Fate and luck are very important aspects of many of Tolkien’s stories. They act as a symbol of hope in difficult times, a belief that no matter how dark the night may seem, the sun will always rise the next morning. But also in his books, fate is always intertwined with choice, and it can change depending on the decisions the characters make. Was it fate for Bilbo to have found and picked up the One Ring in the tunnels beneath the goblin kingdom during? the hobbit? Was it fate that Faramir later found Frodo and Sam wandering the fields of Ithillien, and could aid them in their search for Mordor? Or was it all part of a greater, premeditated plan by the greater beings in the world, such as Eru Illuvatar, who created Middle-Earth and watches over it from a distance?
There are many seemingly chance encounters in both the hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Characters seem to end up in the right place at the right time to be able to save each other, provide guidance and play an important role in overcoming the challenges ahead. But one of the most questioned gatherings in the The Society of the Ring is that of Aragorn and the four hobbits, who meet at the prancing pony in Bree. In the persona of Strider the Ranger, Aragorn seems to appear just in the nick of time when the frightened hobbits realize that Gandalf is not coming, and that they are trapped with no help and no clues as to what to do next. So was this chance meeting mere coincidence?
The answer is in some ways both yes and no. In a sense Aragorn was never meant to meet them there, it always had to be Ganadalf. But fate intervened and Gandalf was betrayed by Saruman the white, who imprisoned him on the Tower of Orthanc. This meant that Aragorn had to take over this part of the journey to ensure the hobbits reached Rivendell safely. So the fact that Aragorn is with the prancing pony is a twist of fate with Saruman’s nefarious plan, which could not have been expected. It is revealed that Aragorn only got there because he heard the four hobbits down the road, after their meeting in the Old Forest with Tom Bombadil:
‘I was behind the hedge on the road west of Bree tonight when four hobbits came from the Downlands. I don’t have to repeat everything they said to old Bombadil or to each other, but one thing interested me. One of them said: ‘The name Baggins must not be mentioned. I’m Mr Underhill, if a name is to be given.” That interested me so much that I started following them here.”
So it was a coincidence to meet them on the road at that particular time and place, which led him to meet them at the inn. But that Aragorn was in the area in the first place was no accident. He had been watching the Shire for many weeks. He knew to watch out for the hobbits, and he already knew of the Ring of Power and the perilous task they were about to undertake. He is clearly an old friend of Gandalf and took care of the Shire because Gandalf asked him to. When he tries to gain Frodo’s trust and reassure the company that he is a friend and not an enemy, he tells them:
“I traveled west with him in the spring. In recent years I have often kept watch on the borders of the Shire, when he was busy elsewhere. He seldom left it unattended.”
So Aragorn was asked by Gandalf to keep an eye out for the young hobbits who leave their homeland with such an important and dangerous cargo. He has been watching the road and waiting to encounter them so that he can offer them his guidance and protection. In that sense, their meeting was no accident; Aragorn was always there in case the hobbits needed him – as they do now that Gandalf can’t be there to guide them. This is also confirmed in Gandalf’s letter to Frodo describing Aragorn, noting that some call him Strider and letting him know that he is a trusted friend.
At this point, the hobbits have a choice whether or not to trust this stranger. They must decide whether to follow him into the darkness, despite his dark appearance and the fact that they have known him for a matter of hours, or whether they should try to find their own way in a world where enemies are everywhere. Lucky for them, they choose to trust the ranger. Aragorn becomes their fiercest protector on the way to Rivendell, their closest friend and eventually their king. It may seem like a chance meeting, but Aragorn was always there, ready to intervene when he was most needed.
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