Ranger Skills
Here I've listed what I feel are some of the primary skills inherent of a Ranger
Basic weapons handling skills.
Even if you have some experience with modern day weapons, learning the proper and effective use of primitive or medieval weapons is the only way to know how it was to be a warrior of olden days. You can have a sword, wear it around your waste, swing it around your backyard, and maybe even cut various things with it, but until you train with it, and I mean really train, you will not know what it is like to hold it as a weapon, as your weapon which you carry and use as part of your life of being a Ranger.
Weapons care
Woods craft: Knowledge of the outdoors, ability to move through the woods.
Fire craft
Fire can mean life and knowing various techniques of fire starting as well as some different types of fires to build are vital.
Shelter construction
Using your own materials as well as what nature will provide. These should include hasty as well as deliberate.
Primitive hunting, fishing, and trapping
Field/herbal medicine
Make sure you get real training on basic first aid and if studying herbal medicine,insure your sources are validated.
Herb lore
Tracking
From The Fellowship of the Ring
"But in the wild lands beyond Bree there were mysterious wanderers. The Bree-folk called them Rangers, and knew nothing of their origin. They were taller and darker than the men of Bree and were believed to have strange powers of sight and hearing, and to understand the languages of beasts and birds. They roamed at will southwards, and eastwards even as far as the Misty Mountains: but they were now few and rarely seen. When they appeared they brought news from afar, and told strange forgotten tales which were eagerly listened to; but the Bree-folk did not make friends of them."
The Inn of Bree was "...a resort of Rangers and other wanderers..."
"...a strange-looking weather-beaten man,... He had a tall tankard in front of him, and was smoking a long-stemmed pipe curiously carved. His legs were stretched out before hime, showing high boots of subtle leather that fitted him well, but had seen much wear and were now caked with mud. A travel-stained cloak of heavy green cloth was drawn close about him, and in spite of the heat of the room he wore a hood that overshadowed his face...He seldom talks: not but what he can tell a rare tale when he has the mind..."
This page was last updated: May 15, 2008
My thoughts on Rangers
These were men that for generations had served in exile (although sort of an exile in place, considering they never left Eriador). They were Guardians, emissaries, care-takers of their land, and above all else, warriors. Throughout their time of being a hidden people they FOUGHT to keep Eriador safe.
They had close ties with Imladris and though Eriador was there home and chief concern, they seemed to travel abroad when need be.
From the excerpts above, it is evident that they were known as Rangers though their true lineage and business was not known.
Although they seemed to spend a great deal of time in the wild, they had to have homes somewhere. Michael Martinez has several well researched articles on Rangers in regards to where they may have lived throughout Middle Earth.
Certainly more to follow.....
...Rangers use runes...Aragorn spoke when looking at the runes scratched on the stone left on the cairn atop weathertop
"...Elladan and Elrohir(Elrond's sons) were out upon errantry: for they rode often far afield with the Rangers of the North, forgetting never their mother's torment in the dens of the orcs."
In the Hall of Fire in Rivendale, Aragorn was clad in dark green cloth and wearing elven-mail.
As scouts along with the elves they had searched the lands far down the Greyflood, as far as Tharbad.
From The Return of the King
" 'They are a strange company, these newcomers,' said Gimli. 'Stout men and lordly they are, and the Riders of Rohan look almost as boys beside them; for they are grim men of face, worn like weathered rocks for the most part, even as Aragorn himself; and they are silent."
"A little apart the Ranger sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword. They were clad in cloaks of dark grey, and their hoods were now cast over helm and head. Their horses were strong and of proud bearing, but rough-haired; and one stood there without a rider, Aragorn's own horse that they had brought from the North; Roheryn was his name. There was no gleam of stone or gold, nor any fair thing in all their gear and harness; nor did their riders bear any badge or token, save only that each cloak was pinned upon the left shoulder by a brooch of silver shaped like a rayed star."
