Why didn't Gandalf take the ring to Mount Doom on the back of an eagle.

[Annaleta]

Nothing in LOTR happen's the easy way, and frankly I would be sad if the eagles just put the ring away at the beginning because it would ruin such an epic story.

[Ulmer Ian]

So "why can't Gandalf do it" is addressed in the book. The eagle would probably figure out how to put the ring on and then you'd have an invisible eagle of death. That'd be a problem.

[Richard]

Missiles from the armies would have taken out any eagle? I'm sorry, we're talking giant eagles here. They'd be several miles up in the air.

As for the plot reasons, such as, it would have made a bad book - that is no argument for story. That is a good argument for a poorly contrived story.

There are two adequate reasons as to why eagles did not carry the ring. Perhaps it would have corrupted them in some way. Perhaps they could not have physically don it.

The main reason, however, is that this would have alerted Sauron to the plan to destroy the ring. What this does, is assume that Sauron could have done anything (how long for an eagle to fly over Mordor? A matter of hours). I don't accept he could have summoned the Ring Wraiths. Magic? Maybe - perhaps someone more versed in Middle-Earth lore could explain just exactly what Sauron could have done.

But perhaps it's just a plot hole. Tolkein failed to take an aerial approach into account...?

[Geoffrey]

The whole point of the tale was that the hobbits by both their dimunitive size and powerlessness were inconspicous and could slip into Mordor and up to Doom without getting caught.

As you say, Richard, it would take an eagle only a matter of hours to fly over Mordor, the same could be said about the Nazgul, not to mention archers waiting on the ground.

[Will]

Richard wrote: "I don't accept he could have summoned the Ring Wraiths."

Umm, why?

[Richard]

Will wrote: "Richard wrote: "I don't accept he could have summoned the Ring Wraiths."
Umm, why?"

:) Well, quoting from J.D. at the beginning of this thread: "anyway, when it would have been discussed, at the council, the 9 didn't have their wings yet"

[Richard]

Geoffrey wrote: "As you say, Richard, it would take an eagle only a matter of hours to fly over Mordor, the same could be said about the Nazgul, not to mention archers waiting on the ground."

I'm sorry - find me an archer who can shoot an arrow to the top of a mountain and I'll concede the point. As far as an eagle would be concerned, archers are ground troops, and beneath notice.

I agree with your reason for the tale though. It's just a pity Tolkien didn't tidy up all the lose ends he left...

[Geoffrey]

Not necessarily. If you recall the gates to Mordor were pretty high up. Also if you were to put archers in the entranceway to Mt. Doom itself or any other high elevation, LIKE A MOUNTAINTOP, HELLO ARE YOU THERE, you would easily defeat the RingBearer. No loose end for me and so many of us others, so why not expand your thinking and think it through. I would hate to be a foot soldier under your command.

[Richard]

Geoffrey wrote: "Not necessarily..."

Thanks for your polite reply, Geoffrey; know Tolkien personally, did you?

When you say 'pretty high up', do you wish to expand on that? Regular eagles often fly 3 miles above the ground, be that a low plain or a mountainside. Even so, Eagles are also known for their eyesight, and flying over some pretty inaccessible mountains, could easily spot an orc with a bow.

And how long would it take your archers to climb to the top of Mount Doom? Regular eagles can cruise at 40-50 mph. Mount Doom, according to the map of Mordor I've got, looks to be 150 - 180 miles from the first edge of the western mountains, although I wouldn't know how soon it would be detected by Sauron.

I am not looking to put your nose out of joint, Geoffrey, but an explanation of the reason for this thread. I would be very happy to be given a decent reason to concede.

And then you might help me with what I perceive to be other plot holes.

[Robert]

The Eagles would have been detected as soon as they came near Mordor. They may have been able to fly high, but they would have had to come down to put the ring in Mount Doom. Dropping if from a couple miles up wouldn't be at all likely to work. The wind could easily take it, and if it missed, then you might as well have gift-wrapped it for Sauron. Is the lava even accessible from above?

[Debbie]

Because there would have been no story? no arc of developement to explore for Frodo, or any of the other characters?

There is more to the plot and story of the Lord of the rings than just finding the thing and destroying it after all ;)

[Geoffrey]

Why do you think that it would take the Nazgul longer to get to Mt. doom than the eagles, Richard? The eye would have determined well before their approach to the gates of Mordor their trajectory and would have interceded. Never underestimate your enemy or all is lost and remember the fate of Middle Earth hung in the balance.

