The Lord of the Rings

The "Lord of the Rings" by Tolkien can be compared to the Greek classic "Odyssey" by Homer.

In Homer's classic we read of Odysseus approaching the "Island of the Sirens" after returning to Aeaea where he presided over Elpenor's funeral. These "Sirens" are sea nymphs who sing a song so alluring that it taps into the weakness of men and attracts to their shore all passing seafarers who hear it - and there they sit, transfixed by the song until they die.

But, Odysseus instructs his own men that they are to tie him to a mast on the ship after he plugs their ears with wax so they are unable to hear the Sirens when they pass by the island. In this manner, Odysseus alone will hear the sea nymphs singing, but he will be unable to go ashore when he hears their allure because he will not be able to break free of his self-imposed bonds which saves him.

The "Sirens" are the voices of the day in any age calling out for men to follow them. Who are the "Sirens" in our day, and whom do we choose to follow?

In the film, "Lord of the Rings" we see a fantastic representation of the same question. We see the role that "vision" plays in our lives, and for the lives of future generations.

Gollum, a reprobate, is leading Sam and Frodo through a forgotten marsh which had corpses strewn all about from a battle that took place long ago. Gollum said to them, "Don't follow the lights (Like the Sirens) or the hobbits will go down and make a light of their own."

Next to each corpse was a flame by waters edge that represented the life of the deceased that lay in the waters of the swamp. Frodo does not listen to the advice given to him. He stopped and gazed at the corpse of a young man laying in the water who was not unlike himself in appearance. Suddenly, the eyes of this corpse began to glow, the eyes being representative of one's vision of life. And the glowing eyes of this corpse were beckoning Frodo to embrace the same vision of life as did the "Sirens" to Odysseus. Frodo continued to gaze at the eyes of the corpse and was drawn down into that same vision of life the corpse had when alive, and he falls into the water landing directly on top of the corpse.

Submerged in the water and seized with fear, Frodo sees the soul of the dead one coming to drag him to the same place of perdition, and the bad spirit is joined by other bad spirits. If Frodo does not somehow withdraw, if he cannot pull himself away, he will have the same destiny of the damned. And a reprobate pulls him out of the water, not for compassoin sake, but to serve an evil design of his own. This calls Frodo to ponder. It is a call for him to follow what is virtuous, but will Frodo hold out to the very end? That was the task at hand for Frodo, and is for us all.

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