J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes on War & Peace (8 Quotes)

Orcs, and talking trees, and leagues of grass, and galloping riders, and glittering caves, and white towers and golden halls, and battles, and tall ships sailing, all these passed before Sam's mind.

He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfimbul's head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same moment.

The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he came from. And if he was really evil at heart. What lies or threats led him on this long march from home. If he would not rather have stayed there in peace. War will make corpses of us all.

I would have things as they were in all the days of my life . . . and in the days of my longfathers before me: to be the Lord of this City in peace, and leave my chair to a son after me, who would be his own master and no wizard's pupil. But if doom denies this to me, then I will have naught: neither life diminished, nor love halved, nor honour abated.

All your words are but to say you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the house of Erol and not a serving woman. I can ride and weild blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.

And it is not always good to be healed in body. Nor is it always evil to die in battle, even in bitter pain. Were I permitted, in this dark hour I would choose the latter.

Out of doubt, out of dark to the days rising I came singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.To hopes end I rode and to hearts breakingNow for wrath, now for ruin and red nightfallThese staves he spoke, yet he laughed as he said them. For once more the lust of battle was on him and he was young, and he was still unscathed, and he was king, lord of a fell people. But even as he laughed at despair he looked out again at the black ships and lifted his sword to defy them. And then wonder took him, and great joy and he threw up his sword in the sunlight and sang as he caught it. All eyes followed his gaze, and upon the foremost ship, a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it as she turned toward the Harlond. There flowered a White Tree, and that was for Gondor but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it, the signs of Elendil that no lord had born for years beyond count. And the stars flamed in he sunlight, for they were wrought of gems by Arwen daughter of Elrond and the crown was bright in the morning, for it was wrought of mithril and gold. Thus came Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Elessar, Isildur's heir, out of the Paths of the Dead, born upon a wind from the Sea to the kingdom of Gondor and the mirth if the Rohirrim was a torrent of laughter and a flashing of swords, and the joy of the City was a music of trumpets and a ringing of bells. But the hosts of Mordor were seized with bewilderment, and a great wizardry it seemed to them that their own ships could be filled with their foes and a black dread fell upon them, knowing that the tides of fate had turned against them and their doom was near at hand.

He wondered what the mans name was and where he came from and if he was really evil at heart, or what lies or threats had lead him on the long march from his home and if he would not really have rather stayed there in peace