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{{short description|Group in The Lord of the Rings}} {{short description|Group in The Lord of the Rings}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
The '''Company of the Ring''', also called the '''Fellowship of the Ring''' and the '''Nine Walkers''', is a group of nine representatives from the ]: ], ], ], and ]s; and a ]. The group is described in the first volume of '']'', itself titled ]. The number nine is chosen, as the book's author ] states, to match and oppose the nine Black Riders or ]s. The '''Company of the Ring''', also called the '''Fellowship of the Ring''' and the '''Nine Walkers''', is a fictional group of nine representatives from the ]: ], ], ], and ]s; and a ]. The group is described in the first volume of '']'', itself titled ]. The number nine is chosen, as the book's author ] states, to match and oppose the nine Black Riders or ]s.


Scholars have commented that Tolkien saw community as the right way to live. They note, too, that the Company is diverse both in culture and in personal qualities, and bound together by friendship, a model very different from the ]. Tolkien uses the term "company" far more often than "fellowship", the word coming from Latin ''companio'', a person who shares bread, suggesting a co-traveller on the road or a group with a shared purpose. The Company of the Ring has been likened to the ] order of the ], a group that has many points of similarity including a person carrying the burden of ], a returning King, an accompanying Wizard, and a treacherous knight. Scholars have commented that Tolkien saw community as the right way to live. They note, too, that the Company is diverse both in culture and in personal qualities, and bound together by friendship, a model very different from the ]. Tolkien uses the term "company" far more often than "fellowship", the word coming from Latin ''companio'', a person who shares bread, suggesting a co-traveller on the road or a group with a shared purpose. The Company of the Ring has been likened to the ] order of the ], a group that has many points of similarity including a person carrying the burden of ], a returning King, an accompanying Wizard, and a treacherous knight.
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== Context == == Context ==


] (1892–1973) was an English ] writer, poet, ], and academic, best known as the author of the ] works '']'' and '']''.{{sfn|Carpenter|1978|pp=111, 200, 266 and throughout}} Set in ], ''The Lord of the Rings'' is one of the ], with over 150 million copies sold.{{sfn|Wagner|2007}} ] (1892–1973) was an English ] writer, poet, ], and academic, best known as the author of the ] works '']'', published in 1937, and its sequel '']'', published in 1954–55.{{sfn|Carpenter|1978|pp=111, 200, 266 and throughout}} Set in the ] of ], ''The Lord of the Rings'' is one of the ], with over 150 million copies sold.{{sfn|Wagner|2007}}


== Narrative == == Narrative ==


{{Sketch Map of Middle-earth|upright=2.6|caption=] with clickable links of the north-west of ] at the end of the ]|position=right}}
⚫ The main plot of ''The Lord of the Rings'' is ] to destroy the ], to prevent it from falling into the hands of the dark lord ].<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> ] in ] to decide how to achieve this. A hobbit, ], is to bear the Ring to the land of ] to destroy it in the fires of ]. He is to be assisted by a Company representing the Free Peoples of ].<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 2 "]"}}</ref> ] announces that


⚫ The main plot of ''The Lord of the Rings'' is ] to destroy the ], to prevent it from falling into the hands of its creator, the dark lord ].<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 2 "]"}}</ref> ] in ] to decide how to achieve this. A hobbit, ], is to bear the Ring to the land of ] to destroy it in the fires of ].<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> He is to be assisted by a Company representing the Free Peoples of ].<ref name="The Ring Goes South" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch.3, "]"}}</ref> ] announces that
⚫ {{blockquote|The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the ] that are evil...<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> }}


⚫ {{blockquote|The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the ] that are evil...<ref name="The Ring Goes South" group=T/> }}
⚫ The Company sets out on ] at the beginning of winter.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch.3, "The Ring Goes South"}}</ref> It is led by the Wizard ];<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> he takes the company south through the wild lands of ]. They attempt to cross the ], but are driven back. Instead, they travel through the mines of ].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"}}</ref> Gandalf falls while fighting a ] there, allowing the others to escape.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum"}}</ref> ] leads the Fellowship to ],<ref group=T name="Lothlórien">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 6 "Lothlórien"</ref> and then in boats down the ].<ref group=T name="Great River">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 9 "The Great River"</ref>


