Chief of the Mearas.
Shadowfax was famed for his greatness as the horse
of
Gandalf, emissary of the Valar, in the War of the Ring.
In The Fellowship of the Ring:
Gandalf told the Council of Elrond of his gaining
Shadowfax after the wizard's rescue from Saruman's tower by his flight
on the great eagle, Gwaihir. The eagle landed him in Rohan when he
requested a horse "surpassingly
swift". There Gandalf found that the lies of Saruman had entered Rohan
ahead
of him so that Theoden, king of Rohan, would not heed his warnings of
the
treachery of Saruman and the coming of the Nine Ringwraiths. Instead
the
king told Gandalf to take a horse and be gone, not expecting the old
man
to take the finest horse they had.
Boromir said the Rohirrim, people of Rohan, would
not
even buy their lives with the horses they so treasured. These horses
came
from fields of the North, far from the Shadow, from the free days of
old.
Gandalf described Shadowfax as a horse that might
have
been from the earliest time of the world. No man had ever ridden him
before.
By day his coat was like silver, by night like unseen shade. His
footsteps
were light, and not even the horses of the Nine were his match for
speed
or stamina.
Then Gandalf rode Shadowfax to track down Frodo who
had
the One Ring, as Gandalf learned in his time at Saruman's. His travel
was
made surpassingly fast over great distances. He went to Bree and on to
Weathertop
where he held off the Nine. He couldn not find Frodo in the wilderness
and
trusted to Aragorn to guide the hobbit while he drew the Nine away from
them
while riding to Rivendell for help. Thus only five of the Nine attacked
the
hobbits' camp. At Rivendell, Gandalf sent Shadowfax back to his master,
King
Theoden.
In The Two Towers:
Shadowfax returned to Rohan but was wild, suffering
no
man's touch, angering Theoden further with Gandalf.
In the chapter, "The White Rider", Shadowfax
answered
the whistle of Gandalf the White, also bringing with him the horses
Eomer
had earlier loaned to Aragorn's party: Arod (Legolas and Gimli's horse)
and
Hasufel (Aragorn's). Shadowfax was within range because Gandalf had
bent
his thoughts toward him the previous day. The other horses had run from
their
humans to greet their approaching chief, Shadowfax, leaving them
unexpectedly
without rides for a time.
Gandalf the White expected to take Shadowfax to
battle,
being then more than a counselor. By this time all the other
Istari had left off their
mission so that he was alone of their number. Gandalf allowed Shadowfax
to
choose their direction back to the King, as he was familiar with the
terrain.
Due to the loss of the potential use of Shadowfax
from
wildness and for other reasons, King Theoden gave Gandalf and the three
Fellowship
members (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) with him a cold welcome. But
Gandalf
helped the king see the truth: that Grima Wormtongue poisoned his mind
and
weakend his body with false counsel from his true master, Saruman. For
the
new life given him, Theoden showed his gratitude by making a permanent
gift
of Shadowfax to Gandalf, a gift that aided the wizard and many others
thereby.
Theoden said:
"There is none like to Shadowfax. In him one of
the
mighty steeds of old has returned. None such shall return again."
Eomer, who would be the next king of Rohan, saw the
silver
Shadowfax come to Gandalf's whistle, and said of the great horse:
"Were the breath of the West Wind to make a body
visible,
even so would it appear."
Theoden followed the advice of Gandalf, and Gandalf
rode
in support of him, as the cavalry of the Rohirrim went to stop
Saruman's treachery
and aid the land of Gondor which was about to come under siege by the
armies
of Mordor.
Gandalf and Shadowfax rode with the king at the head
of
the host looking for the king's men, led by Erkenbrand, who held back
the forces of Saruman. News came that Erkenbrand's men fell back
towards
Helm's Deep.
Gandalf warned Theoden to take his people to Helm's
Deep rather
than the Fords of Isen, and left the host on his own errands. Shadowfax
lent
Gandalf the speed he had to have. He went apparently in several
directions
to locate Erkenbrand, then towards Isengard before nightfall to meet
with
Treebeard (and Merry and Pippin) for help against the orcs at Helm's
Deep.
Gamling had brought the regular folk of the area (Westfold) to Helm's
Deep,
but Theoden's fighters arrived before Erkenbrand's. Gandalf led
Erkenbrand's
infantry to break the siege of Helm's Deep, and himself on Shadowfax
drove
many of the orcs beneath the shadow of the Huorns, the dark ents, which
had
traveled to avenge the death of trees by orcs.
