Rachel Port
Well-Known Member
To be exact, in episode 136, long before I could participate live, I had a question - well, actually, it goes back to Bree - about Aragorn carrying the shards of Narsil. Not the movie stuff - I watched the movies once on TV and was so traumatized I had to go and reread the whole thing immediately, and have managed to block most of the movies out. But about why Aragorn has the broken sword with him at this time, on this particular journey. All my life I have thought he is carrying the shards at this time because he is taking them to Rivendell to be reforged. That is, I don't think he has carried it through so many years - when he is not fighting the Nazgul he needs something besides burning sticks. He has for years fought the forces of evil he has needed other weapons. To me it has always seemed that he knows that the Ring is going to Rivendell, carried by the halfling and that his time is coming. This is his time, and will be his test, so his carrying it is full of meaning for him, and adds force to his pledge to Frodo in the inn at Bree. And I haven't found a reason to change this opinion.
Which raises the question of where has it been kept? I think while he was living in Rivendell it was there, and probably remained there during his time in the South, between the ages of 20 and 49, which are the years of his travels in the south, fighting in Rohan and Gondor, learning about the conditions in Gondor -and scouting out the state of Gondor's enemies. But then, after his meeting with Elrond in which Elrond tells him that Arwen will not marry him until he is king of Gondor and Arnor. I think he then takes the shards of Narsil with him.
Now I get to speculation. The Rangers have settlements - they must, and they must also have wives and children. Aragorn's parents lived somewhere, and their parents before them, and during this time Gilraen leaves Rivendell and returns to where her people live, and where Aragorn has his last visit with her. My guess is that Aragorn lives with his people some of the time and in Rivendell some of the time when he is not upon his travels. So I believe that he has kept the shards of Narsil in the home base of the Rangers. It's what's left of the realm and people of Arnor. We know he has kin. When he is there, he might carry it. But I don't think he takes it very far. I don't think he carried it south looking for Gollum, for example.
But this carrying it to Rivendell is a solemn occasion - he is entering a new phase of his life, and he knows everything that it could mean for him.
Which raises the question of where has it been kept? I think while he was living in Rivendell it was there, and probably remained there during his time in the South, between the ages of 20 and 49, which are the years of his travels in the south, fighting in Rohan and Gondor, learning about the conditions in Gondor -and scouting out the state of Gondor's enemies. But then, after his meeting with Elrond in which Elrond tells him that Arwen will not marry him until he is king of Gondor and Arnor. I think he then takes the shards of Narsil with him.
Now I get to speculation. The Rangers have settlements - they must, and they must also have wives and children. Aragorn's parents lived somewhere, and their parents before them, and during this time Gilraen leaves Rivendell and returns to where her people live, and where Aragorn has his last visit with her. My guess is that Aragorn lives with his people some of the time and in Rivendell some of the time when he is not upon his travels. So I believe that he has kept the shards of Narsil in the home base of the Rangers. It's what's left of the realm and people of Arnor. We know he has kin. When he is there, he might carry it. But I don't think he takes it very far. I don't think he carried it south looking for Gollum, for example.
But this carrying it to Rivendell is a solemn occasion - he is entering a new phase of his life, and he knows everything that it could mean for him.
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