The naming of weapons, even of seige weapons, is well precedented in history.
The trebuchet used by Edward I during the first seige of Stirling Castle in
1304 was named Warwolf, for example. There is, of course, a long tradition of
naming swords, spears and other hand to hand weapons in Northern European
legend and myth (Mjolnir, Thor's Hammer... The Gaebolg, Cu Chulainn's war
spear). There was a strong sense that naming something gave it power. A form of
animism, if you will, and that knowledge of the name gave one some dominion
over the object/person as well (a concept well explored by Ursula le Guin in
her Wizard of Earthsea series, where wizards like Ged the Archmage learn the
true names of things in order to control them). I don't think that naming the
weapon makes the passage any creepier. One could do just as well by using
analogy or pure description, I think.
"The wolf-headed ram was inexorably drawn back. There was a moment of still
menace as it halted at the top of it's back swing, and then, with a groaning
creak it swung forward, gathering speed as it arced toward the iron bound
gates. The armies stood silent, transfixed by the enormity and power of the
massive weapon. Boom! The sound of its striking the gates rolled over the
field, filling the defenders with dire fear." I am no Tolkien when it comes to
being a wordsmith, but I think that gives a hint of what could be done.
Tolien uses alliteration, imagery, analogy, onomatopeia and symbolism to
heighten the emotion of nearly all his passages, whether it be to describe the
tranquility of Imladris, the might of Gandalf or the horror of the attack upon
the gates. He also uses cadence, which really is only of value when the passage
is read aloud. These techniques were all commonly used in the Saxon, Norse and
Finnish sagas and legends which were a rich source of inspiration for Tolkien.
The text explicitly says that spells of ruin were bound into Grond during it's
making. Were the gates of Minas Tirith also formed with some magic? I don't
think so. Minas Arnor was made by men, and therefore I would believe that it
was simply a superior fortress by virtue of the skill of its creators and its
fantastic natural position backed hard up against Mindolluin.
Who bound the spells of ruin into Grond? It may have been Sauron, or the Mouth
of Sauron, both of whom were at Barad-dur during it's construction. It may have
been the Witch-king of Angmar, or any of Suron's nameless minions versed in the
forging of weapons and magic. Why name it after Melkor's mace? It's a large
blunt weapon, so the epithet seems entirely appropriate.
No further observations at this juncture.
:)
