Interests:BBC miniseries versions of long books by Dickens and Austen, Gothic architecture, classic rock, Irish music, British literature, military strategy, Gustavus Adolphus, U2, mythology, acting Shakespeare, movies, hats, tradition, feudalism, HISTORY, swords, Middle-earth, The Pogues, wilderness survival.
1. I just graduated from Wheaton College with a BA in History. I also took English and Art classes.
2. I'm going to Chapman University next year to start a two-year MFA program in screenwriting. I'm interested in the general subjects of myth/fantasy and history (narrative, not documentary).
3. I'm getting married in July.
4. Maybe not of interest, but I beat the Shivering Isles.
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the land of Mordor where shadows lie.”
(The Lord of the Rings 50.)
The saga of the Rings of Power forms the backdrop for the age-old conflict which reignites in the pages of The Lord of the Rings. Indeed, those pages are the final chapter of that saga, and it might not be going too far to say that the story of the Rings of Power is the story of The Lord of the Rings. Though the roots of that story are all but forgotten by the time of Frodo, they are inseparable from the story in which Frodo finds himself embroiled. Tolkien was supremely aware of this, which is why an entire chapter, “The Shadow of the Past,” is devoted to Gandalf’s explanation of this ancient history to Frodo (and, inadvertently, Sam). While Frodo certainly fears Sauron, or at least those rumors and stories which he has heard of Sauron, Gandalf knows that Frodo cannot appreciate the full meaning and weight of the wars and quests which are about to transpire unless he first is aware of the origins of the conflict. These origins are the Rings of Power. We learn from Gandalf how Sauron taught the Elven smiths of Eregion ring-craft; how with his assistance they forged the Rings of Power; how Sauron betrayed them, forging his own master Ring which was made to dominate all the others and with which he ensnared the Bearers of the nine Rings of Men. We also learn that the Elven smiths kept three rings secret from Sauron and untouched by him, and how from that moment on, there was ever war between the Elves and Sauron (Tolkien 51). Whereas the Bearers of the Nine become the Ringwraiths, Sauron’s greatest servants, the Bearers of the three Elven-rings become Sauron’s greatest opponents[1]. Despite their tremendous importance and power, the Three, the Elven-rings, Narya, Nenya, and Vilya receive very little direct attention in The Lord of the Rings. When one understands the Three Rings, it becomes apparent that their power is still at work and that they continue to play no small role in the larger conflict, and yet they are rarely mentioned. Their Bearers, however, feature quite prominently, not just in the War of the Ring, but that part of the war which is the plot of The Lord of the Rings, and herein lies the significance of the Elven-rings. The Three Rings are not primarily significant as part of the story of The Lord of the Rings (not to be confused with the larger story of which the book is only a chapter) in and of themselves, but rather in how their powers and virtues determine the important parts that their Bearers play in the story.
In order to realize how the Three Rings affect their Bearers’ roles in The Lord of the Rings, it is first necessary to understand the Rings themselves and how they work. The limited specific information that Tolkien gives us regarding the Elven-rings occurs in several gradual stages of revelation throughout story, and by the end of The Lord of the Rings, we know that the names of the Rings are Vilya, Nenya, and Narya. Vilya is worn by Elrond, Nenya by Galadriel, and Narya by Gandalf. We also know, from references in the text and from looking at the meanings of their names that they are associated with elemental powers: Air, Water, and Fire, respectively. Finally, we know that Vilya is the mightiest of the Three. This is the extent of the direct explanation given of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings 365, 1028, 1085). A deeper understanding must be arrived at through deduction; fortunately, there are plenty of clues.
In the chapter “The Council of Elrond,” as Elrond is speaking to Gloin, he provides us with two keys for understanding the Elven-rings and identifying their power at work in the story (LotR 268). First of all, he states that “They are not idle.” Though their activity may not be initially be plain to the reader, the Three are nonetheless active in the story. Consequently, there are tangible signs of this activity in the story that may be identified by the experienced reader who understands what the Elven-rings do. This is where the second clue that Elrond gives us comes to bear. He continues, saying: “But they were not made as weapons of war or conquest: that is not their power. Those who made them did not desire strength or domination or hoarded wealth, but understanding, making, and healing, to preserve all things unstained.” This is the closest thing we get to an explanation of the power of the three Elven-rings, but it is enough. A closer look at the Bearers reveals that their activity is characterized by precisely the same qualities which are attributed to their Rings.
