# Why did aragorn take the Path of the Dead???



## Legolas_The Elf (Mar 17, 2002)

Why did Aragorn take the path of the dead???Was it that the Dead were calling him for his doom or what???? I´m really confused 
Please write u´r opinions....


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## Greenwood (Mar 17, 2002)

The Paths of the Dead were a short-cut to the sea and the only way that Aragorn could get there in time to stop the Corsairs of Umbar was for Aragorn to take that path. In addition the Dead that guarded the Paths of the Dead had violated their oath to Isildur, Aragorn's ancestor to fight against Sauron. The only way they could find peace was to fulfill their oath by now aiding Aragorn in the war against Sauron. So there were two reasons for Aragorn to take the Paths of the Dead.


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## Ged (Mar 17, 2002)

Greenwood, I agree.
Geographically from where Aragorn was in Rohan the only "short cut" he could possibly take to intercept the Corsairs was through the "Paths of the Dead". And of course he had prior knowledge of the Corsairs through his earlier control of the Palantir.


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## gimli_alvevenn (Mar 17, 2002)

I think it's primarly bacause of the aid from the guards of the dead.


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## Mormegil (Mar 17, 2002)

The army of the undead was needed for good to prevail over evil.
If Aragorn hadn't taken the paths of the dead and raised the undead army, then the corsairs would have joined Sauron's main army and won a huge victory over the free peoples of ME. Even if Frodo (or Gollum) managed to destroy the Ring.
Aragorn, being a wise man, knew that this was the right action to take in order to defeat Sauron.


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## Niniel (Mar 18, 2002)

Gandalf brings Aragorn a message from Galadriel saying he has to take the Paths of the Dead ('The Dead watch the Road that leads to the sea'), and I think that made him choose this way. If Galadriel hadn't said this, I think Aragorn would not have taken that road, although it was really the only way to get there fast enough.


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## gimli_alvevenn (Mar 18, 2002)

In some part I agree with you, but I think that he would have chosen this way anyway, being the wise man he is, it only strengthen his decision.


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## Greenwood (Mar 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Niniel _
> *Gandalf brings Aragorn a message from Galadriel saying he has to take the Paths of the Dead ('The Dead watch the Road that leads to the sea'), and I think that made him choose this way. If Galadriel hadn't said this, I think Aragorn would not have taken that road, although it was really the only way to get there fast enough. *



Elrond also sent word with his sons: "Bid Aragorn remember the words of the seer, and the Paths of the Dead."

The words of Malberth the Seer (over a thousand years earlier) were:



> Over the land there lies a long shadow
> westward reaching wings of darkness.
> The Tower trembles; to the tombs of the kings
> doom approaches. The Dead awaken;
> ...



So both Galadriel and Elrond were merely reminding Aragorn of prophecies long since made. Aragorn, in a sense, had little choice in the matter.


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## Elanor2 (Mar 18, 2002)

Yes, the profecy, Elrond and Galadriel told Aragorn that he should think about the Paths of the Death, but the question for Aragorn was also when was the correct time to take them. The Death cannot fight alongside with human armies, because one of their main weapons is terror and that can also affect your allies. The most effective way was as Aragorn did, guiding them with a small group for a single, devastaing battle, and then sending them away from your allied army.

Aragorn had to use the Palantir to know when the Death would be more effective, that means, when Sauron was commiting most of his forces against Gondor from all sides. If the corsairs had not been attacking the South, he could have gone with the Rohan Riders and waited for another strategic point to use them, I think.


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## Greenwood (Mar 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Elanor2 _
> Yes, the profecy, Elrond and Galadriel told Aragorn that he should think about the Paths of the Death, but the question for Aragorn was also when was the correct time to take them.



Yes, as I said in my first post on this thread: "The Paths of the Dead were a short-cut to the sea and the only way that Aragorn could get there in time to stop the Corsairs of Umbar was for Aragorn to take that path."


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## Ancalagon (Mar 18, 2002)

for the sake of adding some other perspective on this debate I suggest you read this thread; http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=788

IMHO one of the best threads to have graced this wonderful forum.


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## dgoof911 (Mar 18, 2002)

I am really confused about who or what the dead creatures were on this path, and why they were not in the halls of Mandos??


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## Ancalagon (Mar 18, 2002)

These were known as 'The Dead Men of Dunharrow', who being Men, would not have ended up in the Halls of Mandos. Remember, the fate of Men was known only to Eru, who had other designs for his secondborn to that of his First.

They had been bound to the hold of Dunharrow by Isildur for breaking an oath of allegiance long before. Only the completion of their oath would release them from this ghostlike state to which they were bound. Elessar called them to fulfil this oath as he led them from The Paths they inhabited to Stone of Erech.

They fulfilled this oath indeed and Aragorn released them from their misery.


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