📖👀 Chapter 8 (📔Book V): The Houses of Healing

[Rivendell_librarian]

For obvious reasons, including reasons of history, hospital and hospitality have the same or similar etymological root. Here we have what is for all intents and purposes the hospital of Minas Tirith. The lower levels of the city are full of rubble (familiar to all of us from the news these days) as the redoubtable matron Ioreth points out - not a fan of wars for obvious good reasons. Poor Merry has to be a walking wounded while Eowyn gets the soft pillows. But then we're told hobbits must be "tough in the fibre" by the Warden of the Houses of Healing. Fortunately, Pippin finds his mate Merry and helps him along until Gandalf comes to carry him up to his hospital bed. Theoden is laid out in state in the Hall of the Tower: huge contrast with Denethor.

Faramir, Eowyn and Merry get their own rooms in the private wing. Aragorn, though shy of coming into the city because of his kingship, once he gets athelas (kingsfoil) uses his kingly healing power to heal all three. When Merry comes round his first thought is that he is hungry - killing the poisonous witch king has given him an appetite. Gandalf is appointed supreme commander on Aragorn's say so though Prince Imrahil's standard flies over the city. Plenty of bed rest is prescribed for Eowyn and Faramir. Both are bereaved and have been through a hard time beyond that of the battle. Faramir has lost his brother and his father and learnt that his father rejected him. Eowyn has just lost her favourite uncle and king whom she had nursed despite the awful attentions of Wormtongue. Eowyn had been orphaned when young when her father Eomund (marshal of the mark) had been killed by orcs defending the east marshes. Her mother, Theodwyn had died shortly after her father.

Aragorn does then find time to heal the rank and file also suffering the effect of the Black Shadow with the help of the sons of Elrond. When he can do no more Aragorn goes out of the city to sleep in his tent like a tough ranger though the people of the city have recognised that their king has come.

 

[Eljorahir]

Even before the kingsfoil arrives to sweeten the air, Aragorn makes a connection with Faramir's mind in its present "altered state of consciousness":

"'...held a hand upon his brow...he called the name of Faramir, but each time more faintly to their hearing, as if Aragorn himself was removed from them, and walked afar in some dark vale, calling for one that was lost... ... ... 'kingsfoil Sir'...a living freshness filled the room, as if the air itself awoke and tingled, sparkling with joy...Suddenly Faramir stirred...'My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?'"

Faramir awakens and, though they had never met before in the conventional sense, he immediately recognizes Aragorn as King.


Another thought: This section reminds me of the phrase describing Legolas' dream-state in a previous chapter,
"the strange paths of Elvish dreams":

"as if Aragorn himself was removed from them, and walked afar in some dark vale, calling for one that was lost"