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Magic in Middle-earth by Chris Seeman

Originally posted on Merp.com 2005-02-14

MAGIC There are literally hundreds of examples of magic use in Tolkien's writings upon which a game mechanics of supernatural power might readily be developed. Unfortunately, most attempts at devising principles of Middle-earth magic have either chosen to totally ignore this extensive source material, or to narrowly focus only on one or two facets of it, or to impose abstract generalizations that do not fit the evidence. The only way to remedy this is to undertake the research necessary to do justice to what Tolkien has actually written. What follows is a preliminary list of some prominent manifestations of supernatural power that appear in the Silmarillion.

OATHS AND CURSES The magical efficacy of oaths and curses is the primary engine that drives the drama of Middle-earth's history (at least in the First Age, though it is not absent from the Second and Third). A game mechanics worth its mettle must create guidelines for how such words, spoken in the course of a game, may come to exercise such an all-embracing power on the course of events in a way that forces the PCs to take them seriously. The Oath of Fëanor; ?For so sworn, good or evil, and oath may not be broken, and it shall pursue oathkeeper and oathbreaker to the world's end? (83) The Curse of Mandos (88; cf. 139, 176) Eöl curses his son (138) Thingol swears not to slay Beren (167) Morgoth curses Húrin and his family (197)

ARTS OF ENCHANTMENT The creation of enchantment is the hallmark of Elven magic. At times its effects are similar to those wrought by sorcery, but its intentions and motivations are generally quite different from it. At the same time, there are no set formulas for enchantments, there are no ?spell lists? involved here. They simply are expressions of the wielder's Will, the effects of which are determined by need, occasion and circumstance. Lúthien's dance enchants Beren (165) Melian most skilled in songs of enchantment of all the folk of Lórien (55) Melian's voice enchants Thingol, who falls into a trance and ?forgot then utterly all his people and all the purposes of his mind? (55, 58) Eöl ?set his enchantments about [Aredhel] so that she could not find the ways out, but drew ever nearer to his dwelling in the depths of the wood? (133) Finrod's minstrelsy conjures visions in the eyes of its hearers (140-141; cf. Celegorm and Curufin's words 170 and Lúthien's song to Beren 174) Lúthien's arts of enchantment cause her hair to grow (172)

ENCHANTED SITES The Girdle of Melian, ?an unseen wall of shadow and bewilderment,? a ?girdle of enchantment? (97, 108); ?for love of Elwë Singollo she took upon herself the form of the Elder Children of Ilúvatar, and in that union she became bound by the chain and trammels of the flesh of Arda. In that form she bore to him Lúthien Tinúviel; and in that form she gained a power over the substance of Arda, and by the Girdle of Melian was Doriath defended...? (234) ?the Enchanted Isles were set, and all the seas about them were filled with shadows and bewilderment. And these isles were strung as a net in the Shadowy Seas...;? ?shadow and enchantment lay upon [the seas];? ?defeated by shadows and enchantment? (102, 159, 246) ?enchantment lay upon [Nan Elmoth] still? (132) ?all the forest of the northward slopes of that land was turned little by little into a region of such dread and dark enchantment that even the Orcs would not enter it unless need drove them...those that strayed among [the trees] became lost and blind, and were strangled or pursued to madness by phantoms of terror.? (155) A spell of mastery binds the stones of the tower of Tol Sirion (175; cf. Barad-dûr 304) The River Esgalduin (234) The Hills of Tumladen (240)

ENCHANTED ARTIFACTS The enchantment of an artifact involves the transfer of Will (sometimes permanent, at other times temporary) from the wielder to an external object. The Silmarils [see ?Proximity to Holiness? below] The Nauglamír enhances the grace and loveliness of its wearer (114) Lúthien's cloak was ?laden with a spell of sleep? (172; cf. 175) Angrist ?would cleave iron as it were green wood? (177) Anglachel ?would cleave all earth-delved iron? (201) Lembas [cf. PoMe for virtues] Ulmo's cloak shadowed Tuor from the eyes of his enemies (239; cf. UT) The One Ring stores will and enables wearer to see/control thoughts of the other Ringbearers (287-288) The Three Rings ward off the decays of time (288) The Seven Rings generate treasure hoards (289) The Nine Rings allow wearers to view things invisible to Men (289) Narsil breaks when its wielder dies, its light is extinguished (294, 295) The Palantíri permit the viewer to see other times as well as places (64, 281, 292) The Ulumúri put an eternal sea-longing in the heart of their hearer (27)

