The Breaking of the Fellowship

THE DAY

February 26, 3019 TA

This shall be a rather lengthy post, as February 26th is the day that Boromir dies. The Breaking of the Fellowship, the last chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Let us begin at the beginning of the day itself. Mostly because of this gorgeous quote.

“The day came like fire and smoke. Low in the East there were black bars of cloud like the fumes of a great burning. The rising sun lit them from beneath with flames of murky red; but soon it climbed above them into a clear sky. The summit of Tol Brandir was tipped with gold.”

Aragorn calls the company together and offers them three choices. Follow Boromir west to the wars of Gondor. Turn east to ‘Fear and Shadow’. Or break the fellowship and “go this way and that as each may choose”. He then says that Frodo as the Ring-bearer, must decide. Frodo asks for an hour to be alone, and Aragorn concedes. And Boromir finds him in the woods, and is much less creepy than in the movie…at first. I think the movie almost made it seem as though he followed Frodo specifically to get the Ring, but I don’t really think think that was his plan. The Ring drew him, and at first there was no malice in his finding Frodo. I think he really thought that he was afraid for Frodo and was going to make sure he was alright. 

“’I was afraid for you, Frodo,’ he said, coming forward. ‘If Aragorn is right and Orcs are near, then none of us should wander alone, and you least of all: so much depends on you. And my heart too is heavy. May I stay now and talk for a while, since I have found you? It would comfort me. Where there are so many, all speech becomes a debate without end. But two together may perhaps find wisdom.’”

Then they talk for a while, and things begin to go basically as they did in the movie, except Frodo is much more intelligent. There is also more talking, and Boromir is less senseless and ridiculous, and makes somewhat decent arguments. It is less of him being greedy, and more of him desperately trying to save his city. Then the Ring quite takes hold of Boromir:

“His fair and pleasant face was hideously changed; a raging fire was in his eyes.”

Frodo dons the ring, and this happens:

“The Man gasped, stared for a moment amazed, and then ran wildly about, seeking here and there among the rocks and trees. ‘Miserable trickster!’ he shouted. ‘Let me get my hands on you! Now I see your mind. You will take the Ring to Sauron and sell us all. You have only waited your chance to leave us in the lurch. Curse you and all halflings to death and darkness!’ Then, catching his foot on a stone, he fell sprawling and lay upon his face. For a while he was as still as if his own curse had struck him down; then suddenly he wept.He rose and passed his hand over his eyes, dashing away tears. ‘What have I said?’ he cried. ‘What have I done? Frodo, Frodo!’ he called. ‘Come back! A madness took me, but it has passed. Come back!’"

Then Frodo, wearing the Ring sort of sees faraway places clearly. Almost as though he is looking through Sauron’s eye. And everywhere he looks he sees signs of war. Flame and smoke and orcs and battles. There is a moment of war in his mind when he cannot seem to control himself to take off the Ring, and is drawn towards the Eye. He then finds his mind cleared and takes off the Ring. Then realizes that he must leave now while he has a chance, and puts it back on again and leaves. Then we are taken back to the rest of the Company waiting at the river-side. Also, a lot of the Hobbit’s intelligence was cut out of the movie, so I must needs show this. The movies often cause one to forget that it is the Hobbits who know Frodo best, and understand what he is thinking. Not Men and Dwarves and Elves. 

“’We must stop him,’ said Pippin. ‘And that is what he is worrying about, I am sure. He knows we shan’t agree to his going east. And he doesn’t like to ask anyone to go with him, poor old fellow. Imagine it: going off to Mordor alone!’ Pippin shuddered. ‘But the dear silly old hobbit, he ought to know that he hasn’t got to ask. He ought to know that if we can’t stop him, we shan’t leave him.’”

Then Sam:

“’…And he isn’t worrying about us either: whether we’ll go along with him or no. He knows we mean to. That’s another thing that’s bothering him. If he screws himself up to go, he’ll want to go alone. Mark my words. We’re going to have trouble when he comes back. For he’ll screw himself up all right, as sure as his name’s Baggins.’”

