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{{quote|[[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] saw her whom few [[mortals]] had yet seen; '''Arwen''', daughter of [[Elrond]], in whom it was said that the likeness of [[Lúthien]] had come on earth again; and she was called [[Undómiel]], for she was the [[Evenstar]] of her people.|''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', [[Many Meetings]]}}
{{sources}}
 
{{half-elf infobox
{{half-elf infobox
| image=[[Image:John_Howe_-_Arwen.jpg|250px]]
| image=[[File:John Howe - Arwen.jpg|250px]]
| name=Arwen
| name=Arwen
| quenya=
| pronun=
| titles=Undómiel, Evenstar, Queen of Gondor
| othernames=''Undómiel'' ([[Quenya|Q]], "Evenstar")
| birth=[[Third Age 241|T.A. 241]], [[Rivendell]]
| titles=Queen of Gondor
| realm=[[Imladris]], [[Gondor]]
| location=[[Rivendell]], [[Lothlórien]], [[Reunited Kingdom]]
| death=[[Fourth Age 121|F.A. 121]]
| position=
| age=2,901 years
| affiliation=
| gender=Female
| language=Primarily [[Sindarin]]<ref name="Languages">{{App|Elves}}</ref>
| birth={{TA|241}}
| birthlocation=
| rule={{TA|3019}} - {{FoA|120}}
| death={{FoA|121}}
| deathlocation=[[Cerin Amroth]], [[Lothlórien]]
| age=2,901
| notablefor=
| house=[[Rivendell|House of Elrond]]
| heritage=[[Half-elven]] father, [[Elves|Elf]] mother
| parentage=[[Elrond]] and [[Celebrían]]
| parentage=[[Elrond]] and [[Celebrían]]
| heritage=[[Half-elven]] father, [[Elf]] mother
| siblings=[[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]]
| spouse=[[Aragorn II]]
| spouse=[[Aragorn]]
| children=[[Eldarion]] and several daughters
| children=[[Eldarion]] and several daughters
| hair=Dark
| gender=Female
|}}
| height=
'''Arwen Undómiel''', often called '''Arwen Evenstar''', was the betrothed of [[Aragorn II]] in [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien's]] ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. She is the daughter of [[Elrond]] and [[Celebrían]] (and therefore grand-daughter of [[Galadriel]]). She rejects her [[Elves|Elven]] immortality (which she had the ability to do, since she was a [[half-elven|half-elf]], thus having the choice to be counted as an elf or a man) to marry Aragorn and die with him.
| hair=Dark<ref name="Many">{{FR|Meetings}}</ref>
| eyes=Grey<ref name="Many"/>
| clothing=Grey raiment with girdle of silver leaves;<ref name="Many"/> silver and blue mantle<ref name="Tale">{{App|A1v}}</ref>
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
{{quote|[[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] saw her whom few [[mortals]] had yet seen; '''Arwen''', daughter of [[Elrond]], in whom it was said that the likeness of [[Lúthien]] had come on earth again; and she was called [[Undómiel]], for she was the Evenstar of her people.|''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', [[Many Meetings]]<ref name="Many">{{FR|II1}}</ref>}}
'''Arwen Undómiel''' (''Arwen'' is [[Sindarin|S]], pron. {{IPA|[ˈarwen]}}; ''Undómiel'' is [[Quenya|Q]], pron. {{IPA|[unˈdoːmi.el]}}), often called '''Arwen Evenstar''', was the betrothed of [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]]. She is the daughter of [[Elrond]] and [[Celebrían]].  
 
She was considered to be the fairest of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]], resembling [[Lúthien]] of the [[First Age]] who would never again appear in [[Middle-earth]]. Her romance with [[Aragorn]] was reminiscent of that between the Man [[Beren]] and the Elf Lúthien.  Few other marriages between Man and Elf were known. Like Lúthien, she rejected her [[Elves|Elven]] immortality to marry Aragorn and die with him.