⚫ The Company sets out on ] at the beginning of winter.<ref name="The Ring Goes South" group=T/> It is led by the Wizard ];<ref name="The Ring Goes South" group=T/> he takes the company south through the wild lands of ]. They attempt to cross the ], but are driven back. Instead, they travel through the mines of ].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"}}</ref> Gandalf falls while fighting a ] there, allowing the others to escape.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum"}}</ref> ] leads the Fellowship to ],<ref group=T name="Lothlórien">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 6 "Lothlórien"</ref> and then in boats down the ].<ref group=T name="Great River">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 9 "The Great River"</ref>
⚫ After some days on the river, the Company camp at Parth Galen to decide what to do. The next day, the Company is broken. While the others argue about the route to take, ] slips away and ] follows him. Boromir demands the Ring from Frodo. To escape, Frodo puts on the Ring.<ref name="Breaking of the Fellowship" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}} book 2, ch. 10, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"</ref>

⚫ ] and ] are captured by a group of ]s. Boromir is killed defending them.<ref name="Uruk-hai" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}}, book 3, ch. 1 "The Uruk-hai"</ref> Aragorn, ] and ] give Boromir's body a boat burial;<ref name="Departure of Boromir" group="T">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}}, book 3, ch. 1 "The Departure of Boromir"</ref> they then set off in pursuit of Merry and Pippin.<ref name="Riders of Rohan" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}}, book 3, ch. 2 "The Riders of Rohan"</ref> ] catches up with Frodo as he, still invisible, sets out to cross the river in one of the boats; the two of them set out together to Mordor.<ref name="Breaking of the Fellowship" group=T/> Frodo and Sam manage, after many hardships, to reach Mount Doom. The Ring is destroyed, and Sauron is utterly vanquished. The Company of the Ring is victorious.{{sfn|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 3 "Mount Doom"}}
⚫ After some days on the river, the Company camp at Parth Galen to decide what to do. The next day, the Company is broken. While the others argue about the route to take, ] slips away and ] follows him. Boromir demands the Ring from Frodo. To escape, Frodo puts on the Ring, making himself invisible.<ref name="Breaking of the Fellowship" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}} book 2, ch. 10, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"</ref>
⚫ ] and ] are captured by a group of ]s. Boromir is killed defending them.<ref name="Uruk-hai" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}}, book 3, ch. 1 "The Uruk-hai"</ref> Aragorn, ] and ] give Boromir's body a boat burial;<ref name="Departure of Boromir" group="T">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}}, book 3, ch. 1 "The Departure of Boromir"</ref> they then set off in pursuit of Merry and Pippin.<ref name="Riders of Rohan" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954}}, book 3, ch. 2 "The Riders of Rohan"</ref> ] catches up with Frodo as he, still invisible, sets out to cross the river in one of the boats; the two of them set out together to Mordor.<ref name="Breaking of the Fellowship" group=T/> Frodo and Sam manage, after many hardships, to reach Mount Doom. The Ring is destroyed, and Sauron is utterly vanquished. The Company of the Ring is victorious.<ref name="Mount Doom" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 3 "Mount Doom"}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 1em auto;" {| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 1em auto;"
|+ The Nine Walkers of the Company<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> |+ The Nine Walkers of the Company<ref name="The Ring Goes South" group=T/>
|- |-
! Race !! Name !! Description ! Race !! Name !! Description
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{{further|Nazgûl}} {{further|Nazgûl}}


