Which Names Were Worth "1,000 Mail-Clad Knights? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Forlong the Fat · 04-12-2012, 02:53 PM

When the captains are planning the last "assault" on Mordor, Imrahil says something to the effect that Sauron is likely to laugh at the attack because the force is smaller than the van of Gondor's army at its height. Gandalf responds that Sauron won't laugh, and that there are names in the group "worth more than a thousand mail-clad knights." I've always been intrigued by that line, which I take to mean that there are individuals in the group, about whom Sauron knows, and whom he holds in such esteem that he would worry about them more than if the force had another thousand knights.

So the question is, who is on that list?

Gandalf, I think, is obvious.

Aragorn I think is fairly obvious, too, not only because of the threat he represents as Isildur's heir, with his sword, but also because of his ability to rally the whole of Gondor.

But who else?

Elrond's sons seem like a possibility, not only because they are powerful evles, but because their father was present when Sauron fell the last time (something Sauron might tend to remember)

Maybe Imrahil? I feel like we don't know enough about him to say for certain. But there certainly is a strong suggestion that he has a profound inner power (e.g., walking the walls with Gandalf undaunted when everyone else in Gondor was in terror of the Nazgul). I would put him down as a maybe.

Am I missing anyone?

And, as a related question, who else in Middle Earth at the time who was not present would have fallen in the same category?

My list:

Galadriel
Celeborn (maybe)
Elrond
Cirdan
Glorfindel
Some handful of High Elves remaining in Rivendell or the Grey Havens
Saruman
Radagast (this one's hard to accept--he seems to have made himself something of a joke)
The Blue Wizards, if they still were alive and hadn't converted to darkness
The Eagles

Anyone else?

04-12-2012, 02:53 PM	#1
Forlong the Fat Pile O'Bones Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 18	Which Names Were Worth "1,000 Mail-Clad Knights? When the captains are planning the last "assault" on Mordor, Imrahil says something to the effect that Sauron is likely to laugh at the attack because the force is smaller than the van of Gondor's army at its height. Gandalf responds that Sauron won't laugh, and that there are names in the group "worth more than a thousand mail-clad knights." I've always been intrigued by that line, which I take to mean that there are individuals in the group, about whom Sauron knows, and whom he holds in such esteem that he would worry about them more than if the force had another thousand knights. So the question is, who is on that list? Gandalf, I think, is obvious. Aragorn I think is fairly obvious, too, not only because of the threat he represents as Isildur's heir, with his sword, but also because of his ability to rally the whole of Gondor. But who else? Elrond's sons seem like a possibility, not only because they are powerful evles, but because their father was present when Sauron fell the last time (something Sauron might tend to remember) Maybe Imrahil? I feel like we don't know enough about him to say for certain. But there certainly is a strong suggestion that he has a profound inner power (e.g., walking the walls with Gandalf undaunted when everyone else in Gondor was in terror of the Nazgul). I would put him down as a maybe. Am I missing anyone? And, as a related question, who else in Middle Earth at the time who was not present would have fallen in the same category? My list: Galadriel Celeborn (maybe) Elrond Cirdan Glorfindel Some handful of High Elves remaining in Rivendell or the Grey Havens Saruman Radagast (this one's hard to accept--he seems to have made himself something of a joke) The Blue Wizards, if they still were alive and hadn't converted to darkness The Eagles Anyone else?