Tolkien Calendar: The Great Years

Now Tolkien introduces another player. We have seen how Tolkien uses the landscape as though it were alive. With the arrival of the Dawnless Day, we see the same effect with the weather. This is the Dawnless Day. The darkness has crept out of Mordor and is covering all the land. Riders reported to Theoden that the darkness crept up in the night "a shadow that ate the stars as it grew." By morning, the darkness was too dense for the sun to penetrate. This unnatural darkness forged out of Mordor takes its toll on the spirits of each of our company. From the eyes of our company, hope darkens.

Aragorn and the Grey Company have passed through the paths of the dead and now they are riding like the wind. All the people of the valleys are fleeing before the rumors of the passing of the King of the Dead. Aragorn is only slightly less frightening and grim.

Pippin and Gandalf are in Minas Tirith. Pippin, serving Denethor as squire, watches the steady decline of affairs and the rising fears of the people in the city through out the day. For him the day is also a wearing one. Late in the day Pippin and Belregond take a rest from their duties, on the wall looking over the Pelennor field, just in time to see Faramir and his men in full retreat from the Marannon forces that have overrun Cair Andros. They are harried by Black Riders in the air, the horses panic and the men are thrown. Only Faramir keeps his mount and in riding back to save his men, he is beset by the Nazgul. Pippin sees Gandalf riding fast on Shadowfax and driving the shadows away and sending the Nazgul flying away. Gandalf escorts Faramir, his news of the forces from Morrannan, and his men safely to the city.
The day grows darker.

Merry is with Theoden. He is wakened, he thinks, in the dark night but no, the man tells him, it is just after dawn. On this dark day, all of Merry's fears of being left, like baggage, appear to be coming to pass. Theoden releases Merry from his service and bids him to stay with Eowyn in Edoras, keeping her company as she rules the people of Rohan in the King's absence. The king takes his leave of Merry late in the day and the gloom of the day fills Merry's heart at being left. As the Rohirrim prepare to leave one rider comes to him "'where will wants not, a way opens up,' so we say". You wish to ride with the King. You will go with me, the rider says. Merry asks the rider's name as he does not know him. "Do you not?" said the rider softly. "Then call me Dernhelm". And so the Rohirrim ride to Gondor.
The day grows darker.


Frodo and Sam are approaching the crossroads with Gollum. They alone do not see the effect that this day is having on others around them. Gollum wakes the hobbits a little after midnight, a darkness that no light penetrated and they till on for many weary miles. Taking a rest, they peer out through holes in the covert where they are hiding and watched for the growth of the day.

Frodo and Sam sleep most of that day but by mid afternoon Gollum is urging them on. They pass the crossroads at sunset and begin to climb the path to Cirith Ungol in the deepening night. There, Frodo, drawn by the ring towards the Tower, barely escapes discovery when the host, led by the Morgul-king, pours out of the gate. In a telling passage, Frodo feels again the intense pressure to put on the ring, but this time he "felt no inclination to yield to it" knowing that the ring would only betray him and that he had not the strength to face the Morgul-king. At least not just yet.

The Day grows Darker.