The ] scholar Ariel Little writes that Tolkien saw community as the "ideal model for life"<!--p. 304-->. The type of community is specifically diverse, in culture and in personal qualities, a team bound together by friendship and relying completely on the strengths of each individual member to forward the common cause. This is the reverse of the character of what Tolkien states is the opposing group, the Nine Riders, who are "homogeneous, discordant, and intensely individualistic."<!--pp. 305–306-->{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}} Little comments that the model of community is radically unlike the ].{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}} The Christian commentator ] writes that "the greatness of the Nine Walkers lies in the modesty of both their abilities and accomplishments. Their strength lies in their weakness, in their solidarity as a company unwilling to wield controlling power over others."{{sfn|Wood|2011|pp=116–134}} Rebecca Munro notes that in the Company, "no one acts alone without dependence on the deeds of others".{{sfn|Munro|2014|p=645}} Little adds that even when the Company is split into smaller groups, it is not destroyed; the three smaller groups—Frodo and Sam on the way to Mordor; Merry and Pippin supporting each other; Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli acting as a team—continue to function as communities.{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}} The ] scholar Ariel Little writes that Tolkien saw community as the "ideal model for life"<!--p. 304-->. This desired type of community, as seen in the Company of the Ring, is specifically diverse, in culture and in personal qualities, a team bound together by friendship and relying completely on the strengths of each individual member to forward the common cause. This is the reverse of the character of what Tolkien states is the evil assemblage that opposes the Company, who are "homogeneous, discordant, and intensely individualistic."<!--pp. 305–306-->{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}} Little comments that the model of community is radically unlike the ].{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}} The Christian theologian ] writes that "the greatness of the Nine Walkers lies in the modesty of both their abilities and accomplishments. Their strength lies in their weakness, in their solidarity as a company unwilling to wield controlling power over others."{{sfn|Wood|2011|pp=121}} Rebecca Munro notes that in the Company, "no one acts alone without dependence on the deeds of others".{{sfn|Munro|2014|p=645}} Little adds that even when the Company is split into smaller groups, it is not destroyed; the three smaller groups—Frodo and Sam on the way to Mordor; Merry and Pippin supporting each other; Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli acting as a team—continue to function as communities.{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}}


]. Tolkien made the two groups match in number but sharply different in character.{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}}<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/>]] ]. Tolkien made the two groups match in number but differ sharply in character.{{sfn|Little|2020|pp=304–315}}<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/>]]


Martina Juričková writes in '']'' that Tolkien uses the term "company" far more often than "fellowship" to describe the group: "company" appears more than 130 times, against just 9 for "fellowship".{{sfn|Juričková |2014|pp=32–34}} She notes that Tolkien was a ], fully aware of the etymologies of these terms, and the resulting slight differences in their meanings. "Company" and "companion" are from the Latin ''companio'', in turn from ''con'' ("with") and ''panis'' ("bread"), hence "person who shares bread ", such as a co-traveller or a member of a group with a shared purpose.{{sfn|Juričková |2014|pp=32–34}} "Fellow", on the other hand, derives from ] ''feolaga'', "a fee-layer", a person who joins in a financial venture. Juričková comments that this could mean an equal, "a peer with whom I have something in common"; but that in modern English it can equally well mean someone "of lower rank or considered to be of little importance or worth" (as in "that fellow over there"). That would explain, she suggests, why Tolkien could use "fellowship" with its positive connotations, while avoiding the loosely-used word "fellow".{{sfn|Juričková |2014|pp=32–34}} Martina Juričková writes in '']'' that Tolkien uses the term "company" far more often than "fellowship" to describe the group: "company" appears more than 130 times, against just 9 for "fellowship".{{sfn|Juričková |2014|pp=32–34}} She notes that Tolkien was a ], fully aware of the etymologies of these terms, and the resulting slight differences in their meanings. "Company" and "companion" are from the Latin ''companio'', in turn from ''con'' ("with") and ''panis'' ("bread"), hence "person who shares bread ", such as a co-traveller or a member of a group with a shared purpose.{{sfn|Juričková |2014|pp=32–34}}{{sfn|Online Etymology Dictionary|2024}} "Fellow", on the other hand, derives from ] ''feolaga'', "a fee-layer", a person who joins in a financial venture. Juričková comments that this could mean an equal, "a peer with whom I have something in common"; but that in modern English it can equally well mean someone "of lower rank or considered to be of little importance or worth" (as in "that fellow over there"). That would explain, she suggests, why Tolkien could use "fellowship" with its positive connotations, while avoiding the loosely-used word "fellow".{{sfn|Juričková |2014|pp=32–34}}


=== Arthurian origins === === Arthurian origins ===
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{{further|Celtic influences on Tolkien#Arthurian legend}} {{further|Celtic influences on Tolkien#Arthurian legend}}


].{{sfn|Gálvez-Gómez|2018|pp=88–92}} ''The Arming and Departure of the Knights'', 19th-century tapestry by ], ], and ] ]] ].{{sfn|Gálvez-Gómez|2018|pp=88–92}} Detail of ''The Arming and Departure of the Knights'', 19th-century tapestry by ], ], and ] ]]