[Nathaniel]

Richard wrote: "Missiles from the armies would have taken out any eagle? I'm sorry, we're talking giant eagles here. They'd be several miles up in the air.

As for the plot reasons, such as, it would have made a b..."

There's a lot of evidence to support that the ring corrupts proportional to the power of the wearer. Gandalf denies it because he knows it would consume him, Galadriel as well for the same reasons. Saruman was corrupted by the very idea of mastering the ring. This being the case, it stands to reason that the Eagles, Gwaihir especially, being as majestic and powerful as they are described, would almost certainly be susceptible to it.

[Trike]

I think the reason is simple: Tolkien didn't think of it. Plot hole.

[Robert]

There's no plot hole. Did Sauron really have no defense against aerial attack? He had some pretty viscious flying creatures. As he knew of the existence of the eagles, he would have kept some aerial defense at home. Could the eagles really just have flown over and dropped the ring and destroyed it? Ever see video footage of WWII bombing raids? They had to put an enourmous amount of bombs to be sure of hitting a target. Today, with the technology we have, we can hit the target with far less bombs. The eagles had no access to this technology, they would have been less accurate than a WWII bomber. We know that there was access to the lava on a chamber in the side of the mountain, but how large was the access to lava on the top of the mountain? Was there even access to lava on the top?

[Jonesmikey]

Kim wrote: "Vivienne wrote: "Gandolf couldn't take the ring.... He would've kept it and not destroyed it. Just like anybody else would have, except frodo!"

Actually, Frodo did try to keep the ring. In Mt. Doo..."

Don't forget ole Bombadil. He was a maia too, right?

[Geoffrey]

Robert has a good point.In the movie version, the volcano is inside the cave. There is no skylight. Interestingly, upon reading it, that likewise was my impression.

[Trike]

Why would the eagle have to fly right to the mouth of the volcano? He could've taken Frodo as close as possible and let him hoof it from there. 99% of the way is still a massive boost.

Plus, as pointed out upthread, Sauron *didn't* have aerial defenses until later. Certainly nothing that could contend with the giant eagles. But again, even if did have some way to stop the eagles, they sure could've shortened that journey by a helluva lot just by dropping them off at the border of Mordor.

I still say plot hole.

[Kyle]

The Eagles are messengers of Manwe. Manwe is a Vala and a direct line to Iluvatar (God). Simply put, the world of Middle-earth is inhabited by the "good" races of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, and Men. (Along with other minorities, such as Ents, etc.) Middle-earth is THEIR world and they have the responsibilty to take care of their world. Sauron's rise to power was actually their fault anyway. The inhabitants of Middle-earth must risk everything to save it, which is the main theme of LotR.

This is not to say that Manwe and the Eagles didn't want to intervene. In fact, they (Valar and Maiar) probably loved Middle-earth and everyone in it as much as the inhabitants do. Perhaps even more, because they created it.

And everything happens for a reason in Tolkien's world. I'm sure he thought of the Eagles and their purpose as he was writing the story, and he wouldn't forget them. So it couldn't be a plot hole. If you spend twenty years working on a novel, I'm sure you would be insulted if someone thought this was a plot hole too.

[Geoffrey]

Trike
Are you thinking this through at all? Nothing you say is making sense.

According to you, and I quote you, "Sauron didn`t have any aerial defenses until later". Are we reading the same book?

First, he did have the Nazgul. And he had them from the very beginning, actually from the previous age. So you are wrong on both counts. He had airborne powers and there was absolutely no change in his ability.

Then you say that the Eagles could have made it to the Mordor border and then Frodo would have hoofed it from there. Don`t you realize that he was able to make it all the way to Mt. Doom because of the tiny,unobservable size of his party, usually only the two of them and occasionally the third, Gollum. The Eagle`s presence would have easily heralded the arrival of the hobbits.

[Trike]

A dozen giant eagles fly toward the border. One of them is carrying a couple hobbits. They swoop in, they land randomly, they kick a little evil butt, and surreptitiously drop off Frodo and Sam. Sauron knows it's probably a distraction, but he can't commit everything to stopping them because the elves, dwarves and dudes from the woods have also attacked.

And yes, I've read the books. Let me catch you up: the Nazgul are the *riders* until they get smacked down. Then Sauron upgrades them with flying whatsits and they become the *winged* Nazgul.

