Middle-Earth (Specialty) Tours

The House of the Stewards
I was inspired to create this page, in part, by the unique artwork of Anke-Katrin Eiszmann and Catherine Karina Chmiel. We can find any number of paintings depicting the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, but only Eiszmann shows the smaller-scale but equally devastating conflict between Denethor and Faramir. Dozens of artists have illustrated Boromir's death scene, but only Chmiel shows him mock-sword fighting with his brother. It is my hope that, in taking this tour, you will gain a deeper sense of the relationships between Faramir, Boromir, and their father Denethor - and learn a bit about their mother, as well.

an Oscar campaign poster from Oscarwatch.com 		Boromir stood up, tall and proud, before them. 'Give me leave, Master Elrond,' said he, 'first to say more of Gondor, for verily from the land of Gondor I am come. And it would be well for all to know what passes there. For few, I deem, know of our deeds, and therefore guess little of their peril, if we should fail at last.
     'Believe not that in the land of Gondor the blood of Númenor is spent, nor all its pride and dignity forgotten. By our valour the wild folk of the East are still restrained, and the terror of Morgul kept at bay; and thus alone are peace and freedom maintained in the lands behind us, bulwark of the West. --FotR, "The Council of Elrond"
And why would anyone believe the blood of Númenor was spent or Gondor had failed? Because that's exactly what happened to the last King of Gondor. He spent his blood, failed in his cause, and left his country to be ruled by simple Stewards.

Eärnur was a man like his father in valour, 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.
         When Eärnur received the crown in 2043 the King of Minas Morgul challenged him to single combat, taunting him that he had not dared to stand before him in battle in the North. For that time Mardil the Steward restrained the wrath of the king. Minas Anor, which had become the chief city of the realm since the days of King Telemnar, and the residence of the kings, was now renamed Minas Tirith, as the city ever on guard against the evil of Morgul.
         Eärnur had held the crown only seven years when the Lord of Morgul repeated his challenge, taunting the king that to the faint heart of his youth he had now added the weakness of age. Then Mardil could no longer restrain him, and he rode with a small escort of knights to the gate of Minas Morgul. None of that riding were ever heard of again.
         Therefore, though the years lengthened, the Steward continued to rule Gondor, and the crown of Elendil lay in the lap of King Eärnil in the Houses of the Dead, where Eärnur had left it. --RotK, Appendix A, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"


Minas Morgul, by Alan Lee


image from the second commercial, available on the official movie site


Ecthelion, Thorongil and Boromir,
by Catherine Karina Chmiel		 Ecthelion II, son of Turgon, was a man of wisdom.... In much that he did he had the aid and advice of a great captain whom he loved above all. Thorongil men called him in Gondor, the Eagle of the Star, for he was swift and keen-eyed, and wore a silver star upon his cloak; but no one knew his true name nor in what land he was born. He came to Ecthelion from Rohan, where he had served the King Thengel, but he was not one of the Rohirrim. He was a great leader of men, by land or by sea, but he departed into the shadows whence he came, before the days of Ecthelion were ended.--RotK, Appendix A, "The Stewards"

Ecthelion died four years after "Thorongil" (really Aragorn) left Gondor, and Denethor became the Steward of the realm. Boromir was 6 years old at the time and Faramir was 1.
When Denethor became Steward (2984) he proved a masterful lord, holding the rule of all things in his own hand. He said little. He listened to counsel, and then followed his own mind. He had married late (2976), taking as wife Finduilas, daughter of Adrahil of Dol Amroth. She was a lady of great beauty and gentle heart, but before twelve years had passed she died. Denethor loved her, in his fashion, more dearly than any other, unless it were the elder of the sons that she bore him. But it seemed to men that she withered in the guarded city, as a flower of the seaward vales set upon a barren rock. The shadow in the east filled her with horror, and she turned her eyes ever south to the sea that she missed. --RotK, Appendix A, "The Stewards"
Boromir, Faramir and Finduilas,
by Catherine Karina Chmiel

Finduilas wed Denethor at the age of 26 and died at the age of 38. Boromir was 10 at the time and Faramir was 5.

