# yet another LOTR question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098 "2003-09-27T02:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/1 "2003-09-27T02:33:34Z")
In both the book and the movie, it’s mentioned that Frodo will die at the end of his journey to destroy the ring. What exactly would he die of? Is there some strange danger on Mount Doom? I think it might be helpful that I’ve only read half of LOTR. ---
**Author:** ![Dostromin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@Dostromin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dostromin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/2 "2003-09-27T03:13:59Z")
SPOILERS He doesn’t literally die. It’s figurative. You see, after the ring is destroied, Frodo returns to the Shire only to stay a short while before sailing away to undying lands. He longer was the man (well…hobbit) that he was, and he could not remain in the land that he worked so hard to save. His former self had died. ---
**Author:** ![captainQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@captainQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/captainQwark)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/3 "2003-09-27T03:26:36Z")
thanks ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/4 "2003-09-27T16:26:11Z")
Well, in both the book and the movie, the Wise are saying that Frodo won’t survive the quest. But that just shows what the Wise know. JRRT was a devout Catholic, and he had no trouble instilling a moment of Grace for Frodo, & hence the Wise are confounded. Not that he doesn’t suffer, not that he doesn’t need to find healing in Avallonë. But Frodo Lives! ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/5 "2003-09-27T16:36:25Z")
I believe it’s only in the movie … Galadriel says, “The quest will claim his life.” Which it does, but it doesn’t mean he dies. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/6 "2003-09-27T16:53:06Z")
In fact, since he gets to sail West to (?) Valinor, he’ll be immortal. Sam and Bilbo, on the other hand, stay behind and will probably die of old age. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/7 "2003-09-27T17:24:02Z")
No, Bilbo sails as well, taking his rightfull place as a Ringbearer. ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/8 "2003-09-27T17:44:27Z")
Sam also sailed away to the West because he was a Ringbearer. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/9 "2003-09-27T18:08:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*In fact, since he gets to sail West to (?) Valinor, he’ll be immortal. Sam and Bilbo, on the other hand, stay behind and will probably die of old age. \*\* Going to the Undying Lands does **not** confer immortality. They’re called the Undying Lands because the immortals live there. Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam all will expire eventually even while living there. Even the Valar cannot take Eru’s Gift away from mortals. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/10 "2003-09-27T18:12:16Z")
Bilbo and Sam go West eventually. As do Legolas and Gimli. But not poor old Bill the Pony. It’s speciesism, I tells ya! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/11 "2003-09-27T20:49:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by captainQwark \* > \*\*In both the book and the movie, it’s mentioned that Frodo will die at the end of his journey to destroy the ring. What exactly would he die of? Is there some strange danger on Mount Doom? I think it might be helpful that I’ve only read half of LOTR. \*\* Orc overdose? Spider bait? Getting squished by Sauron? The general dangers inherent in hanging around inside an active volcano? They don’t call it Mount **Doom** for nuthin. They’re going to the center of power for the most powerful and malicious being left on Middle Earth. There are millions of flesh-eating, ravenous monsters with swords around every corner, to say nothing of Nazgul, giant spiders, and Eru knows what other hideous beasties, and that’s just inside Mordor itself. They also have to get there in the first place, which is pretty long odds all by itself. And, if by some fantastic chance they succeed, they still have to go back the way they came. There’s nothing mysterious about the dangers of Mount Doom: they’re pretty much like the dangers they face throughout the rest of the book, except bigger and more of them. ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/12 "2003-09-27T21:27:23Z")
What if he went to **Mount mild sence of discomfort** instead? ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/13 "2003-09-27T21:44:37Z")
ummm . .sense . . ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/14 "2003-09-27T23:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > They don’t call it Mount **Doom** for nuthin. There’s a BFG 9000 inside one of its secret rooms? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/15 "2003-09-28T00:13:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*There’s a BFG 9000 inside one of its secret rooms? \*\* And there’s no way to keep from dying at the end of the first game. (That has annoyed me for years and years.) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/16 "2003-09-28T01:02:16Z")
Sure there is! Type IDBEHOLD followed by V, and then you’ll have 30 seconds of invulnerability – so when you teleport into the room with the imps and the “death floor” in it, you can blow them all away real quick-like with your rocket launcher (which won’t hurt you 'cause you’re invulnerable). Of course, there isn’t any wall-switch on the level to tell the game you’re done, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/17 "2003-09-28T22:24:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Going to the Undying Lands does **not** confer immortality. They’re called the Undying Lands because the immortals live there. Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam all will expire eventually even while living there. Even the Valar cannot take Eru’s Gift away from mortals. \*\* True. True. True. And… what about Tuor, then? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/18 "2003-09-28T23:32:44Z")
Does JRRT say in some appendix that Sam sails to the west? The book ends with his finally arriving back at his house, having set the Shire right. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/19 "2003-09-28T23:46:23Z")
Yup, in the appendices it mentions that Sam sails west after his wife dies. (This is some sixty years after the events recounted in LOTR, mind you.) ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098/20 "2003-09-29T00:33:50Z")
I thought it was a family tradition thing that Sam sailed for Valinor. Let me check… “Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor (Sam’s daughter) that Samwise passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens, and passed over the Sea, last of the Ring-Bearers”. -Appendix B Sam is supposed to leave for the Sea and Valinor two years before Merry and Pippin go to Gondor to die- well, “spend what short years were left to them”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-lotr-question/204098.md?page=2)