Boromir's journey

Jedi Master Tessa

New Member
So about how Boromir found his way to Rivendell: I have a hard time believing that dwarves told him the way. Their own society is so secretive that I can't imagine them willingly sharing something like that, if they even knew it in the first place. Rangers would be more likely, but how many Rangers even know where Rivendell is? I could see them pointing him in the right direction, but I don't know that all of them would have ever visited. Boromir would definitely have to have someone lead him up the path from the Ford: even Gandalf struggled with that in the Hobbit. Maybe he ran into a Ranger who did know and led him the whole way to Rivendell. I've been told (although I don't know the source for this) that the Dunedain have settlements in the Angle between the Hoarwell and Bruinen, and while it's supposed to be secret, it seems like it would be easier to find than Rivendell, and maybe someone there could have helped him.

The other thing I can think of is that there were Elrond's scouts out looking for Frodo, and it's not like they know that Glorfindel found him, so I imagine they would take a while to get back to Rivendell. One of them might have found Boromir by chance (if chance you call it). This would mean that he had to have left the road, because the road was Glorfindel's job, but it seems entirely possible to me that he was searching off the road or wandering along the bank of one of the rivers. If he ran into an elf and said "I need to see Elrond", would they bring him to Rivendell?

I feel like there has to be an answer to this that we can find.
 
Hi Jedi Master Tessa,

Good question. Some thoughts:

Gandalf did not really struggle to find Rivendell from the Ford in the Hobbit. The company crossed the ford after noon, and arrived in Rivendell just as twilight was turning into night in early June. So, the most it might have taken them is say 8 hours. Frodo and company battled the Black Riders at the Ford in the late afternoon of the 20th of October, and arrived in Rivendell at night on the 20th of October. Again, the most that could have taken them is about 8 hours. Gandalf was no slower than experienced and knowledgeable guides in getting from the Ford to Rivendell.

Boromir could have had help from all the sources you mention in finding the way from the Ford to Rivendell. But, don't under estimate Boromir. He is an experienced warrior, and general, well used to reading terrain. I feel confident that he could have found Rivendell all on his own. It might have taken him a bit longer (say 1-3 days from the Ford - which would imply that he reached the Ford 1-3 days after the encounter with the Black Riders there). Even if Boromir had become a bit baffled, I think we can count on Providence giving him a helpful nudge. As the Dream clearly indicates that he is 'called' to be at Rivendell at the right time.

Now that nudge could have come in the form of a guide. But I don't think it necessary at all.
 
I hadn't considered the Elves out looking for Frodo - it is a reasonable guess that Boromir passed through Bree weeks ahead of Frodo and company, and has been searching the region for Imladris the whole time, only finding it after searching Elves find him looking and he talks them into showing him the way.
 
Providence had determined that Boromir was to be present at the Council, or so Elrond seemed to think, and we have no reason to doubt him. To that end, he might have "accidentally" found the correct road on his own, or had encounters with the searching elves that might not otherwise have happened, as they had other business and might not have troubled with a solitary Man in the wilderland.

On the other hand, something as unusual as a Gondorian in the wilds on the west side of the mountains might have made them curious enough to investigate.
 
There might have been a guide to bring Boromir in to Rivendell, but there is really no need for one.

Let's say Boromir's info is that Rivendell is not too far from the Ford, but hard to find. So, he reads the terrain. "I am looking for a dale, that is a valley, in this terrain. There are a lot of ravines and valleys in this broken countryside, but not an infinite number. So I will set a search pattern. From my read of the terrain, if I search in semi circles, from the river north, back to the river south, at say 3 mile intervals, I should find the valley I'm looking for. So the first search will be 1/2*2*3.14*3 = 9.42 miles. But I won't have to go all the way to the river at each end to find dales, so, say 9 miles. If I don't find it, I go out 6 miles and run another semi circle. This time the search will be about 18 miles. OK, I can do those two searches in a day. If I don't find it, I go out 9 miles. The search will be say 27 miles. That will take another day. If I don't find it, I go out 12 miles. The search will be about 36 miles.

Now, that is if Boromir has to do a semi circle concentric search at 3 mile intervals. However, he probably does not need to do so much. He may know from his intel, whether Rivendell is north or south of the ford. He may know from his intel about how long it might take to reach Rivendell from the ford. He may also be able to eliminate many sectors from his arcs as just not having potential for dales from his read of the terrain. He may also be able to read the terrain and judge that 4 mile concentric searches or 5 mile might work. Smoke, rising from the Hall of Fire in Rivendell should be visible for several miles. He may also get clues from tracks or faint paths, as to the likely direction.

Or, he could do an entirely different type of search. "A 'dale' will be a valley formed by a stream. He could go up the Bruinen (or down it) finding all the streams that flow into it from the east. Those that look large enough to form a valley equating to a 'dale' will be worth exploring up. If Boromir went north up the Bruinen, he would have found Rivendell fairly quickly as it is in the valley of the Bruinen and looks over the ravine of that river.

My rough estimate is that Rivendell is no more than 15 miles by path from the Ford, and probably no more than 10-12 miles as the crow flies. A competent scout, knowing he was near, when he reached the Ford, should be able to find Rivendell in 1-3 days, depending on how much more he knew, exactly what the terrain was like, and how well he could read it.
 
Last edited:
This assumes that:
1. The terrain is open enough to be assessed this way.
2. The terrain is traversable enough to allow this sort of search.
 
Rivendell and the finding of it has always reminded me of this passage from Moby Dick: Queequeg was a native of Rokovoko, an island far away to the West and South. It is not down in any map; true places never are.

I think also, to follow on JJ48's post, that we perhaps cannot assume 3. The terrain, measured by distance and/or time, is consistent in a way we understand our world's to be.

Fairy does not always--or often--work that way.

I'm pretty comfortable saying Boromir arrived precisely when he needed to. Not that his effort didn't count, just that it facilitated providence.
 
I think the available intel on Rivendell's location would be sparse even in the nearby region. Rumours of rumours of Dwarves from 70 years ago would be the freshest - I doubt anyone else who had been to Rivendell would be so free with tales of where to find it (Elves and Rangers, and even one Hobbit, would probably guard their tongues better). "Over yonder, folk say <vague gesture toward the mountains>" is likely the best one could get.

And it's Elf magic at play here. An unwelcome stranger could probably spend a lifetime searching, walking right across the valley entrance multiple times, and never find it. Things like concentric spiral searches are no match for Elf magic.

Judging Boromir's time of arrival to the region by his time of entry into Imladris is not a very good way to assess his journey, I think. He could have arrived that very morning, or he could have been searching the area for two months. He found the entrance precisely when he was meant to, not based at all on how long he searched, and not by any cunning or woodcraft of his own.
 
My guess is that a warrior of Gondor searching the region would not have been difficult for elven eyes to spot (considering what Legolas can see when hunting the Uruk Hai). I suspect the equivalent of the Coast Watch of Rivendell came up and challenged him in a scene similar to that found in Beowulf when Beowulf and his companions arrive to help Hrothgar.

That is a scene I would love to be able to read.
 
Back
Top