Elrond’s significance in The Lord of the Rings is in his role as the master of Rivendell, and it is in Rivendell that we see his Ring, Vilya, most powerfully at work. Vilya, as the Ring of Air, is associated with Manwe, the Vala of the winds and skies, whose sign is the eagle. Manwe’s spouse is Varda, the Star-Kindler, Queen of the Heavens, who is referred to several times throughout The Lord of the Rings as Elbereth Gilthoniel. “Elrond” means “star-dome,” a name which further associates him with Manwe and Varda, with his Ring, and with his father Earendil, who had by this point become the Elves’ most beloved star. The association is such that stars become a sign of the power of Vilya. It is no accident that a star is bound upon Elrond’s brow in the chapter “The Grey Havens,” when Vilya is revealed (LotR 1028). Neither is it an accident that the stars shine most brightly over Rivendell (Silmarillion 358, LotR 238). In fact, this becomes one of the means by which the Elves perceive, before the general revelation of the fact, that Vilya dwells in Rivendell; it is an indication that the power of the Ring of Air is at work in that valley.
There are other indications of Vilya’s power, as well, which fit closely with Elrond’s statement that the Elven-rings were designed for the preservation of good things. For example, it seems that Elrond is able to some extent to control the climate of his valley. Frodo and Sam experience the effects of this in the chapter “Many Meetings.” “The air was warm…as if summer still lingered in Elrond’s gardens” (LotR 226) – despite the fact that it is late fall at the time, October the 24th, to be exact (LotR 219). Autumn does come eventually to Rivendell (LotR 274), but the valley seems to be at least protected from extremes of temperatures. That this is a Ring of Power at work is corroborated by the fact that Lothlorien, home to another Elven-ring, seems to be similarly resistant to the negative effects of the seasons (LotR 350, 358). Vilya seems to have a similar power over time as well. The future is not forgotten or warded off permanently, but its cares have no power in the valley (LotR 274). Time passes as it always does, but those dwelling in Rivendell under the power of Vilya do not feel its passage harshly. This is similar, once again, to the situation in Lothlorien over the mountains, where Nenya holds sway. Rivendell is also protected against the forces of evil, as we see when Elrond calls up the river Bruinen to prevent the entry of the Nazgul into the valley, displaying an extraordinary power over the elements which can only be attributed to his possession of a Ring of Power. Indeed, the one other person who contributes to the flood is Gandalf, who also carries an Elven-ring (LotR 224). That Rivendell is thus protected against dangers sentient, psychological, and elemental is a clear sign that it is benefiting from the power of Vilya for preservation.
Rivendell is also a place of healing. Elrond is described several times throughout the book as a great healer; the greatest healer, in fact, in Middle-earth (LotR 221, 863). Since healing is one of the chief powers of the Elven-rings, it seems likely that Elrond’s skill is due at least in part to Vilya, particularly given his preeminence among the healers of Middle-earth. His remarkable healing ability is demonstrated when he removes the knife-shard from Frodo’s shoulder, thereby thwarting the power of another Bearer of a Ring of Power: the Morgul-king himself.
Finally, Elrond is also a master of lore and wisdom (LotR 242), and he figures prominently in The Lord of the Rings in this capacity. Elrond, along with Gandalf, Galadriel, and Saruman, is one of the members of the White Council (LotR 250), three members of which hold Elven-rings. It seems likely that this is evidence of the power of the Three for understanding at work, particularly when one considers the fact that the one member of the Council to fall from wisdom was one who did not have a Ring: Saruman[2]. As the embodiment of ancient wisdom and lore (Letters 153), Elrond is the catalyst that sets the Ring-quest in motion. Tolkien states in one of his letters that Rivendell represents lore, a necessary place of initial reflection on the way to great deeds and adventure (Letters 153). Elrond’s Council determines the fate of the Ring and Elrond himself chooses the members of the Fellowship. These are ordinary actions of advice and council, but that they occur in the house of the greatest lore-master in Middle-earth is significant, for they are actions of wisdom and understanding and so it is right that they should occur in the haven of wisdom. And Rivendell is such a haven because it is ruled by Elrond, the Bearer of an Elven-ring of Power which, like its fellows, had been endowed with great virtue for understanding.
