Source
r/lotr•
Machinechine

Was Gandalf really pretending not to remember how to enter the Mines Of Moria?

I had the thought when watching Fellowship recently. Gandalf didn't want to go through the mines in the first place. Maybe he was just pretending so he had an excuse not to go that way. Apologies since I'm basing most my information on the movies — not sure if that's frowned on here. Further apologies if this is not the proper sub for these questions — I know there are several LOTR subreddits to my knowledge.

Posted Dec 17, 2019, 8:09 PM UTC

57
Wiles_•

In the book Gandalf was the one that wanted to go through the mines. Aragorn was against it.

He is not faking it. He has never had to open the doors from the outside before.

15
RT-AC66U•

Why was Aragon against it? Did he know of the balrog

1
Wiles_•

No but he had foresight and has a bad feeling about something happening to Gandalf.

‘I will [follow you into Moria],’ said Aragorn heavily. ‘You followed my lead almost to disaster in the snow, and have said no word of blame. I will follow your lead now – if this last warning does not move you. It is not of the Ring, nor of us others that I am thinking now, but of you, Gandalf. And I say to you: if you pass the doors of Moria, beware!’

4
RT-AC66U•

I never knew that . TY

2
MrPengiunsPoppins•

The last time Gandalf was in Moria, he went the other way: He started at the West Gate, then worked his way East.

From the inside, one could easily just push the doors open.

4
Prakkertje•

The 'secret password' was written on the door. Gandalf could read it. However, he did not realise the password was not meant to be a secret at all. It was made in a time when there was more trust between Elves and Dwarves, especially the Elves of Hollin/Eregion and the Dwarves of Moria. The text on the Doors of Durin was Elvish.

In the movie Frodo (I think) asks what the Elvish word for friend is. In the book it is Merry. Gandalf traveled through Moria from the other side, and since you can push open the doors from inside he would not have needed to know the password.

3
WalkingTargetGimli•

In the movie Frodo (I think) asks what the Elvish word for friend is. In the book it is Merry.

Slight correction: in the books Merry pointed out the odd way the inscription was worded (at least in the translation Gandalf provided) and later on, after figuring it out, Gandalf gives him some credit for noticing the oddity. It wasn't as straightforward as him asking what the Elvish word for friend was.

3