Then Boromir comes back, and says only that he grew angry with Frodo, and Frodo vanished. And then Sam dashes off to go find Frodo, and Merry and Pippin dash off after him, and then Legolas and Gimli start running. Aragorn charges Boromir to protect them.

“’We shall all be scattered and lost,’ groaned Aragorn. ‘Boromir! I do not know what part you have played in this mischief, but help now! Go after those two young hobbits, and guard them at the least, even if you cannot find Frodo. Come back to this spot, if you find him, or any traces of him. I shall return soon.’”

Aragorn finds Sam, and then finds traces of the direction that Frodo went. He and Sam follow his footprints. Aragorn soon leaves Sam far behind, and Sam stops and says…. 

“’Whoa, Sam Gamgee!’ he said aloud. ‘Your legs are too short, so use your head! Let me see now! Boromir isn’t lying, that’s not his way; but he hasn’t told us everything. Something scared Mr. Frodo badly. He screwed himself up to the point, sudden. He made up his mind at last – to go. Where to? Off East. Not without Sam? Yes, without even his Sam. That’s hard, cruel hard.’”

Sam then realizes that Frodo has gone back to the boats, and makes his way back. He jumps after a boat being pushed into the water by an invisible Frodo, and is almost ‘drownded’. Frodo pulls him out, and Sam convinces Frodo that he is coming:

“’Of course it is,’ answered Sam. ‘But not alone. I’m coming too, or neither of us is going. I’ll knock holes in all the boats first.’”

And they go to the Eastern shore, and begin their journey on their own. And that concludes the Fellowship of the Ring. 

Then, to begin Two Towers, we go back to Aragorn tracking Frodo. Aragorn climbs up to the seat, and then hears the orcs and the cries of his friends. 

“Then suddenly with a deep-throated call a great horn blew, and the blasts of it smote the hills and echoed in the hollows, rising in a mighty shout above the roaring of the falls.”

The horn of Boromir. And then suddenly he realizes he doesn’t know what has become of Sam. He draws his sword and races to Boromir’s aid. 

“A mile, maybe, from Parth Galen in a little glade no 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 hilt; 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 tried to take the Ring from Frodo,’ he said. ‘I am sorry. I have paid.’ His glance strayed to his fallen enemies; twenty at least lay there. ‘They have gone: the Halflings: the Orcs have taken them. I think they are not dead. Orcs bound them.’ He paused and his eyes closed wearily. After a moment he spoke again.‘Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed.’‘No!’ said Aragorn, taking his hand and kissing his brow. ‘You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace! Minas Tirith shall not fall!’” 

And then a moment later

“’Alas!’ said Aragorn. ‘Thus passes the heir of Denethor, Lord of the Tower of Guard. This is a bitter end. Now the Company is all in ruin. It is I that have failed. Vain was Gandalf’s trust in me. What shall I do now? Boromir has laid it on me to go to Minas Tirith, and my heart desires it; but where are the Ring and the Bearer? How shall I find them and save this Quest from disaster?’”

Many do not notice that in the film adaption of Fellowship of the Ring, after Boromir's death, Viggo Mortensen decided to take his bracers and wear them as part of his costume. He thought that Aragorn should take them to remember his friend by. It is never actually mentioned, but there is a scene where he can be seen putting them on. 

And to conclude:

“Sorrowfully they cast loose the funeral boat: there Boromir lay, restful, peaceful, gliding upon the bosom of the flowing water. The stream took him while they held their own boat back with their paddles. He flated by them, and slowly his boat departed, waning to a dark spot against the golden light; and then suddenly it vanished. Rauros roared on unchanging. The River had taken Boromir son of Denethor, and he was no 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 YEAR

3008

Appendix B, The Tale of Years 3008 “In the autumn Gandalf pays his last visit to Frodo.”