So, in Rivendell, Elrond has created a place of safety, of restoration, and of wisdom which serves as the entirely ideal starting place for the Fellowship, and this is his primary significance in The Lord of the Rings. It is plain that it is the power of the ring Vilya that sustains this sanctuary, for in Rivendell we see all the characteristics of the Elven-rings at work: wisdom, healing, protection, preservation; it is impossible that a meticulous craftsman and wordsmith such as Tolkien could have allowed this to happen in his book by mere coincidence. Thus, Elrond’s role in The Lord of the Rings as the provider of a place for the Fellowship to begin the Ring-quest is directly tied to the Ring of Power which he bears.
The remaining two Elven-rings (Nenya and Narya), their Bearers, and their Bearers’ roles do not embody these characteristics and qualities nearly as completely as Vilya, Elrond, and Rivendell do and less needs to be said about them. Nenya, Galadriel, and Lothlorien most closely parallel their counterparts northwest over the Misty Mountains and more or less follows the same pattern. If Elrond gave the Fellowship a place to start their journey, Galadriel’s significance is that she provides them with a place of respite along the way. Like Rivendell, Lothlorien seems to benefit from a resistance to the effects of nature (LotR 358), as well as the effects of time. In the chapter “The Great River,” on page 388, the apparent timeless nature of Lothlorien is clearly attributed to the power that Galadriel wields through her Ring, Nenya:
“‘But the wearing [of things to their end] is slow in Lorien,’ said Frodo. ‘The power of the Lady is on it. Rich are the hours, though short they seem, in Caras Galadhon, where Galadriel wields the Elven-ring.’”
In Lothlorien, the Company is able to rest from sorrows and injuries received in Moria and prepare for the final stage of their journey. Galadriel and Celeborn assist them in this preparation by presenting them with a number of useful and, we might say, “magical” gifts. To some extent, the Elves imbue all of their handiwork with some amount of extraordinary virtue or power; but since Galadriel herself was involved in the making of many of these particular gifts – certainly the cloaks (LotR 370), probably the Phial, and perhaps the rope (LotR 611) – it seems likely that part of their power that is passed into them was drawn from her Ring. After all, the Elven-rings are said to be powerful for making.
Galadriel’s appearance in The Lord of the Rings is brief and inasmuch as she is important to the story, it is as the guardian and sustainer of Lothlorien, which land she opens to the Fellowship as a place of respite along their way, and where they are allowed to prepare themselves for the next stage of the quest. In light of this fact, in light of Galadriel’s revelation of her Ring to Frodo, and in light of the preceding observations from the text, it is clear that it is the Elven-ring, Nenya, that enables Galadriel to be significant to the story, because it is the Elven-ring that enables Galadriel to create and maintain the land of Lothlorien in all its extraordinary power and beauty[3].
The behavior of Narya, the Elven-ring of Fire, in The Lord of the Rings differs the most from that of its two counterparts. Vilya and Nenya are both used to create havens of peace and beauty, wisdom and healing. But the Bearer of Narya is a wanderer, a pilgrim with no permanent abode, and consequently the ways in which he brings its power to bear upon the story lack the localization and stability of Rivendell and Lothlorien. The Bearer of Narya is Gandalf and in The Lord of the Rings he appears to primarily make use of his Ring’s powers for understanding and for fire as he inspires and organizes the resistance against Sauron.
Like Galadriel and Elrond, Gandalf is a member of the White Council. His wisdom was such that Galadriel had suggested he be the head of the Council, although he refused (Silmarillion 360). Of course, Gandalf is naturally wise, even apart from any additional perception or understanding which his Ring might give him; however, it seems reasonable to presume that, given that all three Bearers of the Elven-rings were on the Council of the Wise, they were drawing on their Rings’ virtues for understanding and that this increased their wisdom. Gandalf would have had particular need of understanding as he acted not only as a member of a council of his fellow Wise, but also as an advisor to practically every political leader of the free West and as the guide of the Fellowship during the first stage of its journey. In all of these cases, Gandalf both needed and displayed extraordinary insight and wisdom. Taken together, these tasks were a massive burden and it is likely that the mental energy of even a Maia spirit such as Gandalf, enmeshed as he was in human form, would have been exhausted had Narya not strengthened him for this endeavor. Cirdan of the Havens perceived that this would be the case and said as much when he gave Gandalf the Elven-ring. “‘Take this ring, Master, for your labours will be heavy; but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself.’” (LotR 1085) Certainly this refers to the physical travels which Gandalf will undergo, but since Gandalf’s labours occur as much on the spiritual plane as they do on the physical, it is safe to assume that Cirdan means Narya will support Gandalf in both regards.
