Return of the king

The Return of the King is the central prophecy and political concept in The Hobbit, referring to the restoration of the dwarven monarchy under the Lonely Mountain after the death of the dragon Smaug. It is a narrative of exile, reclaiming, and the ambiguous consequences of fulfilled prophecy, embodied by Thorin Oakenshield's brief, tragic reign and the subsequent establishment of Dain as King under the Mountain.

Prophecy and Expectation

The idea of the king's return is woven into the cultural memory of the peoples of the North. Songs and legends spoke of Thror and Thrain, the dwarf-kings of the Mountain, and of a day when they would come back and gold would flow in rivers through the mountain-gates, filling the land with new song and new laughter. This prophecy was a pleasant legend that did not much affect the daily business of the Lake-men, but it was deeply embedded in the lore of the dwarves and the hopes of those who remembered the prosperous days of Dale. The very title of the book, The Hobbit, subtitled There and Back Again, frames the entire quest as a journey whose ultimate meaning is found in the return, not just of the hobbit, but of the exiled king.

Thorin's Claim and the Siege

When Thorin Oakenshield, the grandson of Thror, arrived at Lake-town, he announced himself with a loud voice: "I am Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain! I return!" The people, stirred by old songs and the promise of wealth, immediately took up the cry, singing of the king who would come into his own, whose halls would echo golden, and whose wealth would flow in fountains. The Master of Lake-town, though skeptical, was forced to go along with the general clamour. Thorin's claim was the catalyst for the entire final act of the story. After Smaug's death, the prophecy seemed to be on the verge of fulfillment, but the reality was a siege. Thorin, fortified within the Mountain, refused to share the treasure with the Lake-men and the Elves, declaring himself the King under the Mountain and treating all who approached as foes and thieves. The return of the king, instead of bringing peace, brought conflict.

The Tragic Fulfillment and the True King

Thorin's reign was brief and tragic. He died of his wounds in the Battle of Five Armies, having reconciled with Bilbo Baggins and acknowledged the folly of his greed. His death was a direct consequence of the dragon-sickness, the lust for gold that had consumed him. The prophecy was fulfilled, but not in the way the songs had imagined. The true king who took up his abode was Dain, Thorin's cousin from the Iron Hills, who became King under the Mountain. Dain dealt the treasure well, honoring the agreement with Bard and restoring peace. The return of the king, therefore, was not a single triumphant moment but a process of death, succession, and the establishment of a new, more stable order. The Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain, was laid upon Thorin's breast in his tomb, a symbol of the cost of the return.

Significance and Legacy

The concept of the Return of the King in The Hobbit is a complex one. It is a prophecy that comes true, but only after a bitter struggle and the death of the rightful heir. It serves as a critique of the very idea of a glorious restoration, showing that the desire for a lost golden age can lead to ruin. The true return is not the return of a single, heroic king, but the return of a kingdom, rebuilt by Dain, Bard, and the Elvenking, who together forge a new peace. The prophecy is fulfilled "after a fashion," as Gandalf tells Bilbo, because the hobbit himself had a hand in bringing it about. The return is not a magical event but a political and moral resolution, achieved through sacrifice and compromise. It is a foundational myth for the world of Middle-earth, setting the stage for the greater conflicts to come in The Lord of the Rings.