If you’ve lost someone who was a fan of the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, you might find that some of Tolkien’s words help you share your grief or remember them. These books, and their film adaptations, have lots of lines that talk about life, death and coping after loss. To help, we’ve gathered a full list of Lord of the Rings funeral quotes, including short quotes, longer readings, and songs which you can play or read as poems.
Short Lord of the Rings funeral quotes
If you’re looking for a Lord of the Rings quote to write on funeral flowers or a condolence card, or you want to make a small nod to your loved one’s love of Tolkien in a funeral speech, one of these shorter quotes could work well.
Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in Peace! I will not say: do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.
Gandalf says these lines when he’s leaving Middle Earth. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to cry, so could be the right choice for reading out loud at a funeral.
In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory.
This quote is taken from Appendix A of Lord of the Rings. They’re Aragorn’s last words to Arwen before his death. It gives hope that you’ll see your loved one again in the future and that, until then, you’ll have your memories for comfort.
His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom.
This is an uplifting Lord of the Rings funeral quote about death. Taken from The Return of the King, it reminds us that while feelings of loss may never go away, you can grow around grief.
And then her heart changed, or at least she understood it; and the winter passed, and the sun shone upon her.
This is another quote taken from The Return of the King. This could be a comforting thing to say to someone who’s finding it hard to cope with their loss. Of course, grief might not necessarily “go away”. But over time, people might find ways to cope and find happiness.
Short funeral quotes from The Hobbit
The road goes ever on and on.
This short quote from the Hobbit could be used to reflect a belief in an afterlife, or reincarnation, where your loved one’s soul or spirit lives on.
So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.
This short funeral quote from The Hobbit could be used to speak about the loss of someone who was strong and influential during their life and has left a lasting impact on those who knew them.
Farewell where ever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey’s end!
This line features in The Hobbit, as the Eagles say goodbye to Gandalf. It’s a simple sentiment, acknowledging that we might not know where someone has gone, but that we wish them well all the same.
May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.
This is Gandalf’s reply to the Eagles mentioned above. It’s another simple but touching message, making it a good choice of Lord of the Rings quote for a funeral if you want to share good wishes to the person who’s passed.
Lord of the Rings funeral readings
If you’ve been asked to speak at a funeral and would like a longer Lord of the Rings funeral reading, rather than a short quote, some of the excerpts below could be what you’re looking for.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
This funeral reading from Lord of the Rings is taken from The Return of the King. It describes Samwise, Bilbo Baggins’ best friend, as he looks to the stars during a dark night. It acknowledges that the person who’s passed is now in a place where you can’t be with them anymore. But shares the comforting sentiment that, while it may be hard to accept someone passing away, something beautiful waits for them.
“The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet it is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: Small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”
These lines can be found in The Fellowship of the Ring. As Gandalf is discussing why the ring must be destroyed, Elrond responds with these words. While this quote isn’t necessarily about death or loss, it makes a good Tolkien quote about death. Life is a road that “must be trod”, by everyone, “weak and strong”, no matter how hard it may get at times. It could make an appropriate reading for someone who seemed quiet or shy, but who made a big difference to the lives of people they loved.
“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.”
It's easy to see why this is one of the most popular Lord of the Rings quotes for funerals. Taken from The Two Towers, these lines share how hard it can be to cope with the loss of someone you love. That life can feel “dark” and filled with “danger” - to the point you don’t even want to think about it. But it offers reassurance that the darkness will pass with time.
“And then it seemed to him that 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.”
These lines are positive and uplifting, looking forward to another adventure beyond death. They were reworked for the Lord of the Rings films. A lot of people are more familiar with these lines: “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.”
Lord of the Rings funeral songs and poems
The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit have a lot of songs and poems that make a good choice of funeral reading. Whether you choose to play music that has actually been made from these songs or read the words aloud yourself.
Bilbo’s poem
“I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I sha.ll never know.
But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.
You can find Bilbo’s poem in Chapter 3 of Fellowship of the Ring Book 1. It’s a short and bittersweet poem, reflecting on the vastness of the world and how it’s impossible to experience all the beauty the world has to offer in one lifetime. Read at a funeral, it could represent the voice of the person who’s passed away.
The Road Goes Ever On (The Hobbit)
“Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.”
The Road Goes Ever On is a walking song, created and sung by Bilbo Baggins at the end of The Hobbit. Bilbo sings it towards the end of his journey back to the Shire, as he reaches the top of a rise where he can see his home in the distance. If you choose to read this at a funeral, it can represent your loved one’s journey through life and how they may now be heading “home” or to another adventure.