In the same quote, Cirdan continues, saying: “‘For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill.’” Narya’s quality of fire and warmth is manifested in both the physical and spiritual realms in The Lord of the Rings. First of all, inasmuch as Gandalf acts the part of the wandering wizard, fire and light are his trademark spells. We see numerous instances of this throughout The Lord of the Rings: the fireworks of the long-expected party (LotR 27), the torching of the Wargs in Eregion (LotR 299), the white fire which he wields against the Balrog and the Nazgul (LotR 330, 820), etc. The list continues. In a letter to Donald Swann, Tolkien wrote: “Fireworks…are part of the representation of Gandalf, the bearer of the Ring of Fire, the Kindler: the most child-like aspect shown to the Hobbits being fireworks.” (Letters 390) It is clear that Gandalf draws heavily on Narya’s power over fire, both in his games and his wars. He himself announces this to the Balrog, calling himself the “wielder of the flame of Anor.” (LotR 330) “Anor” means sun, and the flame of Anor is none other than Narya itself, in which the elemental power of fire, most readily seen in the sun, is harnessed. Second, and perhaps most importantly, the power of Narya appears in Gandalf’s ability to kindle resistance against Sauron, which Cirdan also foresaw. Tolkien, in the above quote, names Gandalf “the Kindler,” a role which he noticeably fulfills to great effect twice in The Lord of the Rings. First, Gandalf rouses Theoden from his wintry sleep of fear and abdication to fight against the forces which threaten his lands (LotR 515). The second obvious instance of such spirit-kindling is during the siege of Gondor, when wherever Gandalf goes upon the walls of Minas Tirith, hope goes too, lifting men’s hearts (LotR 824). In both cases, the courage that Gandalf inspires in others in critical to the ultimate victory which the West ultimately achieves, because it gives Frodo and Sam time to complete their quest.
There is certainly more that can be said about Gandalf, one of the most interesting and recognizable characters of recent fiction. However, if his role in The Lord of the Rings is going to be summed up succinctly, it is that he kindles and fans the flame of resistance against Sauron. As with Elrond and Galadriel, Gandalf is enabled to this highly significant end by the Elven-ring which he bears.
To some extent, the roles which the Elven-rings in a sense assign to their Bearers vary, but one thing they share in common: they are set in direct opposition to the Nine Rings of men and their master, the One, both in terms of their Bearers and their power. The three things which the Nazgul fear most are closely associated with the Elven-rings: the name of Elbereth Gilthoniel, the element of water, and the element of fire. And, whereas the Nine Ringwraiths are given power for sorcery, fear, and dominion, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond are given power for making, healing, understanding, and ultimately preservation. They are empowered by their Rings to play the significant parts that they do in The Lord of the Rings, to resist evil and help the Fellowship achieve its quest, that something good might live to see the Fourth Age of Middle-earth.
Works Cited
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition). Boston: HoughtonMifflin, 2004.
Tolkien, J.R.R, Christopher Tolkien. The Silmarillion. New York: Random House, 1999.
Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.
[1] It is interesting to note that Men are late-comers to this conflict and that when they choose sides, they do so inconsistently, some siding with Sauron and some with the Elves, whereas the enmity of the Elves towards the Dark Lord is without exception. While this enmity has its ultimate origins far back in the depths of time, the betrayal over the Rings of Power can be seen as the defining offense in the current manifestation of the conflict because of the role that the Rings come to play in the ensuing years, up through Sauron’s final defeat and the annihilation of the One Ring. Also, as far as The Lord of the Rings goes, the conflict is explained as beginning in its recent form with the Rings of Power. Prior to The Lord of the Rings, Sauron spends a great deal of time and effort recovering the seven Dwarven Rings; though their Bearers play no great role in the narrative, it is clear that they figure prominently in Sauron’s mind and consequently in his plan for domination, of which all his thoughts and actions are ultimately part.
