Boromir's search for Imladris

[Mithalwen]

It should be remembered that Imladris is hard to find even if you know where it is - Gandalf struggles a bit in the Hobbit and I imagine that Boromir in the last stages of his journey was probably spotted and brought in by scouts - we know that theu were expecting Frodo and probably kept some kind of watch over the moors generally. I doubt many strangers reached Imladris unescorted by elf or Dunadan. Legolas would have come via the mountain pass and the path from that must have been guarded or concealed.

[PrinceOfTheHalflings]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

It should be remembered that Imladris is hard to find even if you know where it is

Right!

Imladris is hidden - it is not meant to be found - quite unlike Mordor, which is a huge land with an enormous fiery mountain, ominous dark tower and vast armies of evil.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

One has to wonder if the name 'Imladris' was even known to Denethor. He doesn't appear to have any interest in anything that does not directly concern Gondor. If he somehow perceived Elrond and his realm to be of potential benefit to him, he would certainly have known the name (if not where it was located), but he had a demonstrated tendency to dismiss any knowledge that he could not see being of use to him (witness his reaction to Gandalf's research in the archives of Minas Tirith). If he knew the word, he would have known that the realm was hidden, and thus of little use to him -- until his sons had a dream involving it, one that seemed forbidding and prophetic, for Gondor. Suddenly the place has meaning for him, but there is no one to ask about its location, and no time to waste in potentially futile research.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

One has to wonder if the name 'Imladris' was even known to Denethor. He doesn't appear to have any interest in anything that does not directly concern Gondor.

Judging from Boromir's words to the Council of Elrond, Denethor had at least heard of Imladris.

"This only would he say, that Imladris was of old the name among the Elves of a far northern dale, where Elrond the Half-elven dwelt, greatest of lore-masters."

FOTR The Council of Elrond

Though you're right in that Denethor had little use in things unless he perceived their value to Gondor, I think he had some knowledge of the history of Arnor, and the existence of Imladris was certainly an important factor for those in the North-kingdom.

[The Mouth of Sauron]

Another couple of suggestions as to why Denethor should have known where Imladris and the House of Elrond was : -

After the Fellowship left Lorien, Aragorn stated that light boats used to "come out of Wilderland" to Osgiliath a few years previously, certainly during Denethor's lifetime. And the West - East trade route across Eriador and Wilderland from the Ered Luin to Dale, which included Rivendell, would certainly have crossed the North - South route down Anduin and surely some travellers would have used both routes.

When Aragorn served Ecthelion in the guise of Thorongil, surely in conversation with him he might have mentioned Rivendell ?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Okay, firstly, let me just repeat here what was already mentioned before - Imladris was a hidden valley. It was hidden in the way Mith mentioned (if you were looking for it, even if you knew roughly where it was, you had to find it in the labyrinth of rocks and valleys), and also in the way that it was a secret place. Most people really didn't know where it lay, and I daresay a commoner who even heard the name could not know whether it is in Eriador, Mirkwood or the mountains of Gondor. Think of all the "secret lands of XY" from our real world mythologies. Think of Gondolin. Rivendell was effectively something similar (smaller, of course, but originally coming from the same idea).

Denethor was a wise man and he would know about things like that more than anybody else in Gondor (as is even said), but still the exact location, for him, would be just "a land far away, beyond a thousand hills and mountains... blah blah blah" (I hope you get the point).

Originally Posted by The Mouth of Sauron

When Aragorn served Ecthelion in the guise of Thorongil, surely in conversation with him he might have mentioned Rivendell ?

Aragorn was in disguise himself. Nobody knew where he came from and where he disappeared to, and he certainly wouldn't boast about where he had been to, and the less about supposedly secret havens of the Elves. You could equally strongly expect him to talk about the Shire, which alone should show how improbable and illogical it would be.

[Findegil]

I don't think any 'light boat' out of Wilderland ever crossed the borders of Lorien. Thus this traffic originated from the south of Lorien, or at least it reached the river there, while the east-west traffic crossed the river fare more in the north.

It was unknown were Thorongil came from. And Thorongil did conceal that by purpose. Thus I believe even if he would have been asked directly about Imladris he would not have shown greater knowledge than what was common in upper class gondorian society (like Denethor).

Respectfuly
Findegil

[The Mouth of Sauron]

Originally Posted by Findegil

I don't think any 'light boat' out of Wilderland ever crossed the borders of Lorien. Thus this traffic originated from the south of Lorien, or at least it reached the river there, while the east-west traffic crossed the river fare more in the north.

A boat from the north of Wilderland travelling down Anduin would pass Lorien, not cross its border. So if either Mirkwood men or Beornings wanted to sail down to Osgiliath I don't see what was stopping them. Otherwise, why was the portage way that Aragorn found built ? And I'm not sure that any men lived just south of Lorien near Anduin, apart from maybe some people of Rohan living in the eastern Wold.