A Deer in the Marshes?

[joxy]

IS that a deer Aragorn is carrying?
If it is, what was it doing in a marsh, how did A catch it, and how does he expect poor Sam to butcher it and then find the dry wood to cook it? It's nice to see Sam with all his pans though....

 

[Niniel]

Yes, that was a deer, and a big one too. Though I have never seen deer in a marsh, and dry wood must have been very scanty as well. Maybe that's why they left it out, it didn't make sense and they would have had to explain too much.

 

[Talimon]

Yup, it was a deer. It's Aragorn, he can find deer anywhere .

 

[aragil]

Aragorn caught it by chanting the Lay of Lethian very softly to it. As the Deer strained forward to try and hear what he was saying he clubbed it over the head with a big stick. Otherwise he might have used that bow that he had in his hand.
Is that a big deer by Old World standards? Over here it would be pretty small. Is a deer in a marsh such a stretch? Again, over here I've certainly seen them in marshy ground. Now I know we aren't being nit-picky here, right?

 

[joxy]

Originally posted by aragil
Now I know we aren't being nit-picky here, right?

LOL. I only ASKED!
And now I ask, where was he going to get wood to cook it with- or should I ask Arwen that?
Has PJ ever explained the corner of his "vision" that is concerned with game-hunting in marshes?

 

[PRH]

That's a pretty small deer, to be able to sling it over your shoulder.

In the commentary, they say that the deer was Viggo's idea - not in the script - and they just went along with it.

I mentioned in another thread that FINALLY we see a legitimate reason for Aragorn to carry a bow and arrow (which is a major change from his weapondry in the book).

 

[aragil]

I'd still say that it's a major change from Aragorn's described weaponry in the book, but probably no different then how Tolkien intended him to be. From what we know of other Rangers (i.e. the Rangers of Ithilien) the bow is a pretty common weapon, as it would be for any person living in the wild for any length of time. Unless you fall into the category of those that believes Aragorn was in the habit of only using a broken sword (see http://thetolkien.forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2794), then it is entirely likely that Aragorn had a bow.

 

[PRH]

In the book it says (after Rivendell at least) that he carried Anduril and no other weapon, so it's certainly a change..major or otherwise. I just didn't understand any purpose behind it until now. It's not as though it enhanced his character much.

 

[joxy]

Originally posted by PRH
I just didn't understand any purpose behind it until now.

Yes, I suppose rangers would regularly have a bow and arrow; more practical than money or a credit card when in the Wild....
I'd have thought they'd be less likely to find deer in a particularly swampy looking marsh, and that it would have been less likely still that they would have had the time and facilities for making use of it!

 

[PRH]

If they're hungry enough, they can always eat it raw.