Boromir and Denethor,
by Catherine Karina Chmiel		 Denethor succeeded to the Stewardship in 2984, being then fifty-four years old: a masterful man, strong-willed, confident in his own powers, and dauntless. His "grimness" was first observable to others after his wife Finduilas died in 2988, but it seems fairly plain that he had at once turned to the Stone as soon as he came to power, having long studied the matter of the palantíri and the traditions regarding them and their use preserved in the special archives of the Stewards, available beside the Ruling Steward only to his heir. During the end of the rule of his father, Ecthelion II, he must have greatly desired to consult the Stone, as anxiety in Gondor increased, while his own position was weakened by the fame of "Thorongil," and the favour shown to him by his father. At least one of his motives must have been jealousy of Thorongil, and hostility to Gandalf, to whom, during the ascendancy of Thorongil, his father paid much attention; Denethor desired to surpass these "usurpers" in knowledge and information, and also if possible to keep an eye on them when they were elsewhere. --Unfinished Tales, "The Palantíri"
Yet between the brothers there was great love, and had been since childhood, when Boromir was the helper and protector of Faramir. No jealousy or rivalry had arisen between them since, for their father's favour or for the praise of men. It did not seem possible to Faramir that any one in Gondor could rival Boromir, heir of Denethor, Captain of the White Tower, and of like mind was Boromir. Yet it proved otherwise at the test. --RotK, Appendix A, "The Stewards"
Lesson of Swordship,
by Catherine Karina Chmiel

Brothers, by
Catherine Karina Chmiel


image courtesy of theonering.net

So time drew on to the War of the Ring, and the sons of Denethor grew to manhood. Boromir, five years the elder, beloved by his father, was like him in face and pride, but in little else. Rather he was a man after the sort of King Eärnur of old, taking no wife and delighting chiefly in arms; fearless and strong, but caring little for lore, save the tales of old battles. Faramir the younger was like him in looks but otherwise in mind. He read the hearts of men as shrewdly as his father, but what he read moved him sooner to pity than to scorn. He was gentle in bearing, and a lover of lore and music, and therefore by many in those days his courage was judged less than his brother's. But it was not so, except that he did not see glory in danger without a purpose. He welcomed Gandalf at such times as he came to the City, and he learned what he could from his wisdom; and in this as in many other matters he displeased his father. --RotK, Appendix A, "The Stewards"

Both brothers were garrisoned at Osgiliath when the Witch King made his first appearance in centuries. Boromir described the scene at the Council of Elrond.

image courtesy of theonering.net
image courtesy of theonering.net
image courtesy of theonering.net

A power was there that we have not felt before.
         Some said that it could be seen, like a great black horseman, a dark shadow under the moon. Wherever he came a madness filled our foes, but fear fell on our boldest, so that horse and man gave way and fled. Only a remnant of our eastern force came back, destroying the last bridge that still stood amid the ruins of Osgiliath. I was in the company that held the bridge, until it was cast down behind us. Four only were saved by swimming: my brother and myself and two others. -FotR, "The Council of Elrond"

