[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Esty

Did you notice that there are slight variations in his treatment of the three?

Originally Posted by davem

The Athelas is a subject worth returning to. It seems to have more than natural healing power. The words used to describe its effect are odd

The effects of the Athelas differ according to who is receiving the treatment:

Then taking two leaves, he laid them on his hands and breathed on them, and then he crushed them, and straightway a living freshness filled the room, as if the air itself awoke and tingled, sparkling with joy. And then he cast the leaves into the bowls of steaming water that were brought to him, and at once all hearts were lightened. For the fragrance that came to each was like a memory of dewy mornings of unshadowed sun in some land of which the fair world in Spring is itself but a fleeting memory. But Aragorn stood up as one refreshed, and his eyes smiled as he held a bowl before Faramir's dreaming face.

Then, whether Aragorn had indeed some forgotten power of Westernesse, or whether it was but his words of the Lady Eowyn that wrought on them, as the sweet influence of the herb stole about the chamber it seemed to those who stood by that a keen wind blew through the window, and it bore no scent, but was an air wholly fresh and clean and young, as if it had not before been breathed by any living thing and came new-made from snowy mountains high beneath a dome of stars, or from shores of silver far away washed by seas of foam.

Then Aragorn laid his hand on Merry's head, and passing his hand gently through the brown curls, he touched the eyelids, and called him by name. And when the fragrance of athelas stole through the room, like the scent of orchards, and of heather in the sunshine full of bees, suddenly Merry awoke, and he said:
'I am hungry. What is the time?'

I wonder if the effects of the Athelas on each are a reflection of the personality of each character? For Eowyn the fragrance is what might be called an 'ozone' scent, almost like pure air but with a faint hint of snow or the sea; it reflects her youth and possibly her vitality. For Merry the scent is of things reminiscent of food strangely enough, and he immediately wakes and mentions his hunger! The scent for Faramir is more enigmatic however. The words used to describe it are quite elegiac; are they meant to reflect Faramir's experience in the harsh world?

The effects of the Athelas may reflect the characters' personalities, but maybe they reflect what Aragorn thinks of each person? Or is he using the Athelas in such a way as to evoke feelings in each patient that they will particularly respond to? Aragorn must know Merry the best out of all the three patients and perhaps the fact that Merry awakens so quickly and fully reflects this? In any case, however the scents are evoked, I think that it might be worth thinking about what the words for each character really do mean.

The Elessar is mentioned several times in this chapter and it brought to my mind where it originally came from and what purpose it had. It was made for Galadriel and I think that it had some purpose in the slowing of time in Lothlorien for the preservation of her realm. In UT there is some background about the creation of the Elessar, its use and its eventual fate:

"What would you have then?" said Celebrimbor

"I would have trees and grass about me that do not die - here in the land that is mine," she answered. "What has become of the skill of the Eldar?" And Celebrimbor said "Where now is the stone of Earendil? And Enerdhil who made it is gone."
"They have passed over sea," said Galadriel, "With almost all fair things else. But must then Middle Earth fade and perish for ever?"

"That is its fate I deem," said Celebrimbor. "But you know that I love you (though you turn to Celeborn of the trees), and for that love I will do what I can, if happily by my art your grief can be lessened."

Wielding the Elessar all things grew fair about Galadriel, until the coming of the shadow to the forest. But afterwards when Nenya, her chief of the three was sent her by Celebrimbor, she needed it (as she thought) no more, and she gave it to Celebrian her daughter, and so it came to Arwen and to Aragorn who was called Elessar.

I think that it is clear that the Elessar was important in preserving Lothlorien, and the text says that Galadriel wielded it, suggesting that she had to make or will it to work in some way. She also gives it up when she receives Nenya, so I presume that it must have had similar powers but was less powerful/potent or else she would not have passed it on. For many years it must have been held in Elrond's house, and he was renowned as a healer himself (and as an aside, maybe Aragorn taking the Elessar from Rivendell hastened the decline of that realm too, shadowing his 'taking' of Arwen from there).

Maybe the Elessar did indeed have healing powers? When Aragorn appears at Gandalf's side it is noteworthy that he bears 'no other token than the green stone of Galadriel'; when he is done healing he leaves Minas Tirith and he casts 'his cloak about him', as though to cover the Elessar once more. Why would Arwen wish to give Aragorn such a gift? And why would she have Galadriel pass it on for her? It is certainly a splendid love token, but Arwen must have known how it could be used.

Then Gandalf went out in haste, and already the fire in the sky was burning out, and the smouldering hills were fading, while ash-grey evening crept over the fields.

Finally I have to mention this line as it is worded perfectly - the fires of the battlefield are dying out and in this image Tolkien uses the words which describe a dying fire: from flames there are then embers, and these finally burn away to nothing but ash.