Aragorn the Ranger

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I am sure that Aragorn would have at least carried a hunting knife in the wild - to make shelter, skin fish etc. Maybe a knife for defense but not fuly "tooled up " which would be an encumbrance.

Heh. I remember watching the end of Fellowship of the Ring, and snickering to myself as Aragorn said, "We travel light" or some such thing, as he secures yet another weapon...Not a particularly good match of word and deed there.

Now that I've got that particular thought out of my system, back to the initial topic.

This thread has made me realize something: I never once pictured Aragorn with a bow, most likely because it was never expressly mentioned. I always thought of the title "Ranger" to be more involved with the "park ranger" sort of connotation: someone who patrols the wilderness with the goals of safety and preservation in mind, as opposed to a reference to the type of weapons carried. I guess this was influenced by the Rangers being referred to as a group.

As to the hunting thing...I agree that hunting with a bow makes far more sense than attempting to do so with a sword (particularly a broken one, ) or a knife.

I don't think he would use traps. I think that perhaps other Men might (Breelanders, perhaps? They seem a bit rougher around the edges, for some reason). However, Aragorn is one of the Rangers, a word I already associate with nobility, honor and kindness, and he was also raised among the Elves who would doubtless frown upon the concept of traps.

A snare, I could see, as long as it didn't cause the caught animal any pain.

I would think that a Ranger would really need to live, and travel, light. The more stuff you haul around with you, the more tired you get, and you'll also make more noise. A bow (particularly a longbow, which you'd need for hunting...or at least for hunting large game) and arrows would probably just get in the way (and it does! In one scene of the FOTR EE, Aragorn's bow actually does hit the camera as Viggo turns a corner). For that reason, I think that he probably hunted more with humane snares. Perhaps he did carry a small amount of preserved meat of some kind along with him, in case of emergency. After all, one man doesn't really need that much to eat. He'd have no need to fell a buck or a bear.

Foraging also is a pretty plausible option. There are other ways for Aragorn to find food besides hunting, though I'm not suggesting he was entirely vegetarian.

One last thing:

Originally Posted by lindale

Did Faramir and Co., upon meeting Frodo and Sam, really use bows to ambush the other Men, the men under Sauron? If they did, I think it's safe to assume that their kinsmen in the North also used bows, although not mainly for war

Yes, they did! It's mentioned towards the end of "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit":

Originally Posted by The Two Towers

Four tall men stood there. Two had spears in their hands with broad bright heads. Two had great bows, almost of their own height, and great quivers of long green-feathered arrows. All had swords at their sides...

So not only did they use bows, but they also apparantly run about armed to the teeth, the way we see Movie!Aragorn. It makes sense, though, since they're actually ready for (and expecting) battle, which I don't think Aragorn actively was. Protecting the Shire probably requires some fighting, but not the hard battle seen later in the story.

Later in the chapter, Sam observes that "arrows were thick in the air" and even sees one of the red-clad men meet his death that way. So yes, the rangers of Ithilien did fight with bows.

[Galendor]

As I read it, Middle Earth was a relatively undisturbed place with true wilderness. Much of this environemnt, such as the lands between Hobbiton and Rivendell, seems to be composed of a patchwork of forests, streams, rivers, and natural open fields. In such a landscape there would be lush and diverse wild animals and plants.

I don't think Strider in the context of the books would choose to hunt larger game requiring a bow, such as deer or bear. These animals have a lot of meat, more than can be used by a small party before it spoils. So I imagine he would primarily hunt small game, such as rabbits, squirrels, and large birds such as pheasants or grouse. I imagine such animals were far more abundant and less wary in the wilds of Middle Earth than we can imagine nowadays, and Strider as a Ranger new their ways and habits very well. So I think he could have hunted them with a simple sling (strap of leather with a pouch for holding a stone), or even caught them by hand (fat rabbit is no match for stealthy Ranger). It isn't hard to imagine he was a very skilled shot with a sling. He may have hunted such small game while traveling, in a catch-as-can fashion and taking advantage of opportunities that presented themselves. Tolkien didn't usually elaborate on such smaller concerns of daily necessities.

So I imagine small game could be "caught" in little time by Strider, carrying only a small sling in his pocket. He could also have a hook and line for catching what must have been abundant and unwary fish (bass, trout) in ponds and streams. Also it is clear in the books that Strider knew much herb-lore, and so I think he also was adept at collecting edible leaves, fruits, and roots from plants that would be good for eating.

So I don't think Strider needed or carried a bow in his general ranging duties. But feeding a small band of hungry hobbits was probably tough even for him!

[Eönwë]

I always though that he had reforged the sword (Anduril, from the shards of Narsil) before he left Rivendell, and had already decided to becom King Elessar. He could have killed wild animals with a sword but as numerous people have said, that would be quite cumbersome so he definitely had a bow or at least a knife. As Galendor has said as well, he oculd have just hunted small game and used other methods, or he could have fished. I can't imagine him hacking at large deer or bears, especially when such food would rot in a matter of days, unless he preserved it, which I'm sure he could, knowing special techniques and herbs.

Also, as Galendor said:

Originally Posted by Galendor

Also it is clear in the books that Strider knew much herb-lore, and so I think he also was adept at collecting edible leaves, fruits, and roots from plants that would be good for eating. !