Abstract
Using key ideas from the field of Narrative Medicine, this essay considers the significance of Ioreth in her role as a wise-woman (midwife) and healer of Gondor. J.R.R. Tolkien developed the character of loreth from the static fairy-tale type of the "Wise Old Woman" to a dynamic minor character in her own right in The Lord of the Rings. He gave her a defining characteristic of talkativeness, and he purposefully attributed to her prophetic utterances of proverb, rhyme, and instruction that positively influenced those around her, including her healthcare colleagues Gandalf, Aragorn, and the herb-master, her unnamed kinswoman from the country, and Eowyn, the White Lady of Rohan, who later chose to become a healer herself after being in loreth's care. It is significant that the emotional arc of loreth's character follows a path from sorrow (over Faramir's fever) to joy (over Aragorn's coronation) because loreth serves as a microcosm mirroring the macrocosm of the people of Minas Tirth, who endure the darkness of Morder only later to emerge victorious in the light of a new day. Additional Keywords athelas (kingsfoil), Aragorn, Eowyn, Faramir, Gandalf, Gondor, healer, Houses of Healing, instruction, loreth, The Lord of the Rings, Merry Brandybuck, Minas Tirith, Morwen, mother, midwife, narrative medicine, proverb, rhyme, sage femme, shieldmaiden, J.R.R. Tolkien, wise-woman