Seek for the Sword, by
Catherine Karina Chmiel


Boromir at the Council of Elrond

 For on the eve of the sudden assault a dream came to my brother in a troubled sleep; and afterwards a like dream came oft to him again, and once to me.
         In that dream I thought the eastern sky grew dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the West a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying:
Seek for the Sword that was broken;
In Imladris it dwells;
There shall councils be taken;
Stronger than Morgul-spells.
There shall be shown a token
That doom is near at hand,
For Isildur's Bane shall waken,
And the Halfling forth shall stand.
Of these words we could understand little, and we spoke to our father, Denethor, Lord of Minas Tirith, wise in the lore of Gondor. This only would he say, that Imladris was of old the name among the Elves of a far northern dale, where Elrond the Halfelven dwelt, greatest of lore-masters. Therefore my brother, seeing how desperate was our need, was eager to heed the dream and seek for Imladris; but since the way was full of doubt and danger, I took the journey upon myself. Loth was my father to give me leave, and long have I wandered by roads forgotten, seeking the house of Elrond, of which many have heard, but few knew where it lay. -Boromir speaks in FotR, "The Council of Elrond"
Note that Faramir has the dream several times, but Boromir only once; and yet, when Faramir decides to act on the dream, Boromir quickly preempts him. If Faramir is bothered by this, he doesn't show it. But of course he's grown up deferring to his brother in everything.

image from Decipher.com
image from the preview teaser on the official movie site
Boromir and Frodo, by
Catherine Karina Chmiel
If any mortals have claim to the Ring, it is the men of Númenor, and not Halflings. It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It might have been mine. It should be mine. Give it to me!' --FotR, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"

Death of Boromir, by Inger Edelfeldt

 A mile, maybe, from Parth Galen in a little glade far from the lake he found Boromir. He was sitting with his back to a great tree, as if he was resting. But Aragorn saw that he was pierced with many black-feathered arrows; his sword was still in his hand, but it was broken near the hilts; his horn cloven in two was at his side. Many Orcs lay slain, piled all about him and at his feet.
     Aragorn knelt beside him. Boromir opened his eyes and strove to speak. At last slow words came. 'I am sorry. I have paid.' --TTT, "The Departure of Boromir"
Now they laid Boromir in the middle of the boat that was to bear him away. The grey hood and elven-cloak they folded and placed beneath his head. They combed his long dark hair and arrayed it upon his shoulders. They golden belt of Lórien gleamed about his waist. His helm they set beside him, and across his lap they laid the cloven horn and the hilts and shards of his sword; beneath his feet they put the swords of his enemies. --TTT, "The Departure of Boromir"

Then I saw, or it seemed that I saw, a boat floating on the water, glimmering grey, a small boat of a strange fashion with a high prow, and there was none to row or steer it.
         An awe fell on me, for a pale light was round it. But I rose and went to the bank, and began to walk out into the stream, for I was drawn towards it.Then the boat turned towards me, and stayed its pace, and floated slowly by within my hand's reach, yet I durst not handle it. It waded deep, as if it were heavily burdened, and it seemed to me as it passed under my gaze that it was almost filled with clear water, from which came the light; and lapped in the water a warrior lay asleep.
         A broken sword was on his knee. I saw many wounds on him. It was Boromir, my brother, dead. I knew his gear, his sword, his beloved face. One thing only I missed: his horn. One thing only I knew not: a fair belt, as it were of linked golden leaves, about his waist. Boromir! I cried. Where is thy horn? Whither goest thou? O Boromir! But he was gone. --RotK, "The Window on the West"

But lest you still think my tale a vision, I will tell you this. The horn of Boromir at least returned in truth, and not in seeming. The horn came, but it was cloven in two, as it were by axe or sword. The shards came severally to shore: one was found among the reeds where watchers of Gondor lay, northwards below the infalls of the Entwash; the other was found spinning on the flood by one who had an errand on the water. Strange chances, but murder will out, 'tis said.
         And now the horn of the elder son lies in two pieces upon the lap of Denethor, sitting in his high chair, waiting for news. --RotK, "The Window on the West"


image courtesy of theonering.net


The Funeral-Boat of Boromir,
by Anke-Katrin Eiszmann


Gandalf and Pippin Meet
Denethor, by Alan Lee


Denethor's Wrath, by
Anke-Katrin Eiszmann

 I know you [meaning Gandalf] well. Ever your desire is to appear lordly and generous as a king of old, gracious, gentle....But in desperate hours gentleness may be repaid with death.'
    'So be it,' said Faramir.
    'So be it!' cried Denethor. 'But not with your death only, Lord Faramir: with the death also of your father, and of all your people, whom it is your part to protect now that Boromir is gone.'
    'Do you wish, then,' said Faramir, 'that our places had been exchanged?'
    'Yes, I wish that indeed,' said Denethor. -RotK, "The Siege of Gondor"

