LOTR logic question

[KenM]

OK, we know the ring had to be cast back into the fire of MT. Doom, but instead of taking in on foot, would'nt it have been easier if someone got on one of Gandalf's giant eagle friends, and flown over the volcano opening and dropped it in?

 

[Dr Midnight]

You know, it's people like you what cause unrest.

 

[Assenpfeffer]

Because the Nazgul would have intercepted it.

The whole point was that the Ring had to be gotten to Mount Doom without Sauron knowing.

 

[EricNoah]

The nazgul have access to flying steeds -- perhaps it could be reasonably assumed that such a bold advance to Mordor with the ring could be detected and intercepted? Also the Eagles aren't a taxi service -- it's hard to know how much they might be willing to sacrifice for Middle Earth.

 

[KenM]

Well, they could have sent more then one eagle in with them for defense. There could have been a big "dog fight" with elven archers on eagles with the Nazgul.

 

[Henry]

Another thing - in the books Gandalf mentions that using magic in Middle Earth causes ripples that others with the proper knowledge can detect. Summoning a giant eagle and controlling it to fly them to Mount Doom would be about as effective as flying it to Mount Doom in a Pink and polka-dot bus, with neon lights and a soundtrack playing.

"Here we are! Come take us, minions of Sauron!"

 

[KenM]

I never said anything about them using magic, if the eagles did not want sauron to take over there're world and enslave/ kill them, they would have done it willingly.

 

[Prince Atom]

It seems to me someone else {(cough)Edena(cough)} brought this up a few months back. IIRC what was decided was that the Nazgul could certainly see them if they tried that route, so it was out.

I personally think that it's hard to fill three volumes with one ride on the back of a giant eagle. It'd come out like Moby Dick, or the Army -- long stretches of boredom interrupted by brief, intense periods of abject terror.

TWK
Who likes it fine the way it is.

 

[Umbran]

Well, they could have sent more then one eagle in with them for defense. There could have been a big "dog fight" with elven archers on eagles with the Nazgul.

YOu wouldn't need magic to control the giant eagles, as they are pretty much sentient, and could be reasoned with. However, while big enough to carry a man, man sized creatures dopn't generally ride them, they are carried in the eage's talons, IIRC.

So, yes, perhaps we can have that dogfight. With the risk of the ring falling. Right onto the open flat area of Gorgoroth, where any footsoldier of Mordor could find it.

And what happens if the guy dropping it into Mount Doom wasn't Luke Skywalker, and misses the two meter wide exhause port? Now we have the ring plinking it's way down the side of the mountain...

Really, secrecy was crucial.

 

[KenM]

I'm having fun with this. They could have waited until most of the army of orcs, ect. was outside of Moria. Someone else said would have been hard to fill three volumes, less reading IMO. I'm prob. going to get flamed for this but I think JRRT was a great author for backround and setting up. But his plot resution is so friggin SLOW. It took me like 14 years to try and get though fellowship, I finally did last year before first movie came out.