Aranarth

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Template:Royalty infobox Aranarth (T.A. 19381 - 2106, died aged 168) was the first of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, and would have been the sixteenth king of Arthedain, when his father, the last king of Arnor, Arvedui, died in 1975, had Angmar not destroyed the realm.

Aranarth was the son of Fíriel (the daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor), and of Arvedui, son of King Araphant of Arthedain. When he was only young, the Witch-king of Angmar destroyed the Northern Kingdom, overruning Fornost, and forcing the remants of the Dúnedain over the Lune into Lindon.

Aranarth went to Cirdan for aid as he knew his father had been forced north to the Icebay of Forochel, so Círdan sent a ship to rescue him. However, the hull of the ship was broken on the ice and all the passengers were killed (including Arvedui) and two palantíri lost.

As the heir of Arvedui, this made Aranarth the King of Arthedain (and nominally the claimed title of King of Arnor), but he did not claim this title as the kingdom had been destroyed. He instead claimed the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain, and with the remnants of the Dúnedain rode with Eärnur of Gondor to destroy the kingdom of Angmar.

Aranarth's people became known as the Rangers of the North (or Dúnedain), a secret and wandering people little remembered and whose deeds were seldom recorded. Due to the destruction of Angmar, and the Watchful Peace, which followed after Wizard Gandalf drove Sauron out of Dol Guldur, there was little evil in Arnor and attacks by the enemy were few and far between.

The Chieftains after Aranarth continued to take the kingly prefix of ar(a)-, to signify their royal heritage and their right to rule Arnor. When the line of Anárion failed, the Chieftains considered themselves the heirs of Anárion through their ancestor Fíriel; none of the Chieftains ever forgot Arvedui's claim to the throne.

Aranarth's son Arahael was born and raised in Rivendell, as were all the sons of chieftains after him; and Elrond kept in his keeping the heirlooms of their house: the Ring of Barahir, the shards of Narsil, the Star of Elendil, and the Sceptre of Annúminas.

Aranarth died in 2106, after ruling for 131 years - longer than any other chieftain.

Genealogy

         Isildur
            :
            :
      Kings of Arnor
            :
    Kings of Arthedain
            :
            :
         Arvedui   (Last King of Arnor)
            |
            |
         ARANARTH
       _____|_____
      |           :
   Arahael        :
      :           :
      :           :
Chieftains of     :
the Dúnedain      :
      :           :
      :           :
 Arathorn II = Gilraen
             |
             |
     Aragorn Elessar

Etymology

Aranarth's name is Sindarin and means "Noble King", coming from aran meaning "king", and arth meaning "noble, loftly".

Titles

Preceded by:
None, Arvedui as King
1st Chieftain of the Dúnedain
III 1975 - 2106
Followed by:
Arahael
The Northern Line and the Heirs of Isildur
Kings of Arnor: Elendil (S.A. 3320 - 3441) · Isildur (S.A. 3441 - T.A. 2) · Valandil (T.A. 2 - 249) · Eldacar (249 - 339) · Arantar (339 - 435) · Tarcil (435 - 515) · Tarondor (515 - 602) · Valandur (602 - 652) · Elendur (652 - 777) · Eärendur (777 - 861)
Kings of Arthedain: Amlaith (861 - 946) · Beleg (946 - 1029) · Mallor (1029 - 1110) · Celepharn (1110 - 1191) · Celebrindor (1191 - 1272) · Malvegil (1272 - 1349) · Argeleb I (1349 - 1356) · Arveleg I (1356 - 1409) · Araphor (1409 - 1589) · Argeleb II (1589 - 1670) · Arvegil (1670 - 1743) · Arveleg II (1743 - 1813) · Araval (1813 - 1891) · Araphant (1891 - 1964) · Arvedui (1964 - 1975) ·
Chieftains of the Dúnedain: Aranarth (1975 - 2106) · Arahael (2106 - 2177) · Aranuir (2177 - 2247) · Aravir (2247 - 2319) · Aragorn I (2319 - 2327) · Araglas (2327 - 2455) · Arahad I (2455 - 2523) · Aragost (2523 - 2588) · Aravorn (2588 - 2654) · Arahad II (2654 - 2719) · Arassuil (2719 - 2784) · Arathorn I (2784 - 2848) · Argonui (2848 - 2912) · Arador (2912 - 2930) · Arathorn II (2930 - 2933) · Aragorn II (2933 - 3019)
Kings of Arnor: Elessar (T.A. 3019 - Fo.A. 120) · Eldarion (Fo.A. 120 onwards)

Notes

  1. The year of Aranarth's birth is uncertain. Although in The Peoples of Middle-earth he is listed as having been born in 1938, this is unlikely as his parents did not marry until 1940.