Your Son Has Returned, Lord...
by Anke-Katrin Eiszmann

The Prince Imrahil brought Faramir to the White Tower, and he said: 'Your son has returned, lord, after great deeds,' and he told all that he had seen. But Denethor rose and looked on the face of his son and was silent. --RotK, "The Siege of Gondor"
Then Denethor leaped upon the table, and standing there wreathed in fire and smoke he took up the staff of his stewarship that lay at his feet and broke it on his knee. Casting the pieces into the blaze he bowed and laid himself on the table, clasping the palantír with both hands upon his breast. And it was said that ever after, if any man looked in that Stone, unless he had a great strength of will to turn it to other purpose, he saw only two aged hands withering in flame.
     Gandalf in grief and horror turned his face away and closed the door. For awhile he stood lost in thought, silent upon the threshhold, while those outside heard the greedy roaring of the fire within. And then Denethor gave a great cry, and afterwards spoke no more, nor was ever again seen by mortal men. --RotK, "The Pyre of Denethor"
The Pyre of Denethor, by
Robert Chronister

Healing Faramir,
by Anke-Katrin Eiszmann		 Now Aragorn knelt beside Faramir, and held a hand upon his brow. And those that watched felt that some great struggle was going on. For Aragorn's face grew grey with weariness; and ever an anon he called the name of Faramir, but each time more faintly to their hearing, as if Aragorn himself was removed from them, and walked in some dark vale, calling for one who was lost....
     Suddenly Faramir stirred, and he opened his yes, and he looked on Aragorn who was bent over him; and a light of knowledge and love was kindled in his eyes, and he spoke softly. 'My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?' --RotK, "The Houses of Healing"
They were clad in warm raiment and heavy cloaks, and over all the Lady Éowyn wore a great blue mantle of the colour of deep summer-night, and it was set with silver stars wrapped about hem and throat. Faramir had sent for this robe adn had wrapped it about her; and he thought that she looked fair and queenly indeed as she stood there at his side. The mantle was wrought for his mother, Finduilas of Amroth, who died untimely, and was to him but a memory of loveliness in far days and of his first grief; and her robe seemed to him raiment fitting for the beauty and sadness of Éowyn.
...

'Then you think that the darkness is coming?' said Éowyn. 'Darkness Unescapable?' And suddenly she drew close to him.
     'No,' said Faramir, looking into her face. '...The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and a joy are come to me that no reason can deny. Éowyn, Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!' And he stooped and kissed her brow.
     And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air. --RotK, "The Steward and the King"
Eowyn and Faramir,
by Anke-Katrin Eiszmann


Eowyn and Faramir, by Ted Nasmith

The Crowning of Aragorn,
by Inger Edelfeldt		 Faramir met Aragorn in the midst of those there assembled, and he knelt, and said: 'The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office.' And he held out a white rod; but Aragorn took the rod and gave it back, saying: 'That office is not ended, and it shall be thine and thy heirs' as long as my line shall last....'
     Then to the wonder of many Aragorn did not put the crown upon his head, but gave it back to Faramir, and said: 'By the labour and valour of many I have come into my inheritance. In token of this I would have the Ring-bearer bring the crown to me, and let Mithrandir set it upon my head, if he will; for he has been the mover of all that has been accomplished, and this is his victory.'
     Then Frodo came forward and took the crown from Faramir and bore it to Gandalf; and Aragorn knelt, and Gandalf set the White Crown upon his head, and said:
     'Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!' --RotK, "The Steward and the King"
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien and the official LotR movie site.