#denethor

[omgitzlongdennis]

i was looking for a reference image and found this instead and ill say i am obsessed. the ghostly pippin who doesnt even look concerned. the ghostly denethor despite the fact he is Right There. faramir just kinda looks... peacefully asleep. the fire overlay. it was from facebook. i love it

[mysarcasticgreencrayon]

I totally accept these head cannons.

I was thinking about Denethor and Faramir as I was cleaning and some stuff (as you do), and went to double-check one of Denethor's criticisms of Faramir:

“I know you well. Ever your desire is to appear lordly and generous as a king of old.”

So, Faramir is very much linked to the past—he has dream-visions of the Akallabêth, he often thinks and talks about Númenor/what it means to be Númenórean when the qualities that defined that are largely fading from his culture, he's preoccupied with lore and history, he personally represents an ancient "type" that is vanishing (he describes them as "a springless autumn").

Denethor's criticism, therefore, could be seen as at least somewhat valid in a more general sense. Faramir does value the traditions and stature of the ancient Númenóreans and would genuinely like to have a king again, even if he criticizes the old kings and initially thinks Aragorn in particular sounds kind of sketchy.

For me, there are two questions at play here:

1) Are Faramir's very Númenórean presentation and preoccupations a result of his desire to appear like one, or a more genuine outgrowth of his nature?

2) Denethor does not only say "Númenórean" in this scene. He specifies that Faramir's "lordly and generous" persona is derived from a desire to seem kingly (though it's very similar to Pippin's memory of Boromir as "lordly but kindly"). And, well, does Faramir want to come across as kingly? And if he does, why?

Because there's a potential answer that I doubt would ever have occurred to Denethor, and only just occurred to me.

At that point, Faramir has probably never encountered a literal king and certainly not a Númenórean one. His concept of what an old king was would come from history and cultural/artistic depictions, unless he's had further dreams or visions we don't know about (always a possibility, to be sure). But if he hasn't seen an actual Númenórean king and only knows them through his affinity for history and lore (an affinity shared by Denethor!), and yet this desire is supposed to have shaped his conduct and persona so pervasively, possibly even from childhood—then who formed this distinct, long-standing sense of what a kingly Númenórean is like?

Well:

Denethor was a proud man, tall, valiant, and more kingly than any man that had appeared in Gondor for many lives of men; and he was wise also, and far-sighted.

It is, of course, possible that Faramir actually has no particular desire to appear kingly and is just that way naturally, and Denethor is simply wrong about him. But if there is any man in Gondor likely to register as kingly in Faramir's formative years, it would have been Denethor.

[tyrellia]

[torchwood-99]

book!Faramir vs movie!Faramir

So book!Faramir will look at movie!Faramir and do that whole "I'm you but stronger thing" but then add he's stronger than most people because the guy's exceptional and he knows it, and he will praise movie!Faramir's resilience in overcoming the Ring regardless and say he's proud of him and movie!Faramir will be gracious in regards to his faults and thankful for the recognition of his own strength and then they'll get talking about the impact of the parenting styles of book!Denethor and movie!Denethor on their own characters and get into a friendly debate as to the true meaning of self and freewill, because book!Faramir and movie!Faramir are both lovely, intelligent people and utter nerds and all conversations will end up being about Eowyn anyway.

[the-eclectic-penguin]

[mysarcasticgreencrayon]

I love this

The ranger prodigy

"I bet he's gonna be a Ranger some day! A real brave ranger! With a bow and armour you know! I think he is real smart don't you ? What do you think mum? He is not even a year old and already won the game, yes I think he's a real...." Boromir prattled along happily but his parents did not really listen. Too busy were they recovering form the shock. Denethor felt distinctly reminded of the the adrenaline crashes he experienced after battles and as he looked up he noticed that Finduilas was shaking. Quickly he gestured for the nurse to pick up the baby while he laid his arm round his wife and led her to her armchair, spreading a blanket over her before handing the sleeping Faramir to her. Boromir, still contentedly talking about little Faramir's bright Ranger future came along and sat down on the couch next to them, gently stroking the baby's head before giving his father a tooth gapped grin the fright of the past hours obviously already forgotten.

He was not wrong though, Faramir had shown some real skill in stealth and hiding his father had to admit! Astonishingly so for a babe of just 11 months who took his first steps just two weeks ago.

Boromir, Faramir, and two other children of a visiting lord had played hide and seek. The nurse had left them to it, doing some mending in the adjoining room, till she heard the children calling out.

Apparently without her noticing the kids had crept into a suite of unoccupied guest rooms to have better hiding places to access, and now no one could find little Faramir.

They all shouted and looked for him and after one hour of fruitless searching, the nurse finally alerted the parents. Denethor sent servants and members of the guard up their quarters to help find his child, while he and his wife of course also joined in. Everyone was frantically searching and shouting for the better part of two hours before finally one of the guards found him!

