By Gail Allen
(It says “music” in Elvish Script)
Music in the world of Tolkien is extremely important. Not only is it referenced many times during the story that the characters sing, but in some cases the times they sing are also very significant. Sam searching for Frodo after the orcs have taken him is an example that springs to mind easily. Upon thinking he has failed, Sam falls into despair and rather than crying or doing anything else, he starts to sing. And because of this song he is delivered from his despair when he hears a voice answering his song; Frodo has heard him and joined the song and so Sam is able to find him.
There are many other instances in the books where songs have an impact; for instance in the part of the story involving Tom Bombadil where songs are used extensively to give the hobbits a defence against the danger they were faced with at that time. Notably, they also give them very vivid images of what they are concerned with when Tom Bombadil’s wife sings. This is interesting since she is a Maia. In Tolkien’s universe that means that she is part of a race of beings which directly serve the gods of Tolkien’s story: gods who created the entire universe through song.
So when an immortal and very powerful being sings and the songs are described as creating very vivid images, it is a clear call back to the fact that the world was in fact created in this manner. Each god and goddess wove into the song the kinds of things that they are responsible for; the god of smithing and metal introduced earth, stone, fire, mountain, metals, while the goddess responsible for all living things created plants and animals of all descriptions. And they did all that through music.
So when you read the Lord of the Rings, or in fact any work of Tolkien, try paying attention to how he uses songs and music in his works; it will give you a whole different understanding of those parts of the narrative.