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Month: November 2023

Pity and the Ring: On Sam and Gandalf’s temptations

I had a stray thought recently, inspired by Sam’s reluctance to give the Ring back up to Frodo in the Tower of Cirith Ungol.  For anyone who needs a refresher, this occurs in Book VI, following Shelob’s Lair and Sam’s taking of the Ring from Frodo’s (seemingly) lifeless body.  When Sam finds and rescues Frodo in the tower, he has a moment of hesitation in giving the Ring back: Sam fumbled for the Ring and its chain. ‘But I suppose you must take it back.’ Now it had come to it, Sam felt reluctant to give up the Ring and…

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An Unexpected Blog of Mazarbul Golden Jubilee Post!

I’ve always been fond of “significant” numbers, of milestones and notable figures.  I suspect I like them less for any actual achievement that they represent (after all, technically speaking reaching 101 of something is more of an achievement than 100, and yet the latter is disproportionately lauded!) and more for their large round numberiness, but the effect is the same either way.  I like a milestone. For more than a few blog pages, 50 posts wouldn’t necessarily feel like a milestone – that’s just a post a week for a year, with Christmas and Easter off into the bargain.  But…

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