Obscure 'Lord of the Rings' Lore About Boromir
Boromir may not be a part of the Fellowship for long but there is still plenty of history to learn about one of the heroes of Gondor. Fans of the books and movies took to Reddit to reveal a number of lore details about the man that help explain why people like his character so much.
- 1471 VOTES
Boromir Held The Line At Osgiliath For Most Of His Life
From Redditor u/Mercurium808:
I think something to remember about Boromir is that he has held Osgiliath, literally the front line of the war, for most of his life. No member of the Fellowship has seen as much death, or lost as many loved ones, as Boromir.
- 2386 VOTES
Boromir Is Actually 10 Years Younger Than Frodo
From Redditor u/12secondcountdown:
An additional fun fact: Frodo is actually 10 years older than Boromir, who tends to patronize him frequently in the movies.
- 3499 VOTES
Boromir Fighting To Protect Merry And Pippin Convinced The Orcs That They Were The Ringbearers
From Redditor u/1_wing_angel:
Boromir broke the Fellowship when he gave into the Ring's temptation, but he gave Frodo and Sam the opportunity to escape and finish the quest by sacrificing himself for Pippin and Merry. The Orcs thought that they had captured the Ringbearer because Boromir ("the Great Warrior," they called him) fought so ferociously to save the hobbits.
Boromir could have abandoned Pippin and Merry and saved himself, but he didn't. In part, I've always believed, because he was ashamed of his behavior with Frodo and determined to redeem himself. And he achieves redemption. Gandalf later states that he was worried for Boromir, but that Boromir "was saved, at the end."
- 4299 VOTES
He Was Considered 'The Greatest Man In Gondor' For Fighting On The Front Lines For Years
From Redditor u/PersonUsingAComputer:
Boromir was a commander in Gondor's army. He fought alongside Faramir in the defense of Osgiliath at the start of the War of the Ring (shortly before leaving for Rivendell). The appearance of a Ringwraith turned the battle against Gondor and they were forced to destroy the bridge over the Anduin river to prevent the enemy crossing (Boromir, Faramir, and two others were able to escape by swimming the river). He was regarded by both Denethor and Faramir as the greatest man in Gondor, but it's anyone's guess what the average person's opinion of him was. In any case Boromir "delight[ed] chiefly in arms" and the only lore he cared for was that of battles and warfare.
- 5413 VOTES
Boromir's Sacrifice Motivated Every Other Member Of The Fellowship
From Redditor u/Mercurium808:
Boromir is the sacrifice made for victory. Without his death and acceptance, Aragorn may never have accepted his role as King of Men. Frodo would not have taken the hidden roads into Mordor. Pippin would not have been present to summon Gandalf and save Faramir. His death, arguably, sets in motion the outcome of the entire story.
- 6236 VOTES
Boromir Was Ensnared By The Ring Immediately
From Redditor u/Gyrgir:
Sam was in the room for the Council of Elrond, so he saw Boromir's reaction first-hand. If Sam's interpretation is correct, then the ring got its hooks into Boromir on first sight, but it took time for the temptation to fully surface in his conscious mind. Presumably, Galadriel forced the issue when she was probing the company's minds to judge their dedication to the quest. But even if she hadn't, I expect Boromir would still have demanded the ring of Frodo when the company had to choose to go the Minas Tirith or directly to Mordor.