SPELLS The most notable category distinction between spells and enchantment is that the former tend to involve coercion. Beren is stricken dumb, ?as one that is bound under a spell? (165) Lúthien declares her power/mastery over Sauron's isle, ?and the spell was loosed that bound stone to stone, and the gates were thrown down, and the walls opened, and the pits laid bare? (175) Túrin falls ?under the binding spell? of Glaurung's eyes, unable to move or speak until released, and bemused, the dragon's words altering his perception of events (213-215; cf. 217, 222, 231) Glaurung lays ?a spell of utter darkness and forgetfulness? upon Nienor, causing her to lose all volition (218, 225)

WORD OF COMMAND I left this in a separate category because in LotR, Gandalf intimates that a word of command is different from a normal spell (which generally takes more time to work?a command, on the other hand, is more immediate and more draining on the speaker). Lúthien commands Carcaroth to sleep, a power derived from her divine heritage (180, 181)

SONGS OF POWER Why do certain effects require a song rather than some other kind of utterance? Yavanna's song creates the Two Trees (38; cf. 78) Finrod and Sauron duel in song to conceal/reveal Finrod's identity (171) Lúthien drives Morgoth and his court blind and lays sleep upon them (180-181)

HEALING Lúthien uses her arts to heal Beren (178; cf. 182) Lúthien heals Thingol by her touch (188) The Silmaril brings healing and blessing to the refugees of Gondolin (247)

SORCERY By contrast to enchantment, spells or wizardry (which may be either good or evil in intent), sorcery always has a negative connotation. We learn elsewhere (MR) that sorcery, unlike all other forms of supernatural power, has its source in the Morgoth element?the Shadow, Morgoth's evil will that inheres in all of Arda Marred, lying dormant, waiting to be used by those who would further its ends. As the examples show, necromancy (the domination of other wills and spirits) is a hallmark of sorcery. ?Sauron was now become a sorcerer of dreadful power, master of shadows and of phantoms...misshaping what he touched, twisting what he ruled...lord of werewolves? (156; cf. 289 on phantoms and delusions) Sauron conjures an illusion of Gorlim's dead wife to trap Gorlim, ?a phantom devised by wizardry? (162-163) ?Sauron brought werewolves, fell beasts inhabited by dreadful spirits that he had imprisoned in their bodies? (164; cf. 180) Some of the Ringwraiths became sorcerers with the aid of their rings (289) Sauron ?used the fire that welled there from the heart of the earth in his sorceries? (292) Morgul = ?Sorcery? (297) Sorcerer = ?Necromancer? (299, 300)

DOMINATION OF WILL The thralls of Morgoth are chained to his will, even when set free (156) Sauron daunts Gorlim to reveal his secrets, even though he resists (163)

MORGOTH ELEMENT Morgoth's will ?remained and guided his servants, moving them ever to thwart the will of the Valar and to destroy those that obeyed them? (260; cf. 264)

WIZARDRY No power of wizardry could defend anyone from the Oath of Fëanor (169) The Elven warriors of Nargothrond went into battle using wizardry, along with other weapons of secrecy and deception (170) Wizardry = Sorcery (171) Wizardry distinguished from spells (175)

SHAPE-CHANGING Morgoth's spies assume the shape and appearance of those whom they spy upon (144-145, 156) Finrod disguises himself and his companions as Orcs (170, 171) Sauron exercises power over his own fana (175; cf. 285) Lúthien, Huan and Beren assume the forms of Draugluin and Thuringwethil; Morgoth strips her of her disguise by his will (178-179, 180) Ulmo gives Elwing the shape of a bird, which she subsequently gains the power to do on a regular basis, like Beorn (247, 250)

FORESIGHT AND PROPHECY Premonition of the future is a pervasive theme in Tolkien's stories. Practically all astute characters experience it at some point. The Wisdom stat could be used to measure the degree to which PCs can accurately perceive and interpret such premonitions. It also has a bearing upon the role of the prophet or seer (which actually turns up more often than one might think among Tolkien's characters). Characters experience foreboding or foreknowledge of future events (67, 78, 127, 130, 136, 162, 179, 185, 194, 196, 202, 205, 213, 216, 220, 221, 295-296, 298, 301) Ulmo delivers prophetic oracles through Elven or human messengers (212, 240) Tar-Palantir's foresight marks him as a prophet and a true-seer (269)

