4 Biggest LoTR Mysteries Even the Professor Himself Couldn't Solve
Some questions will never be answered, but we can still theorize.
J.R.R. Tolkien, who has worked out the world of The Lord of the Rings down to the smallest detail, has done an enormous job. Thanks to this, we now have an interesting and rich story that can be dissected endlessly.
But at the same time, some important aspects of the world the Professor created were never revealed, and they still haunt fans.
1. What Happens to Men in Death?
The question of what happens to the race of Men after death has never been fully answered, so many theories have arisen as to what kind of fate awaits them.
After death, the Elves go to the Halls of Mandos and wait until they are reborn. The same happens to the Dwarves. But nothing is known about the fate of humans, except that they go beyond the edge of the world.
2. Who Is Tom Bombadil?
Tom is a creature who looks a lot like a Hobbit — cheerful, bearded, and a little ridiculous. The main characters meet him in The Fellowship of the Ring book.
Frodo tries to find out who he is, but doesn’t learn anything except that Tom appeared here a very long time ago, even before the arrival of the Elves and Men to Middle-earth, and before the creation of nature.
The most common theory is that Bombadil is simply one of the Maiar, whose name is unknown to us. There were many such spirits, and he may well be one of them.
3. Who Were the Nazgul Before?
The Nine Nazgul are Sauron's most loyal servants, helping their master in everything and doing their best for him.
Despite their prominent role in The Lord of the Rings, very little is known about these characters. The only thing we know about them is that they were once human rulers back in the Second Age.
4. What Happened to the Entwives?
In the second movie, Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard the Ent, who, after learning that they are Hobbits, asks if they have seen any Entwives near the Shire.
As fans know, neither the Hobbits nor anyone else has ever seen female versions of the Ents. According to Treebeard, the Entwives left their males a long time ago and since then, they have disappeared. Most likely they were all burned by the Orcs of Sauron, but we never got a clear answer.