The Road Goes Ever On Part 1 and 2 (The Lord of the Rings)
“The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.”
Three verses of the Road Goes Ever On appear throughout The Lord of the Rings. The verse above is the first. Bilbo sings it as he leaves the Shire to visit Rivendell. The second verse is exactly the same as the verse above, but the word “eager” is switched to “weary”.
The Road Goes Ever On Part 3 (The Lord of the Rings)
“The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.”
The third verse of The Road Goes Ever On is spoken softly by Bilbo from Rivendale when the hobbits have returned from their journey. He’s now old and weary, and falls asleep after finishing the last lines. This could be a suitable Lord of the Rings funeral song or poem for someone who lived a long and fulfilling life.
Namárië (Galadriel’s Lament in Lórien)
Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
The long years have passed like swift draughts
of the sweet mead in lofty halls
beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda
wherein the stars tremble
in the voice of her song, holy and queenly.
Who now shall refill the cup for me?
For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the stars,
from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds
and all paths are drowned deep in shadow;
and out of a grey country darkness lies
on the foaming waves between us,
and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.
Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar!
Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar!
Maybe even thou shalt find it! Farewell!
Namárië is written in Quenya, a language created by Tolkien. It’s sometimes also known as Song of the Elves Beyond the Sea. Namárië means “farewell” and the words describe the passing of life. You can read this as a poem, or you could use it as a Lord of the Rings funeral song. It was set to music by Donald Swann, which you can find on Youtube or streaming platforms like Spotify. You can also find the full poem in Quenya, as well as info on its translation to English here.
Lament for Rohirrim
“Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.
Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning,
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?”
These lines are sung by Aragorn on the way to Edoras. Within the book, it’s written by a forgotten poet, long before the War of the Ring. It makes a good choice of Lord of the Rings funeral song or poem, as it questions where someone goes when they pass away, wondering how you’ll get by without them. It's thought that the first two lines of the poem are inspired by an Old English poem called “The Wanderer”.
When Evening in the Shire was Grey
“When evening in the Shire was grey
his footsteps on the Hill were heard;
before the dawn he went away
on journey long without a word.
From Wilderland to Western shore,
from northern waste to southern hill,
through dragon-lair and hidden door
and darkling woods he walked at will.
With Dwarf and Hobbit, Elves and Men,
with mortal and immortal folk,
with bird on bough and beast in den,
in their own secret tongues he spoke.
A deadly sword, a healing hand,
a back that bent beneath its load;
a trumpet-voice, a burning brand,
a weary pilgrim on the road.
A lord of wisdom throned he sat,
swift in anger, quick to laugh;
an old man in a battered hat
who leaned upon a thorny staff.
He stood upon the bridge alone
and Fire and Shadow both defied;
his staff was broken on the stone,
in Khazad-dûm his wisdom died.”
This Tolkien funeral poem is from The Fellowship of the Ring. It has 6 verses, so makes for a longer funeral reading. You might want to read this for someone who packed a lot into their life, adventuring and experiencing all the world has to offer.
In Western Lands Beneath the Sun
“Though here at journey's end I lie,
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun,
And Stars forever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.”
In Western Lands Beneath the Sun is a Lord of the Rings funeral song, possibly written by Bilbo Baggins, and sung by Sam in the Tower of Cirith Ungol. It’s sometimes known as “Sam’s Song”. You can read it as a poem, rather than singing it. It’s a good choice for someone who was particularly determined, or someone who fought to the end. You can find the full song at Tolkien Gateway.
Tolkien funeral quotes
While Tolkien is best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, these aren’t the only works he wrote. He also created some beautiful lines and quotes in his own letters and interviews.
Human stories are practically always about one thing, really, aren't they? Death. The inevitability of death...
Tolkien shared these words in an interview. He was being asked about what inspired his work. While this is just one, short line, it’s one of the most popular Tolkien death quotes. He shares how a lot of stories we share inevitably revolve around or lead to death. And this is because it’s an inevitability for all of us, and something that we all shape our lives around. Whether that’s deciding how to spend the time we have or preparing for the future generations, or the legacy we’ll leave behind. This could make a good introduction for a funeral reading, going on to tell the story of the life of the person who’s passed away.
There is a place called ‘heaven’ where the good here unfinished is completed; and where the stories unwritten, and the hopes unfulfilled, are continued. We may laugh together yet...
This line is taken from one of Tolkien’s letters to his son, who was away at military college. It’s a hopeful quote that shares a belief in an afterlife, where any unfinished business can be taken care of and where people will eventually reunite.
Photo by Ergo Zakki on Unsplash.