Lord of the Rings Reflection

A turn of phrase that I saw in the reading that reminded me of Christianity were “and the realm of Moria shall be yours forever.” This reminded me of the phrase in the Bible which reads “and yours shall be the Kingdom of Heaven.” This phrase is found throughout the Bible and is usually offered to those who carry out the will of God. Just as in the Bible, in this phrase is offered to one who finds the thief and returns his spoils with good will. The wording between the two phrases is very similar, except the realm of Moria is referenced instead of the Kingdom of Heaven. The entire concept of the realm of Moria and its description in the text also is symbolic of the concept of Heaven. In the text Moria is described by Glóin as, “greater wealth and splendor will be found in a wider world.” Like Moria, Heaven is thought of a place of infinite happiness and fulfillment. Although the happiness and fulfillment in Moria seems to be through material things (like wealth), unlike in Heaven where happiness and fulfillment come from contemplation and company of God. “Long have its vast mansions lain empty since the children of Durin fled” is resonant of the story of Adam and Eve. The flee of the children of Durin in this sentence is symbolic of The Fall of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve fell out of God’s favor, so God released them from the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven the same way in this sentence the children of Durin freed from the vast mansions of Moria. The word “fled” in this sentence is important because it shows that the children of Durin left the realm of Moria by their own free will. Both Adam and Eve and the children of Durin acted on their free will forcing them out of their version of heaven. (Most of my quotes come from pages 257-258)