Tolkien scholars note that while Tolkien criticised the ], and disliked its explicit mentions of Christian themes, there are multiple parallels in his writings, not least of Aragorn to King Arthur, suggesting that Tolkien certainly made use of the mythology.{{sfn|Finn|2005|pp=23-26}}{{sfn|Flieger|2005|pp=33–44}}{{sfn|Jardillier|2003}} Laura Gálvez-Gómez specifically likens the Company of the Ring to the Arthurian order of the ]. In both, there is "a chosen hero who carries the main burden" on a quest, a returning King with the gift of healing, an accompanying Wizard, a treacherous knight, and "a hero without courtly manners who finally becomes a knight".{{sfn|Gálvez-Gómez|2018|pp=88–92}} Tolkien scholars note that while Tolkien criticised the ], and disliked its explicit mentions of Christian themes, there are multiple parallels in his writings, not least of Aragorn to King Arthur, suggesting that Tolkien certainly made use of the mythology.{{sfn|Finn|2005|pp=23-26}}{{sfn|Flieger|2005|pp=33–44}}{{sfn|Jardillier|2003}} Laura Gálvez-Gómez specifically likens the Company of the Ring to the Arthurian order of the ]. In both, there is "a chosen hero who carries the main burden" on a quest, a returning King with the gift of healing, an accompanying Wizard, a treacherous knight, and "a hero without courtly manners who finally becomes a knight".{{sfn|Gálvez-Gómez|2018|pp=88–95}}{{-}}


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 1em auto;" {| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 1em auto;"
|+ Laura Gálvez-Gómez's analysis of Arthurian features of the Company {{sfn|Gálvez-Gómez|2018|pp=88–92}} |+ Laura Gálvez-Gómez's analysis of Arthurian features of the Company {{sfn|Gálvez-Gómez|2018|pp=88–92}}
|- |-
! Element !! Fellowship of the Ring !! Order of the Round Table ! Element !! Company of the Ring !! ]
|- |-
| Unifying symbol || ]<br/>All of Middle-earth || ]<br/>Equality, loyalty, and friendship | Unifying symbol || ]<br/>All of Middle-earth || ]<br/>Equality, loyalty, and friendship
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| Returning King || ]<br/>raised by Elves<br/>Inherits sword ] || ]<br/>Raised among fairies<br/>Inherits sword ] | Returning King || ]<br/>raised by Elves<br/>Inherits sword ] || ]<br/>Raised among fairies<br/>Inherits sword ]
|- |-
| Wizard, King's advisor || ]<br/>''Mithrandir'' || ]<br/>''Myrddin'' | Wizard,<br/>King's advisor || ]<br/>''Mithrandir'' || ]<br/>''Myrddin''
|- |-
| Burden-carrier || ]<br/>Ring-bearer || ] or ]<br/>] Knight | Burden-carrier || ]<br/>Ring-bearer || ] or ]<br/>] Knight
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== In adaptations == == In adaptations ==


]'s 2001 film '']''. From left to right: (top row) ], ], ], ], (bottom row) ], ], ], ], ].{{sfn|Cast|2002}} The casting is widely admired.{{sfn|Rotten|2020}} Even Tolkien scholars hostile to the films admired the casting and costumes.{{sfn|Thompson|2011}} The hobbits and dwarf were ] scale doubles of film sets, ], ]ing, and choosing actors of differing heights.{{sfn|New Line Cinema|2004}} ]] ]'s 2001 film '']''. From left to right: (top row) ], ], ], ], (bottom row) ], ], ], ], ].{{sfn|Cast|2002}} The casting is widely admired.{{sfn|Rotten|2020}} Even Tolkien scholars hostile to the films admired the casting and costumes.{{sfn|Thompson|2011}} The hobbits and dwarf were ] scale doubles of film sets, ], ]ing, and choosing actors of differing heights.{{sfn|New Line Cinema|2004}} ]]


All the members of the Company of the Ring are portrayed in ]'s 2001 film '']''.{{sfn|Cast|2002}} A consensus of film critics described the casting as "pitch-perfect".{{sfn|Rotten|2020}} The Company was played by the following actors:{{sfn|Cast|2002}} All the members of the Company of the Ring are portrayed in ]'s 2001 film '']''.{{sfn|Cast|2002}} According to ], a consensus of film critics described the casting as "pitch-perfect".{{sfn|Rotten|2020}} The Company was played by the following actors:{{sfn|Cast|2002}}


