Where Did Frodo Go? (Like, Did Frodo Actually Die at the End?)
Warning: Spoilers! Back away from this post and watch Peter Jackson’s epic films if you haven’t read the Lord of the Rings trilogy or watched them! Let’s begin for those who have previously been inducted into Tolkein’s enchanted world!
Did Frodo die at the end? Is he alive at the Undying Lands? At the end of the trilogy, we were all given a not-too-specific answer as to what happened to Frodo.
That’s okay. This article will provide you with a clear answer as to where Frodo went at the end.
Where Did Frodo go at the End?
The conclusion is rather simple, but as you will soon see, it is also surrounded by mystery.
Let’s first review what has happened. The White Ship, the last ship to depart Middle Earth, is boarded by Frodo, his friends Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf in the closing chapters of The Return of the King.
Along with the elves, Frodo travels to the Undying Lands. In Lord of the Rings, characters who are mortal—humans, hobbits, and dwarfs—discuss death and dying frequently, yet elves who are eternal don’t mention death or dying at all.
After Frodo offers her the One Ring but she declines, Galadriel recounts it in The Fellowship of the Ring, “I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.”
What are the Undying Lands?
The Lord of the Rings Wiki states:
The Undying Lands were a realm inhabited by Ainur and Eldar. The area included the continent of Aman and the island of Tol Eressëa.
The ocean Belegaer separated the Undying Lands from the western shores of Middle-earth. Only immortals and ring-bearers were allowed to live in this realm.
The realm is home to the mythical Valinor, the Valar’s ancestral homeland. Born from Eru Iluvatar’s (God’s) own thoughts, Valar are angelic spiritual beings who are frequently referred to as “masters of spirits.” Despite having no physical form, they are reflections of their creator’s heart and mind.
Aside from humans, hobbits, and dwarves, elves also coexist with the Valar in the mythical Undying Lands, but unlike them, they never perish. The Undying Lands get their name from the fact that both the Valar and the Elves are eternal beings.
Why Does Frodo Leave Middle-Earth?
Only eternal beings are permitted to live in these protected regions, but the ring bearers Frodo Baggins and Bilbo Baggins were granted an exception. They have a particular position in Valinor because of their heroic deeds and great sacrifice.
The severe physical and spiritual scars Frodo sustained during his heroic expedition into Mordor is where he can fully heal here. He can now live a free life without the enormous weight of the Ring.
He would finally perish in Middle Earth from the wounds perpetrated upon him. However, he can rest, recover, and refuel in complete joy here in the Undying Lands.
Does Frodo Die at the End?
The Lord of the Rings is rife with analogies, as every lover of the series knows, yet Tolkein insisted his works were not allegories.
Some Trilogy followers say that Valinor and the Undying Lands are allegories for heaven. Is it conceivable that Frodo was departing for the afterlife on the White Ship after having already passed away before getting on board?
Here’s a passage from The Return of the King that makes a hint at this concept.
“ And the ship went out into the High Sea on into the West, until at last on a night of rain, Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water.
And then it seemed to him as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.
But to Sam, the evening deepened to darkness as he stood at the Haven; and as he looked at the grey sea, he saw only a shadow on the waters that was soon lost in the West.
There still, he stood far into the night, hearing only the sigh and murmur of the waves on the shores of Middle-Earth, and the sound of them sank deep into his heart. Beside him stood Merry and Pippin, and they were silent”
Due to this, the majority of Tolkein scholars concur that the author’s account of the events at the conclusion of the final book should not be interpreted metaphorically, but rather literally.
Theory One: Frodo Lives in the Undying Lands
Although Tolkien adamantly denied that The Lord of the Rings was an allegory, there is no denying that it is rife with metaphor.
Sam observes Frodo leave after saying his farewell on the shore:
“Then, Frodo kissed Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and went abroad; and the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass of Galadriel that Frodo bore glimmered and was lost.
And the ship went out into the High Sea on into the West, until at last on a night of rain, Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water.
And then it seemed to him as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.
But to Sam the evening deepened to darkness as he stood at the Haven; and as he looked at the grey sea, he saw only a shadow on the waters that was soon lost in the West.
There still he stood far into the night, hearing only the sigh and murmur of the waves on the shores of Middle-Earth, and the sound of them sank deep into his heart. Beside him stood Merry and Pippin, and they were silent.”
Many fan groups have proposed that Frodo might have received a particular Elvin immunity to death as payment for his enormous sacrifice.
Nevertheless, LOTR super fans appear to agree that every mortal who visits the Undying Lands will pass away at some point. Just the rules, really.
Theory Two: Frodo Dies and the Undying Lands are Heaven
Many think that mortals like Frodo and Bilbo would actually live shorter lives than they would if they stayed in Middle Earth because of the intensity and power of The Undying Lands.
Despite not explicitly showing Frodo die, the movie suggests—in the dialogue between Gandalf and Pippin—that going to the Undying Lands is indeed what happens when you die:
Pippin: I didn’t think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path. One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back,
and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it.
Pippin: What? Gandalf? See what?
Gandalf: White shores…and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
Pippin: Well, that isn’t so bad.
Gandalf: No…No it isn’t.
A Conclusion…
We are very sure that several years after Frodo arrives in The Undying Lands, Sam, his fellow ring bearer and best friend, is also granted a place in the guarded realm and is allowed to join Frodo in what must have been a very happy reunion.
And a Post Script
After spending many years in Middle-earth, Legolas built a boat in Ithilien and sailed from the Grey Havens to the Undying Lands with his dear friend Gimli.
This is revealed in The Return of the King’s Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), “Later Events Concerning the Members of the Fellowship of the Ring” (the only dwarf ever to go to the Undying Lands).
Do you think Frodo died or is literally at the Undying Lands? Let us know what you think in the comment section!
