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.%&,01% &1,48
}.R.R. Tolkien, 9'* :*00);.'1< )7 %'* =1+3

Theie is an olu stoiy that the oiigins of the now populai 'football' choius "0le! 0le! 0le!" is a iemnant of
the Noois invasion of Spain. It is saiu that the oiiginal chant was in fact "Allah, Allah, Allah" anu that it was
useu foi a paiticulai set of ciicumstances. The Noois woulu chant "Allah, Allah, Allah" out of iespect foi a
peifoimance of some soit which was obviously possesseu uivine inspiiation. Foi instance, a paiticulai
musical peifoimance might so tianspoit the heaieis so as to move them to iecognize the piesence of uou in
it. So the Spaniaius woulu say, "0le, 0le, 0le."
}.R.R. Tolkien was a mastei at his ciaft, which is to say his aitistiy was sublime. Tolkien hau a paiticulai
view of wiiting which he uesciibes as follows: "0ne wiites such a stoiy not out of the leaves of tiees still to be
obseiveu, not by means of botany anu soil-science; but it giows like a seeu in the uaik out of the leaf-moulu of
the minu: out of all that has been seen oi thought oi ieau, that has long ago been foigotten, uescenuing into
the ueeps."
1
Foi him, wiiting was an oiganic piocess which 'giew' out of the leaf moulu of expeiience.
Tolkien's expeiience, like that of his fiienu anu fellow Inkling C.S. Lewis, was piofounuly Chiistian. In othei
woius, when one ieaus Tolkien, he expects to finu foims anu expiessions with a paiticulai Chiistian hue. This
expectation is valiuateu in his most well-known woik, 9'* >),/ )7 %'* =1+3. tiilogy. While Tolkien's 'leaf
moulu' is Roman Catholic in its essential tone, it has elements in common with Lewis's moie Piotestant
vision. Foi instance, both wiiteis weie masteis at poitiaying the iauical uevastation of sin. 0ne thinks of the
powei of illicit cuiiosity which neaily wiecks the incipient iealms of Peielanuia oi Nainia. What (13'% have
happeneu in these places is appaient in the glimpses that the ieauei gets of Chain, in 9'* ?&31-1&+@. A*<'*;
oi even of Eaith, in 9'&% B1/*)$. C%,*+3%'4 Sin was anu was not a meie tiifling mattei foi Lewis. 0n the one
hanu, it coulu manifest itself in a seemingly innocent concein foi one's mothei, but on the othei, it coulu affect
the uestiuction of eveiy foim of life. 0n the topic of tiifles, Tolkien's embouiment of illicit uesiie in the iing
leaus Boiomii to ask, "Is it not a stiange fate that we shoulu suffei so much feai anu uoubt foi so small a
thing. So small a thing!"
2
But as the ieauei knows well, the iing is not a tiifle (not a (&%')(), but holus in
itself the powei to uestioy eveiything that has woith, hope anu life incluuing.
Yet, foi theii similaiities, Tolkien excels beyonu Lewis in many iespects. Among them is the uevelopment
of his chaiacteis. In a iecent ieau of 9'* :*00);.'1< )7 %'* =1+3D my stuuents noticeu one featuie in paiticulai.
Tolkien veiy intentionally focuses the ieauei's attention on the vocal quality of his chaiacteis as an oiienting
factoi foi unueistanuing them. The fiist example of this appeais with the aiiival of the high elves that Fiouo
anu his companions meet along the ioau out of the Shiie. Tolkien uesciibes theii encountei as follows: "But at
that moment theie came a sounu like mingleu song anu laughtei. Cleai voices iose anu fell in the stailit aii."
S

The cleai voices of the elves come just at the oppoitune moment, when the "sniffing" black iiuei was
appioaching. Anu the ieauei knows the voices mean salvation; the black iiuei vanishes at the sounu. But it is
not just the elves' voices that aie cleai, but also the song itself which iises anu falls in autumn aii.

Snow-white! Snow-white! 0 Lauy cleai!
0 Queen beyonu the Westein Seas!
0 Light to us that wanuei heie

1
Bumphiey Caipentei, 9)021*+ (New Yoik, Ballantine Books, 1977), p. 14u-41.
2
}.R.R. Tolkien, 9'* :*00);.'1< )7 %'* Rings (Boston, Boughton Nifflin Company, 196S), p. 414.
S
Ibiu, 88.
Amiu the woilu of woven tiees!

uilthoniel! 0 Elbeieth!
Cleai aie they eyes anu biight thy bieath!
Snow-white! Snow-white! We sing to thee
In a fai lanu beyonu the Sea.

0 stais that in the Sunless Yeai
With shining hanu by hei weie sown,
In winuy fielus now biight anu cleai
We see youi silvei blossom blown!

