The Fellowship of the Ring

Late at night when I was supposed to be asleep, my 10-year-old self was very much awake and enraptured by the story of Bilbo Baggins from the Shire on his adventure with a wizard and 13 dwarves, finding the magical ring, and encountering trolls, goblins, spiders, elves, and a terrible dragon.

To avoid parental notice, the bottom half of my body remained on my bed, while the top half extended itself to the floor, with my book on the ground as close to my bedroom door as possible, to catch the hallway light outside my room. I was on a journey of the imagination with the comfortable and complacent hobbit Bilbo who discovers within himself true courage, intelligence, and surprising cunning.

I learned that life is indeed a journey and that risks and challenges can be faced with bravery, fortitude, perseverance, and a measure of cleverness. Reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was a high point in my childhood love for books.

You can imagine my delight when two years later I discovered, quite by chance, that there was a sequel to this charming tale, an immense epic trilogy in fact, and it centered on Bilbo’s nephew Frodo and the discovery that the magic ring was in fact much more than it seemed.

My 12-year-old self eagerly tackled all three The Lord of the Rings books, checking them out repeatedly from the public library over the course of a year. I was enchanted by the larger cast of characters and the expansiveness of the Middle Earth landscape, history, and lore.

Bilbo figures briefly at the beginning, mostly to hand the ring off to Frodo. The wizard Gandalf appears as well because he has discovered the true evil nature of the magic ring. It is in fact a ring crafted by the Dark Lord Sauron to give him power over all the other rings of power in Middle Earth. These rings give vitality, but also dominion over the lands and leaders of Middle Earth.

A cast of characters, a fellowship of nine, assemble to help Frodo take the ring, referred to as “the one ring to rule them all” to Mount Doom where it can be destroyed forever. These companion characters include Frodo’s closest friend Samwise Gamgee, his two other hobbit friends Merry and Pippin, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, the human Boromir, and Aragorn who is the last human descendent of the lost kings of Gondor.

From book to film

I had seen the charming 1977 animated made-for-television Rankin/Bass production of The Hobbit with animation from the Japanese company Topcraft.

This was followed in 1978 by a Saul Zaentz animated production of The Lord of the Rings which was far less captivating and only told half of the story. The animation was interesting and ahead of its time (they used “rotoscoping” to create animation from live action footage), but for me it somehow lacked the “feeling” and charm of Middle Earth.

A follow-up film by Zaentz was never realized. Instead, a Rankin/Bass and Topcraft animated version of The Return of the King (the third book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) appeared in 1980. These three productions were tolerable for the time but ultimately inadequate attempts to capture the magic of Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Then, perhaps by divine intervention, in 2001 Peter Jackson’s live action The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring appeared in theatres. It was followed by The Two Towers in 2002, and the Best Picture Academy Award winning film The Return of the King in 2003. This trilogy, in this viewer’s opinion, beautifully captured the essence of Tolkien’s enchanting world. The casting was impeccable, the special effects were impressive, and the cinematics, filmed in New Zealand, were breathtaking. I was in love, and my 12-year-old part was in heaven.

The Fellowship of the Ring

In this review, I will focus primarily on the first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. There is so much to unpack, both from a Catholic as well as from a Parts Psychology perspective, that I believe it is best to explore one film at a time.

Let’s start with the rings of power themselves. Here is the beautiful poem from the book which captures the reader’s imagination. It is also repeated in the opening narrative of The Fellowship of the Ring film:

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

I will posit here that in the Middle Earth “self-system” the races, governed by their respective rings, can be understood to represent parts. The elves are wise and fair, and they can be seen as intellectual and creative parts – artists who cultivate beauty. The dwarves are craftsmen and miners, and they can be seen as manager parts – producers and doers. The humans are ambitious and desire power, they are more like firefighters, reactive and agenda driven. The hobbits, who don’t have any rings of power, are humble, simple, earnest, relatable and home bound. Perhaps they can be understood as parts that are family oriented, peaceful, and connected to the land. They are the least affected by the evil allure of the one ring and this is why Frodo is chosen as the ring-bearer.

The one ring itself represents the corrupting power of evil. It grants the bearer invisibility and long life, but it also accesses the world of wraiths and allows Sauron to see or sense the ringbearer’s presence. But the active presence of the one ring in Middle Earth also seems to converge with the growth of evil in the world at large as Sauron gains more and more influence and power.

As the ring attempts to make its way toward its Dark Lord, the powers of evil make progress – evil forces gather in Mordor, Saruman sides with Sauron and creates the Uruk-hai while the elves and others sense what is coming and begin their journey out of Middle Earth to the Grey Havens (a departure port which takes people to Valinor, the place of eternal life for elves).

