The effect of the Great Rings upon Men

[Belegorn]

I don't know if the Witch-king had a sense for Dúnedain which both Boromirs were. The Boromir I had mentioned was the Steward Boromir who got stabbed by a Nazgûl when he drove them off in Ithilien. On the same issue with Dúnedain and the Witch-king he did fight them for hundreds of years in the North in Arnor and eventually destroyed Arthedain. There was also Eärnur who was clearly a mighty Dúnadan and there is no implication that the Witch-king feared him at all.

"Eärnur was a man like his father in valour [Eärnil II led Gondor's armies against the Wainriders and saved Gondor from destuction. He also had defended Gondor's southern borders], but not in wisdom. He was a man of strong body and hot mood; but he would take no wife, for his only pleasure was in fighting, or in the exercise of arms. His prowess was such that none in Gondor could stand against him in those weapon-sports in which he delighted, seeming rather a champion than a captain or king, and retaining his vigour and skill to a later age than was then usual." [Appendix A: Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion]

Even with all his prowess the Witch-king attacked Eärnur when his army was wiped out.

Originally Posted by Appendix A: Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion

he singled out the Captain of Gondor for the fullness of his hatred, and with a terrible cry he rode straight for him. Eärnur would have withstood him; but his horse could not endure the onset, and it swerved and bore him far away before he could master it.

This is the time when Glorfindel said he wouldn't fall by the hand of man. The Witch-king taunted Eärnur ever since until he finally could not be restrained by any of his men and went to duel him years later to his own end. I do not quite know why Boromir himself put the fear of the Valar into the Witch-king for I do not think he was the greatest Dúnadan he had ever come across. It seems most or all of the Stewards were mighty, even a shrunken Denethor ll, and clearly the kings were great warriors too.

[Mithadan]

May I respectfully make a suggestion? There are now 62 posts in this thread, which is truly admirable. However, at best, 6 posts relate to the original topic. The balance raise a variety of well-reasoned issues, but they do not respond to the topic here. Jallanite opened a new thread to discuss one of his issues. Why don't others? There are perhaps a half dozen different and discrete topics in this thread worthy of discussion.

BE BRAVE!!!!! Start a new thread to raise your issues! I couldn't care less if you copied whatever you wrote in this thread, but PLEASE start a new thread. A newcomer might read the first 3 posts and have no interest. They may never reach post 20 that raises an entirely new issue,

START A NEW THREAD!

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Belegorn

I don't know if the Witch-king had a sense for Dúnedain which both Boromirs were. The Boromir I had mentioned was the Steward Boromir who got stabbed by a Nazgûl when he drove them off in Ithilien. On the same issue with Dúnedain and the Witch-king he did fight them for hundreds of years in the North in Arnor and eventually destroyed Arthedain. There was also Eärnur who was clearly a mighty Dúnadan and there is no implication that the Witch-king feared him at all.

It's been a long time since I pondered any Boromirs at all, and vaguely remember there was more than one of them. I don't like the name much and never had much inclination towards any Boromirs

but....

"Eärnur was a man like his father in valour [Eärnil II led Gondor's armies against the Wainriders and saved Gondor from destuction. He also had defended Gondor's southern borders], but not in wisdom. He was a man of strong body and hot mood; but he would take no wife, for his only pleasure was in fighting, or in the exercise of arms. His prowess was such that none in Gondor could stand against him in those weapon-sports in which he delighted, seeming rather a champion than a captain or king, and retaining his vigour and skill to a later age than was then usual." [Appendix A: Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion]

Even with all his prowess the Witch-king attacked Eärnur when his army was wiped out.

I think it's quite reasonable to raise the issue of Earnur and all the associated information as we ponder Witchking-isation and Wraithdom. The Eanur/nil combo got me thinking about our Last King of the Southern Realm and why he felt the call to respond to the Witchking's summons.

I wonder--perhaps old Witchy-poo-man-thing 'smelled', or unsmelled the same metaphysical 'stench' upon Earnur (hot tempered man of might and brauns, no wife, prolly not very capable of intimacy, sounds like, with a love of fighting, predominantly) as was upon the Witchking, himself. The one and the same that led to his succumbing to the call of one of the Nine. Perhaps Sauron could 'discern' by conversation, or necromantic Spell of some sort how much of a 'man's fibre' could be 'snatched' per use of his (creepy) rings based on temperament and behaviour.

I wonder then - Merry and Eowyn, again.

Merry - not really one with a 'love of battle' yet hardy was he of Spirit Will and Fibre. And Eowyn, not 'called to battle' for vanity or honour, but by cold, steel will and frail heart of lapsed love. Yet a heart that is frail, perhaps, for sensing 'stench' of the kinds of Men who 'snatch' love from her Valorous heart and so, she strove to fell that which was betrayer of her capacity to love.

Only an analysis by metaphor.