Beregond and Bergil are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in The Return of the King. Beregond is the first Captain of the White Company; the guard of Faramir, Prince of Ithilien; and previously, a member of the Third Company of the Guard of the Citadel in Minas Tirith. He is appointed to this rank after he saves Faramir's life during the Siege of Minas Tirith. In the novel, he and his son Bergil were also noted for being the guides of Pippin Took in Minas Tirith.
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| Beregond | |
|---|---|
| Tolkien's legendarium character | |
| Aliases | Captain of the White Company |
| Race | Man |
| Book(s) | The Return of the King |
Despite his loyalty to the Gondorian traditions, Beregond rebuked Denethor, who had gone insane with grief upon seeing what he believed to be Faramir's dead body (he was in fact still alive, though badly wounded). After hearing from Pippin that Denethor was about to burn himself and Faramir alive in a funeral pyre, he left his post, forfeiting his position as a Guard. He went to Rath Dínen, killing a protesting porter, who drew sword on him first, on the way. When he arrived there, he killed three of Denethor's servants, who fought him when he tried to keep them from obeying Denethor's commands. This stalled long enough to allow Gandalf and Pippin to arrive and save Faramir.
Beregond also served at the battle of the Black Gate, fighting at Pippin's side, where he was knocked down by a large troll chieftain. At one point, the Hobbit saved his life by killing the troll. It was his friendship and loyalty and also that of Bergil's that made Pippin later develop a strong affiliation with Gondor.[1]
At the end of the book, Aragorn, newly crowned as King Elessar, passed judgment on Beregond, banishing him from Minas Tirith for slaying men on the Silent Street, but then immediately promoting him to be Captain of the Guard of Faramir in Emyn Arnen in Ithilien, as opposed to execution, on the basis of his "valour in battle, and still more because all that you did was for the love of the Lord Faramir."
Beregond does not appear in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and his role in the story is transferred to Pippin and Gandalf. Beregond was actually written into the screenplay for a brief scene, albeit only with one line. In this scene, Beregond was played by New Zealand actor Ian Hughes. During post-production, the filmmakers decided to change this character's name to "Irolas", stating that the role had been so reduced that it didn't justify presenting him as "Beregond". In the book, Bergil mentions his uncle Iorlas, presumably Beregond's brother. Beregond is also a hero miniature in the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game by Games Workshop.
| Bergil | |
|---|---|
| Tolkien's legendarium character | |
| Race | Man |
| Book(s) | The Return of the King |
Bergil is the older son of Beregond of Gondor.
He was born in T.A. 3009. A boy of ten at the time of the War of the Ring, he is one of the few children allowed to remain in Minas Tirith during that period. He guides Peregrin Took throughout the city when he first arrives, and they watch the arrival of soldiers from other parts of Gondor from the gate of the city together, becoming very good friends in the process.[2] During the siege of Minas Tirith, Bergil helped the healers of the city as an errand runner and so eventually contributed to the healing of Faramir, the Steward's son and later Prince of Ithilien.
In The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Bergil and his father were both left out, their deeds transferred to Peregrin and Gandalf. Of Bergil's destiny the novel or its appendices tell nothing. His younger brother Borlas is central to The New Shadow, the soon-abandoned draft for a The Lord of the Rings sequel published in The Peoples of Middle-earth.
Bergil is one of the few children in The Lord of the Rings that are affected by the course of war.[3] By refusing to leave the endangered city, he, like many other characters in the novel turns into an "unlikely hero" and "courageously serves his 'master' and his country in ways unanticipated by his father, Beregond".[4] His friendship and loyalty to Peregrin Took contributes greatly to establishing the latter's affinity to Gondor.[1]
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