== History ==
== History ==
The romance between Aragorn and Arwen is reminiscent of that between the Man [[Beren Erchamion|Beren]] and the Elf [[Lúthien]], but as with many other tales of the Third Age, theirs is considered to be a pale copy of the deeds of earlier ages (Lúthien, for example, once defeated [[Sauron]] to rescue Beren). Still, few other marriages between Man and Elf are recorded in the annals of Tolkien.  
[[File:Anna Lee - Evenstar.jpg|thumb|left|Anna Lee - ''Evenstar'']]
Arwen was born in {{TA|241}} and was the younger sister of [[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]]. From her mother she inherited the [[Elfstone]].<ref name="CG">{{UT|6}}</ref> As a [[Half-elven]] she shared the right of her father to choose her fate. She lived most of her life in her homestead in [[Imladris]] or [[Lothlórien]] with her grandparents.  


A very young Aragorn encountered Arwen for the first time at [[Rivendell]], where he had been living; she had been staying with her grandmother in [[Lórien in Middle-earth|Lórien]]. He fell in love with her when he first saw her, but it was not until they met many years later in Lórien that she fell in love with him.
Her father fostered the sons of the [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain]], who were the exiled [[Heir of Isildur|Heirs of Isildur]]. It was in {{TA|2951}} when she returned from Lothlórien to Rivendell when she met a young foster-son of her father, [[Aragorn]]. The young [[Dúnadan]] fell in love when he first saw her, but Elrond insisted that Arwen could not marry Aragorn until he became king of both [[Gondor]] and [[Arnor]]. Whatever Arwen's choice, she would be parted from either Elrond or Aragorn for ever.
[[File:Stephen Hickman - Aragorn and Arwen.jpg|thumb|left|Stephen Hickman - ''Aragorn and Arwen'']]
It was not until they met many years later in Lórien that she returned in love, and in {{TA|2980}} they plighted their troth on [[Cerin Amroth]]. Aragorn gave her the [[Ring of Barahir]]. After Aragorn left for his travels and deeds, Arwen continually served as inspiration and motivation for him, who had to become King before he could wed her and devoted many long years to this cause.<ref name="Tale"/>


Arwen's first appearance in ''The Lord of the Rings'' is at Rivendell, when the [[Hobbit|Hobbits]] arrive there, and Aragorn is seen with her at one point—the first hint of their relationship. Later, when the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] come to [[Lórien in Middle-earth|Lothlórien]], he remembers their earlier meeting.
When Aragorn brought the [[Hobbits]] to [[Rivendell]], during the [[War of the Ring]], he reunited with Arwen. [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] saw Aragorn with her at one point—the first hint of their relationship.<ref name="Many"/> Later, when the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] came to [[Lothlórien]], Aragorn  remembered their earlier meeting on Cerin Amroth. When the Fellowship departed and [[Galadriel]] offered them [[gifts of Galadriel|her gifts]], Arwen's Elfstone was the gift for Aragorn, which he would wear ever after.<ref>{{FR|II8}}</ref>. This giving held the function of a wedding gift from the family of the bride to the groom, foretelling his marriage to Arwen.<ref>{{MR|Laws}}</ref>


