Magic (Middle-earth)

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Magic, here defined as mystical, paranormal, or supernatural activity, appears in various forms in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional realm of Middle-earth. All natural beings, landscapes, and objects appear in Middle-earth as they do in the real world, but some are changed or enhanced by a magical or divine influence, or even outright created by these influences. Magic is inherent to Middle-earth; the entire world is in a sense magical.

One kind of magic is the fundamental difference of the world: in Middle-earth there is a "real" Unseen World or shadow realm besides the normal world, where the Ringwraiths reside, and where part of the power of the High Elves lies. This can mostly be seen in the descriptions of Frodo Baggins while wearing the One Ring of the appearance of both the Ringwraiths and the High Elf Glorfindel in that World. Related to this are the ghosts and Barrow-wights under the Necromancer (Sauron)'s control: the ghost of a dead wife dooms Barahir's party, and the hobbits are nearly killed by wights in the Barrow-downs. Similarly, prophecy is real in Middle-earth: Boromir and Faramir have "true dreams" about the One Ring and the Halfling, and Glorfindel prophecies the nature of the Witch-king's doom.

Magic can also be seen having an effect on the world itself: in Eregion the stones speak about the Elves who once lived there.

And of course in Middle-earth creatures such as Dragons, Orcs, Dwarves and Elves are real.

Another kind of magic can be seen in objects. Durin's Door of Khazad-dûm is a prime example of this: the door itself is physical and could also exist in the primary world, but the moon-runes and its response to a password are supernatural and thereby magical. Moon-letters were also discovered by Elrond on Thorin's map of the Lonely Mountain, which revealed the method of opening the secret entrance:

“

"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks," read Elrond, "and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole." - The Hobbit

”

This special combination of spatial and temporal circumstances can be considered a form of magic too.

Likewise Elven and Númenórean swords are not just masterfully created weapons, but they also frequently possess magical powers, such as the sword Sting which glows blue when Orcs are nearby. Saruman's voice could also fit this category, as his enchanting voice exerts an effect which is similar to hypnosis, but more potent. The palantíri are similar to modern videophones, but are in Middle-earth clearly magical and more similar to divining spheres used by soothsayers. Not least of all are the Rings of Power themselves.

A third group is the "actual" magic, surprisingly rare outside of The Hobbit, which was written in a more childish style than the other stories concerned. Here we find speaking purses, magical fireworks, shapeshifting, and speaking animals. While this lighthanded use of magic occurs less in the other works, in The Lord of the Rings Tolkien still writes about how Gandalf uses spells to conjure fire and hold the door in the Chamber of Mazarbul (and how the Balrog tries to open the door with its own counterspell), and how Galadriel uses her mirror to show scenes from the past, future, and present. Likewise in the stories of The Silmarillion Lúthien and Beren change shape in order to infiltrate Angband, and Finrod sings spells to hide his identity from Sauron. Melian uses magic to create a barrier around her land of Doriath which is for a time seemingly impenetrable to all.

Of these three categories, the first is intrinsic to Middle-earth and is therefore not specifically recognized as magic in the stories themselves. The second and third groups are hard to combine in a satisfying fashion: while it is clear that they are magical, this magic does not come from a single source and is very dissimilar. This difference is voiced in The Lord of the Rings by Galadriel:

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"And you?" she said, turning to Sam. "For this is what you folk would call magic, I believe; though I do not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem to use the same word for the deceits of the Enemy. But this, if you will, is the magic of Galadriel. Did you not say that you wished to see Elf-magic?"

”

Besides these examples of magic there is also the power of the Valar to consider. Not only are these Angelic beings responsible as co-creators with Eru Ilúvatar for creating the world, they also played an active part in further shaping it. Even the Sun and Moon are directly created by their deeds. It is due to these divine powers that the Morgoth turns Dor Daedeloth into a region of everlasting cold, bypassing natural laws, and he raises immense mountain chains such as the Hithaeglir. Morgoth is even said to have tainted all of the world (except for Aman, in some manner). Likewise the Vala Ulmo uses an island as a ferry to ship the Eldar to Aman, and in the Akallabêth, the island of Númenor was thrown down into the sea by Eru and the world reshaped. While these actions are clearly supernatural they are likely not magic as used elsewhere in Middle-earth, as these powers are reserved to Ilúvatar and the Ainur themselves, who are beings of an entirely different class than Elves and Men.