Warden of the Houses of Healing

From Tolkien Gateway
Warden of the Houses of Healing
Gondorian
The Lord of the Rings Online - Warden of the Houses of Healing.jpg
Torchún, Warden of the Houses of Healing in The Lord of the Rings Online
Biographical Information
LocationMinas Tirith (Houses of Healing)
LanguageWestron
BirthLate Third Age
presumably Gondor
Physical Description
GenderMale

The Warden of the Houses of Healing was a character mentioned in the last stages of The Return of the King. He was a Gondorian who was in charge of the Houses of Healing.

History[edit | edit source]

Not much is said of him, and no name has been given to this character.

He seems to have annoyed both Gandalf and Aragorn due to his tendency to get into a prolonged discussion about the herbs, herb-lore and other lore; in the mean time, he had shown his ignorance concerning the healing properties of athelas, which by that time had been almost forgotten, save those of the few who still remembered the lore of the Elder Days.[1]

Sometime later, when Éowyn has been healed (at least bodily-wise), the Warden counselled her to take rest for at least a week from now, but Éowyn was determined to go beyond the Houses of Healing, and in one of her wanderings she met Faramir, and conversing with him for a while, she set all the dreams of her past deeds to naught. And so began the love of Faramir the Steward of Gondor and Éowyn the Shieldmaiden of Rohan.[2]

At that tidings the Warden of the Houses of Healing was rejoiced, and his heart was uplifted.[2]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  • Warden of the Houses of Healing was the title given to the chief healer of the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith, a position of some power and authority.[1]
  • Although the title of the Warden of the Houses of Healing refers to a broader category, the Warden of the Houses of Healing in The Return of the King is, no doubt, an individual character.

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

2015: The Lord of the Rings Online:

The position of the Warden of the Houses of Healing is occupied by a man called Torchún, who is one of the many Wardens sitting on the Council of Gondor. Before the Battle of the Pelennor Fields he is concerned about gathering as many goods and supplies for his healers as possible. After the battle, he asks the player to assist in both helping the countless wounded as well as driving away numerous well-wishers and visitors who crowd the place.
Torchún is in fact not a practicing healer himself, his current position being rather administrative. The ignorant man who annoys Aragorn is a separate character, the Herb-master of the Houses of Healing named Galathir.

References