She enters the story again when, before taking to the [[Paths of the Dead]], Aragorn is met by a group consisting of [[Dúnedain]], his people, from the North, and Arwen's brothers, [[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]]. They bring to him a banner on black cloth: a gift made by the hands of Arwen, and a sign that encourages him to take the difficult path. When it is unfurled at the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] to reveal the emblem of [[Elendil]] in ''[[mithril]]'', gems, and gold, it is the first triumphant announcement of the King's return.
When [[Éowyn]] fell in love with Aragorn it was his fidelity to Arwen that forbade him from reciprocating, thereby motivating Éowyn's subsequent actions.
[[File:Shyangell - Arwen Undomiel.jpg|thumb|Shyangell - ''Arwen Undomiel'']]
While Aragorn was out in the War, Arwen made, with her hands, the [[Livery of Elendil]] in [[mithril]], gems and gold on black cloth. This was taken by her brothers and a group of [[Rangers of the North]] to Aragorn before taking the [[Paths of the Dead]], and was an encouraging sign for him to take the difficult path.<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref> It was unfurled at the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] to triumphantly announce the King's return.<ref>{{RK|V6}}</ref>
[[File:Janka Latečková - King and his Queen.jpg|thumb|left|Janka Latečková - ''King and his Queen'']]
Aragorn wed Arwen after the War of the Ring when he finally became a King of the new [[Reunited Kingdom]]. Arwen chose a fate different from her father's and did not sail to the [[Aman|West]]. As Queen of Gondor, Arwen bore one son, [[Eldarion]], and several daughters. Even after Aragorn's death, Arwen did not repent, and eventually gave up her life in {{FoA|121}}, at [[Cerin Amroth]] in Lórien, and she was buried there.<ref name="Tale"/>


Arwen is mostly a minor character in Tolkien's ''Lord of the Rings'', but she is nevertheless described in detail in the Appendices after the third volume, ''[[The Return of the King]]''. She does, however, play a role in the plot which is disproportionate to the number of scenes in which she appears. When [[Éowyn]] falls in love with Aragorn it is his fidelity to Arwen that forbids him from reciprocating, thereby motivating Éowyn's subsequent actions during the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] which have major repercussions for the defence of Middle-earth. Arwen continually serves as inspiration and motivation for Aragorn, who must become King before he may wed her&mdash;not an insignificant task, considering the many long years he devotes to this cause.  
== Genealogy ==
[[File:Abe Papakhian - Lord of Rivendell.jpg|thumb|Arwen in Rivendell]]
Arwen was actually a very distant relative of Aragorn, being his first cousin sixty-three times removed. By their marriage, the long-sundered lines of the [[Half-elven]] were joined. Their union also served to unite and preserve the bloodlines of the Three Kings of the High Elves ([[Ingwë]], [[Finwë]], and brothers [[Olwë]] and [[Elwë]]) as well as the only line with [[Maiar]]in blood through Arwen's great-great-great grandmother, [[Melian]].


Arwen was actually a very distant relative of Aragorn, being his first cousin sixty-three times removed. By their marriages the long-sundered lines of the [[Half-elven]] were joined. Their union also served to unite and preserve the bloodlines of the Three Kings of the High Elves ([[Ingwë]], [[Finwë]], and brothers [[Olwë]] and [[Elwë]]) as well as the only line with [[Maiar]] blood through Arwen's great-great-great grandmother, [[Melian]].
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree |EAR|y|ELW| |CEL|y|GAL|EAR=[[Eärendil]]|ELW=[[Elwing]]|CEL=[[Celeborn]]|GAL=[[Galadriel]]}}
{{familytree | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{familytree |ELS| |ELD|~|y|~|CLB| | |ELS=[[Elros]]|ELD=[[Elrond]]|CLB=[[Celebrían]]}}
{{familytree | |:| | | |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|.| |}}
{{familytree |ARG|~|ARW| |ELR| |ELL|ARG=[[Aragorn|Aragorn II]]|ARW='''ARWEN'''|ELR=[[Elrohir]]|ELL=[[Elladan]]}}
{{familytree/end}}
== Etymology ==
{{Pronounce|Arwen Undomiel.mp3|Ardamir}}
'''''Arwen''''' means "Noble Maiden" in [[Sindarin]] (from ''[[ara]]-'' = "noble" and ''[[gwenn]]'' = "maiden").<ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 205</ref>


Arwen gave up her life in 121 of the Fourth Age, at [[Cerin Amroth]] in Lórien, after the death of Aragorn.
The [[Quenya]] form of her name is not entirely certain, but in his Quenya greeting, Aragorn refers to her again as "Arwen" (''Arwen vanimelda, namárië!'').<ref>{{FR|Farewell}}</ref> This suggests that the form '''Arwen''' itself is also coincidentally a valid, or at least understandable, Quenya calque (using ''[[ar]]-'', stem ''Arwend-'').