* ] as ] * ] as ]
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* ] as ] * ] as ]


Tolkien scholars were divided about ], but even scholars generally hostile to the film version have respected its visual presentation, admiring the casting, costumes, props, and cinematography.{{sfn|Thompson|2011}} The diminutive scale of the four hobbits, and of the dwarf Gimli, ], including scale doubles of film sets, ], and ]ing to combine reduced images of hobbits and dwarf with unscaled images of the other members of the Company. To make the dwarf appear slightly taller than the hobbits without requiring additional scale doubles, a tall actor was chosen to play the dwarf.{{sfn|New Line Cinema|2004}} Tolkien scholars were divided about ], but even scholars generally hostile to the film version have respected its visual presentation, admiring the casting, costumes, props, and cinematography.{{sfn|Thompson|2011|p=25–26, 31}} The diminutive scale of the four hobbits, and of the dwarf Gimli, ], including scale doubles of film sets, ], and ]ing to combine reduced images of hobbits and dwarf with unscaled images of the other members of the Company. To make the dwarf appear slightly taller than the hobbits without requiring additional scale doubles, a tall actor was chosen to play the dwarf.{{sfn|New Line Cinema|2004}}


== References == == References ==
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{{refbegin|30em}} {{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Carpenter |first=Humphrey |author-link=Humphrey Carpenter |title=J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography |title-link=J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography |year=1978 |orig-year=1977 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-04928-039-7 }} * {{cite book |last=Carpenter |first=Humphrey |author-link=Humphrey Carpenter |title=J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography |title-link=J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography |year=1978 |orig-year=1977 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-04928-039-7}}
* {{cite video |ref={{harvid|Cast|2002}} |title=The Fellowship of the Cast |medium=DVD |publisher=] |year=2002}} * {{cite video |ref={{harvid|Cast|2002}} |title=The Fellowship of the Cast |medium=DVD |publisher=] |year=2002}}
* {{cite journal |last=Finn |first=Richard J. |title=Arthur and Aragorn: Arthurian influence in ''The Lord of the Rings'' |journal=] |issue=43 |year=2005 |pages=23–26 |url=https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/download/118/112 |jstor=45320521}} * {{cite journal |last=Finn |first=Richard J. |title=Arthur and Aragorn: Arthurian influence in ''The Lord of the Rings'' |journal=] |issue=43 |year=2005 |pages=23–26 |url=https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/download/118/112 |jstor=45320521}}
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* {{cite journal |last=Juričková |first=Martina |title=Friendship in Tolkien's world |journal=] |issue=55 |year=2014 |pages=32–34 |url=https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/download/54/48}} * {{cite journal |last=Juričková |first=Martina |title=Friendship in Tolkien's world |journal=] |issue=55 |year=2014 |pages=32–34 |url=https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/download/54/48}}
* {{cite book |last=Little |first=Ariel |chapter=<!--22. -->Hope remains while the company is true: The community heroic in the Fellowship of the Ring |title=The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada |year=2020 |pages=304–315 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-6265-3 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8WMOEAAAQBAJ&dq=members+of+Fellowship+of+the+Ring&pg=PA304}} * {{cite book |last=Little |first=Ariel |chapter=<!--22. -->Hope remains while the company is true: The community heroic in the Fellowship of the Ring |title=The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada |year=2020 |pages=304–315 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-6265-3 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8WMOEAAAQBAJ&dq=members+of+Fellowship+of+the+Ring&pg=PA304}}
* {{cite journal |last=Munro |first=Rebecca |title=The Art of The Lord of the Rings: A Defense of the Aesthetic |journal=Religion and the Arts |year=2014 |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=636–652|doi=10.1163/15685292-01805002 }} * {{cite journal |last=Munro |first=Rebecca |title=The Art of The Lord of the Rings: A Defense of the Aesthetic |journal=Religion and the Arts |year=2014 |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=636–652 |doi=10.1163/15685292-01805002}}
* {{cite AV media |type=DVD |title=Weta Digital |publisher=New Line Cinema |date=2004 |ref={{harvid|New Line Cinema|2004}} }} * {{cite AV media |type=DVD |title=Weta Digital |publisher=New Line Cinema |date=2004 |ref={{harvid|New Line Cinema|2004}}}}
* {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Online Etymology Dictionary|2024}} |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/companion |title=companion (n.) |publisher=] |access-date=6 January 2025}}