Then Gandalf rode through the Huorns, which parted
for
him, to Isengard with Theoden, Eomer and twenty of his men, Aragorn,
Legolas,
and Gimli. Wolves moved away from Gandalf as he rode, for fear of him
and
the shining horse. Shadowfax bore Gandalf to meet with Fangorn in
Isengard.
Shadowfax bore both Gandalf and Merry on the trip
back
towards Helm's Deep. When the Nazgul flew across the river, Gandalf had
all
race as fast as they could, Shadowfax being the fastest even with his
double
load, then of Gandalf and Pippin who was recovering from looking into
the
Palantir. At that time, Pippin commented that Gandalf rode without
saddle
or bridle, elf-fashion as Gandalf called it. The wizard said that
Shadowfax
would wear no harness, carrying people or not as he pleased. Pippin
also
noted the unusual smoothness of the ride. But Gandalf and Pippin did
not
stop at Helm's Deep, heading straight on to Minas Tirith in Gondor.
In the Return of the King:
The book opened with Gandalf and Pippin riding
Shadowfax. They stopped briefly at Meduseld, the nearly abandoned hall
of King Theoden, where another Nazgul passed overhead. Gandalf saw the
beacon fires in Gondor and wanted Shadowfax to speed up, but the horse
had other ideas, slowing to
greet three horses bearing messengers, then speeded mightily. They hid
by
day and raced along at night. When they entered Gondor, people saw
Shadowfax and had hope that the Rohirrim were coming to aid, for they
saw few other horses than those of the Steward's errand-riders. They
had traveled one-hundred fifty leagues from Isengard. Shadowfax allowed
himself to be taken to the stables when Gandalf spoke softly to him of
it, for no horse was allowed in
the Citadel.
Darkness fell with no dawn.
Nazgul, Black Riders of the air, sought to prevent
Faramir
and his men from re-entering Gondor. But Gandalf rode out on Shadowfax,
the
horse who had the courage to keep his mind before the Fear of the
Nazgul. Gandalf spread light against their shadow, and stabbed at the
Nazgul with a shaft of white light, sending the five away. Faramir
carried precious news of the Ring's
travel.
When Gandalf heard that Faramir and his forces were
not
only outnumbered ten times but up against the Witch-king as well as the
other
Nazgul, he went out on Shadowfax to give aid. Osgiliath was lost, and
the
forces headed back to Minas Tirith. Gandalf came in front with the
wains
of wounded and called for help from the city to aid the fighters'
return.
The regular enemy and the Nazgul came in a killing swoop at the
rearguard
led by Faramir, and would have overwhelmed them, but that Gandalf's
Shadowfax
outran Prince Imrahil's sortie from Minas Tirith and displayed his
white
fire. The Witch-king, leader of the Nazgul, not being there to
challenge
it, the others flew away for the time just as Faramir was hit by a
Southron
arrow/dart. The Morgul hosts, taken by surprise, broke away at the
White Rider's
coming, and were set upon by Faramir's outcompanies and the sortie.
The siege
of Minas Tirith began.
Denethor went mad with despair from the news
filtering to him past Sauron through the Palantir, made worse by the
belief that his
feverish son was dying and all his Stewardship. Pippin ran for
Gandalf's help,
but Gandalf was at the City Gate on Shadowfax. The Witch-king had come
at last, possibly
as strong as Gandalf's current form by Gandalf's words. The
Witch-king's Words
added their power to Grond, the battering ram, breaking down the Gate
which
had withstood Grond alone, in a blasting of lightning. But when he rode
into
the gate never before passed by an enemy, Gandalf waited on Shadowfax
who
"alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror,
unmoving,
steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dinen." Gandalf knew well the
prophecy
of Glorfindel, that not by the hand of a man would this Nazgul die. But
the
pair halted the Witch-king's ride long enough that all heard the coming
of
the Rohirrim, with which the Witch-king had to turn away and deal. And
there
were two in that company who were not men. Gandalf started to ride out
to
the battle, but at Pippin's word had to stop and deal with the mad
Steward
Denethor to prevent Faramir's being burned alive, as no other could
stop
it, although Beregond delayed it. Shadowfax carried Gandalf and Pippin
all
the way to the Closed Door of the burial area, then open. Gandalf spoke
to
Shadowfax as to a man, asking him to return to the stables but come
quickly
if called, and the horse understood as would one of the ones of Numenor
long
ago.
Since Denethor was dead, Faramir his heir was
mortally ill, and
Prince Imrahil was in the fighting, only Gandalf was left to handle the
City.
He beheld with the sight that was given him what had happened with the
Witch-king
and understood how Sauron had reached into the city even to Denethor
through
the Palantir, and that this had prevented him from riding out on
Shadowfax
to battle. Then Gandalf was caught up in aiding the wounded, including
Merry.
