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MODES OF THE HEROIC
OFERMOD AS TRAGIC MOTIF
The word ofermod which appears in "Maldon" (describing
Beortnoth's state of mind when allowing the Vikings free passage) has, since
Tolkien, become open to interpretation. The Old English noun 'mod' is usually
translated 'spirit' and, when unqualified, is usually read as a positive trait.
Tolkien's interpretation of the qualifying 'ofer-' is central, however. He
argues that the word in fact suggests excess, and thus presents a serious
indictment of Beortnoth's character. Apparently, Tolkien was preoccupied also
with defining the limitations of heroism. His translation of ofermod
clearly implies a distinction between the bold and the foolhardy, high spirit
and excessive spirit.
If Tolkien is right, this single word strongly indicates
disapproval and condemnation of Beortnoth's "overbold" action - a detail with
which the entire interpretation of the poem must stand or fall. Some critics
hold that ofermod was indeed a praiseworthy trait in the Middle-Ages
- not, as Tolkien translates it, "overmastering pride" but rather an expression
of supreme martial honour; boldness in the highest form. This is obviously
not the place to settle that linguistic difference of opinion. However, the
gist of Tolkien's view on this question allows us to add another perspective
to his theory of courage. Indeed, the medieval concept of ofermod
provides a framework by which many characters in Middle-earth can be read
with more nuance. The following will seek to connect Tolkien's linguistic
interpretation with his fictional deployment of the motif.
Tolkien's two strongest (negative) examples of ofermod
are Fëanor and Túrin, both from Sil. Since the latter has
been expertly described by Richard C. West in his article "Túrin's
ofermod – An Old English Theme in the Development of the Story of Túrin"38 , this discussion will trace
the theme mainly in Fëanor's character. Though of different races (Fëanor
elf, Túrin man) and different times, the two characters share many
similarities. Both are warriors, leaders of Elves and Men, of great heroic
stature. Both are (potentially) formidable forces for the power of good,
and both find themselves directly enmeshed in conflict with the one foe,
the fallen Vala Morgoth himself, against whom there is no victory - save
for the combined might of the Valar, his own angelic order. Both heroes are,
in a sense, actors in the larger drama of Fate; Fëanor bound by the
intricate workings of his ill-fated oath of vengeance, Túrin by Morgoth's
powerful curse weighing on all his family and by the (lesser) evil of his
enchanted weapon, Anglachel. Both are central characters in deeply tragic
tales, developing the leitmotif of long decline as it plays out in Sil.
What gives these characters their special poignancy, however, is the clear
indication that (at least part of the tragedy) is a result of their own actions.
Neither of them are fighting for evil causes, yet what ultimately drives
these events to their tragic ends are Turin's and especially Fëanor's
own proud and vengeful ways, the fire burning hot in their restless hearts:
their ofermod. This motif places them in a long, generic pattern of
tragically flawed characters from Oedipous and Odysseus to Kullervo and King
Lear.
Apparently, a number of forces are at play here, including
the tension arising from Tolkien's use of 'Fate' and 'free will'. Middle-earth
is not a wholly deterministic universe, indeed far from it, yet prophecy and
Fate are continously interwoven with the notion of free will. In Tolkien,
placing ofermod above temperance and humility is an act of dire consequences.
Fëanor's possessive disposition and great pride find their object in
the Silmarils. These were the unique jewels crafted by his own skill which
had captured the holy Light of the Two Trees - and which alone held it after
the fallen Vala Melkor's quenching of the original Light. Melkor's subsequent
theft of the Silmarils and murder of Fëanor's father set in motion his
hunt for retrieval and revenge across the world. Claiming the kingship of
his father, his vengeance becomes the vengeance of an entire people. Thus
he led the exodus of the elves from paradisian Valinor, at the same time turning
their backs on the Valar. Yet all these later events stem from one pivotal
moment: a moment given to free will. In the darkness after Melkor's flight,
he is told by the Valar that the holy light of the Trees can never be revived,
except by the essence of the Silmarils. Yavanna's exact words are:
'The Light of the Trees has passed away, and lives now only
in the
Silmarils of Fëanor … Even for those who are mightiest under
Ilúvatar
there is some work that they may accomplish once, and once only.
