LotR -- Book 2 - Chapter 06 - Lothlórien

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

In Boromir's words hold truth, actually, he is slightly hinting he wishes to lead the company, that we can tell. But, also in his words about Lorien. Interesting how later on in the Chapter we have...

The Gondorian loremen have obviously misunderstood the tales of Lorien, but they are true, here we get to hear from Haldir saying no orcs will ever leave. And later, we see the Company is very reluctant to leave Lorien, especially Gimli. Boromir just misinterprets it as a place of evil, and a place they shouldn't go in.




.

While I think you were a bit mean to Haldir - it was the sea he was keen to know about... although he admittedly is less interested in the Hobbits than Theoden, it is an interesting point about Boromir and provides an interesting comparison with Faramir's conversation with Frodo regarding Lorien and Galadriel. Faramir would have known the same legends as Boromir and probably many more since he was more interested in Lore and sought to learn as much as possible from Gandalf, and he has a rather more positive view. Of course the tale of Mithrellas may have been too much of an after thought to be fully integrated into the story, but I wonder if Faramir had been there in his brother's stead, if he would have been as uncomfortable. Boromir has no sense that Lothlorien has a place, no matter how distant in his heritage ( through his mother Finduilas of Dol Amroth). The first time we meet Faramir he is talking Sindaarin as a language of choice. Presumably, Boromir spoke Elvish but it is no sign that it makes him more at ease at Rivendell and Lorien. I imagiene this is allied to his being more akin in spirit to the men of Rohan, a people who "won" their land and kingship in deeds of battle. I wonder if there is also an implicit desire to break with the past and the Numenorean heritage. I suspect that if Boromir had acceded to the stewardship and Aragorn had not been around, he might have tried to become a king.

[Firefoot]

I think one of the more humorous aspects of this chapter is the Elves' reception of the hobbits:

"We had not heard of - hobbits, of halfilings, for many a long year, and did not know that any yet dwelt in Middle-earth."

This coming from Elves is very interesting, being that the Elves are the ones that are passing over the sea. It is followed by:

"You do not look evil!"

and later:

"The four hobbits shall climb up here and stay with us - we do not fear them!"

It would seem that something that the Elves had heard before would lead them to believe that hobbits are an "evil" race - how ironic that hobbits are quite the opposite: so peace-loving and absorbed in themselves that they don't really need rules except because they have always been there! They say that they had once heard of hobbits; perhaps these might be those of Gollum's kind? Geographically, they were very close. This would not account for the evil connotations of hobbits however; I find it very unlikely that they may have heard of Gollum (certainly would have been enough to set their minds against hobbits) because they did not recognize him when he entered Lothlorien. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe old tales about hobbits (like those in Rohan) were somehow contorted so that the true facts were long forgotten.