A Walking Song
Encyclopedia
"A Walking Song" is a poem in the form of a song from J. R. R. Tolkien
's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings
, originally published in three volumes. It appears in the third chapter of the novel, entitled "Three is Company"; usually as part of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring
. It is given its title in an index to songs and poems usually published in the third volume, The Return of the King
.
Frodo Baggins
is travelling to Bucklebury in the Shire
, accompanied by his gardener and friend Sam Gamgee
and his kinsman Pippin Took
. Frodo is ostensibly moving to a newly-purchased house, having sold his hobbit-hole to his relatives, the Sackville-Bagginses. However, he and Sam have secretly planned to journey beyond, to Bree
where he will meet again with Gandalf
, so that they can travel to Rivendell
; Frodo has the Ring
of the Dark Lord Sauron
in his possession, and he believes it will be safe there. They journey into the night, and at this point
Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins
, who had adopted him and considered him his nephew, had made up the words "to a tune that was as old as the hills, and taught it to Frodo as they walked in the lanes of the Water-valley and talked about Adventure".
After the song ends, the hobbits encounter a Black Rider
for the second time.
The song is mirrored at the end of the novel, in the chapter "The Grey Havens", usually published as part of The Return of the King
. Frodo sings part of the song with slightly changed words, as he is leaving for the Undying Lands.
(2002) and Complete Songs & Poems
(2006 - compilation).
Part of "A Walking Song" is featured in a profoundly different context in New Line Cinema
's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
, directed by Peter Jackson
, and released in 2003.
Some lines from the poem are part of a larger montage entitled "The Steward of Gondor", which was written by Howard Shore
and arranged by Philippa Boyens
. The song is called "The Edge of Night" after a phrase in the lyrics. Its melody was composed by Billy Boyd, who plays Pippin.
In the film (2003 version), Denethor
, the Steward of Gondor residing in its capital Minas Tirith
, bids Pippin to sing for him while he eats. At the same time, Denethor's son Faramir
attempts to retake the city of Osgiliath which has been occupied by Orcs
, as requested by his father. The mission is a futile one. Pippin sings while Faramir and his horsemen are riding in slow motion to be massacred by the Orcs. As the song ends, Pippin begins to cry softly, as he realizes that Faramir most likely died in vain to try to prove to his father that he was like his slain older brother Boromir
, whom Denethor loved greatly. In a later scene, a gravely wounded Faramir is dragged back to the city by his horse, to his father's remorse.
Pippin's song in the film is only a fraction of the poem as written by Tolkien. It all comes from the last stanza, though some lines are skipped, and some are slightly rewritten.
According to Jackson, the song was only devised while shooting the film. Boyd envisioned the song to be one that his character had (in his own words) "probably heard his grandfather sing, you know, from when the hobbits were looking for the Shire." The song was recorded in Abbey Road Studios
in London. Boyd calls it "a huge highlight" of his career.
Paul Broucek, executive music producer at New Line Cinema, comments: "Instead of a noisy battle scene, you have the juxtaposition of the beautiful, haunting melody that Billy created and sings, and that Howard supports with very simple underpinnings of orchestra growing out of it."
Frodo's variation on the song in the book was used for the soundtrack of the film, when Frodo and company are at the Grey Havens; the lyrics are converted into Sindarin
by David Salo
.
The scenes featuring "The Edge of Night" were largely invented by the film's writers, as events in Tolkien's book play out quite differently:
Though Denethor asks Pippin if he can sing, the latter is not actually made to sing. Tolkien writes:
Faramir is wounded while defending Osgiliath, not attempting to retake it - specifically while covering the retreat to Minas Tirith. Also, he is borne back to the city by horsemen.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, originally published in three volumes. It appears in the third chapter of the novel, entitled "Three is Company"; usually as part of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...
. It is given its title in an index to songs and poems usually published in the third volume, The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
.
Context
The hobbitHobbit
Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
is travelling to Bucklebury in the Shire
Shire (Middle-earth)
The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in...
, accompanied by his gardener and friend Sam Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
and his kinsman Pippin Took
Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
. Frodo is ostensibly moving to a newly-purchased house, having sold his hobbit-hole to his relatives, the Sackville-Bagginses. However, he and Sam have secretly planned to journey beyond, to Bree
Bree (Middle-earth)
Bree is a fictional village in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, east of the Shire and south of Fornost Erain. It is thought to have been inspired by the Buckinghamshire village of Brill, which Tolkien visited regularly in his early years at Oxford...
where he will meet again with Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
, so that they can travel to Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
; Frodo has the Ring
One Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
of the Dark Lord Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
in his possession, and he believes it will be safe there. They journey into the night, and at this point
They began to hum softly, as hobbits have a way of doing as they walk along, especially when they are drawing near to home at night. With most hobbits it is a supper-song or a bed-song; but these hobbits hummed a walking-song (though not, of course, without any mention of supper and bed).
Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
, who had adopted him and considered him his nephew, had made up the words "to a tune that was as old as the hills, and taught it to Frodo as they walked in the lanes of the Water-valley and talked about Adventure".
After the song ends, the hobbits encounter a Black Rider
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
for the second time.
The song is mirrored at the end of the novel, in the chapter "The Grey Havens", usually published as part of The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
. Frodo sings part of the song with slightly changed words, as he is leaving for the Undying Lands.
Adaptations
Both versions of the poem have been set to music by the Danish group The Tolkien Ensemble, with melodies composed by its member Peter Hall. They appear on the group's albums At Dawn in RivendellAt Dawn in Rivendell
At Dawn In Rivendell is the third album by the Danish group The Tolkien Ensemble. It features songs composed to the lyrics found in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and forms the third part of what was to become a complete musical interpretation of all poems and songs in the book...
(2002) and Complete Songs & Poems
Complete Songs & Poems
Complete Songs & Poems is a compilation album of all the songs from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings set to music by The Tolkien Ensemble...
(2006 - compilation).
Part of "A Walking Song" is featured in a profoundly different context in New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
, directed by Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
, and released in 2003.
Some lines from the poem are part of a larger montage entitled "The Steward of Gondor", which was written by Howard Shore
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...
and arranged by Philippa Boyens
Philippa Boyens
Philippa Boyens, MNZM, is a New Zealand screenwriter who co-wrote the screenplay for Peter Jackson's film series The Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, for which the trio won an Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004. Boyens worked with the same collaborators on the screenplay...
. The song is called "The Edge of Night" after a phrase in the lyrics. Its melody was composed by Billy Boyd, who plays Pippin.
In the film (2003 version), Denethor
Denethor
Denethor II of the House of Húrin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. In the novel, he is the 26th and penultimate ruling Steward of Gondor....
, the Steward of Gondor residing in its capital Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
, bids Pippin to sing for him while he eats. At the same time, Denethor's son Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
attempts to retake the city of Osgiliath which has been occupied by Orcs
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
, as requested by his father. The mission is a futile one. Pippin sings while Faramir and his horsemen are riding in slow motion to be massacred by the Orcs. As the song ends, Pippin begins to cry softly, as he realizes that Faramir most likely died in vain to try to prove to his father that he was like his slain older brother Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
, whom Denethor loved greatly. In a later scene, a gravely wounded Faramir is dragged back to the city by his horse, to his father's remorse.
Pippin's song in the film is only a fraction of the poem as written by Tolkien. It all comes from the last stanza, though some lines are skipped, and some are slightly rewritten.
According to Jackson, the song was only devised while shooting the film. Boyd envisioned the song to be one that his character had (in his own words) "probably heard his grandfather sing, you know, from when the hobbits were looking for the Shire." The song was recorded in Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in London. Boyd calls it "a huge highlight" of his career.
Paul Broucek, executive music producer at New Line Cinema, comments: "Instead of a noisy battle scene, you have the juxtaposition of the beautiful, haunting melody that Billy created and sings, and that Howard supports with very simple underpinnings of orchestra growing out of it."
Frodo's variation on the song in the book was used for the soundtrack of the film, when Frodo and company are at the Grey Havens; the lyrics are converted into Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
by David Salo
David Salo
David I. Salo is a linguist who worked on the languages of J. R. R. Tolkien for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, expanding the Elvish languages by building on vocabulary already known from published works, and defining some languages that previously had a very small published vocabulary...
.
The scenes featuring "The Edge of Night" were largely invented by the film's writers, as events in Tolkien's book play out quite differently:
Though Denethor asks Pippin if he can sing, the latter is not actually made to sing. Tolkien writes:
"...You shall wait on me, bear errands, and talk to me [...]. Can you sing?"
"Yes," said Pippin. "Well, yes, well enough for my own people. But we have no songs fit for great halls and evil times, lord..."
"...Pippin's heart sank. He did not relish the idea of singing any song of the Shire to the Lord of Minas Tirith, certainly not the comic ones that he knew best [...]. He was however spared the ordeal for the present. He was not commanded to sing. Denethor turned to Gandalf..."
Faramir is wounded while defending Osgiliath, not attempting to retake it - specifically while covering the retreat to Minas Tirith. Also, he is borne back to the city by horsemen.