[2] Incidentally, it is Saruman’s desire for a Ring and for its power that leads to his downfall – his descent into foolishness begins when Cirdan of the Havens gives Narya to Gandalf rather than to Saruman.
[3] Some of the most interesting indications that Nenya is at work in Lothlorien have to do with water These are the stream Nimrodel, the Mirror of Galadriel, and the Phial of Galadriel. It is noted by Legolas that the Nimrodel has healing properties, and the Fellowship experiences this phenomenon as they cross through it (LotR 339). This seems odd at first, or at least random, until we consider that Nenya is the Ring of Water, that Nimrodel is one of the chief streams of Lothlorien, and that the Elven-rings were apparently endowed with power for healing. The Phial and the Mirror, as instruments consisting primarily of water, are yet two more examples where Galadriel seems to have particular powers in connection with water, and, if we needed more proof, should serve as clear indications that Galadriel’s Ring is anything but idle.
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That Hideous Strength, if not C.S. Lewis’s best book, is surely one of his most popular, for it has all of those elements that readers love in C.S. Lewis’s writing: his humor, his insight, and his taste for the fantastic. Though That Hideous Strength is the final book in Lewis’s Space Trilogy, the action occurs solely on planet Earth, in a single county in the island of England. Despite the limited geographic focus of the book, however, That Hideous Strength has all the magnificence and gravity of its predecessors, for, as in Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra, it deals with the cosmic conflict between good and evil. Each book focuses on that conflict as it is manifested in a particular corner of the galaxy and in this case, that corner is Earth, where, as the story opens, the ancient siege of the planet is about to break and each side is preparing for battle. Battle comes first to a small university town in England, as the company of St. Anne’s seeks to thwart the program of dehumanization being promulgated by the N.I.C.E. It eventually becomes clear that these two opponents are being directed by the angelic forces of good and the demonic forces of evil, respectively – in this way, That Hideous Strength follows the pattern of the two previous books of the Space Trilogy. However, no sooner has this element of spiritual warfare come to light but Lewis adds yet another facet to the conflict: Merlin, and with him all the associations of King Arthur, Logres, and the Matter of Britain. It is ultimately through the angelic powers granted to Merlin that the N.I.C.E. is destroyed and the forces of darkness thrown into retreat for a little while. While many have criticized this as a deus ex machine ending, the real question is, what is Merlin doing in a science fiction novel to begin with? Moreover, why does Lewis make such a matter of this idea of Arthur’s kingdom of Logres, a kind of “true England?” The Arthurian legends appear nowhere else in the trilogy and their appearance in That Hideous Strength could be seen as a disruptive break in continuity. However, there is a distinct method to Lewis’s apparent madness and it lies in the fact that in both the Arthurian legends and That Hideous Strength, what is at stake is nothing less than the very soul of England.
As a professor of medieval and renaissance literature, Lewis was no doubt thoroughly familiar with all the various incarnations of the Arthurian legend, ranging from references in early histories written by monks to the lavish treatments of Malory and Tennyson. In many of these texts, Arthur’s kingdom is often called “Logres,” which comes from a Welsh word referring to England, or at least that part of England that Arthur ruled. In Lewis’s imagination, or at least in That Hideous Strength, Logres comes to have an identity as a kind of ideal, spiritual England that exists within the physical state of Britain. He describes this very specifically on page 369: “…something we may call Britain is always haunted by something we may call Logres. Haven’t you noticed that we are two countries?” And a few sentences later, “But what they mistake for hypocrisy is really the struggle between Logres and Britain.” Roger Lancelyn Green, a student of Lewis’s and fellow Inkling, reiterates this view in his King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. In the preface, he writes: “So now I have endeavored to make each adventure a part of one fixed pattern. Arthur’s Kingdom, the Realm of Logres, the model of chivalry and right striving against the barbarism and evil which surrounded and at length engulfed it”(Green 11). And again, on page 23, Merlin makes a pronouncement early in the inception of Logres: “…his kingdom shall grow, not Britain…but Logres, the land of blessing, God’s kingdom upon earth, which Arthur shall show you for a little space before the darkness falls again.” Because of Green’s close contact with Lewis, both as a student and as a member of the Inklings group, it seems likely that Green is likely building on and clarifying Lewis’s own notion of Logres. The resulting image we have is of an ideal, godly kingdom existing within England itself and in perpetual state of conflict with England’s dark side. Lewis chooses, in That Hideous Strength, to refer to this darker nature as “Britain” in order to contrast it with Logres (Lewis 368). In effect, these two natures represent the wavering spiritual condition of England, and Lewis reads this contest for England’s soul (or, at any rate, Lewis’s characters do) into Arthur’s brief rule.
