Henneth Annûn Story Archive

I'm wondering where exactly in the Citadel Denethor lived. In THE SIEGE OF GONDOR (ROTK), his "private chamber" is mentioned as the site of Faramir's debriefing with Denethor, Gandalf and Pippin; but not exactly where the room is, i.e. in the White Tower or somewhere else. Then, when Imrahil brings the wounded Faramir to his father in the White Tower, Denethor "bade them make a bed in the chamber", which implies that the chamber in the W.T. is not the same chamber as Denny's living quarters. Any ideas?

 

The Atlas of Middle-earth cites some of Tolkien's drawings and mentions that "The Citadel held many buildings - more than appear on the accompanying map, for they were omitted from most of Tolkien's sketches and received only passing reference in the text .... Merethrond (the Great Hall of feasts), the King's House, apartments, and other buildings of unidentified function were all clustered around the Place of the Fountain." This suggests to me that his quarters would be in one of the other buildings, since the plan shown of the Tower has no living quarters listed. Lyllyn

 

In IHBS, I posited that there would be a "Steward's House," in which the Steward, his family, and his household would all live. I think I put the family's quarters on the second floor (third to Americans), rooms for guests and some staff on the floor below, and a great hall where normally all would eat on the ground floor. Servants on the top floor or belowground (also where kitchens and baths were). But this is not canon! But I didn't figure that Denethor would hang out all the time in his bedroom. So he also has at least one chamber in the White Tower, where he does the actual work of government. There are other rooms where various secretarial types work, and where the council meets. The archives are belowground, under the King's House (which is now disused except for ceremonial occasions). Again, all my own speculation, but it worked pretty well. There would be assorted other buildings around as well, more than the visuals in the film implied, I think. Celandine

 

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