== Etymology ==
Her [[epessë]], '''[[Undómiel]]''', means "Evenstar", from ''[[Undómë]]'' "evening twilight" and ''[[elen|el]]'' "star".
''Arwen'' means "Noble Maiden" in [[Sindarin]] (from ''[[ara]]-'' = "noble" and ''[[wen]]'' = "maiden"). Her [[epessë]], "'''Undómiel'''", means "Evenstar", from ''Undómë'' "evening twilight" and ''[[elen|el]]'' "star".


== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
[[Image:Arwen from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings.jpg|thumb|left|[[Liv Tyler]] plays as Arwen in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] Trilogy.]]
{{Gallery
Arwen does not appear in [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s 1978 adaptation of ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]'', nor in the 1980 [[Rankin/Bass]] adaptation of ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.
|title=Arwen in adaptations
|height=150
|width=250
|lines=2
|File:Arwen viv lotr.JPG|[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]
|File:The Lord of the Rings (film series) - Arwen 3.jpg|[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]
|File:Arwen-LOTRO.jpg|[[Arwen]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''
}}
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
:Arwen does not appear.


In [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings|''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy]], Arwen is played by [[Liv Tyler]]. Various additional scenes pertaining to Arwen are inserted, some of which deviate from the books and some of which seem inspired by the ''Tale of Aragorn and Arwen''.
'''1981: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:Arwen is voiced by [[Sonia Fraser]].


In the first film, she sneaks up to find Aragorn and single-handedly rescues [[Frodo Baggins]] from the [[Black Riders]] at [[Bruinen]], thwarting them with a sudden flood, summoned by an incantation. In the book, it was [[Glorfindel]] who put Frodo on horseback and sent him alone to flee the Black Riders, and Elrond and [[Gandalf]] who arranged the flood. In the book, Frodo makes his own stand against the Black Riders; in the movie Arwen defends him. During this flight, Arwen wields the sword Hadhafang, stated to have once been wielded by her father in film merchandise. This sword, however, does not appear in the books at all; in fact, in the books, Arwen is never mentioned as armed (but she ''could'' have armed and defended herself as needed; see below).
'''2002: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (video game)]]:'''
:Arwen appears in Rivendell after the [[Council of Elrond]]. She has a brief dialogue with Aragorn, and recites several lines from the [[The Riddle of Strider|Riddle of Strider]]. No voice actress is specified, but it is likely [[Kath Soucie]].  


Following the aforementioned scenes, the deviations include a scene in which Aragorn is injured and has a dream about Arwen (who kisses him), a scene where Arwen has a fight with her father about leaving for [[Valinor]], and a scene where she (with [[Figwit]]) actually departs for Valinor and then suddenly returns when she sees an image of her future son, Eldarion. (In the books, it can hardly have been surprising to Arwen that she and Aragorn might have children together, since she herself is the descendant of two similar unions.)
'''2001-03: [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]:'''


Also, and perhaps most importantly, she apparently becomes sick with grief in the film version of ''The Return of the King'' — possibly over Aragorn's seemingly hopeless cause and his impending death — soon after she rides back from the road to the [[Grey Havens]]. Elrond takes the reforged [[Narsil]], now [[Andúril]], to Aragorn at Dunharrow, and tells him that her fate has become bound with the [[One Ring]], and that she is dying. However, no explanation is ever given for these statements, not even in the Extended Editions. Later, after the Ring is destroyed, Arwen shows up at Aragorn's coronation looking no worse for wear.
Arwen is played by [[Liv Tyler]]. Various additional scenes pertaining to Arwen are inserted, some of which deviate from the books and some of which seem inspired by ''[[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen]]''.  
   