Parts and systems

From the point of view of the individual’s self-system, when we “wear the one ring” or when we allow ourselves to lust after it, we allow evil to darken the “nous” or the heart, losing access to the inmost self, our spiritual center, and we therefore lose access to our “inner elves” – who embody wisdom, beauty, and goodness.

Our “inner dwarves” are displaced from their mountain residences as our manager parts are lost, frustrated, and overtaxed. Our “inner hobbits” are torn out of their pastoral and rural habitats, out of touch with family, community, and the comforts of homelife. Our “inner humans” become desperate and defensive, addicted and numbed out like King Théoden, disconnected and despairing like the Steward of Gondor, or hungry with lust like Boromir.

As the power of the ring grows, we become distorted versions of ourselves, less than human, orc-like, deformed, sinister, corrupt, and enslaved by sin. We become Gollum who no longer even remembers his original nature but is consumed with relentless desire for “my precious.”

And like Aragorn, who first appears as Strider the mysterious ranger, we must reclaim our true identity. Aragorn is the heir of Isildur, the son of Elendil who is a descendent of the half-elf Elros, the founder of the island kingdom of Numenor. When Numenor is destroyed, Isildur flees to Middle Earth and becomes the first king of Arnor and Gondor. Isildur defeats Sauron but instead of destroying the one ring, with allusions to the biblical Adam, he claims it for himself. The ring betrays him, Isildur is killed by orcs, and the one ring is lost in the river Anduin for about 2,500 years. Aragorn, the heir of Isildur must decide whether he wants to reforge Isildur’s broken sword, claim his royal heritage, and defend Gondor and all Middle Earth against the invading forces of Mordor.

Reclaiming our identity

We too must claim our true identity as children of God, beloved sons and daughters, a royal priesthood. We cannot give up in the face of evil and corruption, suffering, and loss. We have an internal battle to wage against sin as we are called to free our parts from their burdens of self-hatred, self-doubt, unhealthy behavior patterns, and addictions.

We are called to restore our inner elves as we appreciate beauty and seek wisdom and goodness. We are to restore our inner dwarves as we persevere in forging virtue and exercising our gifts and talents. We are to restore our inner hobbits as we appreciate nature, playfulness, and the simple pleasures of family life and sincere connections. We are to redirect our inner human guardians to nobility and honor.

In various contexts (articles and podcasts especially) at Souls and Hearts we have explored the importance of systems and the microcosm/macrocosm theme as found in the writings of various saints including Saint Maximus the Confessor and Saint Bonaventure, the Seraphic Doctor.

The Holy Spirit works in the life of the individual Christian, the microcosm, as well as the Church at large, the macrocosm. Conversely, the one ring, which represents evil and corruption, can work in the life of the individual (first Isildur, then Gollum, Bilbo and finally Frodo) while it also affects all of Middle Earth as it seeks to dominate and enslave its inhabitants. The battle between good and evil in Middle Earth reflects the battle between good and evil in the human soul and in the world at large.

Middle Earth is not left without hope even as the power and forces of Sauron continue to grow and even appear to be winning. The presence of Christ-like characters set the stage for a possible reversal of fortunes.

Aragorn, the returning king, becomes a true leader and leads the fight against the forces of Mordor. Aragorn must overcome the guilt and shame he feels because of the failure of his ancestor Isildur. He is reminded by Arwen, his love, “You are Isildur’s heir not Isildur himself. You are not bound by his fate.” And later, Aragorn chooses not to take the ring from Frodo when he has the opportunity, thus reversing the sin of his ancestor Isildur.

Frodo, the ring bearer, like Christ, carries the burden of the sin of the world to free the world from enslavement and tyranny. He learns that he can’t do it alone and must rely on Sam. Gandalf, the wise and powerful wizard, sacrifices himself to protect the fellowship. His resurrection in The Two Towers is another powerful allusion to Christ. Each of these characters reflects an aspect of the role and mission of Christ in the world.

Christ within us

Within ourselves, we find the presence of Christ as well, especially in our inmost self. Within the depths of our heart, we have a leader who lets go of the past and is prepared to fight for what is true and good, we have a compassionate core with the power to release burdens, and we have a wise, loving spiritual center willing to die for others and for the love of God and His Kingdom. Our inmost self knows in a deep and sure way that all will be restored in Christ Jesus and that His will, still yet to be fully realized, is good, true, and beautiful.

