Words of
FaramirFrom
The Two Towers IV 4
Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
An official title given to Boromir, the eldest son and heir of Steward Denethor II of Gondor. The title of 'Warden' was used generally for a position of authority in Minas Tirith,2 and so the High Warden was clearly a position of considerable importance. As the Captain-General of Gondor's forces, Boromir's position clearly held real power, but his duties as High Warden of the White Tower are not explained in any detail.
There was a long tradition among the Dúnedain, dating back to the position of King's Heir in Númenor, that a ruler's heir should hold a position of authority to help them learn the arts of statecraft, and perhaps the role of High Warden had an element of this. Indeed, it may have been convention in Gondor for the Steward's heir to be made High Warden, though we have no record of any other holders of the rank.
Notes
1 |
As Boromir is the only named High Warden of the White Tower, we have no way to know, in historical terms, how far back the rank dated. The earliest possible date for a High Warden would have been III 1900, the year in which King Calimehtar built the White Tower at the summit of Minas Anor. Before that date, an equivalent rank might have existed, but it could not have been known as the High Warden of the White Tower - for the simple reason that the White Tower did not yet exist.
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2 |
Etymologically, a 'warden' specifically meant a guard, and it may be that this is literally the meaning of the title (that is the 'High Warden' would be the chief guard of the Citadel of Gondor). In modern use, however, 'warden' has come to mean simply a person in authority, and this seems to have been true in Minas Tirith as well. We're also told of a Warden of the Houses of Healing and a Warden of the Keys, so the title does not seem to necessarily imply guardianship in a narrow sense.
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- Updated 16 February 2022
- Updates planned: 1
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