READ THOUGHTS The ability to read another's intention by the light in their eyes is also a recurrent motif that often drives the actions of characters. The ability to do so is based upon Wisdom, combined with the active engagement of Will and perhaps Presence. Characters reared in a culture that abstains from falsehood and lies (like the Dúnedain and the Rohirrim) are, according to Faramir's claim at any rate, more capable of penetrating the deception of others and discerning truth. Incorporating this principle into the game mechanics would encourage PCs who desire the power to take seriously their own truthfulness in speech and action. Maeglin's thought ?could read the secrets of hearts beyond the mist of words? (133, 134, 139) Finrod interprets the speech of Men through their thoughts (141) Melian ?read the doom that was written? in Lúthien's eyes (188) Melian reads the disposition of Eöl's sword (202)

DIVINE INTERVENTION The gods do in fact lend aid to the Free Peoples, but in all of this there is no trace of the notion that there exist individuals capable of ?Channeling? the power of the Valar for magic. On the contrary, the Valar would regard such a notion as dangerously conducive to worship?a claim to which Eru alone has a right. This is, in fact, what distinguishes ?good? magic from sorcery: authentic magic originates soley in the Will of the caster, whereas sorcery seeks to Channel the Morgoth element. Ulmo communicates to Finrod and Turgon via dream (114, 158) Ulmo sets unquiet in Turgon's heart (125) Gorlim's wraith warns Beren of his father's death in a dream (163) Ulmo ?set it in [Tuor's] heart to depart the land of his fathers? (238) Ulmo appears to Turgon in person and guides him to Tumladen (115; cf. 125-126) Ulmo appears to Círdan and delvers his oracle (212) Ulmo appears to Tuor and commissions him (239) Ulmo speaks through Tuor in Gondolin (240) Uinen aids mariners that call upon her (30) Fingon prays to Manwë for aid and is answered by Thorondor (110) Ulmo raises mist from Sirion to aid the escape of Huor and Húrin (158) Ulmo rescues Voronwë from Ossë's wrath (239)

HALLOWING Being Ainur (Holy Ones), it is not surprising that one of the main ?magical? activities of the Valar and the Maiar is to make things holy; that is to say, to render them inviolate to evil and corruption, and to make them a blessing to all who dwell in proximity to them. From a game mechanics perspective, it is interesting to note that certain heroic Men and Elves also exude a kind of holiness, at least after they have died, as the sanctity of graves attests. This suggests that characters with a great enough Presence may well come to possess certain hallowing powers (in their measure). The priest-kings of Númenor, for instance, had the power to bless and curse, and to heal. Manwë hallows the Great Lamps (35) Yavanna hallows Ezellohar (38) Dwarves believe that Ilúvatar will hallow them at the End of Time (44) Varda hallows the Silmarils ?so that...no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean, nor anything of evil will might touch them, but it was scorched and withered? (67) Manwë hallows the last fruits of the Two Trees (99) ?No Orc dared ever after to pass over the mount of Fingolfin or draw nigh his tomb, until the doom of Gondolin was come...? (154) Melian hallows the water of Tarn Aeluin (162) ?They buried the body of Felagund upon the hill-top of his own isle, and it was clean again; and the green grave of Finrod Finarfin's son, fairest of all the princes of the Elves, remained inviolate, until the land was changed and broken...? (175-176) Ulmo protects the waters of Ivrin (209) ?It is told...that the Stone of the Hapless should not be defiled by Morgoth nor ever thrown down, not though the sea should drown all the land...? (230) ?...they buried [Glorfindel] in a mound of stones beside the pass; and a green turf came there, and yellow flowers bloomed upon it amid the barrenness of stone, until the world was changed? (243) The Valar hallow Vingilot (250) The Meneltarma is hallowed to Eru (261; cf. 281) The presence of the Deathless hallows the land of Aman (264; cf. 37-38)

PROXIMITY TO HOLINESS The native power of Manwë and Varda is enhanced when they stand together (26) ?Great power Melian lent to Thingol? (56) Thingol's sojourn with Melian at Nan Elmoth enhances his presence to god-like heights (58) The wearing of the Silmaril enhances Lúthien's beauty but hastens her end (236) The presence of the Silmaril brings healing and blessing to the exiles of Gondolin (247) The power of the Silmaril enables Eärendil to confound the enchantments of Aman (248)