#faramir captain of gondor

[gandalf-the-fool]

[imjusta-girls-things]

i want to talk about how the first time "a chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality" was said to Faramir, it was with intent to mock him, to put him down and humiliate him. his father wanted to show him just how useless and unworthy he thought Faramir to be, that he needed to prove his 'quality' and that he's not good enough to call himself his son and never will be.

When Faramir gets a hold of Sam and Frodo, he immediately thinks that bringing them to his father will prove his 'quality' and that he may become worth something in his eyes. that maybe denethor will be proud of him for doing this one thing right.

In the end, he realises the importance of their journey and does not what his father would think is right, but what he thinks is right. Sam says those words as the highest compliment and with biggest respect. He helped Faramir see that the word 'quality' means much more than what his father says. He's done good by them and it meant so much to both Frodo and Sam. I can't imagine what he felt hearing that he finally finally did something right, something good and that he's shown the very highest quality.

His face shows just how much those words meant to him.

[exercise-of-trust]

*pops up from an irregularly scheduled lotr reread with blood in my teeth* your honor i simply care so much about him

(lagoon nebula photo by judy schmidt, whose astrophotography is, just, so incredibly cool, and you should check out the rest of her work if you like this kind of thing)

[whiteladyofithilien]

Faramir and Eowyn Things that give me feels

Faramir teaching her how to read

Eowyn teaching him the speech of the Rohirrim

Their bilingual babies

Eowyn teaching their children riding before they can walk

Faramir reading to them in the womb

Bedtime stories split between tales of Gondor and songs of the Mark

Faramir making sure they know about their brave uncle Boromir

Eowyn taking them to the tomb of Theoden on a trip to see their uncle in Rohan and telling them of their brave grandfather and of his son Theodred who fell before the war

Eowyn and Faramir making sure their children never feel neglected like they had to

The restoration of Ithilien and cleansing of the Morgul Vale

The chance that maybe by the end of their lives a new fair work had replaced Minas Ithil perhaps a garden since no longer was a tower of guard needed

Faramir outliving Eowyn because he is of almost pure Numenorean descent

Naming works started in her life and finished after her death in her honor

Just all the things that they would achieve together and how beautiful they would make the world and how good of parents they would be.

Also Beregond being the most loyal bodyguard ever and probably part time baby sitter and his wife likely becoming the lady in waiting to Eowyn

[syoddeye]

every time i start to tag 'farah karim', tumblr autopopulates 'faramir' and tbh i think they'd get along.

[bilbo-babe]

[fictionadventurer]

The main thing that the Jackson LotR movies are good for is providing a mental database of detailed visuals, so I don't have to imagine absolutely everything, which frees up my brain to fill in all the details of all the amazing scenes that they didn't bother to include in the movies.

[tenth-sentence]

'Go back, Faramir, valiant Captain of Gondor, and defend your city while you may, and let me go where my doom takes me.'

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" - J.R.R. Tolkien

[unconvenchinal-charm-reactivated]

Hi, if it's alright I wanted to ask for your insight. Right now I'm in a position where I can't leave home, I'm taking care of two family members who are chronically ill, and my mom's dying wish for me is to see me be happy with a Christian husband and to give her grandchildren. Because of my situation, I can't be away from home much. Can I ask if you've had any experience with Christian dating on websites/apps (I'm kind of behind on what people use nowadays), I've also heard of some conservative-leaning dating apps where you're more likely to find traditional/Christian men with family values. Do you have any recommendations or advice? Also, if you can please pray for me, I would appreciate that so much. Thank you and may God bless you. Take care.

You’ve come to the right place as I have spent the past 9 years on ChristianMingle AND CatholicMatch. But also maybe not the best place for advice as I am still single after all the time.