The
Light of the Trees I brought into being, and within Eä I can
do so never
again. Yet had I but a little of that light I could recall life to
the Trees,
ere their roots decay; and then our hurt should be healed, and the
malice
of Melkor be confounded.'39
If Fëanor will sacrifice his work for the light of
the world, then and only then can Melkor's evil deed be undone. Ironically,
the silmarils have already been stolen at this time, but Fëanor's refusal
proves (essential and fateful) just the same. Finally, the loss of the Silmarils
and of his father reveals the true extent of Fëanor's ofermod
as he opposes the most powerful of the Valar, Melkor, single-handedly. He
and his sons reject the rule and aid of the Valar and swear their terrible
and everlasting oath "to pursue with vengeance and hatred to the ends of the
World Vala, Demon, Elf or Man as yet unborn … whoso should hold or take or
keep a Silmaril from their possession." 40
Inflamed by his rhetoric and compelled by his leadership,
the Noldorin Elves depart, ignoring the warnings of the Valar, and slay their
sea-faring kin for their great ships which alone would bear them across the
ocean in pursuit of Melkor/Morgoth. This atrocity, forever etched in elvish
history as the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, continues to haunt the exiled
elves in years to come. At the centre of it all looms Fëanor's unbreakable
Oath: it establishes a motif which guides and goads all their subsequent actions
- and seals the "Doom of the Noldor". Stripped of all rhetoric and all the
heroic splendour of Fëanor's fiery spirit, only a tragic story remains.
Banned from Valinor and from the aid of Melkor's peers, the elves under Fëanor
embark on a futile struggle which lasts hundreds of years, costs countless
lives and ends, in spite of heroic deeds and glorious resistance, in ruin,
death and defeat, as told in Sil. Courage or foolhardiness? Tolkien's
intent, at least, is clear: the very name Fëanor is elvish for
"Spirit of Fire" – a virtual echo of Old English ofermod in his controversial
interpretation: "excessive spirit".
Whether by design or not, the theft of the Silmarils turns
out to be the great test of Fëanor's moral fabric, and ultimately his
refusal to forego his claim of possession proves disastrous. The Oath manifests
his moral lapse and forever governs his actions. The unconditional pursuit
of the Silmarils entails future abuse of free will. It comes close to the
moral degeneration of Saruman in later days, namely that the end justifies
the means, whatever these may be. Thus, while resistance to Morgoth is certainly
legitimate, Fëanor's motivations for doing so cease to be governed by
morality, by the will to do good and protect the world from Melkor's undeniable
evil. Noble principles are replaced by "vengeance and hatred" and personal
gain. As with Beortnoth's overmastering pride and recklessness, Fëanor's
monomaniacal vendetta is revealed by Tolkien as poetically attractive, but
morally flawed. Throughout his fiction, as later analysis of Frodo will show,
Tolkien clearly found this particular aspect of Anglo-Saxon heroism inadequate.
What he did use and admire was the indomitable will, the ancient Northern
spirit, sharpened by the chill air of slow defeat that permeates his works.
These examples, and others left unstated, lead to the following
conclusions. The dichotomy between Good and Evil is more complicated than
some critics have claimed and certainly more nuanced. No race or person, however
noble or powerful is above the perils and blessings and most of all the responsibility
that comes with free will. The Dark Lord truly represents Evil incarnate
in Middle-earth, yet everyone retains the power of choice: anyone may stray,
succumb to temptation, or abuse their free will for the domination of others.
Anyone may, even unconsciously at first, choose to step onto a path, much
like Fëanor's, where the end overshadows all else and justifies the
means. Indeed, this idea is not at all antiquarian or mythical. It is an
existential idea which modern readers find so natural and believable that
few even take note of its implications. When drawn from familiarity into
focus, however, this particular Tolkienism stands out as an anomaly: outside
the pre-Christian realm of myth and saga, but deeply related to contemporary
existentialism and Christian thought. On the surface, the mighty agents of
good, the immortal elves, may appear like a Christian author's ideal image
of "Man Incorruptible". However, this claim (akin to critic Edwin Muir's
which is discussed below) would fundamentally contradict and distort the
governing vision behind all of Tolkien's works. In fact, a close reading
reveals corruptibility as an essential premise, a central pillar of
LotR - for with anything less, the One Ring is rendered harmless and
the entire plot crumbles. Corruptibility expressed through various races
and characters of the Secondary World is a cogent theme, used by Tolkien as
a prism to refract the many hues of human morality. Thus, Tolkien's delicate
balance between hope and fallibility is universally relevant as a statement
on the human condition. In Middle-earth, this point is never sharper or more
urgent than in his portrayal of the heroic ethos.
38In Flieger, Verlyn & Hostetter,
Carl F., ed., Tolkien's Legendarium - Essays on The History of Middle-earth,
Greenwood Press, Westport Connecticut, 2000, p. 234-45 back
39Tolkien, Sil, p. 78 back
40Ibid., p. 83 back
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