The Lord of the Rings – alternative ending
The existing ending of Tolkien’s masterpiece is neither sad nor happy. Elegiac is perhaps the best description. Frodo, Gandalf and Galadriel depart over the Western seas towards Valinor, the blessed realm of the gods. Sam Gamgee, however, returns to the Shire to begin along and happy life – ‘well, I’m back he says, and that is the end. Simple and satisfying.
Ending a fantasy masterwork is extremely difficult, as many authors, including George R R Martin with his Game of Thrones series still unfinished, have found to their cost. Tolkien had it all clear in his mind. Life ends in the eternal, but temporal life, in Middle Earth, goes on. Sam and his family represent fruitful continuity.
The unpublished epilogue fills this scenario out and is a little more optimistic than the published ending about the fading of magic from Middle Earth. Sam talks to his beloved daughter Elanor and explains what has happened to some of the main characters in The book. But most touchingly he also tells her that King Aragorn is coming to visit, to Lake Evendim just north of the Shire. Sam, Elanor and his whole family are invited to join the king by an ornate invitation in Elvish script – which Tolkien of course drew up in great detail. Queen Arwen and a company of elves will also be there and there will be singing by the lake. Sam explains to Elanor (Tolkien’s spelling) that some high elves have remained to look after Rivendell and the forest of Lothlorien. Indeed it is hinted that they may be around for some hundreds of years to come. As Sam says, ‘the light is fading Eleanorel but it won’t go out yet…’
The next issue of Urthona will contain much more about Tolkien’s vision his down to earth heroes and the anti-quest of the Ring. Subscribe at shop above.
You can find the text of the unpublished epilogue in the book ‘Sauron Defeated’ and the more accessible ‘The End of the Third Age’.
You can find facsimiles off the manuscripts in the book Tolkien, the Art of the Manuscript. ‘
Currently, searching for ‘Lord of the rings unpublished epilogue’ with bring up a PDF of the text.
Image – a publicity still from the Prime series…
