Earnil
Ringbearer
Alliance: House of Cirdan
Last Visited: 29 Jul 2010
Joined: 16 Aug 2001
Posts: 13609
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 6:32 am |
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A thread concerning content in the extended cut of The Two Towers over at the Movie Forums has brought to my attention that which I have not noticed in all my readings of the Lord of the Rings.
At first I was under the impression that Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli carried the boat across land to the base of the Falls of Rauros so the contents weren't spilled if cast over the falls. Which could explain why Faramir found the boat upright with everything including the body of his brother in it.
But rechecking the book I realized that I interpreted it wrong, and that the boat with all its contents did go over the falls. Which has now got me thinking how Famair could have found the boat upright still with all the contents in place and intact when it had gone over the falls.
Now there are only two possible conclusions that I could come up with to explain this. The first is that the Falls of Rauros weren't at all very big falls, more like the small plumets at most 5 metres high and that the boat didn't fall very far.
The other possible conclusion is that there was intervention from some other source, perhaps from some unknown who found the contents floating in the river and replaced them all in the boat, although this seems remote. Or one of the Valar intervened and prevented the boat from spilling its contents, or even to a much lesser extent intervention from Iluvatar, this of ehich seems almost unlikely to be an explanation.
Can anyone else concieve of any other possible conclusion that could explain how Boromir's boat remained intact during the plumet over the falls?
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bhunt
Petitioner to the Council
Alliance: Numenore
Last Visited: 30 Jan 2003
Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 11
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 7:47 am |
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Not a very good theory on my part but perhaps it was all secured or tied down in some fashion.
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wilko185
by stok other ston
Alliance: House of Finrod Felagund
Last Visited: 01 Apr 2010
Joined: 18 Nov 2001
Posts: 7880
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 7:50 am |
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"Yet how could such a thing have happened in truth?" asked Frodo. "For no boat could have been carried over the stony hills from Tol Brandir; and Boromir purposed to go home across the Entwash and the fields of Rohan. And yet how could any vessel ride the foam of the great falls and not founder in the boiling pools, though laden with water?"
"I know not," said Faramir. "But whence came the boat?"
"From Lórien," said Frodo. "In three such boats we rowed down Anduin to the Falls. They also were of elven-work."
"You passed through the Hidden Land,' said Faramir, "but it seems that you little understood its power. If Men have dealings with the Mistress of Magic who dwells in the Golden Wood, then they may look for strange things to follow. (...)"
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.. the very monsters and huge fishes of the sea, war not amongst themselves in their own kind: but believe me, man at man's hand receiveth most harm and mischief.
-- Pliny |
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Evenstar_Elfstone
Ringbearer
Alliance: Gondor
Last Visited: 22 Dec 2008
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 10111
Location: Stalking the Beatles
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 7:53 am |
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As Wilko185 quoted, the boats were of elven-work and thus survived Rauros Falls without any damage except the fact that it became extremely wet.
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wilko185
by stok other ston
Alliance: House of Finrod Felagund
Last Visited: 01 Apr 2010
Joined: 18 Nov 2001
Posts: 7880
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 8:04 am |
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Faramir says that the boat was in fact full of water:"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." But we learned earlier that the elven boats would never sink no matter how laden they are. And presumably the boat "magically" prevented all Boromir's weapons and trophies from falling out or floating away, as there was no mention of them being secured in any way, yet they were still there when Faramir saw the boat.
[OT, wasn't the "Faramir and the boat" scene meant to be included in the latest film? I guess it will appear in the extended edition?]
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.. the very monsters and huge fishes of the sea, war not amongst themselves in their own kind: but believe me, man at man's hand receiveth most harm and mischief.
-- Pliny |
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-Rómestámo-
Ranger of the North
Alliance: default
Last Visited: 15 Oct 2004
Joined: 06 Mar 2002
Posts: 2947
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 8:28 am |
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Given the extraordinary properties of elven-rope, it is not impossible that elven-boats could have similar extraordinary properties and thus survive passage of the falls with contents relatively intact. This is not to say a live passenger might survive such a journey! Certainly this was the belief in Gondor after the War of the Ring. 'Heed the words!' said the other Elves. 'These boats are light-built, and they are crafty and unlike the boats of other folk. They will not sink, lade them as you will;
Farewell to Lórien
'Then let us lay him in a boat with his weapons, and the weapons of his vanquished foes,' said Aragorn. 'We will send him to the Falls of Rauros and give him to Anduin. The River of Gondor will take care at least that no evil creature dishonours his bones.'
(...)Rauros roared on unchanging. The River had taken Boromir son of Denethor, and he was not seen again in Minas Tirith, standing as he used to stand upon the White Tower in the morning. But in Gondor in after-days it long was said that the elven-boat rode the falls and the foaming pool, and bore him down through Osgiliath, and past the many mouths of Anduin, out into the Great Sea at night under the stars.
The Departure of Boromir
As to the Falls of Rauros itself, Frodo's vision from Amon Hen suggests a single cataract ((...)below his very feet the Great River curled like a toppling wave and plunged over the falls of Rauros into a foaming pit; ), Fonstad in her Atlas says So sheer was the drop that portaging was possible only by descending the ancient North Stair. And Sam's descent of the eastern Emyn Muil down a drop of eighteen fathoms suggests a minimum height for the Falls (Edit: No, I've changed my mind. Erosion and/or faulting with uplift or downward displacement means that the Falls could be much greater or less than this value. Sorry for the red herring ).
['The River of Gondor', Goldberry and her mother suggest another possible explanation - although I for one am happy to accept what the Dúnedain believed. ]
(edit -to disagree with myself 
I see that I am in total agreement with wilko whose post(s) appeared while I was composing my reply... Looks like I'll have to learn to type faster.  )
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greenleafwood
Ranger of the North
Alliance: House of Elrond
Last Visited: 01 Oct 2009
Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 1882
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Posted: Thu Jan 2, 2003 2:08 pm |
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Maybe Galadriel laid her hands on the Elven boats and blessed it. But I do believe the Elven boats, as with the Elven rope Sam had, had an aura about them, which were able to withstand pressure, as well as possessing certain supernatural qualities.
Aragorn said: "We will send the boat to the Falls of Rauros and give him to Anduin.." This may have some mythological significance, in that water cleanses and purifies, and because Boromir died so valiantly, his sins were forgiven and the waters honored him by preserving his remains and carrying him safely out to his eternal home upon the sea.
I would like to think that perhaps Ulmo played a backstage part in it, it seems quite plausible to me. I offer a comparison, offtrack though it may seem. We have on the one hand the funeral boat of Lorien which would not founder even over the Rauros Falls, and on the other hand, the boats of Gondolin in the First Age, which foundered in the sea storms, leaving only one mariner, Voronwe, the only survivor. I can only guess that a higher force would be at work in the waters.
Looks like I'm agreeing with everything Romestamo says.
greenleaf
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scirocco
released from bonds
Alliance: House of Feanor
Last Visited: 27 Aug 2010
Joined: 04 Oct 2000
Posts: 1952
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Posted: Tue Jan 6, 2004 4:26 am |
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Bumped to avoid archiving.
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The Eagle from
Bilbo woke up with the early sun in his eyes
J.R.R. Tolkien, July 1937 |
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Valandil_Eluchi
Ranger of the North
Alliance: Grey Havens
Last Visited: 02 Jun 2009
Joined: 18 Dec 2003
Posts: 1943
Location: In the North
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Posted: Tue Jan 6, 2004 10:14 am |
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Congratulations on 1000 posts scirocco 
VE
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