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Middle-Earth Tours
Tour 2: The Places of Middle-Earth
The Barrow Downs
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About mid-day they came to a hill whose top was wide and flattened, like a shallow saucer with a green mounded rim. Inside there was no air stirring, and the sky seemed near their heads...'Splendid!' said Frodo. 'If we make as good going this afternoon as we have done this morning, we shall have left the Downs before the Sun sets and be jogging on in search of a camping place.' But even as he spoke he turned his glance eastwards, and he saw that on that side the hills were higher and looked down upon them; and all those hills were crowned with green mounds, and on some were standing stones, pointing upwards like jagged teeth out of green gums.
That view was somehow disquieting; so they turned from the sight and went down into the hollow circle. In the midst of it there stood a single stone, standing tall under the sun above, and at this hour casting no shadow. It was shapeless and yet significant: like a landmark, or a guarding finger, or more like a warning. But they were now hungry, and the sun was still at the fearless noon; so they set their backs against the east side of the stone. It was cool, as if the sun had had no power to warm it; but at that time this seemed pleasant. --FotR, "Fog on the Barrow-Downs" |
 The Barrow-Downs, by Anke-Katrin Eiszmann |
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barrow wight, by John Howe
(from his website) |
Where are you?' he cried again, both angry and afraid.
'Here!' said a voice, deep and cold, that seemed to come out of the ground. 'I am waiting for you!'
"No!' said Frodo; but he did not run away. His knees gave, and he fell on the ground. Nothing happened, and there was no sound. Trembling he looked up, in time to see a tall dark figure like a shadow against the stars. It leaned over him. He thought there were two eyes, very cold though lit with a pale light that seemed to come from some remote distance. Then a grip stronger and colder than iron seized him. The icy touch froze his bones, and he remembered no more. --FotR, "Fog on the Barrow-Downs" |
| There are no plans to include the Barrow-Downs in the LotR movies. However, Tehanu of theonering.net took a tramp through the New Zealand countryside shortly after the movies were announced, photographing places which, to her, seemed evocative of Tolkien's Middle-earth. At right is her photo of Matamata, a location she suggests would make an excellent Barrow-Downs. I agree completely. |
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Barrow-Wight, by Paul Gregory |
He heard behind his head a creaking and scraping sound. Raising himself on one arm he looked, and saw now in the pale light that they were in a kind of passage which behind them turned a corner. Round the corner a long arm was groping, walking on its fingers towards Sam, who was lying nearest, and towards the hilt of the sword that lay upon him. --FotR, "Fog on the Barrow-Downs" |
Under the Spell of the Barrow-
Wight, by Ted Nasmith |
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien.
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