Knowledge of Athelas

[tkdco2]

There is a bit of conflicting information about this herb. One version of the Lay of Leithian had Huan bring Athelas to Luthien in order to heal Beren. However, it's stated in LOTR that the Numenoreans brought it to Middle-earth. These accounts are not necessarily mutually exclusive, if the plant originally grew only in Beleriand.





Tolkien Gateway says only the Rangers of the North remembered its true healing properties, while The Lord of the Rings Wiki states Elves also knew about them. Which one do you think is more accurate? Aragorn most likely learned herb-lore and healing in Rivendell, but he probably also learned many things while he was out in the wild. So either theory is possible.

I would argue that the Elves knew about the medicinal value of Athelas. I doubt that knowledge would be lost to them.

Note that in MERP 2nd Edition, only Dunedain could use Athelas as for healing, and only someone directly descended from the royal line could use it to its fullest potential. But that seems pretty restrictive for gaming purposes. Perhaps Elves and Dunedain used Athelas as an ingredient in potions of healing?

[Falconer]

I’d say, to use it you have to study it from someone with the knowledge. It seems to me this knowledge is meant to be “high lore” and would be available to certain specific character types:

1. Dúnadan-of-the-North Ranger
2. Dúnadan-of-the-North Healer
3. Noldo Healer
4. Sinda Healer

However you express that in game terms.

I suppose the blood of Melian might have had something to do with the healing skills displayed by Lúthien, Elrond, and Aragorn. I guess my philosophy is that any Dúnadan, Noldo, or Sinda PC can be “revealed” later in his or her career to be mighty in Melian-ness.

[Starbeard]

As a kid I didn't realize MERP's description of being usable by Dunedain only wasn't actually from Tolkien, but was a Peter Fenlon interpretation.

Tolkien's description of how Strider actually goes about using the athelas on Frodo was almost certainly inspired by the charms from the Lacnunga and Bald's Leechbook, and perhaps specifically calling to mind the remedy "Wið færstice" (against a sudden stabbing pain"), which was a very well known and notorious example of Anglo-Saxon "healing magic" in his academic circle.

Personally, I think if the Dunedain know it, then the elves know it. Tapping into the Anglo-Saxon charm mentality, it ought to be dependent not only on learning the proper methods, prayers and benedictions, but the effect of the ritual is also partially dependent on the performer being a priest who can perform the sacraments. So in the case of Middle-earth, anyone can be taught the rituals for healing with athelas, but its effect is dependent on how touched by the elves you are: hobbits as a people have mostly "forgotten" its powerful abilities, while Dunedain are quite good at it (and kings even more so). The Noldor are the best at channeling the divine power of athelas. Frodo and Bilbo could also have learned the skill to good effect, on par with the Rangers probably, since they were "Elf-Friends."

[doublejig2]

Sam the gardener would know kingsfoil, but not its more rarefied applications.

[tkdco2]

To be fair to Pete Fenlon, he didn't have all the additional material we now have to work with. And Tolkien posted varying accounts about the availability of Athelas. IIRC, it does not appear in the Silmarillion, but that may have been an editorial decision by Christopher Tolkien.

Still, it makes no sense to me that the Elves wouldn't know about it. Of course, they are immune to sickness and were hardier than Men in the Elder Days.