Comments on: Why doesn’t Frodo just ride an eagle to Mount Doom?

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:05:47 +0000

this issue always arises but i never chose to believe Tolkien would leave such a plothole. i just finished reading The Two Towers and although this never popped into my mind i saw it in the net after further reading. this post shines! I thank you so much. i wonder if Tolkien would ever have thought this way but this post is very hard not to believe. i am convinced the Eagles really wouldn’t have taken them to Mordor!

By: Periannath.com » Blog Archive » Glow-in-the-Dark Hobbits & Homophobic Frodos: Rankin Bass’ 1980 “The Return of the King” Reviewed

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:41:23 +0000

[...] The Eagles arrive! Hooray! They find the ceaselessly chatty Frodo and Sam and bear them away from the volcanic eruption. They also bear THE ENTIRE GONDORIAN AND ROHIRRIM ARMY back to Minas Tirith. Seriously. Look, I included a screen cap. Now, that is dumber than bearing the fellowship to Mordor. [...]

By: Periannath.com » Blog Archive » Ten reasons why Gandalf is the greatest wizard EVAR

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:52:16 +0000

[...] As for Gandalf being a terrible wizard? Movie: we established that Saruman was the more powerful wizard. Book: Gandalf never claimed to be able to defeat freakin’ mountains. Anyway, what kind of a story would LOTR be if Gandalf could teleport the Fellowship past every obstacle? They might as well all fly eagles to Mordor. [...]

By: David Pirtle

David Pirtle — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:33:29 +0000

Only if Bombadil and Goldberry are Maia…but I think thats another article :)

By: Periannath.com » Blog Archive » Tolkien 101: Tom Bombadil

Periannath.com » Blog Archive » Tolkien 101: Tom Bombadil — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:08:24 +0000

[...] the Ringwraiths – yet Bombadil can dispel them with a simple song. The kind of person who asks why Frodo didn’t fly Eagles from Rivendell to Mount Doom might also ask why Bombadil doesn’t do everyone a favor and throw [...]

By: Kunochan

Kunochan — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:28:13 +0000

The argument here is that Maiar cannot create new life, although it seems to me this is reproduction, not the kind of “life creation” that Aulë attempted with the Dwarves.

This has apparently been an argument amongst scholars for a while. Unfortunately, Tolkien was unclear about whether all spirits are Ainur, and whether Eagles and Ents are in fact Maiar, or something else. What we do know is that both can have offspring.

Personally, I’m with you — that incarnated Maiar living in Middle-earth (Ents, Elves, Melian) can reproduce. Does that imply that Istari can have children? Or little Balroglings, or a Son of Sauron? A child for Tom & Goldberry? I don’t know.

By: Kiri

Kiri — Fri, 14 May 2010 00:54:35 +0000

Eagles are Maiar (lesser gods or angels) incarnated as large birds. (This goes against the canonically established fact that Eagles have offspring, but whatever.)

Why would reproducing Maiar-eagles contradict other parts of the stories? After all, Melian (a Maia) bore Lúthien. Is it that Maiar cannot reproduce with each other? Or the limitation that they cannot “create (sentient?) life” on their own? (Melian did have Thingol, who wasn’t a Maia, to contribute, so maybe that suffices.)

By: Periannath.com » Blog Archive » Ugly Elves & Inflatable Orcs: Rankin/Bass’ 1977 ‘The Hobbit’ Reviewed

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:52:18 +0000

[...] Tolkien turns to his commonly-used deus ex accipitridae, the heroic giant Eagles of Manwë Súlimo, who rescue our heroes here, and at the Battle of Five Armies, and at Orthanc, the Fall of [...]

By: RiSE

RiSE — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:04:23 +0000

“….. Again, this is because they hate Orcs, and not because they respond to any summons, or follow anyone’s orders.”

I think that sums it up perfectly.

Good article!

By: Periannath.com » Blog Archive » Tolkien heirs vs. New Line: October trial date confirmed

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:40:24 +0000

[...] Warner on the Hobbit films. For more info:; Via Bloomberg via Frodo Franchise; more details; and here is what Tolkien himself thought of an early treatment for an LOTR film. Share this [...]