But in my experience with dating apps in general, it all ends up becoming window shopping. From my understanding, the experience is very different on the women’s side of things, but my experience basically becomes sending hundreds of messages into the abyss and they’re often ignored at the sight of my picture. (CatholicMatch has read receipts and notifies you when someone views your profile and the ratio of my read messages to profile views is…discouraging.) Those who make it past that point think my profile is well-thought-out and insightful and will actually message back only to find out the person who wrote it is mind-numbingly boring so that’s really my own fault. So you CAN try online dating. SOME people will give you a chance. You just have to avoid being discouraged when your efforts show no signs of fruit. If you’re in a hurry to find someone (which is generally ill-advised, but obviously you’d like to at least have prospects before your mother’s passing (unless she already passed? Sorry if I misunderstood)), online dating is not the way to go for finding someone quickly (unless you happen to be conventionally attractive (I imagine. I wouldn’t know.)).

My personal recommendation is to network on social media. I’m in several Facebook groups for Catholic/Christian singles which is great for just exchanging ideas or memes and getting to know people BEYOND their profile pictures. Even tumblr- I can’t tell you how many tumblr crushes I’ve had on people I’ve never even seen a picture of over the years because I loved and related to and identified with the way they shared their thoughts and feelings.

The important thing is to give yourself the opportunity to connect with people and make yourself available to be connected with.

I’ll be praying for you! And if you want to come off anon, I would love to be one of your connections! I’ll introduce you to the myriad of wonderful Christian men I’ve met here (who I have also never seen pictures of).

[afaramir]

when boromir died for merry and pippin and then pippin saves faramir's life. when pippin says i offer you my service in payment for this debt. when he offers it to denethor but really it's to gondor and to boromir and to the man that denethor once was. when boromir saving pippin's life directly means that pippin saves faramir's life and literally...to boromir, that would've been enough, to have his brother live. for gondor that is enough, to have their captain returned to them.

[killingsboys]

Yet between the brothers there was great love, and had been since childhood, when Boromir was the helper and protector of Faramir. No jealousy or rivalry had arisen between them since, for their father’s favour or for the praise of men. It did not seem possible to Faramir that anyone in Gondor could rival Boromir, heir of Denethor, Captain of the White Tower; and of like mind was Boromir.

[bitchfaramir]

Tolkien: "I think you misunderstand Faramir."

I think you misunderstand Faramir. He was daunted by his father: not only in the ordinary way of a family with a stern proud father of great force of character, but as a Númenórean before the chief of the one surviving Númenórean state. He was motherless and sisterless (Eowyn was also motherless), and had a 'bossy' brother. He had been accustomed to giving way and not giving his own opinions air, while retaining a power of command among men, such as a man may obtain who is evidently personally courageous and decisive, but also modest, fair-minded and scrupulously just, and very merciful.

I think he understood Eowyn very well. Also to be Prince of Ithilien, the greatest noble after Dol Amroth in the revived Númenórean state of Gondor, soon to be of imperial power and prestige, was not a 'market-garden job' as you term it. Until much had been done by the restored King, the P. of Ithilien would be the resident march-warden of Gondor, in its main eastward outpost - and also would have many duties in rehabilitating the lost the dreadful vale of Minas Ithil (Morgul).

I did not, naturally, go into territory, and clearing it of outlaws and orc-remnants, not to speak of details about the way in which Aragorn, as King of Gondor, would govern the realm. But it was made clear that there was much fighting, and in the earlier years of A.'s reign expeditions against enemies in the East. The chief commanders, under the King, would be Faramir and Imrahil; and one of these would normally remain a military commander at home in the King's absence.

A Númenórean King was monarch, with the power of unquestioned decision in debate; but he governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker. In all debatable matters of importance domestic, or external, however, even Denethor had a Council, and a least listened to what the Lords of the Fiefs and the Captains of the Forces had to say. Aragorn re-established the Great Council of Gondor, and in that Faramir, who remained by inheritance the Steward (or representative of the King during his absence abroad, or sickness, or between his death and the accession of his heir) would [be] the chief counsellor.

from The Letters of JRR Tolkien, edited by Humphrey Carpenter, letter no. 244, a draft to a critical reader

[judasisgayriot]

You? Oh, I see. A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor, to show his quality. I think not. I trust this mission only to your brother. The one who will not fail me.

