How did it happen in the movie?
After the Witch-King stabs Frodo, Strider comes to inspect Frodo and finds the Morgul-sword. He carries him to a clearing, where he asks Sam to help him find some athelas, king’s foil. Both venture out in the woods, but Strider is caught unawares by a woman with a sword.
Frodo, turning a creepy shade of blue-green due to his wound, suddenly sees a white light, which surrounds a beautiful Elvish maiden, clad in white. She introduces herself as Arwen, and it quickly becomes clear that she and Strider are well acquainted.
The Elf maiden offers to take Frodo to her father herself, and Strider reluctantly lets her go, much to Sam’s dismay.
Arwen chases her horse, Asfaloth, across the plain; and only barely outruns the Nazgûl who are following her to get their hands on Frodo.
When she has crossed the Ford, she challenges the Ringwraiths to come forward and then uses a spell to call on the flood, which wipes out the Wraiths and their horses.
But Frodo is already fading, and Arwen starts to despair… [To be continued]


Anke Eissmann – Glorfindel

How did it happen in the book?
After the Witch-King stabs Frodo, the Hobbits place him next to a fire while Strider goes out to find tracks of the Nazgûl, and when he returns to the camp he finds the Morgul-blade with which Frodo was stabbed. He leaves again, in search of athelas this time; but the wound is beyond his healing powers.
They resume their journey to Rivendell, with Frodo on the back of Bill the pony, trying to seek a way through the wooded country to avoid the Road. On the bridge across the Hoarwell they find a beryl, a sign that an Elf passed there recently.
Their path leads them through troll-country where they stumble across the same three Trolls that Bilbo encountered, which prompts Sam (by popular demand) to burst into a song.
On the twelfth day after Frodo was stabbed, they encounter the Elf-lord Glorfindel who was sent out from Rivendell to look for Frodo after messengers reported that the Nine were about. He has no news of Gandalf, however. After inspecting Frodo’s wound, he lets him mount Asfaloth, his horse.
The company journeys on the next day, but soon the Ringwraiths catch up with them and Glorfindel orders Asfaloth to take Frodo to Rivendell.
At the Ford of the Bruinen, the Wraiths have finally caught up with a very weakened Frodo. In a last attempt to scare off his pursuers, Frodo lifts his sword and says: ‘By Elbereth and Lúthien the Fair, you shall have neither the Ring nor me!’ The closest of the Wraiths reaches out for him, but at that very moment a huge flood comes thundering down the mountains and wipes out the wraiths and their horses.
The last thing Frodo sees before he looses consciousness is a shining white figure accompanied by some darker shadows waving with torches to drive the remaining wraiths into the roaring water.

This sequence has undergone some major changes:
– In the book the journey from Weathertop to the Ford takes up a full twelve days, but in the movie it looks like a couple of days at most. Frodo, who shows great resiliance in the books and is able to sit up straight on Asfaloth’s back during the last ride, grows a lot weaker in a much shorter timespan.
– Glorfindel, obviously, was replaced by Arwen. There is nothing said about Arwen being sent out to look for Frodo. There is no action-packed sequence for Arwen in the book, not any implication that Arwen would be a better rider than Aragorn.
– Frodo rides Asfaloth himself in the books, and Glorfindel and his companions follow on foot. On the river bank they light torches and try to scare the Wraiths into the water; something Arwen accomplishes by saying ‘If you want him, come and claim him.’
– In the books it’s Elrond who calls the flood: it’s actually a sort of triggered spring-tide which instantly occurs when a creature in league with the enemy crosses the water. The horses of foam Frodo sees are added as a ‘special touch’ by Gandalf. This is described further in this article by Gilraen.
– Glorfindel, obviously, doesn’t start bawling when it’s all over.

Mistakes
– Where is Bill the Pony during all this?

– There are some people who think that Arwen’s glow – derived from that of Glorfindel – is a mistake: Arwen has never been in the light of Valinor, nor is she even completely Elven. However, Tolkien doesn’t say that regular Elves of such might as Arwen don’t posses such a light to one who is in the realm of shadow. Also, Arwen is called the Evenstar of her People, so this might refer (also) to an inner light. So there’s no saying wether this is a change or a mistake.

– The dress-change when Frodo first sees Arwen, is not a continuity error, like some believe: we first see Arwen through Frodo’s eyes, as a beautiful and powerful Elf maiden, hence the white dress with pearls. But to the normal eyes, Arwen is simply wearing her riding garment.

– Tolkien doesn’t use the word She-elf, anywhere, as far as I can see.

Borrowed Lines
– Aragorn’s ‘This is beyond my skill to heal’ is derived from Glorfindel’s ‘Alas! the wounds of this weapon are beyond my skill to heal’. [1.XII]

– Arwen’s ‘Noro lim, Asfaloth, noro lim!’ is borrowed from Glorfindel. It’s the Elvish command for ‘ride on’. [1.XII]

Bookie Details
– The glade where Strider leaves the Hobbits to tend to Frodo is the same spot where Bilbo encounter the three Trolls, who were turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. In the background, you can even see them!

– Arwen’s horse is called Asfaloth, as is Glorfindel’s horse in the books.

– When the river rises, great white horses of foam appear: these were added by Gandalf, in the book, to increase the effect.


John Howe – The Ford of Bruinen

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Alternate Viewpoints/Questions [Submit Viewpoint/Question]
Trolls by Entwife89

Related Information
Other Books vs. Movies Articles:
As noted above, the character of Arwen undergoes some major changes because of this sequence.


Interesting Links
Our Gallery has screencaps of The Flight to the Ford.

A transcript of Lord Of the Rings: Fellowship Of the Ring can be found in our Film Fun & Facts section.

A summary of Lord Of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring can be found in Elrond's Library.

Some articles that are related to this sequence:
Arwen Undomiel - Evenstar of her people by Evenstar01 talks about the character of Arwen.

Forum threads related to this sequence:
You can discuss the Flight at the Ford-sequence in Sequence by sequence #10: Flight To the Ford.
Two Glorfindels? in the Books Forum discusses the ‘two’ Glorfindels mentioned in the Silmarillion and Fellowship Of the Ring.
The Book Club discusses this chapter from FOTR [1.XII.] here.

Take a look at how some artists interpreted this sequence:
- The Dark Knife by Eissman
- After Weathertop by Ted Nasmith
- On the Way to Rivendell by Ted Nasmith
- Trollshaws by Goldsmith
- Trolls by Paul Gregory
- Athelas by John Howe
- Camping near Bilbo’s Trolls by ALan Lee
- Glorfindel by Eissman
- Glorfindel II by Eissman
- Escaping from the Black Riders by Eissman
- Flight to the Ford by Eissman
- Fords Of Bruinen by Ted Nasmith
- Frodo at the Ford by Ted Nasmith
- Flight to the Ford by John Howe
- River Horses by Randy Asplund
- Fords by Colombani

Not pleased with the book or the movie, take a look here: