In JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, one of the most fascinating objects – beyond the One Ring – is the item known as the Palantir (Palantiriplural).
They are sometimes called the Seven Seeing Stones, magical devices that allow the user to communicate with other holders over long distances or see into the future, a possible future.
A key aspect of the Lord of the Rings plot is that those using a Palantir may be manipulated by nefarious forces, who may trick the other user into seeing things that shall not come to pass.
Of course, while Tolkien’s legendarium is unique and beautiful, it is not always created in a vacuum. The Palantiri are, for all intents and purposes, based on the idea of “crystal balls”. Tolkien was first and foremost a linguistic historian, and he would have been well aware of the use of such items by the Druids in pre-Roman Britain.
Tolkien had his own take on crystal balls – the Palantiri were never explicitly called crystal – but the root of the idea of scrying or crystallomancy using a spherical object remains the same.
Crystal Ball is the symbol of divination in popular culture
When we think of crystal balls in popular culture, most of us think of divination. It is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the art of fortune-telling.
You can see this in movies and books like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where Professor Trelawney uses a crystal ball to teach divination, or in games like Madame Destiny Megaways, where the Crystal Ball is a central symbol used to trigger the main bonus features.
Tolkien’s Palantiri are a little more than fortune-telling devices, however. Indeed, like other inanimate objects, including, again, the One Ring, the Palantiri are almost presented asobjects that are aware. They are more than just tools; they may act of their own accord.
Tolkien does not always say this directly, but there are instances of providence, including the throwing of the Palantir by Grima “Wormtongue” from Orthanc and the fact that Pippin was driven mad by the desire to look into the same Palantir.
It is ambiguous as to how these events were driven, but the call of the stone itself may have caused both Grima and Pippin to commit these acts, both of which eventually became fortuitous for the quest.
Regardless, a theme of Tolkien’s Palantiri is one that is consistent in other fables of crystal balls. Namely, that they are devices that should only be used by those strong enough to do so. There is the added ‘danger’ that Sauron also holds a Palantir, which he used to manipulate both Saruman and Denethor, albeit in different ways.
Eventually, Aragorn uses the Palantir to confront Sauron. With the action, Aragorn reveals his true strength, frightening the book’s antagonist and proving he is worthy of using the stone. He is, in fact, the true owner of the stones.
Tolkien’s Message: Do Not Give Into Despair
Overall, perhaps the strongest message Tolkien has is that divination is dangerous. Not the act itself, but by acting on what is shown in the image.
This is characterized by the demise of Denethor, who was driven to suicide because he saw the destruction of Minas Tirith and the world of “men” (Tolkien’s words, not ours). We later learn that Denethor was being manipulated by Sauron, who made him believe that a ‘possible’ future was the ‘only’ future.
And that, perhaps, is Tolkien’s warning. That our actions should not be governed by what we are afraid might happen. He hints at the same message earlier in the chapter The Mirror of Galadriel. When showing the Hobbits a possible future, Galadriel provides the warning that the future is not yet set, and the mirror only shows what could happen.
And that lesson, and the lesson of the Palantiri, is important for all of us when we are given a reading through crystal balls, tarot cards, or any other form – what we see is always only a possible future. And if we do not give into despair, we can change that future and shape it for the better.