Gandalf and Aragorn both refuse the ring when either is offered or available to them. Like the inmost self, the image of God in the soul, they are essentially good, and they resist evil and the temptation to use evil for their own perceived good. The Lady Galadriel, the elven Queen, also refuses the ring and remains true to herself. Like the Virgin Mary she rejects sin and remains pure. Also like Our Lady, Galadriel inspires the party with her beauty and goodness, and she offers the remaining members of the fellowship gifts that become lifesaving on their respective paths.

Temptation and effects of sin

Frodo who is also a Christ-like figure is tempted to put on the ring when they first encounter the Ringwraiths (Sam stops him) hiding under the tree. Then later when surrounded by the Ringwraiths, Frodo does succumb, and he puts on the ring. This transports him into the “wraith-world” and there he is stabbed by one of the Nazgul. Frodo is rushed to Rivendell to be healed by Elrond (the elven master of Rivendell and a bearer of an elven ring) but nearly dies on the way.

Although he is cured, we are told that the effect of the wound will never completely go away. This speaks to the consequences of sin. We may be forgiven, have incredible healing experiences, and ultimately persevere, but in this life some wounds from trauma will never completely disappear. In this fallen world, we will always struggle with sin. We are not to be discouraged but we do need to be careful and diligent.

Meanwhile there’s Saruman, the wizard who is the head of Gandalf’s order of wizards, who loses faith and hope and wholeheartedly allies himself with Sauron. The battle between Saruman and Gandalf can be seen as an inner conflict between two parts with very different agendas. Saruman’s intention is self-protection. He believes the only way to survive is to work with Sauron.

We have parts that give up and choose to cooperate with the “world” and its values – materialism, consumerism, and hedonism – as well as hopelessness, despair, and indifference to the plight of others. We sacrifice empathy, compassion, and altruism for self-interest, greed, and the perception of progress. Like Saruman we destroy “nature” in our need to conquer and control and in the process, we lose the beauty and peace and serenity of the Shire. And like Saruman, we exile the parts of the self-system that, like Gandalf, want to preserve a simple, caring, and nurturing way of life.

The various evil creatures in The Lord of the Rings point to different aspects of a deformed or lost humanity. The nine frightening cloaked figures on horseback who hunt Frodo and the ring are variously called Black Riders, Ringwraiths, and the Nazgul. They were once human kings and were corrupted by the rings of power and now serve Sauron. The rings gave them a long life, but their bodies withered away making them mostly invisible. This speaks to the corrupting power of sin in both body and soul. They no longer have a will of their own as they are completely under the control of Sauron.

Then we have the orcs who are described by Tolkien as corrupted elves, tortured and mutilated thousands of years in the past by the first Dark Lord Morgoth. In other places Tolkien suggests that orcs are deformed humans or a mixture of corrupted humans and elves. In contrast to the beauty and grace of the elves, orcs are ugly, malevolent, savage, hungry, and beast-like. Saruman further bio-engineers orcs into the Uruk-hai who are stronger, faster and able to tolerate daylight. Whereas humans and elves are meant to be free, creative, and noble, orcs are grotesque and enslaved to evil.

Corruption by evil

We only meet Gollum briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring, but we learn that he was tortured in Mordor and that he revealed to the Dark Lord that the ring was possessed by a “Baggins” in the “Shire” which is why the Ringwraiths know to look for the ring in the Shire. Gollum, still desperate to recapture his lost ring, “his precious,” follows the fellowship on their journey.

We learn in The Two Towers that Gollum was once a creature much like a hobbit and his name was Smeagol. He justified killing his cousin Deagol for the ring because it was his birthday. Smeagol is progressively corrupted both in spirit and in body over the nearly 500 years that he possesses the ring.

From these evil characters and creatures, we learn that the power of evil corrupts and distorts both body and soul. In time, if evil is allowed to fester, one’s humanity is lost. One becomes a Ringwraith, an orc, or perhaps a Gollum. This can happen to our parts. We often encounter parts that appear as inhuman and scary. The parts appear distorted because they are behaving in a protective and often defensive manner. Behind every Ringwraith is a once glorious human warrior. Behind every orc is a now mutilated but once grace-filled elf. And behind Gollum is a selfish but once peaceful hobbit. Unlike the deformed creatures in Tolkien’s world, our misguided and sometimes frightening parts can be redeemed. They can be restored to their original goodness. They can take on new roles that are good, productive, helpful, and noble.

Transformation and redemption of parts

Our parts, in fact our whole self-system, can be transfigured and transformed. They can become more than they ever were before. They can rise again not as Gandalf the Grey but as Gandalf the White. They can go from Strider the ranger in the shadows to King Aragorn of Gondor.