* {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Rotten|2020}} |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_fellowship_of_the_ring |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517125839/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_fellowship_of_the_ring |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) |website=] |publisher=] |year=2020 |archive-date=17 May 2020 |access-date=17 May 2020 |url-status=live}} * {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Rotten|2020}} |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_fellowship_of_the_ring |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517125839/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_fellowship_of_the_ring |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) |website=] |publisher=] |year=2020 |archive-date=17 May 2020 |access-date=17 May 2020 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Thompson |first=Kristin |author-link=Kristin Thompson |chapter=Gollum Talks to Himself: Problems and Solutions in Peter Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings'' |editor1-last=Bogstad |editor1-first=Janice M. |editor2-last=Kaveny |editor2-first=Philip E. |title=] |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNjKrXRP0G8C&pg=PA25 |year=2011 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-7864-8473-7 |pages=25–45 |access-date=6 November 2024 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713085043/https://books.google.com/books?id=jNjKrXRP0G8C&pg=PA25 |url-status=live }} * {{cite book |last=Thompson |first=Kristin |author-link=Kristin Thompson |chapter=Gollum Talks to Himself: Problems and Solutions in Peter Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings'' |editor1-last=Bogstad |editor1-first=Janice M. |editor2-last=Kaveny |editor2-first=Philip E. |title=] |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNjKrXRP0G8C&pg=PA25 |year=2011 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-7864-8473-7 |pages=25–45 |access-date=6 November 2024 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713085043/https://books.google.com/books?id=jNjKrXRP0G8C&pg=PA25 |url-status=live}}
* {{ME-ref|FOTR}} * {{ME-ref|FOTR}}
* {{ME-ref|TT}} * {{ME-ref|TT}}
* {{ME-ref|ROTK}} * {{ME-ref|ROTK}}
* {{cite web |last=Wagner |first=Vit |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/203389 |title=Tolkien proves he's still the king |work=] |date=16 April 2007 |access-date=8 March 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309035210/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/203389 |archive-date=9 March 2011}} * {{cite web |last=Wagner |first=Vit |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/203389 |title=Tolkien proves he's still the king |work=] |date=16 April 2007 |access-date=8 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309035210/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/203389 |archive-date=9 March 2011}}
* {{cite book |last=Wood |first=Ralph C. |author-link=Ralph C. Wood |chapter=J. R. R. Tolkien: His Sorrowful Vision of Joy |editor1-last=Hein |editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Henderson |editor2-first=Edward |title=C. S. Lewis and his Friends |publisher=] |year=2011 |pages=116–134}} * {{cite book |last=Wood |first=Ralph C. |author-link=Ralph C. Wood |chapter=J. R. R. Tolkien: His Sorrowful Vision of Joy |editor1-last=Hein |editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Henderson |editor2-first=Edward |chapter-url=https://www.google.com/books?id=yjFNAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA121 |title=C. S. Lewis and his Friends |publisher=] |year=2011 |pages=116–134}}
{{refend}} {{refend}}


Latest revision as of 16:37, 11 January 2025

Group in The Lord of the Rings

The Company of the Ring, also called the Fellowship of the Ring and the Nine Walkers, is a fictional group of nine representatives from the free peoples of Middle-earth: Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Hobbits; and a Wizard. The group is described in the first volume of The Lord of the Rings, itself titled The Fellowship of the Ring. The number nine is chosen, as the book's author J. R. R. Tolkien states, to match and oppose the nine Black Riders or Ringwraiths.

Scholars have commented that Tolkien saw community as the right way to live. They note, too, that the Company is diverse both in culture and in personal qualities, and bound together by friendship, a model very different from the western image of the lone hero. Tolkien uses the term "company" far more often than "fellowship", the word coming from Latin companio, a person who shares bread, suggesting a co-traveller on the road or a group with a shared purpose. The Company of the Ring has been likened to the Arthurian order of the Knights of the Round Table, a group that has many points of similarity including a person carrying the burden of a quest, a returning King, an accompanying Wizard, and a treacherous knight.

