Arwen Undómiel and Frodo the Halfling
how Arwen's choice intertwined with Frodo's fate
Arwen’s Choice, Frodo’s Fate
Frodo was able to go to the Undying Lands—in part—thanks to the choice of Arwen.
If you’re new to the Tolkien fandom, this detail might be something you weren’t aware of and, if you’re a long-time fan, it might be something you forgot about.
Pour yourself a comfort drink of choice and let’s explore how the choices of two very different characters fates became forever intertwined.
Hello and welcome to Many Meetings, the heart of Tolkien-dom on Substack!
I’m Breanne, a new-ish substacker, but a lifelong Tolkien fan. This space is one I’ve created to welcome others into these beautiful stories, sometimes on walks with my dog and sometimes in a quiet corner of your inbox. A version of this was published here a year ago. Due to some ongoing health issues (and honest love of the story) I’m revisiting it again today.
Additionally I wanted to make you aware that all paid subscription plans to the substack are 30% off right now. I only run promos like this once or twice a year. Offer ends July 18th!
Many Meetings is where I’ll be hosting my yearly read-through of The Lord of the Rings (coming September 2025!) and if you sign up now, you can lock in your subscription price for our read-through in a few months.
When I’m not doing read-throughs, I also post free essays and deep-dives inspired by the works of Tolkien like this one. Enjoy!
After the One Ring was destroyed and Sauron defeated, Frodo was never the same. What he had to give up in order to complete his quest was something that was never restored to him.
We read in The Return of the King how Arwen foresaw Frodo’s pain. She knew in the days ahead, while there would be celebration and some portion of healing, he would most likely face some dark personal days.
There’s a beautiful scene near the end of the book, after Aragorn’s coronation and the wedding of King Elessar (Aragorn) and Queen Arwen when Frodo comes to them and makes known his wishes to officially go back home. Aragorn tells Frodo that he will ride home in honor and “be arrayed as princes of the land”. And then, Arwen speaks:
“But the Queen Arwen said, ‘A gift I will give you. For I am the daughter of Elrond. I shall not go with him now when he departs to the Havens; for mine is the choice of Lúthien, and as she so I have chosen, both the sweet and the bitter. But in my stead you shall go, Ring-bearer, when the time comes, and if you then desire it. If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of your burden is heavy, then you may pass into the West, until all your wounds and weariness are healed. But wear this now in memory of Elfstone and Evenstar with whom your life has been woven!’
And she took a white gem like a star that lay upon her breast hanging upon a silver chain, and she set the chain about Frodo's neck. 'When the memory of the fear and the darkness troubles you,' she said, 'this will bring you aid.” –The Return of the King, Chapter: Many Partings, J.R.R. Tolkien
Arwen’s Plea
But maybe your question now is: how would Arwen have the authority to grant such a gift? She isn’t one of the Valar (the god-like beings given stewardship and rule of the physical world). How could she give this great gift to Frodo?
Lucky for us, Tolkien addressed this exact question in Letter 246:
“It is not made explicit how she could arrange this. She could not of course just transfer her ticket on the boat like that! For any except those of Elvish race 'sailing West' was not permitted, and any exception required 'authority', and she was not in direct communication with the Valar, especially not since her choice to become 'mortal'. What is meant is that it was Arwen who first thought of sending Frodo into the West, and put in a plea for him to Gandalf (direct or through Galadriel, or both), and she used her own renunciation of the right to go West as an argument. Her renunciation and suffering were related to and enmeshed with Frodo's: both were parts of a plan for the regeneration of the state of Men. Her prayer might therefore be specially effective, and her plan have a certain equity of exchange. No doubt it was Gandalf who was the authority that accepted her plea.”
So while Arwen might not have had the express authority to grant Frodo passage to the West, her gifts were the comfort of the white gem and, most importantly, her plea that he take her place on the ship to the Blessed Realm.