That Hideous Strength recounts another major battle in that same, ongoing conflict. The N.I.C.E. is not only trying to obtain material domination over England, but spiritual as well; this becomes apparent to the protagonists after they discover that N.I.C.E. is after Merlin’s body and that they must therefore be interested in supernatural power (Lewis 203). From this, they deduct that N.I.C.E. has demonic (or dark eldilic) direction behind it. So, That Hideous Strength is as much about spiritual warfare as, in Lewis’s mind, the legends of King Arthur are, and so it is only natural that Lewis deal with the legends of Arthur and Logres. In a sense, by addressing the matter of England’s soul, Lewis could be seen as involving himself in the Matter of Britain whether he like it or not. However, the specific parallels between Arthur’s Logres and the Logres of That Hideous Strength emphasize the fact that Lewis was supremely conscious of that of which he wrote. The N.I.C.E. very much embodies the same barbarism and black magic (or goetia)that Merlin found arrayed against Logres the first time around. Though clad in the initial guise of sophistication, N.I.C.E.’s policies and philosophies are quite as inhuman (and inhumane!) as any barbarism that the darkest forests of Saxony could have thrown at sixth century England. In fact, one of their primary goals is the eventual destruction of mankind’s humanity (Lewis 358); each of the members of that organization represents the perversion of humanity in one way or another, whether it be Straik’s pure abhorrence of his humanity, Wither’s abandon of his reason, or Hardcastle’s rejection of what Lewis would have considered proper feminine behavior. By contrast, the Company of St. Anne’s, the modern incarnation of Logres, embodies true Christian humanity as it applies uniquely to men and women. Like Arthur and his court, they are a bastion of healthy humanity and civilization against N.I.C.E.’s fundamental opposition to these things. One of Arthur’s constant foes is his sister Morgan le Fay, a sorceress. In fact, the term used by Malory to describe the arts practiced by Morgan is “necromancy” (Malory 1:4). The scientific research that the N.I.C.E. conducts at their headquarters at Belbury essentially amounts to the same thing; not only does it preserve the same spirit as goetia, a point which Lewis makes on page 203, but it even involves the raising of the dead. In other words, what they practice at Belbury is simply a form of necromancy, which of course is opposed by St. Anne’s. Merlin, through whom their ultimate victory is won, exists at the opposite end of this “magic spectrum” (Lewis 285). As in the time of Arthur, Merlin’s magic is critical to the victory of Logres (though this time it is more heavenly in origin) (Tolstoy 31). Finally, it is also worth nothing that whereas Arthur’s Logres was broken by an adultery, that of Lancelot and Guinevere, the victory of this current Logres is sealed by (what is essentially) a marriage, that of Mark and Jane Studdock. These parallels are too many and too close to be coincidence. Lewis very clearly saw himself as dealing with the same forces and the same conflict that lie just beneath the surface of the old Arthurian legends.
The character of Merlin seems to some readers to be out of place, an easy way for Lewis to resolve his plot. In fact, it could be argued, as Lewis certainly believed, that Merlin is in fact a crucial element of the plot because of his role in Logres. The character of Merlin is an ancient one, with deep roots in Celtic legends. Even though he appears for the first time in a recognizable form in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae, he remains essentially the same figure that he had been in Welsh and British legend. Geoffrey’s major contribution to the timeless figure of Merlin was the assemblage and codification of the various myths of Myrddin and Ambrosius to create the extraordinary Merlinus Ambrosius, a man at once associated with magic, prophecy, and politics. In these various functions, Merlin was absolutely central to Logres as it existed under King Arthur; he was the unifying figure in that attempted fusion of disparate characters and clashing cultures (Tolstoy 31). As seer, Merlin fulfilled the important Welsh role of royal bard, an essential element of any king’s court, a position which at times approximated that of counselor. The bard is responsible for the preservation of the oral wisdom of the past and so, in a sense, looks after some aspect of the kingdom’s spiritual condition. The wisdom of the bard frequently reaches into the future as well as the past and present, and in many stories, bards have the gift of foresight which manifests itself in their poetry and song. Geoffrey of Monmouth devotes the entire fifth part of his history of the British kings to Merlin’s prophecies, and in the case of Merlin in particular, his knowledge of the future means that he is indispensable in the realization and building of the vision of Logres, which he foretells (Thorpe 170). He is the architect of Logres in part because of his gift as a seer; he literally sees clearer than anyone else, whether it be Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, or Percival. He is the only one among their company that truly grasps the pattern of the thing they are fashioning, and only he knows how to bring it into being. In this way, Merlin’s function as bard and seer begins to overlap with his identity as Arthur’s chief advisor.
