Saddest Moment In Tolkien

[Aldhelm]

What do you lot think is the saddest moment in Tolkien's Work?
I would say that either the death of Theoden or the descent into evil of Gollum would be the saddest in my opinion.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

A version of your second suggestion:

Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly put out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo's knee- but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of his youth, an old starved pitiable thing.
But at that touch Frodo stirred and cried out softly in his sleep,
and immediately Sam was wide awake. The first thing he saw was
Gollum- 'pawing at master,' as he thought.
"Hey you!" he said roughly. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing, nothing," said Gollum softly. "Nice Master!"
"I daresay," said Sam. "But where have you been to- sneaking
off and sneaking back, you old villain?"
Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids.....The fleeting moment had passed beyond recall.

[Lizra]

When Treebeard sees that many of his forest trees near Isengard have been cut down and burned.

[Forkbeard]

The saddest moment for me is when Sam comes home and says "I'm back"

[Lizra]

cause it's over?

[Forkbeard]

yeah

[Lizra]

You poor baby!

Oh yes...when the party tree gets cut down. Those tree bits really get me!

[BeardofPants]

For me it is definitely when Frodo is finally back home in Bag End, and he realises that he can never go back to his life before the ring came to him. Oh, and the fact that Gollum never gets redeemed.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

For me it is definitely when Frodo is finally back home in Bag End, and he realises that he can never go back to his life before the ring came to him. Oh, and the fact that Gollum never gets redeemed.

The first of those is, for me, one of the saddest, most beautiful, and truest thing about the Lord of the Rings; see the new quote from Frodo in my sig.

"It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."

That is so beautiful, just thinking about it sometimes brings tears to my eyes.

*sniffle*

[inked]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

For me it is definitely when Frodo is finally back home in Bag End, and he realises that he can never go back to his life before the ring came to him. Oh, and the fact that Gollum never gets redeemed.

BoP, somehow it escaped my notice that you think the failure of redemption for Gollum equals the sadness of Frodo's loss. It need not have been so for Gollum. And I have argued elsewhere that when Gandalf asks for three eagles to go look for Sam and Frodo, he was hoping for Gollum's redemption as well. I speak here of the text not the movie, OC. That was a moment of high hope and devastation, IMHO.

[Mrs Maggot]

I know this is predictable… but the saddest moment for me is Gandalf's 'death' Every time I read it or watch it I cry, evne though I know full well he's not *really* dead…

[Nurvingiel]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
Oh, and the fact that Gollum never gets redeemed.

I always saw Gollum getting the Ring - his goal, and then accidentally destroying it as redemption.

That is a really sad part Mrs. Maggot, it's very moving. The sad part is you know the Fellowship thinks he's dead, and he was such a good friend to all of them in different ways, especially Frodo, Aragorn, and Legolas.

[Beor]

The saddest moment in all of JRR Tolkien's work that I have read for me is in the Fall of Gondolin, when Echtilion (Sp?) takes Gothmog down in the fountain. I freakin cried, for Christ's sake. The whole Fall is so well written and sad, I guess its just the whole mood of the thing. Glorfindel taking the plunge with the Balrog is a sad one too, though. That damn Morgoth!

If you mean in Lord of the Rings alone, I would have to go with the death of Theoden. I like that guy, its too bad he died.

On the lighter side, though, the funniest part is when Helm Hammerhand smites that fat dude outside of Edoras for allowing his pride to grow with his belly...heh heh..

[Fat middle]

Originally posted by Mrs Maggot
I know this is predictable… but the saddest moment for me is Gandalf's 'death' Every time I read it or watch it I cry, evne though I know full well he's not *really* dead…

I agree that's the saddest momment in LOTR. Specially after they get out Moria.

But in all Tolkien works the first scene that comes to my mind as the saddest is:

But Húrin did not look at the stone, for he knew what was written there; and his eyes had seen that he was not alone. Sitting in the shadow of the stone there was a woman, bent over her knees; and as Húrin stood there silent she cast back her tattered hood and lifted her face. Grey she was and old, but suddenly her eyes looked into his, and he knew her; for though they were wild and full of fear, that light still gleamed in them that long ago had earned for her the name Eledhwen, proudest and most beautiful of mortal women in the days of old.
'You come at last,' she said. 'I have waited too long.'
'It was a dark road. I have come as I could,' he answered.
'But you are too late,' said Morwen. 'They are lost.'
'I know it,' he said. 'But you are not.'
But Morwen said: 'Almost. I am spent I shall go with the sun. Now little time is left: if you know, tell me! How did she find him?'
But Húrin did not answer, and they sat beside the stone, and did not speak again; and when the sun went down Morwen sighed and clasped his hand, and was still; and Húrin knew that she had died.

[Beregond]

I think the saddest moment would have to be when The hobbits have to leae Aragorn in Gondor at thhe end of the ROTK.

[Lenya]

Oh I just remembered a very sad moment in LotR. Where Sam and Frodo are already in Mordor and Sam whatches over the sleepng Frodo. He looks up and sees one star shinging in the sky and he gets new hope for the world, even though they were sure to fail. The way Tolkien wrote it was just lovely. Very striking piece.

[EarthBound]

That's easy, the part that always makes me cry (the book, not the movie) is of course the end of things....when Frodo, Gandalf, & the last of the elves sails away and the three (3) companions travel home together.....breaks my heart….I’m only slightly ever consoled by the idea that Sam left to join him at the end of his days…..Tolkien does a good job of suggesting it, at least. Also, when Aragorn takes death and leaves the Queen to wander back to that mound in the forest to die…..Major Gut Wretch…..

[Lenya]

Ah yes. One forgets a lot of the things - a sign that I've read the book way too long ago. The way Arwen dies has quite a way of touching the heart. I really felt sorry for her.

[Artanis]

This is a hard one. I'd say Beren's death. Or when Maglor and Maedhros have finally regained the Silmarils, only to discover how vain it was. Or when Túrin killed Beleg. Or the Aegnor/Andreth love story. Or ...
There are just too many to choose from.

In LotR I think it must be the death of Boromir.

[Lalaith_Elf]

In LOTR's it would have to be when it ended. The very last sentence had me in floods. I just didn't want it to end.

Of course there is also the death of Smaug in The Hobbit - I loved that dragon!