[Imladris]

The word doom is mentioned in the Sil about...forty something times, not to mention the word fate.

Examples of the terms fate and Doom in the Sil:

his hair as grey silver, tallest of all the Children of Iluvatar; and a high doom was before him.

This was when Elwe awoke from his trance when he saw Melian. This was before he became Thingol, before he saw Beren and asked for the Silmaril, before he refused to give the Dwarves the Silmaril, before the dwarves slew him in Doriath. Yet before he had a chance to make choices, a high doom was before him -- he had no choice in the matter.

Go not forth! For the hour is evil, and your [Feanor's] road leads to sorrow that ye do not foresee.

The word tense is very interesting to me. Tirion gives Manwe's message that Feanor should not go forth (after Morgoth if I recall correctly). Yet he says that his road leads to sorrow, not that his road willlead to sorrow if he chooses to go forth. *shrugs*

To me shall Feanor come soon.

My point in quoting these several pasages is this: the roads of men and elves are layed before them and they have no other choice but travel it (in a way it reminds me of the Fates' thread of life...your thread is your thread and it is spun for you).

The reason I quote these passages is because The Silmarillion is the building blocks, the Foundation (didn't he write it before or during LotR?). I believe that what is said in the Silmarillion can be used (in most ways) for LotR.

Originally Posted by Mithalwen[/QUOTE

While it seems possible that Frodo was "meant" to meet Faramir , I can't help thinking that fate got it wrong if it meant Faramir to be in the Fellowship - maybe fate knew that the bossy big brother would pull rank. Perhaps someone else can interpret this more clearly. Another possibility is that Fate was sending the son of the Steward to bring the heir of Isildur back to Gondor - the first line of the poem is "Seek for the Sword that was broken". What was this fate and did it intervene to delay Boromir? If he hadn't lost his horse at Tharbad he would surely have arrived way in advance of Frodo.

I am sure there are things I haven't thought of and I am beginning to confuse myself - so anyone..Help?!

I'm not quite sure what you are asking, but my thoughts are these: fate meant Faramir and Boromir both to dream the dream, and it also meant for Boromir to become part of the Fellowship.

Thus even as Eru spoke to us shall beauty not before conceived be brought into Ea, and evil yet be good to have been.