Middle-Earth Tours

Tour 2: The Places of Middle-Earth

Journey's End(s)

The Crowning of Aragorn,
by Inger Edelfeldt		 Then to the wonder of many Aragorn did not put the crown upon his head, but gave it back to Faramir, and said: 'By the labour and valour of many I have come into my inheritance. In token of this I would have the Ring-bearer bring the crown to me, and let Mithrandir set it upon my head, if he will; for he has been the mover of all that has been accomplished, and this is his victory.'
     Then Frodo came forward and took the crown from Faramir and bore it to Gandalf; and Aragorn knelt, and Gandalf set the White Crown upon his head, and said:
      'Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!' --RotK, "The Steward and the King"

image from the Framecap Library


image courtesy of theonering.net

And Elrond surrendered the sceptre, and laid the hand of his daughter in the hand of the King, and together they went up into the High City, and all the stars flowered in the sky. And Aragorn the King Elessar wedded Arwen Undómiel in the the City of the Kings upon the day of Midsummer, and the tale of their long waiting and labours was come to fulfillment. --RotK, "The Steward and the King"
Arwen and King Elessar,
by Michael Kaluta

Eowyn and Faramir, by
Ted Nasmith		 And as they stood so, their hands met and clasped, though they did not know it. And still they waited for they knew not what. Then presently it seemed to them that above the ridges of the distant mountains another vast mountain of darkness rose, towering up like a wave that should engulf the world, and about it lightnings flickered; and then a tremor ran through the earth, and the felt the walls of the city quiver. A sound like a sigh went up from all the lands about them; and their hearts beat suddenly again....
    And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air. And the Shadow departed, and the Sun was unveiled, and light leaped forth; and the waters of Anduin shone like silver, and in all the houses of the City men sang for joy that welled up in their hearts from what source they could not tell. --RotK, "The Steward and the King"

Saruman is Overtaken, by
Ted Nasmith		 On the sixth day since their parting from the King they journeyed through a wood climbing down from the hills at the feet of the Misty Mountains that now marched on their right hand. As they came out again into the open country at sundown they overtook an old man leaning on a staff, and he was clothed in rags of grey or dirty white, and at his heels went another beggar, slouching and whining.
     'Well, Saruman!' said Gandalf. 'Where are you going?'
     'What is that to you?' he answered. 'Will you still order my goings, and are you not content with my ruin?' --RotK, "Many Partings"
Then the hobbits suddenly realized that people had looked at them with amazement not out of surprise at their return so much as in wonder at their gear. They themselves had become so used to warfare and to riding in well-arrayed companies that they had quite forgotten that the bright mail peeping from under their cloaks, and the helms of Gondor and the Mark, and the fair devices on their shields, would seem outlandish in their own country. --RotK, "Homeward Bound"
image courtesy of theonering.net

The Scouring of the Shire,
by Alan Lee		 The hobbits of the villages had seen Saruman come out of one of the huts, and at once they came crowding up to the door of Bag End. When they heard Frodo's command, they murmured angrily:
      'Don't let him go! Kill him! He's a villain and a murder. Kill him!'
    Saruman looked round at their hostile faces and smiled. 'Kill him!' he mocked. 'Kill him, if you think there are enough of you, my brave hobbits!'
     --trotK, "The Scouring of the Shire"

The Scouring of the Shire, by
Inger Edelfeldt		 He kicked Wormtongue in the face as he grovelled, and turned and made off. But at that something snapped: suddenly Wormtongue rose up, drawing a hidden knife, and then with a snarl like a dog he sprang on Saruman's back, jerked his head back, cut his throat, and with a yell ran off down the lane. --trotK, "The Scouring of the Shire"
Then Círdan led them to the Havens, and there was a white ship lying, and upon the quay beside a great grey horse stood a figure robed all in white awaiting them. As he turned and came towards them Frodo saw that Gandalf now wore openly on his hand the Third Ring, Narya the Great, and the stone upon it was red as fire. Then those who were to go were glad, for they knew that Gandalf would also take ship with them....
    Then Frodo kissed Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and went aboard; and the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass of Galadriel that Frodo bore glimmered and was lost. And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed on into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise. --RotK, "The Grey Havens"


The Gray Havens, by David Wyatt
The Gray Havens, by John Howe


Departure at the Grey Havens,
by Ted Nasmith


image from Cinefex magazine via theonering.net

Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien.