Is Aragorn as you pictured him?

[Morthoron]

The thing most everyone is missing is Aragorn's nickname: Strider. He was very tall and lanky as the name implies (his ancestor, Elendil, was said to be 6'11'' and tallest of all the Dunedain). This is not a physical quality Viggo posesses (I believe he's 5'11"). In fact, it seemed other characters were taller than he. Also, he did not portray the grimness Tolkien instilled in Aragorn (and the rest of the Dunedain, like Halbarad, for instance). Viggo came off wishy-washy and irresolute, which were not characteristics of Aragorn either (this I blame on the script mostly).

I would agree that Liam Neeson fits Tolkien's description much better, but unfortunately, Hollywood cuteness prevailed.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

The thing most everyone is missing is Aragorn's nickname: Strider. He was very tall and lanky as the name implies (his ancestor, Elendil, was said to be 6'11'' and tallest of all the Dunedain). This is not a physical quality Viggo posesses (I believe he's 5'11"). In fact, it seemed other characters were taller than he. Also, he did not portray the grimness Tolkien instilled in Aragorn (and the rest of the Dunedain, like Halbarad, for instance). Viggo came off wishy-washy and irresolute, which were not characteristics of Aragorn either (this I blame on the script mostly).

If interested, Tolkien gives a (pretty much) accurate height for both Aragorn and Boromir in an unpublished note located at the Bodleian Library in Oxford-

"Aragorn, direct descendant of Elendil and his son Isildur, both of whom had been seven feet tall, must nonetheless have been a very tall man…, probably at least 6 ft. 6; and Boromir, of high Númenorean lineage, not much shorter (say 6 ft. 4)." (p. 229 of The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion)

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by MatthewM

If interested, Tolkien gives a (pretty much) accurate height for both Aragorn and Boromir in an unpublished note located at the Bodleian Library in Oxford-

"Aragorn, direct descendant of Elendil and his son Isildur, both of whom had been seven feet tall, must nonetheless have been a very tall man…, probably at least 6 ft. 6; and Boromir, of high Númenorean lineage, not much shorter (say 6 ft. 4)." (p. 229 of The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion)

Precisely. Thanks for the timely back-up (there is also a concise summary of Gondorion/Dunedain heights and measurements in the UT)! However, watch the movie...it seems several of the other characters are slightly taller or of the same height as Aragorn. I guess P.J. just wanted all the Hollywood-handsome faces in the same headshots, camera angle-wise.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

it seems several of the other characters are slightly taller or of the same height as Aragorn. I guess P.J. just wanted all the Hollywood-handsome faces in the same headshots, camera angle-wise.

Perhaps...how tall was Legolas supposed to be, in the books? I believe Bloom is as tall as Viggo...not sure though.

[Lalwendë]

You guys would like the new entry I found while poking around on Encyclopedia of Arda t'other day to see what was new. This is about "Man-High":

An informal unit of height among the Dúnedain, referring to the height of a typical Man of Númenórean descent. It was based on the ranga, a Númenórean measure of length corresponding to thirty-eight inches, or a little less than a metre. A height of two rangar was referred to as 'man-high', so a typical Dúnadan would be 6' 4" in height, or 1.93m.

The term comes from later usage, when the Dúnedain of Middle-earth had dwindled somewhat. In earlier times they had been taller on average. Elendil, for example, was famous for his height (and indeed was often called Elendil the Tall). He was said to have been nearly half a ranga more than man-high, which would make his approximate height an incredible 7' 10", or 2.39m.

Fascinating. So the average height of a Ranger was two ranga.

Here's what they say for Ranga:

A measure used by the Númenóreans and their descendants in Middle-earth. One ranga was defined as the length of the stride of a man walking at ease, and seems to have corresponded to a length of thirty-eight inches, or 0.97 metres. A height of two rangar was conventionally referred to as 'man-high', representing (approximately) the average height of a Dúnadan as 6 feet, 4 inches, or 1.93 metres. The Halflings were named by the Dúnedain as being half their own height on average, so if two rangar were 'man-high', then one ranga can be considered roughly 'Hobbit-high'.

Measurements of longer distances were also based on the ranga. A distance of 5,000 strides was named a lár, signifying a point where a rest-stop should be held. By convenient coincidence, 5,000 rangar also corresponds almost exactly to three miles, so a lár described a distance essentially equivalent to a league.

Hilde - Liam Neeson cute? What about his big ol' broken nose?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

...one ranga can be considered roughly 'Hobbit-high'.

...which must refer to Trotter, the Hobbit Ranger!

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Fascinating. So the average height of a Ranger was two ranga.

Thanks for that info! That's quite interesting indeed.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

That is a wonderful and strangely imprecise measurement! As the long years drew down, did the lár become shorter, I wonder.

And I also wonder if a hobbit gait would be measured in halfrangas... or perhaps cubits are a corruption of hobbis, the length of a hobbit's stride.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

I would agree that Liam Neeson fits Tolkien's description much better, but unfortunately, Hollywood cuteness prevailed.

Ah, but Mr. Neeson is as cute as a rather large button, though perhaps not a stern enough or grim enough one.