Bonus:

[whiteladyofithilien]

White Ladies

Okay so I find it fascinating how Faramir first uses the title "white lady" to refer to Galadriel of Lorien and then later gives it to Eowyn. To me it seems to signify that he holds her in an equal esteem to the Lady of the Golden Wood. Which just wow.

And in a way Eowyn is to Galadriel what Faramir is to Aragorn. Not in a sense of lineage but as Faramir is described as less lofty but no less noble so too one could compare Eowyn to Galadriel. Less ancient and remote but no less fair or brave or worthy of admiration. Faramir sees Eowyn as both a warrior heroine worthy of being the blissful queen of a realm but also as a flesh and blood woman with hurts and sorrows and desires.

[anghraine]

On the one hand, I absolutely love the high tragedy of Denethor's arc in the book, think it's amazingly well-written, and that he is one of the most complex and fascinating characters that Tolkien ever wrote.

On the other, there's part of me that's also a little frustrated by how much it has to happen because Tolkien kind of wrote himself into a corner with the Ruling Stewards. He's insistent on a few things about them:

Their initial rise to power as perma-regents of Gondor was squeaky-clean. Mardil was a paragon of virtue, he tried to prevent Eärnur from getting himself killed, there were no clear successors, and retaining the regency prevented another Kinstrife and created a stable institution that would hold Gondor together for 900+ years after the failure of the kings.

They are a high Númenórean family descended from Elendil, even if they're not formally of the line of Elendil (for unknown reasons, but most likely because they're descended through women).

Denethor is notably very similar to Aragorn, in intellect, wisdom, stature, ability, even appearance. He is a towering and respected figure, and he and his sons are highly popular with their people (even with children).

Denethor's military tactics in the book are very good, and UT says Sauron hoped Denethor would be less prepared than he actually was.

Denethor is proud, unbending, and personally dislikes and distrusts Aragorn. He thinks Gandalf is using him against Sauron for now while planning for Aragorn to take power later (this is filtered through his pride but ... um, is he wrong?).

Faramir, now Denethor's last heir, is a fantastic if reluctant warrior and captain, a super special Númenórean throwback, and a thoughtful, intelligent, and wise person who is humbler than Denethor, but also established as wary about Aragorn.

Gondor formally rejected the claim of Aragorn's family before the Ruling Stewardship even existed.

What all this means is that Denethor, if alive, is someone who will never willingly give way to Aragorn. Denethor has legal precedent on his side, he is himself a perfectly good ruler from a long-standing, stable, legitimate ruling family and a highly capable military leader in war, he is liked by his people, and he even has a viable heir regardless of the personal strain between him and Faramir.

There's just no reason for Aragorn to take power that Denethor, as written, would find remotely persuasive. But Denethor is also too noble and capable and special for a power grab on Aragorn's side to feel right, esp given how destructive it would be in the middle of a war (as Aragorn acknowledges!). Despite the sparkly kingliness and mystical airs, this is fundamentally a dynastic dispute between two different houses descended from Elendil, based on the minutia of Gondorian and Númenórean law and precedent, and a fight over that is ... not the kind of story this is.

Denethor has to be driven to self-destruction by the plot so that Aragorn's rise can happen. It simply would not occur if Denethor was alive and in his right mind. Faramir has to be mystically healed by Aragorn so that his reservations will dissolve and he will voluntarily remove himself from the picture in a way that doesn't feel bad.

And both scenes are fantastic, and make sense for the characters. But I do feel that they kind of get steamrollered by the plot to make way for Aragorn.

The thing that makes that doubly fascinating, though, is that Tolkien didn't have to prop the House of the Stewards up so thoroughly. He could have written a version where the Stewards are inadequate or really sketchy or simply can't be compared to Aragorn's greatness and it's clear why they should be replaced by him and his house. Tolkien could have made this a lot easier for himself! And I do respect the more difficult and nuanced approach Tolkien took with the Stewards by making them genuinely impressive and noble and capable in their own right and not just cardboard-cutouts for Aragorn to kick over.

