Athelas: Difference between revisions

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'''Athelas''', also known as '''Kingsfoil''' or '''''[[asëa aranion]]''''' ("Leaf of Kings"), was a plant with healing powers.  
'''Athelas''', also known as '''Kingsfoil''' or '''''[[asëa aranion]]''''' ("Beneficial of Kings"), was a sweet-smelling herb with healing powers, such as curing wounds, poison and counteracting evil influence such as the [[Black Breath]].  


==History==
==History==
During the [[First Age]] athelas was perhaps growing in [[Beleriand]]. [[Huan]] had found athelas to heal [[Beren]] of his wounds.<ref>{{LB|Leithian}}</ref>
During the [[First Age]] athelas was perhaps growing in [[Beleriand]]. [[Huan]] had found athelas to heal [[Beren]] of his wounds.<ref name="Canto10">{{LB|C10}}</ref>


Athelas also grew on the island of [[Númenor]] and was brought to [[Middle-earth]] by [[Númenóreans]]. It was a sweet-smelling herb which grew sparsely in the North and only in places where the Men of Westernesse had camped or lived, but by the end of the [[Third Age]] only the [[Rangers of the North]] retained the knowledge of its healing properties.  
Athelas most notably grew on the island of [[Númenor]] and was brought to [[Middle-earth]] by [[Númenóreans]].<ref name="Flight">{{FR|I12}}</ref> It grew sparsely in the North and only in places where the Men of Westernesse had camped or lived, but by the end of the [[Third Age]] only the [[Rangers of the North]] retained the knowledge of its healing properties.  


In Gondor (where the name “kingsfoil” was used) its healing virtues were unknown and its leaves were esteemed only for their refreshing scent but it was especially powerful in the hands of the king, perhaps because of the [[Elvish]] heritage of the royal house.  
In Gondor (where it was known as '''Kingsfoil''') its healing virtues were unknown and its leaves were esteemed only for their refreshing scent but it was especially powerful in the hands of the king, perhaps because of the [[Elves|Elvish]] heritage of the royal house.<ref name="Healing">{{RK|V8}}</ref>


It was used by [[Aragorn]] on several occasions: healing [[Frodo]] from the [[Morgul wound]], tend the wounds of Frodo and Sam after the exit from [[Moria]], and, secretly entering [[Minas Tirith]] upon his return to [[Gondor]], to heal those touched by the [[Black Breath]], an act that enhanced his reputation and strengthed his claim to the crown.  
It was used by [[Aragorn]] on several occasions: healing [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] from the Morgul wound,<ref name="Flight"/> tend the wounds of Frodo and Sam after the exit from [[Moria]],<ref name="Lorien">{{FR|II6}}</ref> and, secretly entering [[Minas Tirith]] upon his return to [[Gondor]], to heal those touched by the [[Black Breath]], an act that enhanced his reputation and strengthened his claim to the crown.<ref name="Healing"/>


==Properties and Effects==
==Properties and Effects==
[[Image:Athelas from Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring.jpg|thumb|Athelas from ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'']]
Athelas, when dried and crushed in hot water, is refreshing, clears, calms<ref name="Flight"/> the minds and strengthens<ref name="Lorien"/> those smelling the scent. It also has a particular scent that is particular to individual who smells the herb:


Athelas, when dried and crushed in hot water, is refreshing, clears, calms<ref>{{FR|I12}}</ref> the minds and strengthens<ref>{{FR|II6}}</ref> those smelling the scent. It also has a particular scent that is particular to individual who smells the herb:
* [[Faramir]]'s scent is of "dewy mornings of unshadowed sun... [in which] Spring is itself but a fleeting memory"<ref name="Healing"/>
 
* [[Ioreth]] smells "roses of Imloth Melui" of her childhood<ref name="Healing"/>
* [[Faramir]]'s scent is of "dewy mornings of unshadowed sun... [in which] Spring is itself but a fleeting memory" <ref>{{RK|V8}}</ref>
* [[Éowyn]] smells no scent as if the air was clean, fresh and had never "been breathed by any living thing and came new-made from snowy mountains high beneath a dome of stars, or from shores of silver far away washed by seas of foam."<ref name="Healing"/>
* [[Ioreth]] smells "roses of Imloth Melui" of her childhood <ref>{{RK|V8}}</ref>
* [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]]'s smell is that of "orchards, and of heather in the sunshine full of bees"<ref name="Healing"/>
* [[Éowyn]] smells no scent as if the air was clean, fresh and had never "been breathed by any living thing and came new-made from snowy mountains high beneath a dome of stars, or from shores of silver far away washed by seas of foam." <ref>{{RK|V8}}</ref>
* [[Merry]]'s smell is that of "orchards, and of heather in the sunshine full of bees"
 
