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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 2040983" data-attributes="member: 3400">It's actually Theoden's horn that bursts. Boromir's is found cloven when he is found by Aragorn after fighting with the orcs. But I don't think the symbolism of Roland and Theoden are the same at all. Sure, both are on their way to death, but under totally different circumstances: one after his pride makes it too late to benefit from the summoned help, and one as he shrugs off the enervation of age and despair to meet his fate riding to aid his ally. There's a very strong psychological difference in cases.I think Aragorn has to be the one to heal the characters suffering from the Nazgul ailments because he is the one who actually knows how to treat them. Remember that it's a big deal in the early part of the triology that the Nine are abroad, implying that they don't get out all that much. Knowledge of how to treat the Black Breath and all that is probably pretty weak in Gondor in the later days of the 3rd Age. It's obviously still well known in Rivendell, where Aragorn was raised or Frodo would have been lost early. That is certianly a likely source for Aragorn's knowledge and skill with healing. Notice also that athelas, AKA kingsfoil, is used to foil the ailments of the Nazgul, all previously kings of men.Does it produce inconsistency? Not any more than our interpretations do, but I think you're putting too much work into it and seeing things that aren't intentionally there. Especially since the Aragorn character exists in earlier drafts as a hobbit named "Trotter". And even though there were quite a few rewrites and the character changes considerably, I think your belief in the Professor's precision with symbology is a bit over-stated.But we don't really know if Gandalf or any of the others on-hand have any skill with healing. Gandalf knows a lot of stuff, but it's also clear from the books that he can't do everything under the sun. In this case, the hands of the king being the hands of a healer may also indicate a fundamental aspect of Aragorn's character that was part of the prophecy... he's particularly a man of compassion as well as war.  You have yet to undermine that argument in any of your interpretations.Actually, I think we can say there's insufficient data to support your claim. We don't see ANYONE other than Aragorn doing any healing. We hear that Elrond heals Frodo, but we don't see how he does it. We don't have enough information to say that the healing power of athelas inires with Aragorn at all. All we really know is that old Gondorian wives tales have good things to say about it and the 'knowledgeable' doctors have no idea about it's uses.Why wouldn't you say that the Professor was just making a comment about the germs of truth inherent in folk remedies in contrast with sterile, scientific medical knowledge?</blockquote>

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