So here's how you win: Nazgul are taken off the field, the eagles pick up the hobbits, fly to Mordor, drop off hobbits, Nazgul get their dragons but, oh, too late. Frodo completes his mission.

What other aerial countermeasures does Sauron have? Ravens? Maybe some killer pigeons?

Plot hole. One big enough to fly a giant eagle through.

[Trike]

Kyle wrote: "This is not to say that Manwe and the Eagles didn't want to intervene. In fact, they (Valar and Maiar) probably loved Middle-earth and everyone in it as much as the inhabitants do. Perhaps even more, because they created it."

This might be valid if the eagles weren't flying all over the place doing errands for people. Seems like saving the world they live in would trump some of the other things they do.

Kyle wrote: "And everything happens for a reason in Tolkien's world. I'm sure he thought of the Eagles and their purpose as he was writing the story, and he wouldn't forget them. So it couldn't be a plot hole. If you spend twenty years working on a novel, I'm sure you would be insulted if someone thought this was a plot hole too."

What about the other plot holes? Or don't those exist either because JRR worked on it for a really long time? The guy wasn't perfect, and neither is the story.

And you know what? TOLKIEN AGREES WITH THAT. Tolkien himself that the book had many plot holes. One of those plot holes Tolkien talked about is the use of the giant eagles. So his word trumps yours. Just sayin'.

So yeah, plot hole. Not a big deal. LotR is at least more consistent than most religions.

[Richard]

I get the feeling that most (not all! Don't get upset and fall off your donkey!) objectors to the idea of plot holes seem to find some personal insult in anyone pointing out issues within the story.

Don't get me wrong, the scope and writing of the books are awesome - LOTR is rightly considered a classic, but as Trike and others have pointed out, that does not make it perfect.

I think JRR overlooked a few factors, the eagles being one of them, because it was convenient to do so. Avoiding sounding contrived when in reality, everything written is contrived, is the writer's art, and in 1200 pages, a few slips are allowed, surely?

[Richard]

Nathaniel wrote: "There's a lot of evidence to support that the ring corrupts proportional to the power of the wearer..."

This is true, Nathaniel, but there is also a lot of evidence to show that most people, if they do not actually get to see the ring, can handle the draw of it if they are merely next to the ring bearer.

To expand on a strategy put forward by Trike, I'd send in a phalanx of eagles. I do not think they would not be noticed as soon as they hit the mountains, but only when the Eye of Sauron swung onto them, which might not be until they were well into Mordor.

The Hobbit with the Ring would then kamikaze. It's a death sentence, but I'd do it to save the world - wouldn't you?

To repeat, the Nazgul were not airborne until AFTER they had lost their mounts while trying to stop the hobbits crossing the river; when they had crawled back to Mordor to regroup and receive physical weapons once more from Sauron.

If JRR had thought of the use of eagles, this would have been discussed in the Council of Elrond - after all, more outlandish ideas were mentioned and rejected.

The objections to this plan I see as twofold. First, is Mount Doom open to the air? Simply the nature of volcanoes persuades me it has to be. Frodo approached it through a tunnel, so he did not need to climb to the top of the mountain to reach the lava, cutting through the wall of the caldera.

The second is simple - if JRR did not think of it, neither did Gandalf or the Elves before it was too late. The method of delivery was left to the Fellowship, and it seems to me they were winging it - heading to Mordor and making up their course depending on conditions on the ground.

So rather than a plot hole, I prefer to see it as a tactical mistake made by Gandalf and Elrond. There was a window of opportunity, and they failed to take it.

[Erik]

It's not as if the books don't offer a reason for this, even if they don't spell it out in regards to the eagles. There is great *risk* in bringing the Ring to Mount Doom. Sauron wants the Ring back, so they have to try to destroy it without Sauron knowing it's in his backyard. Putting it on one of the eagles would have alerted Sauron immediately to what they were doing.

Remember, Sauron never expected them to try to destroy it. He assumed whoever led the forces against him would eventually try to use the Ring. To avoid alerting Sauron to their intention of destroying the Ring, they needed to move with stealth.

Even the movies were clear about why they did what they did.

[Trike]

Erik wrote: "It's not as if the books don't offer a reason for this, even if they don't spell it out in regards to the eagles."

Actually, the books don't give a reason for it. Tolkien said as much himself.

Most of the "reasons" given are merely fans trying to explain an oversight. Jackson had a great opportunity to fix this most glaring of plot holes but missed it while filming the trilogy, focusing instead on making Pippin the biggest idiot in seven realms and three ages.

