Efter det att Denethor passerade, säger Gandalf följande:
Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, long ago I guessed that here in the White Tower, one at least of the Seven Seeing Stones was preserved. In the days of his wisdom Denethor did not presume to use it, nor to challenge Sauron, knowing the limits of his own strength. But his wisdom failed; and I fear that as the peril of his realm grew he looked into the Stone and was deceived: far too often, I guess, since Boromir departed.
Det verkar vara bara välinformerad spekulation av Gandalf men jag undrar om det kanske fanns någon kritisk händelse som var en nyckelfaktor i Denethor som började använda Palantir? Jag kan inte hitta någonting som hänvisar till det i LOTR-bilagorna - är det något som hänvisar till denna fråga annarsstans?
Tja, vi har en uppenbar övre gräns för TA 2988 (från bilagor A & B):
2988 Finduilas dies young.
‘After [Finduilas'] death Denethor became more grim and silent than before, and would sit long alone in his tower deep in thought, foreseeing that the assault of Mordor would come in his time. It was afterwards believed that needing knowledge, but being proud, and trusting in his own strength of will, he dared to look in the palantír of the White Tower.
Vi har en lägre gräns, även från bilaga A, till "innan hans söner växte till manskap":
‘In this way Denethor gained his great knowledge of things that passed in his realm, and far beyond his borders, at which men marvelled; but he bought the knowledge dearly, being aged before his time by his contest with the will of Sauron. Thus pride increased in Denethor together with despair, until he saw in all the deeds of that time only a single combat between the Lord of the White Tower and the Lord of the Barad-dûr, and mistrusted all others who resisted Sauron, unless they served himself alone.
‘So time drew on to the War of the Ring, and the sons of Denethor grew to manhood.
Hans söner föddes TA 2978 och 2983, så det är troligt att hans första visning genom palantiren ägde rum mellan TA 2988 och 2998. Anledningen till att jag ger dem 20 år för manlighet är att det var då Aragorn var bedömd att ha gått in i hans manlighet som en långsammare åldrande Dunedain av Elrond:
'when Estel was only twenty years of age, ... Elrond looked at him and was pleased, for he saw that he was fair and noble and was early come to manhood.
Så att tioårs gapet är det mest troliga fallet för när han började använda det, utlöst av hans frus död. Intressant, det sätter faktiskt honom tidigare än Saruman och hans entrapment:
c. 3000 Saruman dares to use the palantír of Orthanc, but becomes ensnared by Sauron, who has the Ithil Stone.
Det sägs mer om oavslutade tal om denna fråga.
...when and why Denethor had dared to use the Stone was and remains a matter of conjecture.
His 'grimness' was first observable to others after his wife Finduilas died in 2988, but it seems fairly plain that he had at once turned to the Stone as soon as he came to power, having long studied the matter of the palantiri and the traditions regarding them and their use...
Från Palantiri, UT
Om detta är sant började han använda palantiret 2984 när han lyckades sin far.
Bilaga A4 ("Gondor och Anars arvingar") berättar om den här berättelsen. Denethors fru, Finduilas , dog några år blev han Steward.
After her death Denethor became more grim and silent than before, and would sit long alone in his tower deep in thought, foreseeing that the assault of Mordor would come in his time.
Finduilas var från Dol Amroth på Belfalas , och ogillade den muromgärdade staden Minas Tirith och närheten av Mordors skugga. Efter hennes död blev Denethor eller förblev besatt av närheten av Mordor. Detta, liksom den politiska och strategiska utvecklingen, ledde honom att tro att en direkt konfrontation med Mordor var nära förestående.
Palantír hade inte använts sedan fallet Minas Ithil till Mordor, nästan tusen år tidigare.It was afterwards believed that needing knowledge, but being proud, and trusting in his own strength of will, he dared to look in the palantír of the White Tower.
In this way Denethor gained his great knowledge of things that passed in his realm, and far beyond his borders, at which men marvelled; but he bought the knowledge dearly, being aged before his time by his contest with the will of Sauron. Thus pride increased in Denethor together with despair, until he saw in all the deeds of that time only a single combat between the Lord of the White Tower and the Lord of the Barad-dûr, and mistrusted all others who resisted Sauron, unless they served himself alone.
Bilagan diskuterar inte vad som körde Denethor för att använda det mer eller att direkt utmana Sauron. För det har vi bara spekulationen av Gandalf som du citerar.
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