That Fate Them Bore - story 6
It’s been a while (a whole year, unfortunately...) since I’ve posted the last story in this series, but I’ve continued working on it meanwhile, and six additional ‘chapters’ are (mostly) finished and ready for posting. Since the gap between my last post and this one has grown so huge, I thought I should try and explain what this series is all about
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Free will and all the individual decisions belong to historical linear time.
Well, I disagree. First of all, "free will" and "belonging" are in contradiction - on the surface. Perhaps you mean that they only become apparent when mirrored by historical linear time - but as for "belonging", they do so solely to themselves, and in the wider myth, to Eru Ilúvatar. The way these intertwine with "fate" as the Music is when it becomes *really* interesting (pun intended). And they do so in different ways for Elves and mortals, yet this is not set in stone for all.
To my mind, ‘fate’ refers to a different temporal level, which - like the Music of the Ainur - contains a pattern of potential and possibility that unfolds over time.
The Ainur are "as fate to all else" (except the kids of Ilúvatar, and less so for mortals). They are Nature, one thing derived from the previous, and patterns naturally form. The Music would, then, be fate itself; whilst the word "fate" would be the title given by sentient creatures, within Time, to the *work* of the Ainur (without engaging the thought of the Ainur directly, but moving within the bounds of the work). Then the Music "comes true" over Time (though with the little "surprises" - pun intended once more).
When Frodo makes his choice between the suggestion from Gandalf and that from the Ring/Sauron, he is at first balanced between the two, but ultimately free to just make his own choice (lol, sorry, can just imagine a little angel and devil on the shoulder! maybe they got it from here...). To me, the Maiar appear really powerful, but even they are to work solely on the Free Will principle. Some respect this, others like Sauron try to get around it - but that highlights its independence once more. However: as you pointed out, Frodo "yields" to what's happening to him, and this implies giving up Free Will... Here we enter a complex discussion which awakens complicated resistances in me, lol - but I hope that all of the above can stand whether or no. Free is free no matter what, and it stands above "greater schemes" - that's a central theme to the book.
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Not to mention the friendship between the two, which makes sacrifice really very complicated, AND any other implications which are seldom discussed. All in all, I feel that *everyone* is being tested in this enterprise.
But if Frodo was meant to be the Ringbearer in that specific way, then someone had to have produced the Ring, and sunk Numenor, and goodness knows how far back, and then it would mean that no-one really had any Free Will at all, and that sort of spins the wrong way altogether. (But hey, if this means that we find F as the only one with the freest will of all, then heck I'm down with that, lol). So perhaps "meant to be" refers to the general outline, but not the specifics? Otherwise, why do it at all? And perhaps he was meant to be *something*, but the road to get there is down to circumstance. Or are we actually discussing that the road of destiny is meant to be, yet the outcome beyond all expectations? Hmmm...
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Umm, yuck. All these things are so convoluted, but they offer valuable glimpses into the concept of destiny.
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No worries. I say something, then someone else tunes in when the time is right, and we have a party (provided our host Cara is ok with that, of course).
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For now, I think my very brief explanation blurred rather than clarified the issue, as I was using all the involved terms - 'fate' as much as 'belonging' - in a very loose way. Of course 'fate' is a concept used by Men (and Elves) to make sense of certain larger contexts and connections that can't be fully grasped by anyone in Middle-earth. And I didn't mean to imply that 'fate' equals 'predetermination', which would really turn choice and free will into mere illusions.
As for Frodo: he does yield to the task which, as Elrond puts it, was 'appointed' to him, but I don't think that stepping into that place also involves giving up free will. Quite to the contrary, the choices that Frodo makes of his own free will seem to matter all the more as they engage 'fate'.
That doesn't make the matter any less complicated, but perhaps it helps to clarify what I had in mind when I wrote that condensed intro... :)
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Thanks for giving the whole issue so much thought!
I can't claim it's altruistical of me at all. ;)
That doesn't make the matter any less complicated...
Someone from another fandom responded with a "It's an entangled destiny and only the Gods know the truth! :-D". :DDD Verily. But you *are* allowed to know stuff, "otherwise all would dwell in darkness".
I don't think that stepping into that place also involves giving up free will. Quite to the contrary, the choices that Frodo makes of his own free will seem to matter all the more as they engage 'fate'.
Aha! Yes, that's where my mind is heading, too. Both he and Sam call on direct intervention from... *points up* But how does that work, etc.
But well, if he knows he has this free will thing, then he's not bothered by seemingly giving it up. Whereas I would want mine to be fully mirrored by outside events (with even more complications there ;).
I do hope that we can have a full-blown discussion of 'fate'...
Meet you there and then.
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Now if I can wedge something more in here too... About my having been indeed provoked by the "Ring-as-an-antimarriage" thingy (article). I'm still provoked... I think the main problem with this parallel would be in *this* assumption: "Frodo fails because he's not married according to the customs of M-e". Err, yeah... (to a girl!). Then why do they have so much trouble with sending Tom to destroy it, etc - it's getting long-winded, so I'd better cut to the chase:
-- if the article does admit that the marriage referred to is between material and spiritual, then it's not off the mark. And I personally love the fact that I can find elements to support this, from what you have written. :) I'd love to list it all out for myself in a fleshed-out fashion, but for now I'll just indicate the exact spots, from the top of my head:
1) essay about Frodo's resistance to the Ring: he sees Sam as an independent "other"
2) "Spirit" - the "marriage vows" ;)
3) discussions about how it was the emotional/spiritual bond which saw the Quest through
I see no real reason to say that the Ring is "more" than that. Obviously it was meant to be more than that, and to sever bonds, and remake them in a dependent fashion... But ultimately it didn't do all that, and it was as a test. If you look at Tarot (which contains a sort of framework for all story cycles), there's two sorts of spiritual union. One is through the "Devil", the other through the "Cherub" - it says you have to set the two against each other, in a sort of cosmic battle where the Cherub wins. If you look beneath the Cherub, there's this Land, which we now see as signifying "Eden", but it's represented by Two Trees and a Mountain. ;)
And that is really very cool...
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