But, well.

[tossawary]

I'm thinking about "What if the main character did not have a secret, powerful family background and was just some random person?" AUs for different stories, because I personally find that situation more compelling most of the time and I think it introduces more interesting struggles. While thinking about a bunch of other stories, I ended up thinking about Aragorn in "Lord of the Rings".

Now, Aragorn is a special case because 1) I wouldn't really call him THE main character and the "noble" members of the Fellowship are well-contrasted by the hobbits. The hobbits may be mostly Shire gentry (except for Sam), but on the grand stage of Middle Earth, they're still unimpressive nobodies. Frodo is already our ordinary hero. 2) Aragorn's road to kingship comes with him struggling with his ancestor's failures and accepting the heavy burdens that come with being Isildur's heir. This is specifically an arc of a character struggling with their family history. I am absolutely not saying that Aragorn being royalty makes LOTR a bad story and that it would be better if he was just some random guy. I think this is a well-written character storyline that is a key feature of the overall story.

But I do think it would be really funny to write fanfiction where Aragorn wasn't Arathorn's son. (There is the issue of the heritage that makes Aragorn age slowly, but maybe you could wiggle that so that Aragorn has that kind of heritage from a different source?) Like, the line of Isildur has died out, and let's say that Aragorn's mother takes shelter in Rivendell with her son, and kid Aragorn ends up wandering around to the broken sword and picking up the handle. And either Aragorn's mother lies to Elrond about Aragorn being Arathorn's son or Elrond happens across kid Aragorn with the broken sword and thinks... "Hey, what if we just... lied about it?"

Now, this could end really badly! As I vaguely understand it, the Silmarillion (which I have not read) contains a bunch of examples where lying did not go well, so maybe this lie is how Middle Earth falls into chaos in this AU. Whoops.

But even though this breaks some plotlines, I'm a sucker for adoption storylines. I love adoption being treated as important. It's compelling to imagine Elrond and Aragorn's mother carefully explaining the situation with the sword to him, and then this child just... stubbornly deciding that he's going to become Isildur's heir. Maybe Aragorn's determination falters at some point, he gives up on the idea, and he later has to return to Elrond as an adult and persuade him that no, he means it this time, mankind isn't just about bloodlines, he's going to pick up this burden on behalf of all of humanity. I think that there's something powerful in a person deciding that no, I'm not of Isildur's blood, but I have his same potential for success and for failure, and I'm here. I'm fighting. I picked up the broken sword and that's good enough, isn't it? Who are you to say I'm not his heir? I'm HERE.

I think there's powerful magic in that too. (Also, Arathorn is dead and getting adopted as a father by some random kid. Sure. Okay. I think that's just funny.)

(Also, oh my, there is SO MUCH tragedy if Aragorn being Isildur's heir is a lie and Boromir died believing it. The GUILT. The GUILT that Aragorn would feel when Boromir says, "I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king." Like, oh man, now you HAVE TO make it true.)

Now, maybe Aragorn doesn't become King of Gondor in this AU or maybe he does. Maybe Faramir becomes king instead. Maybe it becomes well known by the end of the journey that Aragorn isn't a blood descendant of Isildur and maybe it's a secret known only to the Fellowship. I'd like to think that he still marries Arwen. I like the idea of Arwen happily and knowingly marrying some nobody lying about his heritage and Elrond internally being like, "This is kind of on me."

The most important thing here is that it would be so fucking funny if Aragorn (and Elrond and Gandalf and Galadriel) successfully lied to Sauron the Deceiver. Sauron's like, "Oh? A secret heir come out of hiding to fight against me? Sounds legit." And at some point near the end, just before some hobbits chuck a ring into a volcano behind his back, Sauron is looking at Aragorn like, "Wait a minute, what the fuck, you lying little SHIT."

(Or Sauron finds out via Pippin that Aragorn is lying and feels SO SMUG about how he's going to crush a false king, which just adds to Aragorn's whole "made you look!" distraction keeping Sauron from noticing the hobbits sneaking into Mount Doom.)