But this is not the tumultuous Middle-earth of present day. This is Middle-earth centuries earlier, a land that has not known the burden of the One Ring for over two thousand years. Shore’s music is bright—playful, even. Sprightly woodwinds dance around two small hobbits fishing upon the Gladden river. This is hobbit music, but of a different breed. The lilting waltz gives way to two-step phrases, more characteristic of hobbit music, and a chipper variant on the Hobbits Antics figure (introduced in The Two Towers) playfully builds until, with a twittering trill, it deposits one hobbit in the river’s waters.
The music darkens for the first time, only to be parted by another of the hobbits’ signature sounds, the solo fiddle. But the melody offers no playfulness, no buoyancy. Once again the History of the Ring sounds—the One Ring has lured another hand. Déagol pulls the Ring from the silt and scrambles up the riverbank to examine his find… and to find himself examined. The Seduction of the Ring sounds in the boys chorus (see vocalists list, the London Oratory School Schola) as Déagol peels his fingers back, exposing the powerful ornament. Close behind, Sméagol, Déagol’s fishing companion, spots the glinting Ring. If Déagol is intrigued, Sméagol is bewitched. The transfixing Seduction theme continues as Sméagol leans in close and demands, “Give us that, Déagol, my love.”
Sméagol lurches towards the Ring, initiating a rhythmic stirring in the strings and low double reeds. Low brass chords now begin to gnaw at the texture as Déagol ducks away. The hobbits inexplicably cast their friendship aside as the two diminutive characters begin to wrestle tooth and nail for ownership of the Ring. Unrelenting, Sméagol’s attack is met with a chilling musical counterpart—an intersection of the Seduction and Evil themes for the One Ring. This is to be an overriding trend in Howard Shore’s score to The Return of the King. The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers illustrated, through the hobbits’ eyes, the ever-expanding scope of Middle-earth, and the limitless extent to which the One Ring had affected it. But here, as the story draws towards its conclusion, that scope, the breadth of storytelling, has come to singularly focus upon the plight of the One Ring. Shore’s diverse thematic catalogue begins to fold inwards, combining material as it reaches a common terminus.
Behind Sméagol and Déagol’s conjoined Seduction and Evil themes another line forms, crawling and scratching along the orchestra’s bottom. The Descending Third figure is but one of many ancillary lines associated with Mordor, yet to hear it here, so far from its home, associated with two simple characters who were, only moments ago, fishing upon a cool blue river, is cruelly upsetting.
But the angular music of Mordor is appropriate to this setting. Under the Ring’s overwhelming influence, Sméagol murders Déagol. Pinched settings of the History theme mark a new hand bearing the Ring. A spindly oboe line descends, trickling down through the orchestra as Sméagol flees for the Misty Mountains and begins to change. Time passes as the History theme reemerges, encountering a new rising and falling line outlining minor harmonies upon its return. As Sméagol twists and withers we hear the earliest incarnations of The Pity of Gollum.
UNUSED CONCEPT:
Both the music for Sméagol and Déagol’s fight and the music for Sméagol’s transformation into Gollum were not used in the film. Gollum’s transformation music marks the lengthiest unused composition in The Return of the King.
TEXTS
THE SEDUCTION OF THE RING
Text by J. R. R. Tolkien
Quenya Translation by David Salo
FIRST HEARD: DISC ONE | TRACK ONE
I tuo, i macil… | The strength, the weapon…
Astaldaron mauri. | The needs of the valiant.
Nai corma macilya | Be the ring of your weapon
A lelyat túrenna! | Go to victory!
(c) The Annotated Score (The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films)
Roots And Beginnings
Howard Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
text by J.R.R. TOLKIEN, translation by DAVID SALO
( QUENYA )
I tuo, i macil...
Astaldaron mauri.
Nai corma macilya
A lelyat túrenna!
(( The strength, the weapon...
The needs of the valiant.
Be the ring of your weapon
Go to victory! ))
The lyrics to Howard Shore's song Roots And Beginnings are a translation of the Quenya language used by J.R.R. Tolkien in his novels, specifically in the scene where the character of Galadriel presents the Elf lord Celeborn with a ring. The lyrics describe the seductive power of the ring, which is portrayed as a source of strength and victory for the valiant who possess it. The name of the ring is not mentioned, but it is likely that it is the same ring that features prominently in the rest of Tolkien's Middle-earth stories.
The use of the Quenya language in the lyrics is significant because Tolkien created multiple constructed languages for his stories, which are highly detailed and complex. The fact that the Quenya language is used in the lyrics indicates Shore's attention to detail and his desire to capture the essence of Tolkien's world. The lyrics also reflect the epic and heroic tone of the Lord of the Rings series, which has been a major influence on popular culture.
Overall, the lyrics to Roots And Beginnings are a powerful tribute to Tolkien's work, capturing the essence of his mythology and the themes of heroism, power, and temptation that permeate his stories.
Line by Line Meaning
The strength, the weapon...
Taking into account the powerful nature of the ring as a weapon...
The needs of the valiant.
Acknowledging the ring's significance to those who are brave...
Be the ring of your weapon
Realizing that the ring can serve as one's tool for success...
Go to victory!
Encouraging the bearer of the ring to strive for triumph and prosperity...
Contributed by Zachary F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Leonhardt Rotch
02:57
Seduction of the Ring:
(Quenya)
I tuo, i macil
Astaldoron mauri
nai Corma macilya
I tuo, i macil
Á lelyat túrenna!
Translate:
The strength, The weapon
The needs of the valiant
Be the Ring your weapon
The strength, The weapon
Go to victory!
M. F.
The power of music. It can make a simple gold ring feel like the most menacing thing in the world. Without this music the ring would just be another corrupting mcguffin, but with the addition of haunting tracks like this its given a personality, a presents that commands attention and fear.
Iron Gamer
@Daniel true!!
Daniel
The ring has more character development than any character from the star wars prequels
Samuel Pi
Well,it doesn't feel like, it is the most menacing thing in the world.
Wesley Miller
Every time the opening theme plays it’s in a different key. The first being a hidden away evil, the second being a dark shadow and the third be a key of despair but with some hope to wrap it up. Howard Shore is unlike any other.
Jimicus Jolcen
I believe he proved himself a genius with this score! ❤
Howling Burd19
It’s so crazy how quickly Sméagol succumbs to the power of The Ring, and the music PERFECTLY improves an already fantastic scene!
Matthew Pulido
What's makes this sequence so intense is that both Smeagol and Deagol completely fell under the Ring's corruption and that it could have gone either way for them. Even if Deagol was the one who murdered Smeagol, the overall outcome would have been no different.
Haris
Could it be that they already had corruption in their hearts and because of that it was easier for them to fall under the spell of the ring ?
Thiago Roncato Batista
Amazing!!! :)