====Reaction====
[[Image:Arwen.jpg|thumb|Arwen Evenstar]]
Arwen had a very small visible role in the books outside of the [[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen|Appendix]] (due to Tolkien conceiving the character late in the writing; Aragorn was originally supposed to marry Éowyn, as related in ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]''). In addition to making Arwen a more visible character, the change employs the principle of "economy of characters". Characters like [[Glorfindel]] (the Elf who helps Frodo by lending him his horse and later aiding his companions in driving the Ringwraiths into the water in the book), who appear once and perform only a few tasks, are often excised from film interpretations.


In earlier copies of the script (when the movies were supposed to be filmed in two parts under a different production company), Arwen actually fought in the [[Battle of the Hornburg|Battle of Helm's Deep]] and brought the sword [[Andúril]] to Aragorn. Some attribute the elimination of her character from the sequence to an early script leak. Another story is that [[Liv Tyler]] herself felt that the character's involvement in Helm's Deep was inappropriate, and convinced Jackson and his team to leave her out of the sequence, although the team did film at least part of her planned appearance at Helm's Deep.
In the first film, she rescues [[Frodo Baggins]] from the [[Nazgûl|Black Riders]] at [[Bruinen]], thwarting them with a sudden flood, summoned by an incantation. In the book, it was [[Glorfindel]] who put Frodo on horseback and sent him alone to flee the Black Riders, and Elrond and [[Gandalf]] arranged the flood. Also, in the book, Frodo defends himself against the Black Riders, whereas in the movie Arwen defends him. Arwen wields the sword [[Hadhafang]],a non-canonical sword that belonged to her father.  


These changes have met with mixed reactions. Many fans were upset because they seemed to pander to the lowest common denominator — that in order to make Arwen a "worthwhile" or "strong" character, she had to be a warrior — while in the books, her strength stems from her brave choice to forsake immortality and live a mortal life with Aragorn, which did not involve martial skill. Furthermore, there is already a skilled female warrior present in the story — namely Éowyn, but she first appears in the second part of the film trilogy.  Some fans felt it odd to make it a point to insert a female warrior into a story which already had a prominent one, because this detracts from Éowyn's bravery in riding to battle. Also, he dominance at the Ford scene detracts from Frodo's bravery in the book (though admittedly the film Frodo is barely conscious - a case of Jackson "upping the ante").  However, in the second and third films in which Éowyn appears, Arwen's martial abilities are not shown at all.
There are  scene in which Aragorn has a dream about Arwen in which they kiss, a scene where Arwen has an argument with her father about leaving for [[Valinor]], and a scene where she actually departs for Valinor and then changes her mind and returns when she sees a vision of her future son, Eldarion.  


Some criticize ''The Lord of the Rings'' for including few named female characters (though of course unnamed women are present, along with unnamed men) and thus accuse Tolkien of sexism. However, in the essay ''Laws and Customs among the Eldar'', which appears in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'', Tolkien writes that male and female Elves are in fact viewed in Elven society as equals, save for the fact that only the females are capable of childbearing and are thus viewed as literally holding the future of their people in their hands. It is for this reason that they traditionally refrain from going to war (although they are still trained in all the aspects of combat taught to male Elves), usually occupying themselves during wartime as healers. As the text itself states:
In addition, towards the end of the cinematic trilogy she apparently becomes sick with grief possibly over Aragorn's seemingly hopeless cause and his impending death. Elrond takes the reforged [[Narsil]], now [[Andúril]], to Aragorn at Dunharrow, and tells him that her fate has become bound with [[the One Ring]], and that she is dying. However, no explanation is ever given for these statements. Later, after the Ring is destroyed, Arwen is present at Aragorn's coronation without any signs of illness.