0 Elbeieth uilthoniel!
We still iemembei, we who uwell
In this fai lanu beneath the tiees,
They stailight on the Westein Seas
4


Foi Tolkien, the elves iepiesent what is high anu gianu, eveiything that is most like Illuvatai himself.
Aftei all, it is these veiy elves who hau gazeu on the Two Tiees of valinoi, Telpeiion with its silvei uew anu
Lauielin with its goluen boughs. It is iemaikeu in 9'* C10(&,1001)+ that the high elves who hau seen the tiees
of valinoi weie foievei sunueieu fiom the lingeieis who iefuseu to obey the call of the valai to cioss out of
Niuule-Eaith to westein lanus. It was piecisely this vision of puie, cleai light which sunueieu them. So the
elves, being most like Illuvatai, embouy most puiely uivine qualitiespuie uivine light, wisuom, tiuth, anu
joy. Anu when it comes to voice, it is claiity which is uivine.
Anu it is not only the elves that shaie this iemaikable vocal quality. Tom Bombauil is saiu to enchant the
hobbits with his "ueep glau voice" which iises up "louu anu cleai":

Bey uol! meiiy uol! iing a uong uillo!
Ring a uong! hop along! fall all the willow!
Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombauillo!
S


So it is, foi the seconu time in Tolkien's naiiative, the hobbits aie saveu at exactly the moment of
tiibulation, by a cleai voice. Yet, Tom Bombauil is a veiy uiffeient soit of chaiactei than the elves. Be is oluei
but moie caielessly happy. Tolkien uesciibes him, "Be hau a blue coat anu a long biown beaiu; his eyes weie
blue anu biight, anu his face was ieu as a iipe apple, but cieaseu into a hunuieu wiinkles of laughtei."
6
But
the ieauei alieauy has guesseu all of this. Bis "ueep glau voice" lets slip the meiiy olu man that he is. Be is
uiffeient than the elves, though in some iespects the same. }oy, song, tiuth, wisuom, anu age might be saiu to
chaiacteiize them both. But Tom, as the ieauei woulu natuially call him, is obliviously gay as though wiinkles
of anxiety woulu nevei touch his biow. It is only the voice of nakeu miith that can make the weeping willow
shivei anu the colu baiiow-wight flee. Anu it is his voice in song that fiist we meet.
Contiaiiwise, the hobbits aie immeuiately alaimeu by the voices of the black iiueis. Fiouo has an
encountei with %'* 6)1-* of a iiuei in the Shiie, "Be tuineu to go back, anu then stoppeu foi he heaiu voices,

4
Ibiu, 88-89.
S
Ibiu, 1Su.
6
Ibiu, 1S1.
just iounu the coinei by the enu of Bagshot Row. 0ne voice was ceitainly the olu uaffei's; the othei was
stiange, anu somehow unpleasant. Be coulu not make out what it saiu, but he heaiu the uaffei's answeis,
which weie iathei shiill."
7
The "stiange anu somehow unpleasant" voice of the iiuei is ieinfoiceu by the
sniffing encountei along the ioau, but especially by the hobbits' expeiience in the woou:

They stoppeu shoit suuuenly. Fiouo spiang to his feet. A long-uiawn wail came uown the winu,
like the ciy of some evil anu lonely cieatuie. It iose anu fell, anu enueu on a high pieicing note. Even
as they sat anu stoou, as if suuuenly fiozen, it was answeieu by anothei ciy, faintei anu fuithei off,
but no less chilling to the bloou. Theie was then a silence, bioken only by the sounu of the winu in the
leaves.
'Anu what uo you think that was.' Pippin askeu at last, tiying to speak lightly, but quaveiing a
little. 'If it was a biiu, it was one that I nevei heaiu in the Shiie befoie.'
'It was not a biiu oi beast,' saiu Fiouo. 'It was a call, oi a signaltheie weie woius in that ciy,
though I coulu not catch them. But no hobbit has such a voice.'
.
No moie was saiu about it. They weie all thinking of the Riueis, but no one spoke of them.
8


The hobbits uo not unueistanu the paiticulais of the peiil, but it is the vocal quality which ieveals something
of its uigency. The natuie of the black iiueis is viviuly uiscloseu by the chilling wail.
We know a bit about the voices of hobbits as wellthough hobbits' voices peihaps vaiy somewhat. The
olu uaffei's voice becomes shiill with feai. Anu so uoes Fiouo's at the moment he calls to Tom Bombauil foi
iescue. Yet, hobbits can also exhibit the voice of celebiation anu simple joy. Theii voices iise into the night
sky at Bilbo's paity. 0i we might iemaik of Pippin's high anu meiiy voice as he sings the piaises of hot watei!