 
[[Image:Athelas from Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring.jpg|200px|left]]


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
''Athelas'' is a [[Sindarin]] word, consisting of ''[[athae]]'' + ''[[lass]]''.<ref>{{PE|17}}, p. 49</ref>
''Athelas'' is a [[Sindarin]] word, consisting of ''[[athae]]'' + ''[[lass]]''.<ref>{{PE|17}}, p. 49</ref>


Line 40: Line 36:


==Other versions of the legendarium==
==Other versions of the legendarium==
Athelas was also used by [[Huan]] and [[Lúthien]] to heal wounded [[Beren]] in the early ''[[Lay of Leithian]]''. It contradicts the information from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' of it being brought to Middle-earth by [[Númenóreans]], so it was either changed by [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] in later versions of his legendarium, or athelas grew in [[Beleriand]] before it was destroyed, and then brought ''back'' to Middle-earth by Númenóreans in the [[Second Age]].
Athelas doesn't appear in the published ''[[Silmarillion]]'' or in the tales of the [[First Age]] in general; however in the early ''[[Lay of Leithian]]'' it was used by [[Huan]] and [[Lúthien]] to heal wounded [[Beren]].<ref name="Canto10"/> It contradicts the information from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' of it being brought to Middle-earth by [[Númenóreans]],<ref name="Flight"/> so its history was either revised by [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]], or athelas grew in [[Beleriand]] before it was destroyed, and then brought ''back'' to Middle-earth by Númenóreans in the [[Second Age]].


==Appearances outside the legendarium==
==Appearances outside the legendarium==

Revision as of 17:56, 14 November 2014

The name Athelas refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Athelas (disambiguation).
Athelas
[[File:John Howe - Athelas.jpg|250px|{{{caption}}}]]
Other namesKingsfoil, asëa aranion
LocationNúmenor and the Westlands, especially where Dúnedain had passed
GalleryImages of Athelas

Athelas, also known as Kingsfoil or asëa aranion ("Beneficial of Kings"), was a sweet-smelling herb with healing powers, such as curing wounds, poison and counteracting evil influence such as the Black Breath.

History

During the First Age athelas was perhaps growing in Beleriand. Huan had found athelas to heal Beren of his wounds.[1]

Athelas most notably grew on the island of Númenor and was brought to Middle-earth by Númenóreans.[2] It grew sparsely in the North and only in places where the Men of Westernesse had camped or lived, but by the end of the Third Age only the Rangers of the North retained the knowledge of its healing properties.

In Gondor (where it was known as Kingsfoil) its healing virtues were unknown and its leaves were esteemed only for their refreshing scent but it was especially powerful in the hands of the king, perhaps because of the Elvish heritage of the royal house.[3]

It was used by Aragorn on several occasions: healing Frodo from the Morgul wound,[2] tend the wounds of Frodo and Sam after the exit from Moria,[4] and, secretly entering Minas Tirith upon his return to Gondor, to heal those touched by the Black Breath, an act that enhanced his reputation and strengthened his claim to the crown.[3]

Properties and Effects

Athelas, when dried and crushed in hot water, is refreshing, clears, calms[2] the minds and strengthens[4] those smelling the scent. It also has a particular scent that is particular to individual who smells the herb:

  • Faramir's scent is of "dewy mornings of unshadowed sun... [in which] Spring is itself but a fleeting memory"[3]
  • Ioreth smells "roses of Imloth Melui" of her childhood[3]
  • Éowyn smells no scent as if the air was clean, fresh and had never "been breathed by any living thing and came new-made from snowy mountains high beneath a dome of stars, or from shores of silver far away washed by seas of foam."[3]
  • Merry's smell is that of "orchards, and of heather in the sunshine full of bees"[3]

Etymology

Athelas is a Sindarin word, consisting of athae + lass.[5]

Kingsfoil has the Old French element foil, "leaf" as seen in cinquefoil.[6]

Other versions of the legendarium

Athelas doesn't appear in the published Silmarillion or in the tales of the First Age in general; however in the early Lay of Leithian it was used by Huan and Lúthien to heal wounded Beren.[1] It contradicts the information from The Lord of the Rings of it being brought to Middle-earth by Númenóreans,[2] so its history was either revised by Tolkien, or athelas grew in Beleriand before it was destroyed, and then brought back to Middle-earth by Númenóreans in the Second Age.

Appearances outside the legendarium

Kingsfoil is also mentioned in Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, as one of the herbs in the witch of Gont's hut.[7]

Athelas is also mentioned in the game Quest for Glory.

See also

References