When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

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Greg
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When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by Greg »

I got into a short discussion with someone on social media yesterday involving what exactly defines a "Ranger" in Middle-earth. I described loosely my knowledge on the origin of the word in Eriador and its non-military source (the Breefolk and those living in the surrounds), and came across a stumbling block. If the Breelanders use the term 'Ranger' to describe a bunch of misunderstood wanderers, how did the term make its way to Faramir's troops in Ithilien? So I did some digging, and this is where I've arrived:

It is tricky, the way Tolkien uses the word...in Eriador, it is a term Given to the wandering exiled Dunedain by the locals in the Breelands and thereabouts, as an identifier for a people and a lifestyle they do not understand. In Ithilien, it is odd that the word then comes up again (and only once is it used in reference to Faramir's company) as a descriptor for these, who are soldiers of Gondor. A group with somewhat similar leanings--being less-mixed Numenorean descendants and wanderers of a previously openly occupied land formerly populated by their ancestors--would lend them towards being called Rangers...but why, then, would the term be the same leagues upon leagues away from a small area in the north where it was given seemingly by chance by the local population?

In short...I am struggling with thinking of the Ithilien company as referring to themselves as Rangers, or using that as a Militaristic label. The one time it is mentioned plays out as this:
"After a while he [Frodo] spoke to them; but they were slow and cautious in answering. They named themselves Mablung and Damrod, soldiers of Gondor, and they were Rangers of Ithilien; for they were descended from folk who lived in Ithilien at one time, before it was overrun. From such men the Lord Denethor chose his forayers, who crossed the Anduin secretly (how or where, they would not say) to harry the Orcs and other enemies that roamed between the Ephel Duath and the River."
- LotR: TTT; Chapter 4. Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

My best conjecture is that Frodo and Sam (who are the witnesses to these events, and later the authors of what text we read here) are labeling them in their minds based on the Dunedain descendants they know of who live in their part of the world. Mablung and Damrod are not directly quoted as calling themselves Rangers, and they are only described as such "...for they were descended from folk who lived in Ithilien at one time, before it was overrun." In essence, they mirror Aragorn's people and their wanderings in Frodo's mind.

So maybe it is better for us to translate Tolkien's use of the word 'Ranger' into what we would call today "Exiled Wanderer" rather than to assume it as a 'Character Class' or 'Military Position'. The text goes on to say that Denethor chose among the more pure-blooded Dunedain descendants to become these "Forayers"...which is more of a Military term, so even in this sense, Denethor himself is not calling this group his "Rangers".

Thoughts? I don't think this means that the Ithilien group should henceforth NOT be called 'Rangers', since, by Eriadoran (is that a thing?) definition, they fit the requirements of Dunedain Ancestry, unappreciated protector, and general all-purpose wanderer...but I don't think that their UNIT, as it were, is known in a Gondorian context as the Rangers of Ithilien. Make sense?
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by theowl »

That's an interesting way to think about it.

It could also be an older term that is more commonly used in gondor, so more clearly defined. Since Eriador is without any regulated armies the term could have gotten a bit more vague since it's not as common?
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by Elleth »

Hrmm...

it's the capital "R" in "soldiers of Gondor, and they were Rangers of Ithilien" that stands out to me. That implies I think that in Tolkien's mind, we're not just talking role here but title.

Now, my guess would be that there is some unknown Westron word that means basically "man who serves as the King's arm in the hinterlands" that's rendered in English as (capital R) "Ranger."

And I would bet that word goes back at least no later than the chaotic last days of Arnor / troubles in Gondor, and perhaps was already in common use during the Dunedain settlement of what would become those kingdoms.

And I would suspect that the word remained in common usage in Gondor, while the Breefolk - having it still from their days in the northern kingdoms - retained it by custom to the closest thing that applied. Heck, I expect they use the word (we render as) "Ranger" without even necessarily being aware of its tie to the old kings.

As an analogy, imagine calling a fighting/enforcing man a thousand years after the fall of the USA "Sheriff" or "Officer."
The original context would be long gone... but there was always someone doing basically the same job, so the word sticks around.