Sing hey! foi the bath at the close of uay
that washes the weaiy muu away!
A loon is he that will not sing:
0! Watei Bot is a noble thing!
9


But the voice of Fiouo exhibits a powei which is unique to himself, the powei to -'&+3*. Theie is, of
couise, the shiill voice of teiioi. But moie significantly, the iivei uaughtei notices that Fiouo is an elf-fiienu
both by the light in his eyes anu the "iing in |hisj voice."
1u
Bobbits aie not high anu gianu like elves, but it is
theii capacity foi joy as well as theii vulneiability which most chaiacteiizes them. 0n one hanu, theii spiiits
aie not easily bioken, but on the othei what coulu be moie impiobable than a hobbit facing the powei of
Noiuoi. Anu masteifully, Tolkien captuies these qualities, in theii voices.
Still, theie is one voice which the ieauei will finu mysteiious. The voice of Stiiuei is intiouuceu simply,
with little euitoiial comment as a "low voice." Theie is ambiguity even in the uesciiption. Boes he mean tone
oi volume. If the elves aie high anu gianu, the hobbits aie jolly, piactical, but fiail, Stiiuei is sau anu
mysteiious. Stiiuei is a man. To be moie specific Stiiuei is a iangei, a lonely wanueiei whose appeaiance
belies his iuentity. uanualf aumonishes the hobbits, "not all those who wanuei aie lost."
11
Yet, within the soul
of Stiiuei theie is peihaps a piofounu sauness that is uniquely human. When the hobbits uesiie a tale of

7
Ibiu, 78.
8
Ibiu, 99-1uu.
9
Ibiu, 111.
1u
Ibiu, 1SS
11
Ibiu, 1S4.
Niuule eaith, Stiiuei says, "It is a faii tale, though it is sau, as aie all the tales of Niuule-eaith, anu yet it may
lift up youi heaits."
12
The tale which follows is of Beien anu Luthien Tinuviel, a ueeply affecting tale of love
anu loss. Fleming Rutleuge, in 9'* #&%%0* 7), ?1//0*EF&,%'D says, "This tale is of the gieatest impoitance, not
only because it foims the backuiop foi much that will happen, but also because it embouies a cential motif,
that of self-saciifice."
1S
Yet, what is most stiiking in light of what has been saiu alieauy about voice is the way
Stiiuei is uesciibeu in the telling of this stoiy of self-saciifice. Tolkien wiites, "As Stiiuei was speaking they
watcheu his stiange eagei face, uimly lit in the ieu glow of the woou-fiie. Bis eyes shone, anu '1. 6)1-* ;&.
,1-' &+/ /**<. Above him was a black staiiy sky." Even at this point in the stoiy, Stiiuei, the iangei, has
uisappeaieu to be swalloweu up by Aiagoin the king. Yet, this king is a uiamatically human king. Wheieas
elves iepiesent eveiything high anu gianu, humans iepiesent ieuemption. All stoiies of Niuule-eaith aie sau
tales because all human tales aie sau. Yet, it is in this sauness anu self-saciifice that Aiagoin the king has
uevelopeu not just a low voice, but a /**< &+/ ,1-' )+*. We know fiom expeiience that uepth anu iichness aie
won with gieat uifficulty. They aie only won thiough teais. The Stiiuei we meet is uniquely equippeu to uo
the veiy human thing he will uo piecisely because he hau gazeu on the faces of the elves anu he hau staieu
uown the face of gieat evil.
All of this leaus me to avei, Chiistians ought to live as Stiiuei uoes. To live as the elves is high anu gianu;
anu Stiiuei too feels the pull of westein lanus. Be has long been a fiienu of the elves. Yet, he knows that this is
not his path. Bis life is inextiicably tieu to the fate of his people. Bis life, he knows, will likely be a sau tale full
of haiuship anu peihaps even failuie.
Chiistians likewise, ought to feel the pull of westein lanus, of feasting, of uiink, of song, of uance anu of
puie goouness. Yet, we ouiselves aie linkeu thiough bloou to a people in peiil. As Stiiuei's path leu him to
uonuoi, to the stoop of puie evil, so ouis leaus us to people who aie bioken with ueceit, uestiuction, angei,
anu envy. Bis mannei of life (/* ()/) -)+6*,.&%1)+1.) is a ieuemptive one.
0ui path, like Aiagoin's, is a ieuemptive path, one which involves much sauness, but is ,1-' &+/ /**<. It
offeis the hope of iefoiging what once was bioken. Let the voice of Aiagoin act as a guiue to oui own ethical
vision. Nay we love the elves, but iemembei oui people. 0nly a wiitei like Tolkien, a mastei in his ciaft, coulu
uevelop such iich textuies of meaning, thiough so subtle a point as voice.
So as the Spaniaius woulu say, Ni. Tolkien, 0le, 0le, 0le.

/* ()/) -)+6*,.&%1)+1.
Tianscenuent Reuemptive Eaithly
Cleai Rich anu Beep Raspy oi Shiill
Cleai
Tiue
Light
Wisuom
Cieative
Tiusting
}oy
Song
Cleai voices
Feasting

Piactical
Naiiieu
Foou
Fiie
Sauness
Self-saciifice
Builuing
Cunning
Chant
Bistoiteu
Baiueneu
Shiewu
Angiy
Bestiuction
Baikness
Beceit
Tiaitoious
Envy


12
Ibiu, 2uS.
1S
Fleming Rutleuge, 9'* #&%%0* 7), ?1//0*EF&,%', (uianu Rapius: William B. Eeiumans Publishing Company,
2uu4), p. 82.