Context

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) was an English Roman Catholic writer, poet, philologist, and academic, best known as the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit, published in 1937, and its sequel The Lord of the Rings, published in 1954–55. Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.

Narrative

Sketch map of Middle-earth during the Third AgeThe ShireOld ForestBreeRivendellEreborEsgarothMoriaIsengardMirkwoodLothlórienFangornMordorGondorRohanHaradcommons:File:Sketch Map of Middle-earth.svg
Image map with clickable links of the north-west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age

The main plot of The Lord of the Rings is a quest to destroy the One Ring, to prevent it from falling into the hands of its creator, the dark lord Sauron. A council is held in Rivendell to decide how to achieve this. A hobbit, Frodo Baggins, is to bear the Ring to the land of Mordor to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom. He is to be assisted by a Company representing the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. Elrond announces that

The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil...

The Company sets out on the quest at the beginning of winter. It is led by the Wizard Gandalf; he takes the company south through the wild lands of Eriador. They attempt to cross the Misty Mountains, but are driven back. Instead, they travel through the mines of Moria. Gandalf falls while fighting a Balrog there, allowing the others to escape. Aragorn leads the Fellowship to Lothlórien, and then in boats down the River Anduin.

After some days on the river, the Company camp at Parth Galen to decide what to do. The next day, the Company is broken. While the others argue about the route to take, Frodo slips away and Boromir follows him. Boromir demands the Ring from Frodo. To escape, Frodo puts on the Ring, making himself invisible. Merry and Pippin are captured by a group of Orcs. Boromir is killed defending them. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli give Boromir's body a boat burial; they then set off in pursuit of Merry and Pippin. Sam catches up with Frodo as he, still invisible, sets out to cross the river in one of the boats; the two of them set out together to Mordor. Frodo and Sam manage, after many hardships, to reach Mount Doom. The Ring is destroyed, and Sauron is utterly vanquished. The Company of the Ring is victorious.

The Nine Walkers of the Company
Race Name Description
Maia Gandalf A Wizard, guide of the Company
Elf Legolas Prince of Mirkwood
Dwarf Gimli Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain
Man Aragorn Ranger of the North, heir to the throne of Gondor
Man Boromir Heir to the Steward of Gondor
Hobbit Frodo Baggins Bearer of the One Ring
Hobbit Samwise Gamgee Frodo's gardener
Hobbit Merry Brandybuck Heir to the Master of Buckland
Hobbit Pippin Took Heir to the Thain of the Shire

Analysis

Theme of community

Further information: Nazgûl

The Inklings scholar Ariel Little writes that Tolkien saw community as the "ideal model for life". This desired type of community, as seen in the Company of the Ring, is specifically diverse, in culture and in personal qualities, a team bound together by friendship and relying completely on the strengths of each individual member to forward the common cause. This is the reverse of the character of what Tolkien states is the evil assemblage that opposes the Company, who are "homogeneous, discordant, and intensely individualistic." Little comments that the model of community is radically unlike the western image of the lone hero. The Christian theologian Ralph C. Wood writes that "the greatness of the Nine Walkers lies in the modesty of both their abilities and accomplishments. Their strength lies in their weakness, in their solidarity as a company unwilling to wield controlling power over others." Rebecca Munro notes that in the Company, "no one acts alone without dependence on the deeds of others". Little adds that even when the Company is split into smaller groups, it is not destroyed; the three smaller groups—Frodo and Sam on the way to Mordor; Merry and Pippin supporting each other; Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli acting as a team—continue to function as communities.

Nine Walkers vs Nine Riders: the free Company of the Ring is opposed to the enslaved Nine Nazgûl. Tolkien made the two groups match in number but differ sharply in character.

Martina Juričková writes in Mallorn that Tolkien uses the term "company" far more often than "fellowship" to describe the group: "company" appears more than 130 times, against just 9 for "fellowship". She notes that Tolkien was a philologist, fully aware of the etymologies of these terms, and the resulting slight differences in their meanings. "Company" and "companion" are from the Latin companio, in turn from con ("with") and panis ("bread"), hence "person who shares bread ", such as a co-traveller or a member of a group with a shared purpose. "Fellow", on the other hand, derives from Old English feolaga, "a fee-layer", a person who joins in a financial venture. Juričková comments that this could mean an equal, "a peer with whom I have something in common"; but that in modern English it can equally well mean someone "of lower rank or considered to be of little importance or worth" (as in "that fellow over there"). That would explain, she suggests, why Tolkien could use "fellowship" with its positive connotations, while avoiding the loosely-used word "fellow".