.... which I suppose means I think (capital R) "Ranger" should be reserved in the Third Age Tolkienien context to fighting men:

- of (mostly) Dunedain extraction
- who serve the Steward of Gondor or the Chieftain of the northern Dunedain (or arguably their designated vassal authorities)
- who typically work in wilderness environments
- who typically work as irregulars


Anyhow, that's my two pennies. :)
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by Greg »

Elleth wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:05 pm - of (mostly) Dunedain extraction
- who serve the Steward of Gondor or the Chieftain of the northern Dunedain (or arguably their designated vassal authorities)
- who typically work in wilderness environments
- who typically work as irregulars
I definitely like this. That fits well...particularly the specifics of who they would be serving. It just...makes sense.
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by Ursus »

Elleth wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:05 pm Hrmm...

it's the capital "R" in "soldiers of Gondor, and they were Rangers of Ithilien" that stands out to me. That implies I think that in Tolkien's mind, we're not just talking role here but title.

Now, my guess would be that there is some unknown Westron word that means basically "man who serves as the King's arm in the hinterlands" that's rendered in English as (capital R) "Ranger."

And I would bet that word goes back at least no later than the chaotic last days of Arnor / troubles in Gondor, and perhaps was already in common use during the Dunedain settlement of what would become those kingdoms.

And I would suspect that the word remained in common usage in Gondor, while the Breefolk - having it still from their days in the northern kingdoms - retained it by custom to the closest thing that applied. Heck, I expect they use the word (we render as) "Ranger" without even necessarily being aware of its tie to the old kings.

As an analogy, imagine calling a fighting/enforcing man a thousand years after the fall of the USA "Sheriff" or "Officer."
The original context would be long gone... but there was always someone doing basically the same job, so the word sticks around.

.... which I suppose means I think (capital R) "Ranger" should be reserved in the Third Age Tolkienien context to fighting men:

- of (mostly) Dunedain extraction
- who serve the Steward of Gondor or the Chieftain of the northern Dunedain (or arguably their designated vassal authorities)
- who typically work in wilderness environments
- who typically work as irregulars


Anyhow, that's my two pennies. :)
We see the capital R used in the same titular way also in FotR in chapter one of book two, Many Meetings.

“But her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, were out upon errantry; for they rode often far afield with the Rangers of the North, forgetting never their mother’s torment in the dens of the orcs. “ LotR: FotR; Book 2 Chapter 1. Many Meetings

Tolkien’s use of the word errantry in connection with the Rangers of the North here further hints at a martial understanding in connection with the term Ranger even in the wilds of the North.

Following through on Greg’s train of thought that the story is being viewed through Frodo and Sams lens we can see that his understanding of the Rangers of Ithilien and their lineage likely stemmed from his conversations with Gandalf while in Rivendell.

‘Do you really mean that Strider is one of the people of the old Kings?’ said Frodo in wonder. ‘I thought they had all vanished long ago. I thought he was only a Ranger.’ ‘Only a Ranger!’ cried Gandalf. ‘My dear Frodo, that is just what the Rangers are: the last remnant in the North of the great people, the Men of the West. They have helped me before; and I shall need their help in the days to come; for we have reached Rivendell, but the Ring is not yet at rest.’ LotR: FotR; Book 2 Chapter 1. Many Meetings
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by Greg »

Ursus wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 5:23 pm ‘Do you really mean that Strider is one of the people of the old Kings?’ said Frodo in wonder. ‘I thought they had all vanished long ago. I thought he was only a Ranger.’ ‘Only a Ranger!’ cried Gandalf. ‘My dear Frodo, that is just what the Rangers are: the last remnant in the North of the great people, the Men of the West. They have helped me before; and I shall need their help in the days to come; for we have reached Rivendell, but the Ring is not yet at rest.’ LotR: FotR; Book 2 Chapter 1. Many Meetings
That was another part that made me feel like it wasn't really intended to be a label in the East...that Gandalf says that they are "the Last Remnant in the North." Seems a little location-specific.
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by Rangerofthesea »

Maybe the term ranger is used by different people to mean different things, just like in modern English. The US has forestry rangers, park rangers and army rangers, in the UK we have rangers that are similar to forest or park rangers but slightly different in wildlife conservation roles, same with the title of Warden and I read recently that the military here are calling a new unit rangers too, not to mention the football club. Same word but different roles.
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Re: When and Where should the term 'Ranger' be applied?

Post by edmund »

Hello,

You have summarised the terms well. What's more, with the little mention to Rangers FC.
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