In the book he drops a pebble in the well in Moria. In the movie, he does this:

http://youtu.be/TofMWRNYDwo

Even ignoring the eagle thing, the Fellowship could've strolled into Mordor arm-in-arm singing sea chanties if they'd just KILLED PIPPIN DAY ONE.

[Robert]

Unless you show me exposed lava at the surface, I see no evidence of a plot hole. The Nazgul may have not been riding flying beasts at that point, but the flying beasts certainly existed. Surely someone else could have ridden them if the Eagles entered Mordor.

[Kyle]

Trike wrote: "Erik wrote: "It's not as if the books don't offer a reason for this, even if they don't spell it out in regards to the eagles."

Actually, the books don't give a reason for it. Tolkien said as much..."

Trike wrote: "Kyle wrote: "This is not to say that Manwe and the Eagles didn't want to intervene. In fact, they (Valar and Maiar) probably loved Middle-earth and everyone in it as much as the inhabitants do. Per..."

Well, I never said the story didn't have plot holes. Of course it has plot holes! I was saying that this wasn't one, because it would be so glaringly obvious if it was. And Tolkien had his reasons for not using the eagles.

And I don't see how Pippin has anything to do with this. But, I agree the movies did make him look like a foolish child sometimes.

[Richard]

Robert wrote: "Unless you show me exposed lava at the surface..."

Middle-Earth may be a mythical realm, and the laws of physics may vary slightly, but al the usual forces of gravity and electromagnetism work perfectly well. So our knowledge of Mount Doom, where it is not explicitly mentioned in the book, should be guided by our knowledge of real vulcanology. Show me a volcano with lava in it that can be reached that does not have some of that lava exposed to the air, and I'll consider what you have just said. With all other things being equal, why would you choose a very unlikely presumption about a volcano?

"someone else..." Who? What? You think if Sauron had aerial allies as powerful as a freaking giant eagle, JRR might have mentioned them somewhere, huh? Maybe used them in other skirmishes? Just an idea, but I'm interested in what you think...

[Robert]

I could show you a great many volcanos that do not have exposed lava at the surface. If you're imagining that all volcanos have bubbling lava at the surface, you're mistaken. It's more likely that even if the eagles could get to the caldera of the volcano, and drop the ring on target, it would simply plink off of solidified lava. If there was a chamber in the side of the mountain where you could reach the lava, that indicates that the pressure of the lava wasn't enough to reach the peak. If the pressure had been sufficient to rise to the top of the mountain, then the chamber would have been filled to the ceiling. If your house is filled up with water to the level of your living room couch, that implies that the water level is not enough to reach your attic.

[Erik]

Trike wrote: "Erik wrote: "It's not as if the books don't offer a reason for this, even if they don't spell it out in regards to the eagles."

Actually, the books don't give a reason for it. Tolkien said as much..."

The explanation I gave comes right from the discussions the fellowship had in the book. It's not just something fans have whipped up out of nowhere. The book does have some plot holes, but this is not one of them.

It's also worth noting that the Eagles are Maiar, like Gandalf. Again, it's not specifically said in the book about the Eagles, but it's said about Gandalf--it would be dangerous and tempting because they already wield so much power. Gandalf might have chosen to do it anyway and take the risk, except that he noted the unusual resistance of the Ring's power by Hobbits (suggested, again, but never stated openly that it's because by nature Hobbits don't have much power to begin with). The book offers plenty of solutions to this problem. It just doesn't spell them out.

[Erik]

Richard wrote: "Robert wrote: "Unless you show me exposed lava at the surface..."

...You think if Sauron had aerial allies as powerful as a freaking giant eagle, JRR might have mentioned them somewhere, huh?"

Tolkien's description of the Nazgul steeds, or "Hell Hawks" (what Peter Jackson refers to as "fell beasts") sounds like a very dark, twisted version of the Eagles, in fact, just as orcs are twisted versions of elves, etc. The movie portrays them as something closer to a dragon, but as a kid I always thought of them as more bird-like.

I wonder very much if Tolkien had this in mind when he created them. I've read most of Tolkien's published papers, but I don't remember off-hand any specific link between the two. It doesn't seem far-fetched to me, though.

[Will]

I think it's perfectly reasonable to assume the Eagles might be too tempted by the ring's power. A hobbit on it's back wouldn't make that temptation subside.

