The State of the Barrow-downs

The Barrow-downs, known in the ancient tongue as Tyrn Gorthad, are a region of green, rolling hills east of the Old Forest and south of the Great East Road, lying between the forest and the village of Bree. They are an ancient burial ground, a place of death and memory, where the dead of forgotten ages lie in great earthen mounds. In the Third Age, the downs are haunted by the Barrow-wights, evil spirits that have taken up residence in the ancient tombs, making the region a place of fear and dread for any who must pass through it. The hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin encounter the downs on their journey from the Shire, and their experience there is one of the most harrowing of their early adventures, a test of courage and a source of ancient weapons that will prove vital in the trials to come.

The Haunted Landscape

The Barrow-downs are described as a country of grass and short springy turf, silent except for the whisper of the air and the high lonely cries of strange birds. The hills are crowned with green mounds and standing stones, which are described as 'pointing upwards like jagged teeth out of green gums.' This imagery of teeth and jaws suggests a predatory, devouring quality to the land itself. The region is a place of ancient death, where the bones of kings and warriors lie beneath the earth. The hobbits, having been warned by Tom Bombadil to avoid the barrows and to keep to the green grass, are nonetheless caught in a fog and become lost, eventually falling into the power of a Barrow-wight. The wight's lair is a stone chamber within a mound, where the hobbits are laid out as if for burial, dressed in white and surrounded by treasure, with a single naked sword laid across their necks. The wight's incantation, 'Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under stone,' emphasizes the cold, deathly nature of the place and its inhabitants.

The Barrow-wights and Their Power

The Barrow-wights are the malevolent spirits that inhabit the ancient tombs. They are described as 'shadows' and 'cold' beings, capable of casting spells of terror and paralysis. The wight that captures the hobbits is a 'tall dark figure like a shadow against the stars' with 'two eyes, very cold though lit with a pale light.' It seizes Frodo with a grip 'stronger and colder than iron,' freezing his bones. The wights are not merely passive guardians of the dead; they are active, malicious entities that seek to trap and destroy the living. They are able to create a fog that disorients travelers, and they can bind their victims with spells, as they do with the hobbits, laying them out for a death-like sleep. The wight's power is broken by Tom Bombadil, who sings a song of command, causing the wight to vanish and the barrow to collapse. The wights are a remnant of the evil that once plagued the North, and their presence makes the Barrow-downs a place of lingering danger.

The Ancient Treasure and the Blades of Westernesse

Within the barrow, the hobbits find not only terror but also ancient treasure. The wight's chamber is filled with 'many treasures, of gold maybe,' including circlets, gold chains, and rings. More importantly, Tom Bombadil, after rescuing the hobbits, chooses for each of them a dagger from the hoard. These are not ordinary weapons; they are 'long, leaf-shaped, and keen, of marvellous workmanship, damasked with serpent-forms in red and gold.' Tom explains that these blades were 'forged many long years ago by Men of Westernesse: they were foes of the Dark Lord, but they were overcome by the evil king of Carn Dûm in the Land of Angmar.' These blades, known as Barrow-blades, are of great significance. They are weapons of the ancient enemy of Sauron, and they carry a power that will later prove crucial. The hobbits, though initially feeling awkward with their new weapons, will come to rely on them, and the blade that Merry uses to stab the Witch-king at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is one of these very blades, a fact that proves decisive in the downfall of the Nazgûl Lord.

The Significance of the Barrow-downs

The Barrow-downs serve as a crucial test and a source of power for the hobbits. The encounter with the Barrow-wight is a moment of profound fear and helplessness, but it is also a moment of courage and rescue. Frodo, alone and facing the wight, finds a 'seed of courage' within himself, and it is his call to Tom Bombadil that saves them all. The experience hardens the hobbits and prepares them for the greater dangers ahead. The blades they receive are not just weapons; they are a link to the ancient past and a reminder of the long war against the Dark Lord. The Barrow-downs, therefore, are more than just a haunted place; they are a place where the past reaches into the present, providing both a threat and a gift. The region's history, its connection to the ancient kingdoms of Men, and its role in the hobbits' journey make it a significant location in the larger narrative of the War of the Ring.