:''In all such things, not concerned with the bringing forth of children, the ''neri'' and ''nissi'' (that is, the men and women) of the Eldar are equal – unless it be in this (as they themselves say) that for the ''nissi'' the making of things new is for the most part shown in the forming of their children, so that invention and change is otherwise mostly brought about by the ''neri''. There are, however, no matters which among the Eldar only a ''nér'' can think or do, or others with which only a ''nís'' is concerned. There are indeed some differences between the natural inclinations of ''neri'' and ''nissi'', and other differences that have been established by custom (varying in place and in time, and in the several races of the Eldar). For instance, the arts of healing, and all that touches on the care of the body, are among the Eldar most practised by the ''nissi''; whereas it was the elven-men who bore arms at need. And the Eldar deemed that the dealing of death, even when lawful or under necessity, diminished the power of healing, and that the virtue of the ''nissi'' in this matter was due rather to their abstaining from hunting or war than to any special power that went with their womanhood. Indeed in dire straits or desperate defence, the ''nissi'' fought valiantly, and there was less difference in strength in speed between elven-men and elven-women that had not borne child that is seen among mortals. On the other hand many elven-men were great healers and skilled in the lore of living bodies, though such men abstained from hunting, and went not to war until the last need.'' '''''(Morgoth's Ring, The Second Phase, Laws and Customs Among the Eldar)'''''
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Arwen is a non-playable character and can be found in a gazebo overlooking the path from Rivendell into the Misty Mountains. She was not involved in the main storyline - or any side-quests for that matter - until 2010, when she passed Halbarad the banner she had made for Aragorn during the Epic Book [[Oath of the Rangers]].
 
'''2011: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]'':'''
:Arwen resides in Rivendell, where players can discuss with her both historical and present subjects. While spotting appearance of [[Liv Tyler]], her role is closer to the book that in the movie: for example, she provides Halbarad and the Grey Company the banner she had made for Aragorn, an event omitted from movie adaptation. She is voiced by [[Courtenay Taylor]].


== See Also ==
== See Also ==
* [[:Category:Images of Arwen|Images of Arwen]]
* [[:Category:Images of Arwen|Images of Arwen]]


{{references}}
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Feminine names]]
[[Category:Fourth Age characters]]
[[Category:Half-elven]]
[[Category:Half-elven]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:House of Elrond]]
[[Category:House of Finarfin]]
[[Category:House of Olwë]]
[[Category:Gondorians]]
[[Category:Noldor]]
[[Category:Sindarin names]]
[[Category:Quenya names]]
[[de:Arwen]]
[[de:Arwen]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:elfes:semi-elfes:arwen]]
[[fi:Arwen]]
[[fi:Arwen]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:elfes:semi-elfes:arwen]]

Revision as of 09:14, 29 June 2015

"Who told you, and who sent you?" — Gandalf
This article or section needs more/new/more-detailed sources to conform to a higher standard and to provide proof for claims made.
Arwen
Half-elf
John Howe - Arwen.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesUndómiel (Q, "Evenstar")
TitlesQueen of Gondor
LocationRivendell, Lothlórien, Reunited Kingdom
LanguagePrimarily Sindarin[1]
BirthT.A. 241
RuleT.A. 3019 - Fo.A. 120
DeathFo.A. 121 (aged 2,901)
Cerin Amroth, Lothlórien
Family
HouseHouse of Elrond
HeritageHalf-elven father, Elf mother
ParentageElrond and Celebrían
SiblingsElladan and Elrohir
SpouseAragorn
ChildrenEldarion and several daughters
Physical Description
GenderFemale
Hair colorDark[2]
Eye colorGrey[2]
ClothingGrey raiment with girdle of silver leaves;[2] silver and blue mantle[3]
GalleryImages of Arwen
"Frodo saw her whom few mortals had yet seen; Arwen, daughter of Elrond, in whom it was said that the likeness of Lúthien had come on earth again; and she was called Undómiel, for she was the Evenstar of her people."
The Fellowship of the Ring, Many Meetings[2]

Arwen Undómiel (Arwen is S, pron. [ˈarwen]; Undómiel is Q, pron. [unˈdoːmi.el]), often called Arwen Evenstar, was the betrothed of Aragorn II. She is the daughter of Elrond and Celebrían.

