In the books, he discovers a green stone from an elf when he's trying to get Frodo to Rivendell (after he's stabbed on Weathertop). He wears it for the rest of the story, and the people of Gondor dub him Elessar (meaning "Elf-Stone") while he's doing the healing thing that was cut out of the theatrical version of RotK.
Um. Not quite. Glorfindel left a beryl on the bridge for them to find, yes. But that's not the green stone he's named after.
The Elfstone is a green jewel given to him by Galadriel, which ... hell. I forget the lineage. I think it used to belong to Celebrian, and it's symbolic of the bond between him & Arwen. In the movie, they use that odd silvery thing, but in the novel it's clear it's a green rock.
They do indeed call him after the stone he wears, but it's the stone Galadriel gives him, not the beryl.
I'm sure someone with a more comprehensive knowledge (::Cough::Jeff Mejia::cough::) will come along soon and correct us both. *grin*
From the Encyclopedia of Arda:
"High title and surname of Aragorn son of Arathorn. It was long foretold that he would take this name; it was given to him in Lórien by Galadriel. She granted him a gift of a green stone set in a silver brooch in the shape of an eagle as he and the Company of the Ring left her land (on 16 February III 3019). 'In this hour,' she said, 'take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house of Elendil!'
When Aragorn took up the kingship of Gondor, he assumed the name Elessar, and later references to him take the form 'King Elessar'."
Away from the books, or I'd dig more.
ETA: A couple of quotes:
III 294: "... before them came walking slow the Lord Aragorn. He was clad in black mail, girt with silver, and he wore a long mantle of pure white clasped at the throat with a great jewel of green that shone from afar"
I 493 "... as she held it up the gem flashed like the sun shining through the leaves of spring. 'This stone I gave to Celebrian my daughter, and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope.'"
You got it in one. Orcs are French
And that's how they know what a menu is, and why meat should be back on it. Next to wine and stinky cheese. Gothcha.
'Ah, mes amis! Ze meat, she is back on ze menu, non? Honh Honh!'
Yeah, that's all I want to say.
'This stone I gave to Celebrian my daughter, and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope.'
Galadriel to Celebrian to Arwen. Excellent.
Next to wine and stinky cheese. Gothcha.
So orcs are Christopher Ward?
t /obscure Canadian reference
Better than Burt Ward. (Notice lately how a lot of the conversations on the board end up being about one Robin or another?)
Um, isn't one of the meanings of Elessar "hope"? Or am I remembering that wrong?
The question that JRRT never got around to answering was where the heck the Eye was planning on wearing the Ring since it is, in fact, just an eye.
I've reread the books, and can't find any reference to Sauron being an eye. I think 'the eye of Sauron' was meant to be a metaphor, rather than a literal enormous flaming eyeball. Anyone got any supporting/contradicting quotes?
