Beards

[MatthewM]

A question has been bugging me- I'm not familiar with the Silmarillion, but I heard that it is said that the people from the race of Númenor are beardless. Does this (if true) apply to all descendants of the Númenoreans? I can't imagine that it would, as I'm sure people from this high descent would mingle and some could have beards.

I'm talking mainly about characters such as Boromir, Aragorn, Faramir, and Denethor. I always picture Boromir and Aragorn with beards, more of a warrior like quality, I would say. I'm not sure about the other two, as Tolkien tells us that in Faramir and Denethor the Númenorean blood runs most truly. Boromir it did not as truly, so he could have surely had a beard. But as Boromir, Denethor, and Faramir are all described to be like in face and bear striking similarities to one another, the conflict becomes a little more complicated.

A simple matter, but I dwell on such little details. Any opinions? How do you see these characters, or the Númenorean people as a whole?

[Raynor]

In the essay Amroth and Nimrodel, Unfinished Tales, there is a passing refference to a note written around 1972, where Tolkien talked about the beardlessness of those who were descedants from elves (who themselves were beardless).

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Since Raynor already provided the correct information which was asked for, I can only add my own opinion on the whole thing. Streaming from my imaginations, as you said, MatthewM, Faramir and Denethor 100% beardless, as well as Imrahil. They were all described as really "true-Númenorean-heritage-bearers"; and Faramir always seemed to me also quite young to have some really distinctive beard (lesser than Boromir at least); while Denethor was more of the high politician, I liked him in the film, almost as I imagined him (well, except the tomatoes; but no beard). On the other hand, thinking about it, I always imagined Imrahil with moustache... (although I think especially about him it is explicitely written that he was completely beardless)
Anyway: Aragorn and Boromir. I must say that now, after twisting my imagination with the movie characters popping up here and there, I have no problem in imagining Aragorn or Boromir bearded, somehow I even adopted Boromir-with-beard picture (but mainly because I have one picture of him bearded, by John Howe). But before the movies came out, I never could possibly have imagined Aragorn or Boromir with beards! It never came to my mind: and it was just natural, before I have read anything about beardless Númenoreans. Maybe Tolkien would have written about it if A&B were bearded?
I don't remember much how I felt when I first saw captions from the movie, but I think it was the short spot in TV where the pass of Caradhras was shown with both Aragorn and Boromir, and one word comes to my mind: BLASPHEMY!!! :D

[MatthewM]

. Maybe Tolkien would have written about it if A&B were bearded?


I'm not sure if he would have though, because you could really say the same thing about him having written something about them being beardless. I can imagine that he would have said something like "he was beardless, like his Númenorean ancestors" but alas! He doesn't give us many clues...it seems that Boromir at least could be seen as bearded or beardless, perhaps whichever way you want to think him, as Tolkien thought it necessary to note his lack of "true" Númenorean blood. Aragorn as well could go either way, in my opinion.

Thank you both for your input!

[goldfinger]

But Cirdan was an elf and he had a beard. Of course those elf men considered old in elf standards, do have beards.

[MatthewM]

But Cirdan was an elf and he had a beard. Of course those elf men considered old in elf standards, do have beards.

This is a good point. I'm sure there were exceptions. I believe Cirdan is the only bearded elf we know of, correct?

[Findegil]

Elves grow beards in their "third section of life" in which Círdan was obviously. But we do not hear much baout this matter and can't tell when this elvish sections of life started. We are only told that in some rare expections Elves have beards earlier as in the case of Fëanors father-in-law.

But that does not matter. The note in the "Unfinished Tales" is cristally clear and sayes that Men with an strain of elvish blood do not have beards. This appley surely to Aragorn and Imrahil. It could be true for Denethor and all his family but we do not know for certian. Only the royal stock of Númenor had an strain of elvisch blood and they tended to intermarrige each other after only 5 generations. At this time they had generated only 9 families with male descendants possibly 20 families over all. Out of these stock we new about 2 surviving families after the down fall: The Lords of Andúnië that became Kings of the relams in exil and the Princes of Dor-en-Ernil.
It is also told of the Stewards that they had not been of familie of royal stock.

Respectfully
Findegil

[mhagain]

Intermarriage... so should we expect Aragorn playing a banjo then? :p

On a more serious note, there is a distinction to be made between "pure Numenorean" and "elvish blood", and it would be possible to be the former without having a trace of the latter.

I really must dig out my copy of LoTR, but didn't JRRT describe at least one of the Argonath as bearded in the book? That, for me, rests the case regarding any possibility of beards.

[Kuruharan]

didn't JRRT describe at least one of the Argonath as bearded in the book

I'm afraid not.

They just have "blurred eyes" and "crannied brows" and "crumbling helm and crown."