Herbs of Great Virtue

During the Second Age, the Eldar brought many things to the men of Númenor, including “herbs of great virtue,” as we are told of in the Akallabêth. This article seeks to develop a theory about those herbs and their connection to athelas and pipe-weed.

Why do these herbs have such virtue?

We know that athelas was used for healing (and ultimately the Black Breath), and an infusion of it for headaches. We also know it had a fragrant smell – as did what came to be known as pipe-weed. Athelas would be considered a kingly gift – and one can parallel pipe-weed to something like myrrh. Add to that the fact they were probably from Valinor, and you can see why they were considered of such great virtue.

Where did they come from?

While the herbs brought were presumably from Eressëa itself, it seems that, traced back, they may well have come from the gardens of Lórien, where one could find healing and rest. We can also consult the other names of such herbs – athelas has a name in the Valinorean tongue (presumably Quenya) – asëa aranion. Such a tongue was spoken by the Faithful of Númenor. Pipe-weed is named “sweet galenas” (another reference to its scent) and “westmansweed” (showing that it came from the West, or was thought to) in Gondor.

Did the Númenoreans bring the herbs over?

Based on what I have read, I would – in a way – say so. While The Silmarillion (though not the best source of “canon”) states that all the gardens and so on were lost, some may have been taken by the men of Númenor on previous occasions, or (though this sounds somewhat corny) by some gift, it may have made to grow where the Dúnedain had camped.

Pipe-weed is also a likely herb to have been used in Númenor. While Men and Elves did not smoke it then, it was scented, and grew abundantly in Gondor, a centre of the Númenorean exiles.

How did the herbs get to around Bree?

In “Concerning Pipe-weed” (Prologue to the Fellowship of the Ring), an excerpt from Herblore of the Shire by Meriadoc Brandybuck is quoted. He says he has formed his own theories about it, which I will now discuss.

Tobold Hornblower, the cultivator of the true “pipe-weed”, would not say where he got the plant from. However, if he found it himself, it must have been fairly local (Toby was no traveller). It is extremely likely that he got his specimens from Bree – he went there in his youth, and it “grew well on the south slopes of the hill.” Meriadoc tells us that Bree-hobbits claim they were the first smokers, and although they claim to do everything before Shire-folk, he thinks they are correct this time. Tobold probably learnt of it from Bree-hobbits.

Merry goes on to tell us of his theories. He suspects it is not native, and came from the lower Anduin – and before that, from over the Sea. It grows wild and abundantly in Gondor, but in the North grows best only in warm, sheltered places. The Gondorians esteem it for its fragrant flowers – which now ties in further with Númenor, giving the possibility it was one of the sweet-smelling flowers that grew by Lake Nísinen.

Merry finally says it must have been brought up the Greenway during the many years between Elendil’s coming and the founding of the Shire – and then, over a millenium after the founding of the Shire, cultivated by Tobold.

Returning to athelas, it grew where the Númenoreans camped – including the area around Weathertop. As you can see, its “mystery” is fairly easily solved.

Summarising the theory

When so many ideas are discussed in one article, it’s worth summarising it, as I will do now. Note this is mostly theory and not canon or fact.

The herbs came from the gardens of Lórien originally, but more immediately from Eressëa, then to Númenor, Gondor and finally to the North (particularly Weathertop, Bree and the Shire).

The herbs were brought over by the Númenoreans, perhaps on visits before the Downfall. Alternatively, by some gift, athelas began to grow where the Dúnedain camped. Pipe-weed was not smoked until Hobbits took up the art in Bree and the Shire.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article, and are formulating theories of your own.

Sources were The Fellowship of the Ring, The Return of the King, The Silmarillion (Akallabêth), and Unfinished Tales, and here, theory is not fact (don’t assume it is!).

by Simbelmyne