From early on in the development of the Arthurian legends, Merlin is involved in the politics of Logres, both as kingmaker and advisor. Even before Arthur’s birth, Merlin is closely associated with Arthur’s father, Uther, and his struggle for power, in which association we see Merlin’s first preparations for the kingdom that he was prophesied will shortly appear under Arthur (Ashe 22). Even before Arthur’s conception, Merlin is aware that this child will be the king and requires that Uther turn the coming child over to his (Merlin’s) care. It is Merlin that engineers Arthur’s rise to the throne via the test of the Sword in the Stone; Thomas Malory, in his Morte D’arthur notes how certain circumstances surrounding Arthur’s ascent to power are guided in his favor through Merlin’s “providence” (Malory 1:10). From the beginning, Merlin is always there, arranging, providing, and looking after the fledgling kingdom and its king as though they were a work of art (Tolstoy 32). During Arthur’s maturity as king, Merlin functions less as a kingmaker and more as an advisor (Reinhardt 2), providing Arthur with counsel even on matters of military strategy (Tolstoy 31). By this time, Merlin’s role is basically that of court wizard, a term which carries with it the implication of general learning, of wisdom regarding all things from the art of ruling to the movements of the stars to the art of magic. Soon hereafter, Merlin drops out of the story, betrayed to his doom by a young enchantress, who imprisons him in either a forest or a cave, depending on the story. However, up until that time, there was never a moment when Merlin was not closely involved in the founding and ruling of Logres; it could be argued that in his capacity as organizing genius, Merlin was just as important to Logres as Arthur its king. Certainly in the political realization of Logres, Merlin is essential, for Arthur had grown up knowing nothing of kingship and came to the throne not only as a boy, but in the midst of great political turmoil in England. Thus it may very well be said that though Arthur’s reliance on Merlin wanes as his rule waxes, Merlin is ultimately the political architect of all that ever existed of Arthur’s Logres.
Merlin is, finally, Arthur’s court enchanter (Reinhardt 2), and it is in this role that he is probably most famous. This is with good cause, for in practically every account of the Arthurian legends, Merlin appears as a magician. He is learned in the practice of magic – associates with creatures similarly learned, such as the Lady of Lake and her maidens (Malory 1:102). These magical abilities he uses frequently in the service of Logres; indeed, if Merlin had not been able to transform Uther into the likeness of one of his dukes, Arthur would have never been conceived – and upon that point hinged all the future of Logres. Merlin uses magic to assist in Arthur’s military campaigns (Tolstoy 31), the goals of which are nothing less the very purpose of Logres: to bring a peace and unity to England that would allow the growth of Christian civilization. Malory also describes Merlin as creating the now iconic Round Table (Malory 2:259), which, with its fellowship of worthy knights, came to form the center of Arthur’s court. Given the absence of any record of Merlin’s skill as a carpenter, it may be presumed that Merlin constructs this table his magical craft, further emphasizing the truly significant function which the magic of Merlin plays in the creation of the kingdom of Logres.
Lewis understood how Merlin, in all three of his capacities as seer, counselor, and magician, was absolutely indispensable to Arthur’s Logres. In fact, in That Hideous Strength, he theorizes, through Dr. Dimble, that it may have been because of Merlin’s early disappearance from the legends that Logres fell apart as quickly as it did (Lewis 31). It may be surmised, then, that Lewis sees Merlin, as others have, as the unifying figure of Logres, and, along with Arthur, one of the two essential figures in the vision of Logres. Arthur, of course, will only return to rule England when his kingdom of Logres is ushered in for good and all. The result of all this, then, from Lewis’s point of view, would be the following: if one is going to write a story about Logres that does not occur at the end of time (meaning that Arthur need not make an appearance), one is obligated to include Merlin. He is too closely involved to be left out. He was so instrumental in the realization of Logres, that he has become, in Lewis’s mind, inextricably tied to Logres.
