About

"You Shall Not Pass" is a catchphrase used in reference to a famous quote attributed to Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring" from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Origin

In "The Fellowship of the Ring," Gandalf utters the phrase as he blocks the path of Balrog Demon in pursuit. The quote has been celebrated by both the readers of the trilogy as well as the fans of the film adaptation:

Gandalf: You cannot pass! I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow. You shall not pass!

Although not directly correlated, the phrase may have been inspired by the saying "They Shall Not Pass!"^[1] that became popular among the French soldiers during World War II, mostly as a propaganda slogan used to express determination to defend a position against an enemy.

Spread

The meme became popular for use as an image macro, and on sites such as YTMND^[2].

Notable Examples

Search Interest

Reference Links