In the course of our lives, our parts can also be tested in ways that reveal their true nature. Like Sam who proves to be the most faithful of servants, our parts can be loyal and true. Like Frodo who perseveres through great suffering, our parts can be brave and dedicated. Like Merry and Pippin, our parts can be innocent and playful. Like Gimli our parts can be strong and fierce. Like Legolas our parts can be cheerful, steadfast, and brave in the face of fearful situations. There is a fellowship of parts within each one of us with so many qualities and virtues.

We also have parts that do have good intentions, like Boromir, but who fall short either because of fear or greed or ambition. The power of the ring is great and difficult to resist. Despite his attempt to forcibly take the ring from Frodo, he redeems himself by repenting and fighting to the death to protect Merry and Pippin. He is a great example of a firefighter part desperately protecting but in a way that is unhealthy and harms the self-system.

We need to approach these parts with compassion just like Aragorn approaches the dying Boromir. Unlike Boromir, our parts do not die and so they too can be redeemed. We can redirect our firefighter parts and help them to trust the inmost self and find new better ways to protect the system.

Like the Council at Rivendell, we have an internal system that is sometimes at war with itself. The different races all squabble about what to do with the ring and who will carry it.

In the end, Frodo chooses to take the ring effectively choosing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. This inspires the others to come together to serve and protect him and together they travel the difficult journey. At one point, overcome by the winter storms on the mountain, they must decide to keep going through the storm or go back and go through Moria. They squabble about this but in the end, it is Frodo who makes the decision to go to Moria.

In these examples, it is the inmost self, the spiritual center, who must provide self-leadership and make the difficult decisions.

Comforting one another

As the adventure continues, there are many moments of characters comforting or rescuing other characters. We see Gandalf comforting a discouraged Frodo in Moria. We see Merry and Pippin distracting the orcs so that Frodo can get away. We see Aragorn comforting a dying Boromir. We see Sam refusing to let Frodo go alone followed by Frodo pulling Sam out of the water. “Sam, I’m glad you’re with me.”

Similarly, the inmost self comforts, but also the parts can comfort, support, and encourage each other. Our inner system, like the fellowship, is resilient, a community with many resources and united in love, a proper and ordered self-love.

And together, our inner system focused on its mission of love and service, joins with others with similar inner systems, to form the Body of Christ. We are united to defeat evil within ourselves and in the world at large – to bring forward the truth, goodness and beauty of God who orders, beautifies, and transfigures all of creation.

Well-done movie

If you made it this far, you can see that I love this story and its profound messages. I am forever grateful to director Peter Jackson (as well as production companies New Line Cinema and Wingnut films) who understood the material and captured the wonder, breadth, and depth of Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Elijah Wood captures Frodo’s innocence and goodness perfectly and Sean Astin embodies Sam’s earnest faithfulness. Ian McKellen is the perfect Gandalf both physically and in his demeanor. You couldn’t ask for a more sinister yet aristocratic portrayal of Saruman than you get from Christopher Lee.

John Rhys-Davies is every inch the fierce dwarf and Orlando Bloom the ideal graceful elven archer. Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan capture the impish yet innocent Merry and Pippin. I could go on. There are no weak links among the actors.

The natural and diverse beauty of New Zealand works its magic, and the viewer feels transported to Middle Earth. As you can easily guess, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my all-time favorite movies. It has so much to say about faith, human nature, and the meaning and purpose of life – it can also illustrate the beauty and complexity of our internal system.

Dr. Gerry Crete

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New rendition of Be Thou My Vision with IFS-informed lyrics by Dr. Gerry has been released!

Dr. Gerry has just released a new rendition of the hymn Be Thou My Vision inspired by Internal Family Systems and Ego State Therapy, grounded firmly in a Catholic understanding of the needs of the human person.

“It was important for me to retain the beauty of the traditional Irish hymn while adding further insights into the complexity of the soul’s inner world and its relationship with a loving God,” says Dr. Gerry, who wrote the lyrics. “This song is a meditation on the love of the Father and the deep healing of the human person.”

“My goal for the song was to create a soundscape of intimate or meditative introspection that builds slowly with intensity,” says Ben Crete, the musical producer, arranger, and vocalist (who happens to be Dr. Gerry’s son).

This hymn is the latest of Dr. Gerry’s creative endeavors – many of you have embraced the three Litanies of the Heart prayers he composed, followed by his book, Litanies of the Heart: Relieving Post-traumatic Stress and Calming Anxiety Through Healing Our Parts, published by Sophia Institute Press, in addition to all he does for us at Souls and Hearts.

Frankly, this rendition by Dr. Gerry is amazing. Check it out here.