How many Rangers of the North were there ?

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by PrinceOfTheHalflings

*cough* The Romans had a professional full-time army.

The idea of a full-time standing army has been around since Sumer. But the interesting thing is that soldiers were always paid by their country, whereas I can't imagine that the Rangers would have been paid, as they would be the ones who would have done the paying.

I'm sure whenever they got to a Dunedan settlement they would be given free food and a place to stay, but judging by the way Butterbur talks of them I can't imagine that anyone in Bree, or anywhere else, would do so. Which means they must have either been self-sufficient (which suggests that there were a larger number), or that they traded with other nearby peoples. But what would they be trading? I can't think of anything they'd have that anyone else would want, especially with their reputation- I'm sure if people traded with them they would have a better reputation and be more well-known. But how else would they have got resources such as metal?

[Rumil]

Hi All,

another point to throw into the mix is that the Dunedain stronghold in the Third Age was in the 'Angle', South of Rivendell, this was noted by Michael Martinez when going through the Marquette papers. So there was a Ranger 'HQ' if you like where presumably the non-combatant Dunedain lived.

Since the leaders of the Rangers were Chieftains rather than Kings, I'm more tempted to think of them as organised similarly to some Dark Age societies. A chieftain/local king/prince/whatever, would have a bodyguard of 'full time' warriors. These were variously called Hearthtroops, Huscarls, Loafeaters, or Bucellarii in Byzantium, showing that they ate their Lord's bread, ie were maintained by the power and fortune of their leader.

The bodyguard were available for military use at any time, but were only a small proportion of the available fighting men. The majority would be freemen, who were mostly farmers etc and turned out to fight only when something really serious was happening, eg Anglo-Saxon Fyrd.

Exactly how this might relate to the Dunedain is an open question!

Re Eonwe on Dunedain economics, well, JRRT wasn't exactly crystal clear on that sort of thing. In the system mentioned above, (pre-feudal I guess) the Lord and his bodyguard were supported by taxes or contribution from the general population, and often by loot acquired in campaigns against the neighbours. The Dunedain did have a 'special relationship' with Elrond & co. but that's another kettle of fish. I suppose they could trade with the Dwarves and Bree as well maybe? Just to speculate I guess it would be a great 'cover story' for a Ranger to act as a trader while patrolling and keeping the peace, and give the chance to make the odd silver penny too.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

I can't think of anything they'd have that anyone else would want, especially with their reputation- I'm sure if people traded with them they would have a better reputation and be more well-known. But how else would they have got resources such as metal?

The Dúnedain of Arnor were able to save many of their posessions from the sack of Fornost by the Witch-king, such as weapons and heirlooms. I don't think it's out of the question for them to have hidden treasure and money also. At any rate, the Witch-king and his men were defeated and driven off permanently, so whatever they had gotten from looting the Dúnedain probably wouldn't have been that difficult to recover. Arnor at one time had been the great kingdom of the North, and they could have still had money left over from those days, enough to sustain a much diminished population.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

I can't think of anything they'd have that anyone else would want, especially with their reputation- I'm sure if people traded with them they would have a better reputation and be more well-known. But how else would they have got resources such as metal?

Originally Posted by Inziladun

The Dúnedain of Arnor were able to save many of their posessions from the sack of Fornost by the Witch-king, such as weapons and heirlooms. I don't think it's out of the question for them to have hidden treasure and money also. At any rate, the Witch-king and his men were defeated and driven off permanently, so whatever they had gotten from looting the Dúnedain probably wouldn't have been that difficult to recover. Arnor at one time had been the great kingdom of the North, and they could have still had money left over from those days, enough to sustain a much diminished population.

The Dunedain had the aid of Elrond and Imladris. Besides heirlooms of Arnorion origin, it is more than likely the Dunedain were equipped by the friendly forges of Rivendell (in much the same way the Noldor reforged Narsil into Anduril, sheltered Dunedain chieftains, and went out on joint martial missions). Think about it, without the aid of Elrond over many centuries, the chieftains of the Dunedain would have faded into memory long before the War of the Ring.