Some Wounds Could Not be Wholly Cured
Frodo doesn’t immediately sail West when he leaves Gondor though. He takes the gift of the necklace Arwen gave him back to his home in the Shire. There, he is faced with the final task of ridding his beloved homeland of the filth and tyranny of Saruman. But once the Shire is won back, Frodo faces private battles of his own. And, just as Arwen said, the white gem did console him in the dark times that happened afterwards.
Frodo repeatedly falls sick on the anniversaries of some of the most horrific things he experienced on his journey.1 On March 13th—which is the anniversary of him being poisoned by Shelob—Farmer Cotton (Rosie Cotton’s father) finds him sick in bed at home clutching the white gem of Arwen. And again, Sam visits Frodo in his study to find him pale and strange. Sam later recalls the date: October 6th. The anniversary of when Frodo was stabbed by the Witch King at Weathertop.
Frodo begins to understand: he will never be fully healed in Middle-earth.
A Far Green Country
But we know Frodo doesn’t suffer forever. Two years after returning to live in the Shire, Frodo takes the place given to him by Arwen on the ship and sails West to the Undying Lands; to the healing he so deeply deserves. There, he gets to live out the rest of his days with Bilbo2 in tranquility and safety until he passes from the world forever.
While the sacrifices of Frodo unquestionably earned him a place on that ship, he was also granted passage (in part) thanks to a beautiful gift from Queen Arwen in the form of her plea that he take her place in the Undying Lands.
I find it a poignant (and bittersweet) detail for Tolkien to include: the great Arwen Undómiel, in her wisdom and pity, took thought of Frodo the Halfling. Using her influence, she helped secure him passage to the one place he could truly be free of his wounds. Her care for him honored his sacrifices and ultimately, led him to the peace he needed to heal.
Whether that detail was new to you or something you had maybe forgotten about, I hope you enjoyed it. And if getting Tolkien-lore quietly tucked into your inbox occasionally is something you’d be interested in, you’re welcome to upgrade to a paid or free subscription by tapping the button below.
If subscriptions aren’t your thing but you’d still like support my work, you can always buy me a coffee as a one time gift.
Sources: The Return of the King, Chapter: ‘The Grey Havens’ and The Return of the King, Appendix B
In the same letter referenced here (Letter 246), Tolkien writes: “Frodo was sent or allowed to pass over Sea to heal him - if that could be done, before he died. He would have eventually to 'pass away': no mortal could, or can, abide for ever on earth, or within Time.”
And then later on he notes: “Bilbo went too. No doubt as a completion of the plan due to Gandalf himself. Gandalf had a very great affection for Bilbo, from the hobbit's childhood onwards. His companionship was really necessary for Frodo's sake - it is difficult to imagine a hobbit, even one who had been through Frodo's experiences, being really happy even in an earthly paradise without a companion of his own kind, and Bilbo was the person that Frodo most loved.”
I find myself melancholy about the price paid to achieve these great deeds. It seems that there is no reparation for original sin. Was there ever a scenario where the elves would not have eventually had to move on to the undying lands? Of course not, and the elves knew that.
The simple and ordinary peoples of middle earth had to make great sacrifices to save everything because the wise and noble failed. Whatever the elves did was overtaken by their consequences.
Arwen's compassion was grounded in the deep elvish sorrow and regret their "original sin" caused. But unlike Gildor (and the other elves), she was concerned with the "ways of hobbits, or of any other creatures upon earth." She chose to stay with the beauty of a world where all is ephemeral. While the other elves took their first steps of moving past their regret (they literally moved on).
Here Tolkien touches on something essential regarding the lives of mortal folk, but that is too much for a comment.
I love this! It’s a beautiful act of mercy towards someone who has given up so much (and much was taken as well). I hadn’t read the letter where Tolkien explains that part of the reason why Bilbo is allowed to go to the Undying Lands was to provide companionship to Frodo. That thought is so heartwarming.