This is why Merlin appears in That Hideous Strength. This is why Lewis’s Merlin is almost identical to the Merlin that has been described in the previous three paragraphs, from his tripartite role right down to his name, Merlinus Ambrosius (Lewis 280). One of the very first facts that Lewis establishes regarding Merlin, apart from his historicity, is that he is a magician (201). Throughout That Hideous Strength, we see instances of Merlin’s magic, for example, when he puts first the tramp (Lewis 312) and then MacPhee to sleep (Lewis 273). And, of course, the story culminates with Merlin’s use of magic to destroy N.I.C.E. at Belbury (Lewis 350); in this regard, he is indispensable to the plot. Though in That Hideous Strength, Lewis makes less of a matter of Merlin in his capacities of counselor and seer, he nonetheless appears in each of these roles at least once. On page 292, Merlin himself asserts his identity as advisor to the Pendragon: “If you are the Pendragon, I am the High Council of Logres and I will counsel you.” Merlin’s prophetic talents are also mentioned earlier, on page 282: “By the way, Merlinus Ambrosius made a prophecy about Mr. Bultitude…He keeps on saying things like that. They just pop out when we’re talking about something else, and in a rather different voice.”
Ultimately, Merlin’s curious presence in That Hideous Strength is the result of two interrelated factors. First of all, by choosing to write about spiritual warfare in England, Lewis knew that he was essentially choosing to write about Logres. It was not a matter of choosing to bring Logres into it; his choice of subject matter meant that he could only determine to what extent he would acknowledge that he was, indeed, really dealing with what Merlin and Arthur would call Logres. Second, Lewis knew that the best way for him to address the legendary heritage of Logres that he had called up by his decision to write about England’s spiritual condition was by introducing the character of Merlin. In fact, Merlin’s connection to Logres is so close and so strong, that Lewis may have seen himself as obligated to include Merlin as, I have argued, he was obligated to include Logres. All the lore and legend of Logres finds its embodiment in Merlin, who, because of the role he played in its creation, has now become its representative, the very genius of the soul of England. His three offices of seer, political architect, and wizard are finally subordinate to this great office: the very conscience of England itself.
Works Cited
Ashe, Geoffrey. “Merlin in the Earliest Records.” The Book of Merlin. Ed. R.J. Stewart. New York: Blandford, 1987.
Geoffrey of Monmouth. The History of the Kings of Britain. Trans. Lewis Thorpe. Great Britain: Penguin, 1976.
Green, Roger Lancelyn. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. London: Puffin Books, 1978.
Lewis, C.S. That Hideous Strength. New York: Macmillan, 1978.
Malory, Thomas. Morte D’arthur. 2 vols. Great Britain: R&R Clark, no date.
Reinhardt, Jonathan G. “The Matter of Britain: An Introduction to the Arthurian Legend.” Mars Hill Audio. 2003. 27 February 2009. <http://www.marshillaudio.org/resources/pdf/Arthur.pdf>
I am happy to say that my play is almost through and is currently running on autopilot. I show up, prepare the set, bring out the props, tell my actors when to start, and then clean up afterwards. It's the easiest thing in the world now - and I still laugh every single time I watch the play. It's SO funny.
Thursday we had 50 people, Friday we had 230, and Saturday we had 219 - which comes out to about $1500 (our tickets are ridiculously cheap). We have another performance tomorrow and one more on Saturday, and then we're all done. Once again, my play is proving to be the money-maker that allows Jukebox Theater to blow a lot of money on a spring musical. There are three reasons for this. First, I do old plays that have no royalties. Second, I am a thorough minimalist when it comes to the set. We have furniture and a fake tree - nothing else. Third, everybody loves classic plays like Much Ado About Nothing and The Importance of Being Earnest, and if they don't, they like to think they do, or at least like their friends to think they do. So we get big audiences!
Hey! Great idea! A remake of The Guns of Navarone starring Daniel Craig! That would be awesome! They could even follow the original story! Which is better than the one that ended up on the screen last time around! As much as I love Gregory Peck!
