I found the problem of cleansing the Barrow-downs more troubling than the idea of doing so to the Dead Marshes or dealing with the Army of the Dead. The Oathbreakers Tolkien solved himself--they needed but to fulfill those ancient oaths to the heir to Isildur, and they might then be free at last to accept their deaths and step beyond the Bounds of Arda to find the fate of mortals. With the Dead Marshes, those caught in their bounds simply needed to be freed to hear and heed the call of Mandos and they would take care of the problem themselves.
But we must assume that the Wights were evil spirits, some perhaps the ghosts of Men or Elves or other such creatures who'd refused to leave where they'd lived who were then herded or lured into the Barrow-downs by the Witch-king; and others perhaps various of the Maiar who'd been led astray by Melkor and/or Sauron and others of Melkor's minions who were caught deformed in fanar and fëar by means of their corruption. For them, the return to what they'd been intended to be must have come only by means of giving them again their original choice, and each must choose--or refuse--to return to their Source once more. That Aragorn would turn from plans to banish them (thus potentially making them either someone else's problem, or merely shifting the problem somewhere else to be dealt with perhaps with even more difficulty) to offering them the chance to transform and fulfill themselves just seemed so likely, particularly if a dream of Frodo were to inspire the idea in him.
And I'm so glad you feel I caught Bombadil's world and being well. I do like him!
The caddisfly has been part of my-verse from my very first story of "For Eyes to See as Can," and it's fun to work it back in when I can. I so love their complicated shells they construct for themselves out of whatever materials they find at hand. And what better metaphor for the wights' dillema, I thought?
Anyway, thank you so very much! And a joyful Fourth to you and yours!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-07-04 09:43 pm (UTC)But we must assume that the Wights were evil spirits, some perhaps the ghosts of Men or Elves or other such creatures who'd refused to leave where they'd lived who were then herded or lured into the Barrow-downs by the Witch-king; and others perhaps various of the Maiar who'd been led astray by Melkor and/or Sauron and others of Melkor's minions who were caught deformed in fanar and fëar by means of their corruption. For them, the return to what they'd been intended to be must have come only by means of giving them again their original choice, and each must choose--or refuse--to return to their Source once more. That Aragorn would turn from plans to banish them (thus potentially making them either someone else's problem, or merely shifting the problem somewhere else to be dealt with perhaps with even more difficulty) to offering them the chance to transform and fulfill themselves just seemed so likely, particularly if a dream of Frodo were to inspire the idea in him.
And I'm so glad you feel I caught Bombadil's world and being well. I do like him!
The caddisfly has been part of my-verse from my very first story of "For Eyes to See as Can," and it's fun to work it back in when I can. I so love their complicated shells they construct for themselves out of whatever materials they find at hand. And what better metaphor for the wights' dillema, I thought?
Anyway, thank you so very much! And a joyful Fourth to you and yours!