(avg. read time: 40–81 mins.)
Arrival in Gondor
With the next book, we are returned to the storylines of the rest of the Fellowship, beginning with Gandalf and Pippin as they arrive at Minas Tirith. The greatest city of the Free Peoples is preparing for war, including by sending out calls for aid to the rest of Gondor and to Rohan. The soldiers are also attempting to bolster the recently built fortification of the Rammas Echor, the extensive perimeter wall set out miles from the city encompassing the Pelennor Fields. This is where Gandalf and Pippin encounter Ingold, a leader of the guards. He says Gandalf is, of course, allowed to pass through, as he is known and knows all the passwords, but he is hesitant to let Pippin go with him as they are generally not allowing strangers in, “unless they be might men of arms in whose faith and help we can trust” (V/1). We see again the use “faith” that is in line with the broader biblical range of use for the Hebrew and Greek equivalents, here referring to fidelity and trustworthiness. Gandalf insists that he can vouch for Pippin. Although Ingold may doubt Pippin’s valor, Gandalf reminds him that this cannot be measured by stature and that he has gone through more and worse perils than Ingold himself has. He even calls him a very valiant man.
Pippin stirs to protest Gandalf’s characterization, “I am a hobbit and no more valiant than I am a man, save perhaps now and again by necessity. Do not let Gandalf deceive you” (V/1). Ingold replies, “Many a doer of great deeds might say no more” (V/1). This combines insights we have seen elsewhere in the story that it is wisdom that recognizes necessity and courage that acts in the face of it. Such are the trials by which divine providence cultivates the seeds of both virtues God has sown in his creations.
Ingold then lets both of them pass and hopes that Gandalf will bring good counsel to Denethor, but he has a similar concern as voiced by Théoden and Gríma that “you come with tidings of grief and danger, as is your wont, they say” (V/1). He does not take this accusation as far as Gríma in naming him Láthspell, but it is clearly something that people of multiple realms have noted. As in Rohan, Gandalf says this is not because of him but because of the times, for he rarely comes when his help is not needed. Although I think the correlation of Gandalf with either prophets or the prophetic office of Christ is overstated, this is one respect in which it holds true. Micaiah and Jeremiah are only the most vivid examples of true prophets seemingly being doomsayers, when it is more the case that they come and speak when they are needed most. We have little record of their oracles or other speeches from times of peace and plenty, either because those messages were not as important for posterity, or because they did not speak prophetically as often, or maybe some measure of both. It is when the people of God face some kind of crisis that they most need to be heard from. And so people like Ahab and Zedekiah came to think that it was their wont to come with tidings of grief and danger, that something was wrong with them, when in fact it was because of the times they lived, times made bad and ever worse by people like Ahab and Zedekiah, that they spoke the message of God that was as dire as it was.
And as with the prophets, Gandalf’s counsel is not one of some simple doom and gloom, for he also speaks encouragement and calls to the way out. In this case, he tells Ingold that the repairs to the Rammas Echor are too late, “Courage will now be your best defence against the storm that is at hand—that and such hope as I bring” (V/1). Courage, as we have already noted, is a common grace of the One, and it is one that is cultivated by response to situations where it is required to do what must be done in the face of obstacles of fear and doubt. But courage cannot assure triumph here. Hope is also needed, hope that comes from beyond the realm of Gondor. That is what Gandalf seeks to enkindle by his presence and his counsel. In this way, he is like Aragorn, the one known as Estel, the kindler of hope. And it is to Aragorn that he will point as the instrument of Providence to bring to fulfillment the long-held hope of Gondor. Yet, there is an even more significant hope beyond him, as the ultimate hope of victory in this war depends on two Hobbits that come from far beyond Gondor who are on a Quest into the heart of Mordor.
