Are You Writing Serious Fantasy? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 06-05-2002, 08:35 PM

Biting that bait again! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I guess I see four merging threads in Aragorn's healing.
1) the virtue of the athelas, aka king's foil; Faramir, another pure Numenorean, gives Frodo and Sam walking sticks that come from a wood that has a virtue associated with it. So there's something in the plant itself. No doubt it comes from Yavanna.
2) Numenorean descent of Aragorn - purity of the blood line - remember, he comes from Elendil, the purest of the king's line if you take it through all the eldest children of the kings from Elros onward.
3) He learned from Elrond, as a foster-son, really. So being half-elven from way back anyway (Elros), of pure lineage, learning from the Elves, gives him additional capability.
4) There is a prophecy involved; the nature of prophecy is fulfillment. In a sense, destiny gets involved in this. So maybe that's additional efficaciousness.

That's how it looks from my vantage point. So it's not just his numenoreanness, nor just Elrond's influence, nor just the athelas.

[ June 07, 2002: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]

06-05-2002, 08:35 PM	#11
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Biting that bait again! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I guess I see four merging threads in Aragorn's healing. 1) the virtue of the athelas, aka king's foil; Faramir, another pure Numenorean, gives Frodo and Sam walking sticks that come from a wood that has a virtue associated with it. So there's something in the plant itself. No doubt it comes from Yavanna. 2) Numenorean descent of Aragorn - purity of the blood line - remember, he comes from Elendil, the purest of the king's line if you take it through all the eldest children of the kings from Elros onward. 3) He learned from Elrond, as a foster-son, really. So being half-elven from way back anyway (Elros), of pure lineage, learning from the Elves, gives him additional capability. 4) There is a prophecy involved; the nature of prophecy is fulfillment. In a sense, destiny gets involved in this. So maybe that's additional efficaciousness. That's how it looks from my vantage point. So it's not just his numenoreanness, nor just Elrond's influence, nor just the athelas. [ June 07, 2002: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]