After Imrahil took over the lordship of the City for
Gandalf,
Gandalf was ready to ride Shadowfax in search of athelas to battle a
new
enemy, the Black Breath from the Nazgul, that was about to kill those
in
his care. Fortunately that delay was not required.
Gandalf, Aragorn, and others made plans and set out
with
a small army against the Black Gate of Mordor well away from Frodo's
path, the direction
known from Faramir's news. The army of less than six-thousand was bait
to
empty Mordor of as many of its dangers as possible to ease the passage
of
the Ringbearer, drawing the armies against themselves. Sauron was meant
to
believe Aragorn was the new Ringbearer setting out too early in his
attack.
But once Sauron was defeated thanks to the terrible
effort
of the Ringbearer, and his dense, lightning-crowned shadow leaned over
and
stretched out its hand towards the small army, only to be blown away by
a
great wind, Shadowfax at last was not enough for the speed Gandalf
needed.
As the north wind became a gale sweeping away all the darkness, the
wizard
mounted the great eagle of Manwe, Gwaihir, taking his companion eagles,
Landroval
and Meneldor, and flew to collect Frodo and Sam.
The King returned, and all of Aragorn's long duty
rewarded
with a great marriage to Elrond's daughter, Arwen.
Shadowfax resumed his work with Gandalf, but in more
pleasant
circumstances. Their next long ride was in the peaceful faring forth of
allies
to return King Theoden's body to Rohan and for the announcement of the
wedding
of Eowyn and Faramir.
Then they began breaking up. Shadowfax bore Gandalf to Orthanc to check
on
Saruman, where he heard of yet another battle where ents destroyed orcs
that
surrounded Lothlorien but were unable to pass Galadriel and Celeborn.
And
also that Fangorn had let Saruman and Wormtongue go, since he deemed
them
defanged.
Gandalf along with Master Elrond, the Lord and Lady
of
Lothlorien, their company, and the hobbits continued riding and found
Saruman
along the way. Gandalf said he would still be able to do small, mean
mischief.
The people of Lorien left them near Moria, and they
rode
on to Rivendell and Bilbo. Gandalf continued with only the hobbits as
far
as Bree to see Butterbur. There he heard of the troubles that had
reached
the lands of the hobbits, and set his well-trained hobbit fighters on
their
way to deal with it, proving that he had done his mission. Then
Gandalf,
finally alone, rode to see Tom Bombadil for a long visit.
But when Gandalf went to the Grey Havens to take
ship
back to Valinor, Shadowfax was not mentioned. He would most likely have
traveled
on Shadowfax to the Grey Havens, but what happened to his horse
afterwards?
Did he return to Tom Bombadil, Rohan, or ship to Valinor with Gandalf?
In The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien:
JRR Tolkien addressed the question of what happened
to
Shadowfax in letter number 268. Here is a cut version of the letter
giving
parts relevant to the problem.
"I think Shadowfax certainly went with Gandalf,
though
this is not stated. I feel it is better not to state everything.... I
should
argue so: Shadowfax came of a special race being as it were an elvish
equivalent
of ordinary horses: his 'blood' came from 'West over Sea'. It would not
be
unfitting for him to 'go West'. Gandalf was not 'dying', or going by a
special
grace to the Western Land, before passing on 'beyond the circles of the
world':
he was going home, being plainly one of the 'immortals', and angelic
emissary
of the angelic governors (Valar) of the Earth. He would take or could
take
what he loved. Gandalf was last seen riding Shadowfax. He must have
ridden
to the Havens, and it is inconcievable that he would [have] ridden any
beast
but Shadowfax, so Shadowfax must have been there."
References:
Fellowship:
"The Council of Elrond".
Two Towers:
"The White Rider", "The King of the Golden Hall", "Helm's
Deep", "The Road to Isengard", "The Palantir"
Return of the King: "Minas Tirith", "The
Siege of Gondor", "The Pyre of Denethor", "The Black
Gate Opens", "Many Partings", "Homeward Bound", "The Grey
Havens":
# 268 The Letters of JRR Tolkien
Images of Shadowfax:
image
- "Gandalf and Pippin", June 1998. Gandalf and Pippin ride
Shadowfax under the moonlight with a storm behind them, racing to Minas
Tirith ahead of the
army of the Rohirrim. Artist Luca Michelucci . From Rolozo's Tolkien
page.
image
: "Shadowfax". Gandalf riding Shadowfax through mist. Artist
Michelucci, 1998 Tolkien calendar. Rolozo page
Image:
"Visiting Shadowfax". Artist: Anke-Katrin Eissman. Rolozo Tolkien site
