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[[Category:Dúnedain of the North]]
[[Category:House of Isildur]]
[[Category:Pronounced articles]]
[[Category:Pronounced articles]]
[[Category:Rulers of Arthedain]]
[[Category:Rulers of Arthedain]]
[[de:Arvedui]]
[[de:Arvedui]]
[[fi:Arvedui]]
[[fi:Arvedui]]

Revision as of 03:22, 4 February 2010

Template:Royalty infobox

Arvedui (T.A. 1864 – 1974, died aged 111) was the fifteenth, and last, king of Arthedain, succeeding his father, Araphant, upon his death in 1964.

History

Birth and Early Life

Arvedui's name means "Last King" in Sindarin (see Etymology below), and he was named so due to a prophecy by Malbeth the Seer at Arvedui's birth spoken to his father, Araphant:

"Arvedui you shall call him, for he will be the last in Arthedain. Though a choice will come to the Dúnedain, and if they take the one that seems less hopeful, then your son will change his name and become king of a great realm. If not, then much sorrow and many lives of men shall pass, until the Dúnedain arise and are united again."
Appendix A, Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion

Arvedui married Fíriel, the daughter of the king of Gondor, Ondoher, in 1940, securing the link between Gondor and Arthedain after years of estrangement. Four years later, Ondoher was killed in a battle with the Wainriders, and died without a male heir. Arvedui sent messages to Gondor claiming the kingship of Gondor as a descendent of Isildur and as the husband of Fíriel, who, under old Númenórean law, should've become the first ruling queen. In 1945 the Council of Gondor, persuaded by the Steward Pelendur, voted against Arvedui's claim in favour of Eärnil - the distant relative of the king and the victorious general in the war on the Wainriders.

Life as King

When Arvedui became king in 1964, the kingdom was already in a bad state, with the kingdom struggling to hold back the forces of Angmar. In 1974 the Witch-king came down from the north capturing Fornost and pushing most of the Dúnedain over the Lune. Arvedui and his men, rescued several heirlooms of Arnor such as the Ring of Barahir and palantíri of Amon Sûl and Annúminas. They held out on the North Downs but fled north and hid in old dwarven mines in the Blue Mountains before being forced to seek the aid of the Lossoth in the Ice-bay of Forochel due to hunger.

The snowmen helped the gaunt king out of pity and out of fear of his weapons, giving them food and building them snow-homes. Arvedui and his men had to stay there and wait for help as all their horses had perished. In 1975, when Círdan heard from Arvedui's son, Aranarth, of his plight, he sent a ship to Forochel to find him. When the ship arrived in March of that year, the ice-men were afraid for no ship had been seen in those water in living memory, and the leader of the snowmen counselled Arvedui:

"Do not mount on this sea-monster! If they have them, let the seamen bring us food and other things that we need, and you may stay here till the Witch-king goes home. For in summer his power wanes; but now his breath is deadly, and his cold arm is long."
Appendix A, Eriador, Arnor and the Heirs of Isildur

However, Arvedui did not heed their advice and gave them his ring, the Ring of Barahir, as a token of his thanks. When the ship set sail a great wind came from the north and the hull of the ship was broken on some ice, thus the last king of Arthedain died, and with him the two palantíri were lost.

Arnor after Arvedui's Death

In 1973, Gondor had received word from Arthedain of their difficulties, and not forgetting their ancient kinship, Eärnil II, king of Gondor, sent as great a fleet as he could spare captained by his son Eärnur. By the time the fleet arrived, Arthedain was already defeated, and Arvedui had already perished.

However, in order to finally defeat this evil, Eärnur, Círdan and Glorfindel captained forces from Gondor, Lindon and Rivendell and marched across Eriador in such a great force that Angmar was utterly defeated without a single orc from that realm left to the west of the Misty Mountains.

Despite the eventual victory over Angmar, Arnor was utterly defeated, and the Dúnedain of the North were a scattered and wandering people of which there were few. The line of kings continued, however, in Aranarth who took the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain all the way down to Aragorn Elessar; and when Aragorn claimed the throne of Gondor he did so as both the heir of Isildur and Anárion due to the fact he was descended from Fíriel - a claim none of the heirs of Arvedui forgot.

As such, Malbeth's prophecy proved true, for Arvedui was indeed the last King of Arthedain; likewise, the last king of Gondor was Eärnur who was killed by the Witch-king. There would not be another king in the north until Elessar reunited the thrones of Gondor and Arnor in the Reunited Kingdom.

Etymology

Arvedui's name is Sindarin for "Last King" from ar meaning "royal, king", and medui (becoming lenited to vedui) meaning "last".

Genealogy

 
Isildur
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Araphant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ARVEDUI
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aranarth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Arahael
 
Preceded by:
Araphant
15th King of Arthedain
III 1964 - 1975
Followed by:
Realm Extinct
Aranarth as Chieftain
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)