Why Mortals Still Die in Lord of the Rings' Valinor

Some fans think Valinor is like Lord of the Rings' heaven, but that's not the case. Mortals died in Valinor, just like they did in Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings ended on a fairly happy note. With Sauron and most of his minions defeated, the free peoples of Middle-earth were free to live their lives as they saw fit. Aragorn married Arwen and was crowned King of Gondor. Gimli became the Lord of the Glittering Caves, and he spent a lot of time with his good friend, Legolas. Meanwhile, the Hobbits went back to the shire and (after expelling Saruman) settled back into their old lives.

Frodo, however, never adjusted back into regular life. After returning from his quest, he tried to live in the Shire for two years, but he was destined to depart for distant shores. Gandalf had obtained permission for Frodo and Bilbo to sail into to Valinor where they would be healed of the wounds that the One Ring had left on them. The ending of The Lord of the Rings films showed Frodo's departure, but that was it. That left a lot of fans with a major misconception about the Undying Lands.

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Before the dawning of time, Eru Ilúvatar created the Ainur with his thoughts, and together they made the physical universe through music. Although it was created as one continent, it didn't end up that way. The evil deeds of Morgoth split the continent into pieces, and the two greatest fractions were Aman and Middle-earth. Valinor is where the Valar made their home. It was on the shores of Aman, and it was a land of endless bliss. That's where the Noldorian Elves lived before Fëanor made them to hunt Morgoth in Middle-earth.

During the First and Second Ages, it was possible to sail from Middle-earth to Valinor. However, after the Drowning of Númenor, Eru bent the world, and took Valinor out of the physical realm. Thus, men could no longer sail to the Blessed Realm of Valinor. Only immortal Elves could get there by way of the Straight Road and only if they were in special ships. In fact, mortals were not allowed into Valinor at all. Before Frodo and Bilbo (and later Sam and Gimli), Tuor was the only exception.

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The way that Valinor was portrayed in the LOTR movies has led to a bit of a misconception. In some ways, Valinor looks like a version of heaven. After all, it wasn't a part the physical world, and it's where Frodo and Bilbo went to be rewarded for their work and healed of their wounds. On top of that, it's called the "Blessed Realm," so it makes sense why some fans might think that Valinor is The Lord of the Ring's version of Heaven. However, that wasn't the case at all.

Valinor was called the Undying Realm because it was home to the Valar and the Elves, who were both immortal. It wasn't as if Frodo and Bilbo had gained eternal life because they had been allowed into (or within sight of) Valinor. They were still mortals, who died normal deaths and went off to whatever, unknown afterlife awaited them. Knowing that might make Valinor lose a bit of its otherworldliness, but it's important to note. Mortals Men and Elves have different fates in the scope of eternity, so briefly allowing Bilbo and Frodo into Valinor wouldn't and couldn't have changed their fates.

Blake Hawkins has written TV and movie features and recaps for CBR since March of 2021. He writes about everything from NCIS to Stranger Things to The Walking Dead and everything in between. Mostly, though, he most enjoys writing about Star Wars. In fact, as recent graduate of Greensboro College's honors program, Blake wrote his thesis on Star Wars and its religious connections. He now lives with his family in Lynchburg VA and is an avid outdoorsman. Feel free to contact him by email at [email protected], or find him on Facebook.