LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 08 - The Houses of Healing

[Lhunardawen]

This might have already been very obvious throughout the discussion of this chapter, but I just love how Aragorn comes out here as the unquestionable king of Gondor in all respects. I feel that different 'sectors' of Gondorian society view their king in different ways:

1. Denethor, being the Steward and not of the line of kings, considers the lineage.

'But I say to thee, Gandalf Mithrandir, I will not be thy tool! I am Steward of the House of Anarion. I will not step down to be the dotard chamberlain of an upstart. Even were his claim proved to me, still he comes but of the line of Isildur. I will not bow to such a one, last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship and dignity.'

2. The soldiers of Gondor - even their allies - view their king as a mighty warrior, as implied in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields. There Aragorn's claim to the kingship were signified by the Standard of Gondor that he displayed, the Star of the North Kingdom, and Anduril. Though nothing of this has been said, I do not doubt that this early on in the story, some Gondorians have come to believe that their king has indeed come.

3. Most significantly in this discussion, the healers, particularly Ioreth, acknowledge their king as a fellow healer. (I don't think I need to quote again Ioreth's words regarding this.) In my opinion, Aragorn came into Minas Tirith without the symbols of his kingship that I have mentioned above not only because he did not want any debate, but also because they were unneccessary. All he needs to prove that he is king at this time is his ability to heal, and the Elessar - regardless of its role in the act - is a symbol of that.

One of the most touching scenes in this chapter is this:

'Strider! How splendid! Do you know, I guessed it was you in the black ships. But they were shouting corsairs and wouldn't listen to me. How did you do it?
Aragorn laughed, and took the hobbit by the hand. 'Well met indeed!' he said. 'But there is not time yet for travellers' tales.'
But Imrahil said to Eomer: 'Is it thus that we speak to our kings? Yet maybe he will wear his crown in some other name!'

Reading this filled me with a little condescension towards Imrahil. As the reader, I have known about Aragorn as Strider all the time; as a matter of fact, that was how I first knew him. But Imrahil only knew Aragorn as the rightful king, and so it came to him as a surprise that others would talk to him in such a manner, perhaps very slightly irreverently it seemed to him, if I may say (meaning no offense to Imrahil).

That is why I consider Pippin's words here very refreshing. I don't know about you all, but at this point I already felt a little choked up with all this talk of Aragorn being king, as if I miss the Aragorn that I have known through the hobbits, specifically Merry and Pippin. (I don't mean to say that Aragorn is suffering from multiple personality disease! ) So to me, seeing the word 'Strider' uttered in direct reference to Aragorn once again is a welcome relief, though that he did not exactly respond to Pippin's query as Strider would have, if you take my meaning. I do realize the gravity of their situation, so I understand that. What matters is that despite having become Elessar, he does not forget that he is still Strider.

[/rambling]

[Formendacil]

The biggest surprise for me rereading "The Houses of Healing" was how emotional I got--there were faint stirrings of tears at each of the awakenings. The whole chapter is emotional, and we start getting resolutions to things here--it is suggested above that Merry has achieved his growth. After chapters of dread and tension and then the climactic battle and pyre of Denethor, we get a genuinely "happy" chapter, one more liberally sprinkled with humour than any we've seen in Book V (indeed, have we seen ANY humour ere now?).

It occurs to me to wonder if Imrahil knew Thorongil during his time in Gondor. I *think* (I'm dangerously not looking up Imrahil's age) that Imrahil was old enough to have encountered him, even if he might not have been truly adult. As Finduilas's brother, he's a junior contemporary of Denethor, who certainly did know Thorongil, though we're not definitively told that Denethor ever positively IDed Gandalf's Ranger of the North as the same man. *IF* Imrahil recognised him, years later, it's clear that Imrahil has no doubts about Aragorn's claim, but perhaps this influences his agreement that Aragorn be circumspect in his approach to Denethor.

