoned, and though the southern realm
of Gondor endured, it weakened as well. The Men of Gondor allowed
Sauron’s forces back into Mordor and had to cede territory to the
Dark Lord.
At this point, Boromir, a powerful-looking warrior from
Minas Tirith, the great city of Gondor, speaks. He tells of a rising
power in Mordor that has recently dealt crushing losses to Gondor.
Boromir tells of a dream he had that spoke of the Sword that was
Broken, something called Isildur’s Bane, and a Halfling. The meaning
of Boromir’s dream is suddenly made clear as Strider stands and reveals
himself to be Aragorn, the heir and direct descendant of Isildur,
keeper of Elendil’s broken sword. The Halfling—another word for
Hobbit—is Frodo, who stands and displays Isildur’s Bane—the Ring.
Frodo and Bilbo relate their parts in the story of the
Ring thus far. Then Gandalf tells how he managed to prove the identity
of the Ring. He discovered that Sauron was gaining power again in
Mirkwood, and that Saruman the White, the head of Gandalf’s order
of Wizards, advised against challenging Sauron. When the Wizards finally
did decide to challenge Sauron, it was too late, as the Dark Lord
had built up his forces in Mordor and fled there. Gandalf searched
for Gollum but was unable to find the creature, so he went to the
city of Minas Tirith, where Isildur had allegedly left a description
of the Ring. From this description, Gandalf learned about the writing
on the Ring. Then Aragorn tells the Council that he did in fact
find Gollum after Gandalf left; the wizard adds that it is surely from
Gollum that Sauron heard of Bilbo and the Shire. Legolas, an Elf
from Mirkwood, interrupts with the alarming news that Gollum recently
escaped from the Elves’ dungeon with the help of an army of Orcs.
Gandalf tells how he journeyed to Orthanc, the tower of
Saruman, where he was dismayed to learn that Saruman, the greatest
of the Wizards, intended to join forces with Mordor or to wield
the Ring himself. When Gandalf refused to join the side of Mordor, Saruman
locked him in the tower of Orthanc until Gwaihir, the Great Eagle,
came and rescued Gandalf, taking him to the horsemen of Rohan. There,
Gandalf tamed Shadowfax, the swiftest of all horses, and rode him
back to the Shire. Gandalf missed the hobbits and Aragorn at Bree,
and then went on to Weathertop, where he battled the Nazgûl. The
wizard then made his way to Rivendell, hoping to draw some of the
Nine away from Strider and the hobbits.
The only remaining question—the most important one—is
what to do with the Ring. The Elf-lord Erestor suggests they give
the Ring to Tom Bombadil, over whom it seemingly has no power. Glorfindel counters
that such a course of action would simply postpone the inevitable,
as Tom alone could not defeat Sauron. Boromir brashly recommends
that they use the power of the Ring to defeat Sauron. Gandalf and
Elrond immediately dismiss this suggestion. As the Ring contains
the power of Sauron, it is irrevocably evil, and anything done with
it will ultimately turn to evil.