Arthurian origins

Further information: Celtic influences on Tolkien § Arthurian legend
Scholars have likened the Company of the Ring to the Knights of the Round Table. Detail of The Arming and Departure of the Knights, 19th-century tapestry by Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and John Henry Dearle

Tolkien scholars note that while Tolkien criticised the mythology of King Arthur, and disliked its explicit mentions of Christian themes, there are multiple parallels in his writings, not least of Aragorn to King Arthur, suggesting that Tolkien certainly made use of the mythology. Laura Gálvez-Gómez specifically likens the Company of the Ring to the Arthurian order of the Knights of the Round Table. In both, there is "a chosen hero who carries the main burden" on a quest, a returning King with the gift of healing, an accompanying Wizard, a treacherous knight, and "a hero without courtly manners who finally becomes a knight".

Laura Gálvez-Gómez's analysis of Arthurian features of the Company
Element Company of the Ring Order of the Round Table
Unifying symbol One Ring
All of Middle-earth		 Round Table
Equality, loyalty, and friendship
Returning King Aragorn
raised by Elves
Inherits sword Andúril		 Arthur
Raised among fairies
Inherits sword Excalibur
Wizard,
King's advisor		 Gandalf
Mithrandir		 Merlin
Myrddin
Burden-carrier Frodo
Ring-bearer		 Galahad or Perceval
Grail Knight
Most loyal knight Sam Bedivere
Treacherous knight Boromir Agravain, Mordred
Minor knight Meriadoc Brandybuck Meriadoc
No courtly manners,
becomes a knight		 Peregrin Took Perceval

In adaptations

The members of the Company as portrayed in Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. From left to right: (top row) Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, (bottom row) Sam, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gimli. The casting is widely admired. Even Tolkien scholars hostile to the films admired the casting and costumes. The hobbits and dwarf were made to appear to scale by methods including scale doubles of film sets, forced perspective, green-screening, and choosing actors of differing heights.

All the members of the Company of the Ring are portrayed in Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. According to Rotten Tomatoes, a consensus of film critics described the casting as "pitch-perfect". The Company was played by the following actors:

Tolkien scholars were divided about Jackson's film representation of Tolkien's novel, but even scholars generally hostile to the film version have respected its visual presentation, admiring the casting, costumes, props, and cinematography. The diminutive scale of the four hobbits, and of the dwarf Gimli, was achieved by the use of several methods, including scale doubles of film sets, forced perspective, and green-screening to combine reduced images of hobbits and dwarf with unscaled images of the other members of the Company. To make the dwarf appear slightly taller than the hobbits without requiring additional scale doubles, a tall actor was chosen to play the dwarf.

References

Primary

  1. ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 2 "The Council of Elrond"
  2. ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch.3, "The Ring Goes South"
  3. Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"
  4. Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum"
  5. Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 6 "Lothlórien"
  6. Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 9 "The Great River"
  7. ^ Tolkien 1954a book 2, ch. 10, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"
  8. Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 1 "The Uruk-hai"
  9. Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 1 "The Departure of Boromir"
  10. Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 2 "The Riders of Rohan"
  11. Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 3 "Mount Doom"

Secondary

  1. Carpenter 1978, pp. 111, 200, 266 and throughout.
  2. Wagner 2007.
  3. ^ Little 2020, pp. 304–315.
  4. Wood 2011, pp. 121.
  5. Munro 2014, p. 645.
  6. ^ Juričková 2014, pp. 32–34.
  7. Online Etymology Dictionary 2024.
  8. ^ Gálvez-Gómez 2018, pp. 88–92.
  9. Finn 2005, pp. 23–26.
  10. Flieger 2005, pp. 33–44.
  11. Jardillier 2003.
  12. Gálvez-Gómez 2018, pp. 88–95.
  13. ^ Cast 2002.
  14. ^ Rotten 2020.
  15. Thompson 2011.
  16. ^ New Line Cinema 2004.
  17. Thompson 2011, p. 25–26, 31.

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