Structurally, one thing I noticed that I'd never before was how, in addition to milking them for some gentle humour, Tolkien also uses Ioreth and the Loremaster to emphasise how little time Faramir and Eowyn have: both Aragorn and Gandalf speak briefly, even curtly, constantly mentioning that haste is needed. It's only after the healing has begun that Aragorn indulges in his parody of the loremaster's style.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

It occurs to me to wonder if Imrahil knew Thorongil during his time in Gondor. I *think* (I'm dangerously not looking up Imrahil's age) that Imrahil was old enough to have encountered him, even if he might not have been truly adult. As Finduilas's brother, he's a junior contemporary of Denethor, who certainly did know Thorongil, though we're not definitively told that Denethor ever positively IDed Gandalf's Ranger of the North as the same man. *IF* Imrahil recognised him, years later, it's clear that Imrahil has no doubts about Aragorn's claim, but perhaps this influences his agreement that Aragorn be circumspect in his approach to Denethor.

Imrahil was born in 2955, so he was 2 when Thorongil first came on the scene, but 25 when he left. Denethor married Finduilas in 2976, for what it's worth. It seems like there would have been a good chance that as a young man Imrahil met Thorongil – not that I'm saying he would have recognised him later.

[Galadriel55]

I just noticed something interesting that I don't believe was discussed previously on this thread, and I want to open it up for speculation.

For though all lore was in these latter days fallen from its fullness of old, the leechcraft of Gondor was still wise, and skilled in the healing of wound and hurt, and all such sickness as east of the Sea mortal men were subject to. Save old age only. For that they had found no cure; and indeed the span of their lives had now waned to little more than that of other men, and those among them who passed the tale of five score years with vigour were grown few, save in some houses of purer blood.

"All sickness.. save old age only". Does it not seem like old age is being grouped in as an imperfection of the human kind that ought to be fixed or avoided? Could this be an echo of the Numenorian obsession with death - though Gondor strives against it with its healing rather than its temples, but in a world where healing is as much magic as science the line may be blurred. At the very least it is not an obsession, like it was in the corrupted Numenor, but could it be some remnant of the same ideas unconsciously persisting in those who escaped the Fall? I used to read this as to mean that they had a cure for everything except for the inevitable old age, which is a compliment to their skill, but it also sounds a little like they attempt[ed] to cure age implying that they think it could and should be "cured".

I also don't like the word "leechcraft". For me it carries too much of an overtone of uselessness and guesswork, and an idea of a universal cure. The healers of Gondor were so much more than just leechers, and it hurts a little to hear their work called leechcraft. I didn't even notice until now, cause I usually read my translation in favour of the original for sentimental reasons, and they use other words to denote healing without the connection to leeching. This word sounds very jarring and unmerited to my unaccustomed ears, because the Healers can do a lot more and do it a lot better than this profession description conveys. Maybe I'm being too picky, and that the word is broad enough to cover all forms of healing and not just leeching, but it seemed jarring given the respect the Healers otherwise command on a professional level.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I also don't like the word "leechcraft". For me it carries too much of an overtone of uselessness and guesswork, and an idea of a universal cure.

Well, two chapters prior in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Imrahil says:

'Men of Rohan! Are there no leeches among you? [Eowyn] is hurt, to the death maybe, but I deem that she yet lives.'

To the Gondorian mind, at least, it seems that the term 'leech' carried no negative connotation.

[Formendacil]

I think the use of the terms "leech" and "leechcraft" have more to do with Tolkien evoking the ancientry of Gondor than using bloodsucking worms medicinally.

And! A little bit of quick googling "etymology of leech" leads me to believe we have a classic case of Tolkien attempting to reintroduce aan old meaning to a modern form: "leech" with the archaic meaning of "doctor" apparently has quite a few cognates in Germanic tongues.

That said, the descent of elven derived healing into bloodsucking worms does sound like a bit of a metaphor for the fall of Numenor.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

I think the use of the terms "leech" and "leechcraft" have more to do with Tolkien evoking the ancientry of Gondor than using bloodsucking worms medicinally.

It seems you're correct.
As Théoden angrily remarked to Wormtongue in The King of the Golden Hall:

'Your leechcraft ere long would have had me walking on all fours like a beast.'

Théoden, being of part Gondorian descent, could be expected to use some of their expressions.