The Departure of the Ring-bearers

The Departure of the Ring-bearers is the closing event of The Lord of the Rings, a journey that carries Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, and the Keepers of the Three Rings—Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel—across the Sea to the Undying Lands. It is not merely a voyage but the final dissolution of the Fellowship, the end of the Third Age, and the moment when the last of the High Elves leave Middle-earth for ever. The event resolves the central wound of the story: Frodo, too deeply hurt by the Ring to find peace in the Shire, is granted passage to the West, where healing may be found.

The Gathering at the Grey Havens

On the morning of September 29, 3021, Frodo and Samwise Gamgee ride from Hobbiton to the Woody End, where they meet the Last Riding of the Keepers of the Rings. The company includes Elrond, clad in a grey mantle with a star upon his forehead and a silver harp in his hand, wearing Vilya, the Ring of Air, upon his finger. Galadriel rides a white palfrey, robed in glimmering white, and on her finger is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, its single white stone flickering like a frosty star. Behind them, on a small grey pony, nods Bilbo Baggins, now one hundred and thirty-one years old, having passed the Old Took. Gandalf, robed all in white, awaits them at the Havens, wearing openly on his hand Narya, the Ring of Fire, its stone red as flame. Círdan the Shipwright, tall and grey-bearded with eyes keen as stars, greets them and declares that all is ready.

The Farewells

At the quayside, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took arrive in great haste, having been summoned by Gandalf himself. Frodo kisses them both, and last of all Sam, before boarding the white ship. Gandalf speaks to the three hobbits left behind: "I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil." The sails are drawn up, the wind blows, and the ship slips away down the long grey firth. The light of the Phial of Galadriel, which Frodo carries, glimmers and is lost. As the ship passes into the High Sea and on into the West, Frodo smells a sweet fragrance on the air and hears singing over the water. The grey rain-curtain turns all to silver glass and is rolled back, revealing white shores and a far green country under a swift sunrise.

The Aftermath on the Shore

Sam stands at the Haven far into the night, watching the grey sea until only a shadow on the waters remains, soon lost in the West. Beside him stand Merry and Pippin, silent. At last the three companions turn away and ride slowly homewards, speaking no word to one another until they come back to the Shire, each finding great comfort in the presence of his friends on the long grey road. Sam turns to Bywater and comes up the Hill as day is ending. Rose draws him in, sets him in his chair, and puts little Elanor upon his lap. He draws a deep breath and says, "Well, I'm back."

The Significance of the Departure

The departure of the Ring-bearers is the final act of the War of the Ring and the definitive end of the Third Age. With the One Ring destroyed, the power of the Three Rings also fades, and the Elves can no longer sustain their realms in Middle-earth. The ship carries not only Frodo and Bilbo but also the last of the High Elves—Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf—who have been the chief movers of the resistance against Sauron. Their leaving marks the beginning of the Dominion of Men. For Frodo, the journey is a necessary mercy: his wounds from the Morgul-knife, Shelob's sting, and the weight of the Ring have left him unable to find lasting peace in the Shire. The passage into the West offers the healing that Middle-earth can no longer provide. The event thus closes the narrative with a mingling of sorrow and hope, loss and reward, as the age of Elves and Wizards gives way to the age of mortal Men.