[Geoffrey]

Also remember that the EYE of Sauron was sitting on top of Mount Doom. Drop the ring and it disappears into his orucular.
As for espying the eagles, the eye would have done that long before they came to Mordor. His eyesight did not necessarily stop at the gate. He would have only had problems seeing to the West of the Misty Mountains.
Also keep in mind the Alliance had only one chance at the ring`s destruction. Sauron already knew the ring had been recovered as he had heard spy reports of Bilbo`s foolish disappearing trick. Something had to be done with the ring. They couldn`t just stick it in the ground and forget about it. One mistake and that`s the end of the Middle Earth. Sauron`s powers were for eternity ever after.

[Ezra]

Gandalf would find the ring too powerful and he would claim it for himself

[Erik]

Geoffrey wrote: "Also remember that the EYE of Sauron was sitting on top of Mount Doom. Drop the ring and it disappears into his orucular.
As for espying the eagles, the eye would have done that long before they ca..."

In the books, Sauron is not a disembodied eye on top of a tower. Tolkien's letters basically confirm this. It's one of several odd choices Jackson made in the movie. The eye was a metaphor, or at best something seen directly only by those wearing the Ring.

[Briana]

This is the question my Dad always insists on asking each time we watch LOTR.

This reminds of the hilarious video "how the Lord of the Rings should Have Ended" on YT. If you want to see Gandalf, the ring, with both of them on the back of a eagle, watch this video. : )

[David]

Douglas wrote: "Well I believe that Gandalf didn't take the ring for two main reasons. Here the are from most important -
1) He knew the rings power and that it might well corrupt him. If such a thing were to hap..."

Agreed. The main reason Frodo was chosen in the first place was that he was supposedly innocent enough to handle the ring of power, and a hobbit could slip into Mordor without drawing much attention.

[Will]

And even then, the power of the ring overcame even Frodo.

[Joe]

I agree with the people who said it was too heavy -- in the metaphorical sense of being too corrupting.

[Joshua]

J.D. wrote: "Emma wrote: "J.D. wrote: "A force of eagles could take the steeds of the nazgul, Gandalf would ride the front one, shooting lazer beams"

Go back to LotR & The Hobbit and look at how much magic Gan..."

Good point. They also had to disguise themselves as Orcs to get past the Orc army. Even a single giant eagle would be sure to attract attention.

[Matthew]

Couple thoughts. All the comments saying Gandalf would be taken over by the Ring are irrelevant. He could have just as easily said, "Here, Frodo, you sit here on the front of the Eagle. I'll sit behind you. When we get to Mt. Doom, you throw it in."

I think the honest answer is that it was just an oversight by J.R.R. Tolkien. As an author, I know it's easy to make an oversight.

But if we want to defend it as a well-reasoned choice, I'd say that the Nazgul weren't the only threat in Mordor. If Sauron figured out what they were doing--which would be likely if he wasn't being distracted by Aragorn's army... "Oh, look, there are a couple of Eagles flying into MY LAND. What shall I do?"--I think he could have done something. On his own, he was more powerful than Saruman, Gandalf, or anyone else. Perhaps he could beguile the Eagles and have them land right in front of Baradur. In which case, it would be an utter disaster.

[Will]

Matthew wrote: "Couple thoughts. All the comments saying Gandalf would be taken over by the Ring are irrelevant. He could have just as easily said, "Here, Frodo, you sit here on the front of the Eagle. I'll sit behind you. When we get to Mt. Doom, you throw it in.""

This has already been addressed. The Eagles would be tempted by it as well, just by being near it. Way too risky.

[Richard]

Will wrote: "This has already been addressed. The Eagles would be tempted by it as well, just by being near it. Way too risky..."

But Gandalf was able to bear being near the ring for the duration of the Fellowship. Yes, some can be corrupted by proximity, like Boromir, but most were able to resist, so I don't find the idea an eagle might be corrupted as particularly valid, as even Boromir took weeks to be 'turned'.

I do think that Sauron, being a very powerful wizard, might have been able to defend against aerial attack using magic, and this was the reason eagles were not considered. I would have thought that, had Tolkien thought of it, he would have mentioned it, as a few really bad ideas were discussed at the Council of Elrond.

[Will]

Still WAY too risky. Gandalf is a pretty unique case I would say, and there is no way to tell how the eagles would react. And if they took a chance with the eagles (even considering they would be willing at all), and the eagles ended up being pretty damn tempted, all hope would have been lost.

