Boromir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boromir |
|
|---|---|
| Tolkien character | |
|
|
| First appearance | The Lord of the Rings (1954) |
| Information | |
| Race | Man |
| Affiliation | Fellowship of the Ring |
| Title |
|
| Family |
|
| Home | Gondor |
Boromir is a brave character from J. R. R. Tolkien's famous books, The Lord of the Rings. He appears in the first two books, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. He is also mentioned in the last book, The Return of the King. Boromir is the oldest son of Denethor II, who was the leader of Gondor. He is also the older brother of Faramir. Boromir became a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, a group chosen to destroy a powerful evil item.
Boromir is shown as a noble and strong person. He deeply believed in his kingdom, Gondor, and fought hard to protect it. He was known for his great strength and powerful personality. This made him a respected leader in Gondor's army. He was also his father Denethor's favorite son. As part of the Fellowship, Boromir desperately wanted to save his country. This led him to try and take the One Ring for himself. But he quickly regretted his actions. He showed his true bravery in a final, heroic fight.
Many people who study Tolkien's works have talked about Boromir's pride and his desire for the Ring. They compare him to other proud characters in Tolkien's stories. He is also compared to old heroes like Roland. Roland also blew a horn in battle and died bravely. Boromir's funeral, where his body was sent down a river in a boat, is similar to ancient ship burials. Boromir also appears in animated movies, live-action films, and radio shows based on The Lord of the Rings.
Contents
Boromir's Early Life and Quest
Boromir was the son of Denethor II and Lady Finduilas. He had a younger brother named Faramir. When Faramir was born, their father became the leader of Gondor. This made Boromir the next in line to lead. He also inherited the special Horn of Gondor. Boromir was only ten years old when his mother, Finduilas, passed away. Denethor always liked Boromir more than Faramir. He loved Boromir a lot, perhaps because they were very different.
Faramir and later Boromir had strange dreams. These dreams told them to seek out something important in Rivendell. Boromir decided to go on this quest. His journey to Rivendell took him 111 days. He traveled through "forgotten roads" to reach the hidden Elven valley. He even lost his horse and had to walk the rest of the way.
Joining the Fellowship
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Boromir arrived at Rivendell just as an important meeting, the Council of Elrond, began. There, he explained how Gondor was fighting hard against the evil land of Mordor. He tried to convince everyone to let him take the One Ring back to Gondor. He believed it could be used to defend his people. But he was told that the Ring would corrupt anyone who used it. It would also alert the Dark Lord Sauron to its location. Boromir accepted this for the time being.
He agreed to travel with Aragorn to Gondor's capital, Minas Tirith. Since their path was the same as the Fellowship for part of the journey, he promised to protect Frodo, the Ring-bearer. Before they left Rivendell, Boromir blew his Horn of Gondor loudly. He said he would not leave quietly like a thief.
During their journey, Boromir sometimes questioned their leader, Gandalf. When they tried to cross the Misty Mountains, Boromir wisely suggested collecting firewood. This saved them from freezing in a snowstorm. He also showed his great strength helping Aragorn push through deep snow.
The Fellowship then went under the mountains through the caves of Moria. There, Gandalf was lost, and Aragorn became their new guide. When they reached the Elven land of Lothlórien, Boromir was nervous. He had heard stories of Elven magic. He was also worried by Galadriel testing his mind. When they left, Galadriel gave Boromir a golden belt and an Elven-cloak.
Boromir had always planned to go to Minas Tirith. Even though the Council decided the Ring must be destroyed in Mordor, he wanted the Fellowship to come to Minas Tirith first. He thought they could use the Ring to defend Gondor. When Frodo was deciding what to do, Boromir secretly urged him to use the Ring for Gondor. He did not want Frodo to "throw it away" by destroying it.
Finally, Boromir could not resist the Ring's power. He tried to take it from Frodo. He believed he was doing it for his people and for Gondor. He thought a strong leader could use the Ring's power against the enemy. He imagined himself leading armies and driving back Mordor.
When Frodo was not convinced, Boromir tried to force him to lend him the Ring. Frodo refused, and Boromir lunged to grab it. Frodo quickly put on the Ring and disappeared, planning to continue the quest alone. Boromir immediately felt terrible about what he had done. He searched for Frodo but could not find him. He told the Fellowship that Frodo had disappeared, but he did not mention his own actions. The hobbits scattered to look for Frodo. Aragorn suspected Boromir's part in Frodo's flight. He told Boromir to follow and protect Merry and Pippin. Soon after, a group of orcs attacked the Fellowship.
Boromir's Last Stand
Boromir fought bravely to protect Merry and Pippin. He was badly wounded by many orc-arrows. Pippin later remembered the fight: Boromir came leaping through the trees. He made the orcs fight. He killed many of them, and the rest ran away. But they were attacked again by many more orcs. The orcs shot many arrows, all aimed at Boromir. Boromir blew his great horn, and the sound echoed through the woods. At first, the orcs were scared and pulled back. But when no help came, they attacked even harder. Pippin remembered Boromir leaning against a tree, pulling out an arrow, and then everything went dark.
The sound of Boromir's horn alerted Aragorn. But he arrived too late to save the hobbits from being captured. As Boromir lay dying, he sadly admitted trying to take the Ring from Frodo. He asked Aragorn to save Minas Tirith, saying he had failed. Aragorn comforted him, saying he had not failed. He told Boromir that "few have gained such a victory." Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas placed Boromir's body in one of their Elven boats. They put his sword, belt, cloak, broken horn, and the weapons of his enemies with him. They set the boat adrift in the river towards the Falls of Rauros. They sang a sad funeral song for him.
Three days later, Faramir found the boat carrying his dead brother floating down the river. This brought great sadness to Faramir and their father.
Names and Titles
Boromir was the son and the next in line to lead Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. He was called "Captain of the White Tower." Faramir also called him "High Warden of the White Tower" and "our Captain-General."
Tolkien said the name Boromir was a mix of two languages. It combined bor(on)- meaning 'steadfast' and míre meaning 'jewel'. However, the leaders of Gondor often used names from old songs and stories. The name Boromir also appeared in an older story, The Silmarillion. An earlier leader of Gondor, Denethor I, also had a son named Boromir who was a great warrior. This might have inspired Denethor II to name his first son Boromir.
Boromir in Movies and Shows
In Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated movie and the BBC Radio show, Michael Graham Cox played Boromir. Carl-Kristian Rundman played Boromir in the 1993 Finnish TV show Hobitit.
In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series, Sean Bean plays Boromir. His line, "One does not simply walk into Mordor," became very famous. Sean Bean even joked that this line would be his "unintended legacy." In the movies, Boromir's death happens at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). In the book, it is told at the beginning of The Two Towers.
In The Two Towers (2002), Boromir appears briefly in a flashback. This shows Gandalf fighting the Balrog. The longer versions of the movie add more flashbacks. One shows Faramir finding Boromir's body. Another shows Boromir and Faramir talking after a battle. Their father then asks Boromir to go to Rivendell to find the One Ring.
In The Return of the King (2003), Boromir appears in a short flashback. Pippin remembers Boromir's heroic sacrifice. In the extended version, Denethor briefly imagines seeing Boromir.
Images for kids
-
Sean Bean as Boromir in The Fellowship of the Ring
-
Boromir in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated The Lord of the Rings
See also
In Spanish: Boromir para niños