Little Faramir had somehow managed to pry an old wardrobe open, climbed inside, crawled underneath a shoerack and there pulled an old cloak over himself- and this masterful deed done must have promptly fallen asleep.

So Faramir slept through him winning the hide and go seek game for the first time in his life.

As it turned out it was the first one many such triumphs because Boromir's prediction was correct- Faramir was a natural at hide and seek, always finding the best places and wiht the patience to sit still as long as needed.

"You know, I always knew you'd turn out a ranger" Boromir said with a forced cheer and turning to the other soldiers said "he has been winning every game of hide and go seek ever since he was in diapers, so good luck finding him, when unsavoury duties are distributed"

"Bema not that story again Boromir I beg you!" Faramir said, rolling his eyes. But Boromir just laughed and reached to ruffle Faramir's hair. And for once Faramir did not duck away. They exchanged some more meaningless banter, and then after one final quick hug Faramir was on his horse.

As he watched his brother disappear into the morning mist Boromir gave a fervent prayer that no enemy would ever find his brother and he would win the game of hide and seek when it really counted.

He did not even notice the tears running down his face till he turned back to the citadel.

[gizamalblythe]

lotr au but instead of findulas (boromir and faramir’s mom) dying when they were young, denethor managed to convince her to go north to the elves of rivendell for healing, going north woth their good friend Thorongil (aragorn is fighting for his LIFE against the allegations)

this also means that boromir and faramir have been to rivendell before, which has two ***vastly*** different reactions, faramir is absolutely ecstatic and boromir at first is rather distrusting of the elves but warms up to them rather quickly

also its a whole comedy of errors of findulas convincing aragorn to tell the boys the truth and then anything and everything interrupting him when he tries to tell them

legolas does the whole ‘this is aragorn, son of arathorn anf you owe him your respect’ and aragorn looks around, super surprised that nothing came crashing down in the middle of that speech

[emptyjunior]

If I was Denethor the second, Steward of Gondor I would not have sent my son to a council meeting to try and get a cursed ring- I would have sent both my sons out to Seduce Aragorn by any means necessary.

If I wanted the crown of Gondor and to secure leadership for my family for all time I would have said boys. Get out there. Make it happen. Fluff your beautiful shiny hair up. Make papa proud

[velvet4510]

Thinking about all the parents of the Fellowship during the events of the War of the Ring.

Thinking about Saradoc & Esmeralda Brandybuck and Paladin & Eglantine Took, none of whom have any idea where their sons are.

Thinking about the Gaffer, seeing a creepy hooded Man asking for the whereabouts of his son’s boss and then hearing that said son’s boss’ house has been raided and his son is nowhere to be found.

Thinking about Bilbo, knowing that his dear nephew is going into danger because of his own actions so long ago and might never return.

Thinking about Glóin, having to come home to his wife in Erebor and tell her their son is facing life-or-death danger for the first time.

Thinking about Elrond, the wise part of him knowing what must be done vs. the paternal part berating himself for sending his beloved foster son into such peril and wondering if he’ll ever be able to look his daughter in the eye again if her fiancé doesn’t come back.

Thinking about Thranduil, finding out that his only child has entered the war with the very same enemy that destroyed his father and 2/3 of his army.

Thinking about Denethor, trying to protect and defend his entire kingdom while constantly wondering why his favorite son still hasn’t come home.

Thinking about all those parents, having to spend month after month with absolutely no idea if they will ever see their sons again.

[evilyaoiblast]

Okay I need to preface that I love the movies but what the fuck is happening with denethor's family in the two towers why are they all done so dirty

Yall were right about Faramir oh my god what did they do to him 😭

[frodosrings]

wish so badly we could have seen éowyn stand up for her man

[omgitzlongdennis]

pippin: man, i sure am stoked to have pledged my undying allegiance to this country! the king even welcomed me in himself! this will be awesome!

denethor: faramir if i could make it so you died and boromir lived i would

pippin:

pippin: what

[baccarry]

This is so insane! Never thought about that!

The house of his spirit crumbles... He is burning... Already burning...

Denethor & His Son Faramir + Ivan the Terrible & His Son Ivan

I have seen many artists' renditions of this painting, yet I have yet to see one with Denethor and Faramir, despite its narrative potential for perfection. So I tasked myself to bring it into existence--

[mervynbunter]

To be perfectly honest, I am always ready to defend the honour and integrity of Denethor son of Ecthelion and ever will be for as long as there is breath in my body.

[boromirswife]

"The very highest."

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

[southfarthing]

THE RETURN OF THE KING by J.R.R. TOLKIEN

Your bearing is lowly in my presence, yet it is long now since you turned from your own way at my counsel. See, you have spoken skilfully, as ever; but I, have I not seen your eye fixed on Mithrandir, seeking whether you said well or too much? He has long had your heart in his keeping.