My eagle take is that stories are supposed to be about what actually (fictionally) happened rather than the most optimally efficient way they could have. The eagles simply didn’t deign to get involved until they did.
The problem is that it wasn’t addressed. Had someone suggested it at the council and Gandalf gave a reason it wouldn’t have become an endless meme.
Everyone there knew about the eagles. The eagles had even helped in the petty squabbles between dwarves and men a few years earlier at LakeTown / Dale.
I refuse to believe the eagles didn’t know what was going down and could intervene at any time. When they showed up they weren’t like “bruh why didn’t you call us sooner”
The point is still that the rings whereabouts was best left unknown to as many people as possible. Just flying into Mordor on an eagle would have essentially just delivered the ring to Sauron for free. The eagles could have been involved elsewhere, sure, but the story is the story.
Manwe is the one who sends them though, and he’s a valar.
I don’t remember if it’s in the Silmarillion or LOTR but they specifically say they arent going to interfere anymore because last time it sunk a continent
Thats a dumb comparison. Gandalf didnt make gimli nor does he control him, and how is passing a message the same as literally carrying the ring into the fire?.. fighting off nazgul?
I guess some people will just never get it and we can keep the meme alive.
If they got involved for a minor events, they could have gotten involved for an important event. Surely those at the council, having known about the Eagles at the battle a few decades earlier, would have suggested it.
Again the problem is that no reason was given despite the Hobbit showing it was a possibility.
fighting off nazgul?
“The Eagles appeared in great numbers at the Battle of the Morannon, helping to fight against the Nazgûl.”
if they got involed in a minor event, they could have gotten involed for an important even.
How does that even make sense… They were not allowed to interfere in important ways directly against Sauron or Morgoth
In The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Letter #156), Tolkien explains the Valar’s diminished role during the Third Age:
“The Valar… were forbidden to interfere: the governance of the world was committed to the Younger Children [Men and Elves].”
It’s cute you know how to google for the answer you wanted. Nowhere in the book does it say that. The eagles only fought the zagul at the end in the movies.
Even in your link the reference they give for that paragraph doesn’t contain that info. As the eagles arrived the zagul were destroyed by Frodo destroying the ring.
The narrative returns to Gandalf and those outside the Black Gate. To the north, the Captains of the West foundered on the hills outside the Gate, surrounded by a dark, rolling sea of Orcs and Wild Men. Gandalf stood proudly, white and calm, with no shadow falling upon him. Suddenly, a great cry rose up: “The Eagles are coming!”[1] Out of the north arrived a company of great eagles, led by Gwaihir the Windlord. The will of Sauron faltered, and all the armies of Mordor quailed in terror. A great roar shook the hills. Gandalf cried in victory that the Ring-bearer had completed his quest, and that the reign of Sauron has ended.[2]
The eagles never attacked the nazgul to help frodo, nor were the five armies involved with the ring or sauron, nor was them helping the dwarves a pivotal moment for the survival of middle earth.
My eagle take is that stories are supposed to be about what actually (fictionally) happened rather than the most optimally efficient way they could have. The eagles simply didn’t deign to get involved until they did.
The problem is that it wasn’t addressed. Had someone suggested it at the council and Gandalf gave a reason it wouldn’t have become an endless meme.
Everyone there knew about the eagles. The eagles had even helped in the petty squabbles between dwarves and men a few years earlier at LakeTown / Dale.
I refuse to believe the eagles didn’t know what was going down and could intervene at any time. When they showed up they weren’t like “bruh why didn’t you call us sooner”
The point is still that the rings whereabouts was best left unknown to as many people as possible. Just flying into Mordor on an eagle would have essentially just delivered the ring to Sauron for free. The eagles could have been involved elsewhere, sure, but the story is the story.
I need you to fly these hobbits to mount doom.
why … oh.
no further questions.
No, fuck this shit, you’re on your own old man.
The reason given in the books is that the Valar shouldn’t intervene anymore, last time it almost destroyed everything.
The Istari weren’t meant to do magic / go after sauron themselves either. Most of them did nothing.
Eagles were messengers, not Valar. If they could meddle in a war over some treasure, then they could certainly meddle to save all of Middle Earth.
Manwe is the one who sends them though, and he’s a valar.
I don’t remember if it’s in the Silmarillion or LOTR but they specifically say they arent going to interfere anymore because last time it sunk a continent
The dwarves weren’t fighting Valar/Maiar
If Gandalf tells Gimli to pass on a message, that doesn’t make Gimli a Maiar.
Thats a dumb comparison. Gandalf didnt make gimli nor does he control him, and how is passing a message the same as literally carrying the ring into the fire?.. fighting off nazgul?
I guess some people will just never get it and we can keep the meme alive.
Eagles fought at the battle of 5 armies!
If they got involved for a minor events, they could have gotten involved for an important event. Surely those at the council, having known about the Eagles at the battle a few decades earlier, would have suggested it.
Again the problem is that no reason was given despite the Hobbit showing it was a possibility.
“The Eagles appeared in great numbers at the Battle of the Morannon, helping to fight against the Nazgûl.”
https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eagles#%3A~%3Atext=The+Great+Eagle+became+known%2Cto+fight+against+the+Nazgûl.
How does that even make sense… They were not allowed to interfere in important ways directly against Sauron or Morgoth
In The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Letter #156), Tolkien explains the Valar’s diminished role during the Third Age:
It’s cute you know how to google for the answer you wanted. Nowhere in the book does it say that. The eagles only fought the zagul at the end in the movies.
Even in your link the reference they give for that paragraph doesn’t contain that info. As the eagles arrived the zagul were destroyed by Frodo destroying the ring.
The eagles never attacked the nazgul to help frodo, nor were the five armies involved with the ring or sauron, nor was them helping the dwarves a pivotal moment for the survival of middle earth.