[Catherine]

I can't decide if JRRT would be rolling on the floor laughing his rear off about now, or flattered at all the mental energy that is being consumed in this thread.

[Will]

Well, if talking about this actually exerted much mental energy, then he would probably be laughing.

[Karla]

(I'll caveat this by saying it's been a long time since I read the books, so my recollection of the story is mainly from the movies.)

There are a number of plausible explanations why the fellowship didn't use the eagles. Maybe the council simply didn't consider it. Maybe they couldn't get in touch with the eagles (assuming the one who rescued Gandalf had already left), or the eagles were busy with other things. (Note, I said plausible explanations, not good reasons.)

But the center of this debate is whether or not this would be a feasible plan. I don't think the eagles would be swayed by the power of the ring as long as Frodo was the one carrying it. The ring's power pretty much only affects the person who is physically holding in. Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond are all powerful characters, yet none of them are affected by being in close proximity to the ring. (Boromir is the exception, but he is human and humans are supposedly very easily swayed by the ring's power. None of the other members of the fellowship are influenced by the ring.) Also at the start of the books, the ring's power is still fairly weak.

Therefore, it really comes down to how far could the eagles go before Sauron noticed them. The eagles certainly could have carried the hobbits at least some of the way. Sauron didn't know where the ring was, he couldn't actually see it unless someone put it on. But he would notice the eagles flying over his terrority. It's safe to assume the eagles need to land at Mount Doom for Frodo to destroy the ring. Even if Sauron was powerless to stop them in flight, he still could have the Nazgul and all his orcs waiting at the mountain for them. That said, I think the eagles definitely could have carried the hobbits at least part of the way, then dropped Frodo off in a safe location and let him go from there. How far would really depend on how close they could get to Mordor without being noticed.

[Sajjad]

From an allegorical standpoint, the twenty rings stand for Power (3 for the Elves, 9 for Men, and 7 for the Dwarves). Power, I believe, refers to any force a being may exert on others, be it spiritual, emotional, intellectual, or physical. After reading between the lines in the letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, I feel that Tolkien's works were an allegory of the real world, our world. When I found that Moria was supposed to be Istanbul, I realized that the Elves were Jews, Men were Christians, and Dwarves were Muslims. Melkor who later became Morgoth was Iblis who later fell to become the Devil or Satan, and Sauron, he with the fiery all-seeing eye (which is also hidden in plain view in many places in our world today), is none other than the False Messiah, the Anti-Christ. Now remember how Sauron taught the different races how to make rings (gain power in the created realms) in fair guise but bound them all (the Elven rings-Vilya-Air-Elrond, Nenya-Water-Galadriel, Narya-Fire-Gandalf-he never touched but bound still)with his power, which is the One Ring to rule them all. The One Ring or the power of the dark forces which rule the world invisibly today through guile, deceit, corruption, and many other evils cannot be destroyed until the False Messiah-Anti-Christ is defeated through the real Messiah who is Jesus (Peace be upon him) or in Middle-earth, Sauron and his power, the One Ring, is destroyed. The Star Wars story also speaks of the dark forces that think we are only sheeple to be exploited while they lie to us and gain power throughout the world and even into the stars. In Star Wars, Darth Vader is the Dark Lord or the Anti-christ figure ruling under the tutelage of the Emperor Palpatine (Satan?). So, in my opinion, the ring is not just a physical object that can simply be undone in Mount Doom at any point of the timeline, but rather it is a symbol of soon-to-be-destroyed Evil Power Concentrated of those bent to Pride, the root of all Evil, that which afflicted Melkor when he played his unruly tune at the beginning of Tolkien's imaginary world in The Silmarillion or Satan when he refused to bow to Adam after his creation when commanded by Our Creator To Whom be All Praise. In long form, this is how I would answer the question of why the One Ring (Ash Nazg) was not dropped into Mount Doom by Gandalf on Eagle wings-it simply was not his or their place to destroy that Power of Evil-in Tolkien's imaginary world or in our own.

[Matthew]

Umm... I think you took the allegory a bit too far. I remember reading somewhere that it was meant to be allegorical of the struggles between East and West in our world, where the East was the Soviet Union (is the timeline right for that?) and the West was, well, the West. Sure, I guess. But going farther where you are designating which race represents which culture I think is overstepping credulity. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think you can take allegory to that level of detail.