Apparent Power and Wisdom vs. Higher Power and Wisdom
After Gandalf and Pippin pass through the seven levels of Minas Tirith, they come to the hall of Denethor, the steward of Gondor, father of Boromir and Faramir. Denethor is, in fact, a wise man and had been a great leader that few of the stewards could rival. He has insight not only in the history of his kingdom and in preparing operations pertaining thereto, but also insight into people, as Gandalf says, “He can perceive, if he bends his will thither, much of what is passing in the minds of men, even of those that dwell far off. It is difficult to deceive him, and dangerous to try” (V/1). I have not titled this section “Apparent Power and Wisdom” to imply that the wisdom of Denethor or the power he projects are only a false appearance, but to indicate that his power and wisdom are more visible, more immediately impactful than his foil. But for reasons we will review later, he has become akin to Saruman. He has not betrayed the Free Peoples by making any secret alliance with Sauron, but he has been given to counsels of despair.
This has become more severely the case since he learned of Boromir’s death. Boromir was his favorite son, and that was obvious to all. Such was affection for his dead son that he tells Gandalf, “But though all the signs forebode that the doom of Gondor is drawing nigh, less now to me is that darkness than my own darkness” (V/1). This is a common effect of despair in amplifying one’s own troubles and making them seem as if they are the worst that has happened to anyone simply because they are the ones most immediately felt by oneself. Even a wise man like Denethor can lose all sense of perspective. But in this case, despair had simply greased the slope for Denethor’s descent. He had already come to have a myopic view of Gondor so as to despise “lesser men” and see his lot as “Gondor against the rest” (Letter #183).
Between such myopia, now fueled by despair, and the store of his own wisdom and his clear projection of power, he is a foil for Gandalf. That should be apparent from all that we have noted about Gandalf to this point, but it is also made clear by their first conversation in this chapter. On the one hand, Pippin perceives in the course of this conversation that there is something higher about Gandalf despite the impression Denethor makes, “Denethor looked indeed much more like a great wizard than Gandalf did, more kingly, beautiful, and powerful; and older. Yet by a sense other than sight Pippin perceived that Gandalf had the greater power and the deeper wisdom, and a majesty that was veiled” (V/1). Gandalf embodies that higher wisdom by his incarnate limitations that were supposed to remind him of the nature of his mission not to compel others by his superior power, by his faithfulness to that mission, and by his declaration of higher wisdom throughout this story that has the appearance of foolishness to the world (as the gospel itself will appear as foolishness to the world).
On the other hand, one particular piece of the conversation highlights how Gandalf shows a higher wisdom than Denethor’s because he is concerned for Gondor, but for other realms of the Free Peoples as well. As he says:
But I will say this: the rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small. But all worthy things that are in peril, as the world now stands, those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward. Did you not know? (V/1)
Gandalf’s mission is as an itinerant minister—or steward, in his words—across Middle-earth. He was sent for the help of this continent in general, and so he cannot be faithful to his mission and myopic at the same time. He also knows better than to think that victory in battle for Gondor will mean victory for all. First, he knows the war has a broader scope and that others have their own troubles. Second, more importantly, he knows that ultimate victory will not be achieved by strength of arms, even if that factor is not irrelevant in holding out until victory can be achieved by other means, as we have highlighted previously in the relationship between hope, courage, and ultimate or final victory.
Gandalf’s Joy
Pippin also notes something else about Gandalf after this conversation is finished. After Gandalf laughs with him, the narrator tells us, “Yet in the wizard’s face he saw at first only lines of care and sorrow; though as he looked more intently he perceived that under all there was a great joy: a fountain of mirth enough to set a kingdom laughing, were it to gush forth” (V/1). Gandalf has such joy because his source of joy is transcendent. He can, of course, enjoy the world around him, and circumstances affect how he feels, the same as anyone, but the joy remains through it all because its source is beyond this world. And if ever that transcendent joy from “beyond the walls of the world” (as Tolkien phrases it in “On Fairy-Stories”) were to come forth, it would be as a great fountain of mirth abundant enough to refresh a kingdom, as will indeed come true later in this story.
We thus see reflected here how joy is an internal disposition that is not always expressed outwardly in obvious ways like mirth. Nor is it restricted to a feeling responding to good circumstances. As there can be joy in the midst of suffering, Gandalf has joy even as his face might convey otherwise. Joy is a characteristic he has that is inherently connected with estel, since both transcend present circumstances and have their source and object in the same One (cf. Rom 15:13; Gal 5:22). Gandalf brings or will bring both because he is a minister of the same.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to K. R. Harriman's Newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.