She was considered to be the fairest of the Children of Ilúvatar, resembling Lúthien of the First Age who would never again appear in Middle-earth. Her romance with Aragorn was reminiscent of that between the Man Beren and the Elf Lúthien. Few other marriages between Man and Elf were known. Like Lúthien, she rejected her Elven immortality to marry Aragorn and die with him.

History

Anna Lee - Evenstar

Arwen was born in T.A. 241 and was the younger sister of Elladan and Elrohir. From her mother she inherited the Elfstone.[4] As a Half-elven she shared the right of her father to choose her fate. She lived most of her life in her homestead in Imladris or Lothlórien with her grandparents.

Her father fostered the sons of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, who were the exiled Heirs of Isildur. It was in T.A. 2951 when she returned from Lothlórien to Rivendell when she met a young foster-son of her father, Aragorn. The young Dúnadan fell in love when he first saw her, but Elrond insisted that Arwen could not marry Aragorn until he became king of both Gondor and Arnor. Whatever Arwen's choice, she would be parted from either Elrond or Aragorn for ever.

Stephen Hickman - Aragorn and Arwen

It was not until they met many years later in Lórien that she returned in love, and in T.A. 2980 they plighted their troth on Cerin Amroth. Aragorn gave her the Ring of Barahir. After Aragorn left for his travels and deeds, Arwen continually served as inspiration and motivation for him, who had to become King before he could wed her and devoted many long years to this cause.[3]

When Aragorn brought the Hobbits to Rivendell, during the War of the Ring, he reunited with Arwen. Frodo saw Aragorn with her at one point—the first hint of their relationship.[2] Later, when the Fellowship came to Lothlórien, Aragorn remembered their earlier meeting on Cerin Amroth. When the Fellowship departed and Galadriel offered them her gifts, Arwen's Elfstone was the gift for Aragorn, which he would wear ever after.[5]. This giving held the function of a wedding gift from the family of the bride to the groom, foretelling his marriage to Arwen.[6]

When Éowyn fell in love with Aragorn it was his fidelity to Arwen that forbade him from reciprocating, thereby motivating Éowyn's subsequent actions.

Shyangell - Arwen Undomiel

While Aragorn was out in the War, Arwen made, with her hands, the Livery of Elendil in mithril, gems and gold on black cloth. This was taken by her brothers and a group of Rangers of the North to Aragorn before taking the Paths of the Dead, and was an encouraging sign for him to take the difficult path.[7] It was unfurled at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields to triumphantly announce the King's return.[8]

Janka Latečková - King and his Queen

Aragorn wed Arwen after the War of the Ring when he finally became a King of the new Reunited Kingdom. Arwen chose a fate different from her father's and did not sail to the West. As Queen of Gondor, Arwen bore one son, Eldarion, and several daughters. Even after Aragorn's death, Arwen did not repent, and eventually gave up her life in Fo.A. 121, at Cerin Amroth in Lórien, and she was buried there.[3]

Genealogy

Arwen in Rivendell

Arwen was actually a very distant relative of Aragorn, being his first cousin sixty-three times removed. By their marriage, the long-sundered lines of the Half-elven were joined. Their union also served to unite and preserve the bloodlines of the Three Kings of the High Elves (Ingwë, Finwë, and brothers Olwë and Elwë) as well as the only line with Maiarin blood through Arwen's great-great-great grandmother, Melian.

Eärendil
 
Elwing
 
Celeborn
 
Galadriel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elros
 
Elrond
 
 
 
Celebrían
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aragorn II
 
ARWEN
 
Elrohir
 
Elladan
 

Etymology

Arwen means "Noble Maiden" in Sindarin (from ara- = "noble" and gwenn = "maiden").[9]

The Quenya form of her name is not entirely certain, but in his Quenya greeting, Aragorn refers to her again as "Arwen" (Arwen vanimelda, namárië!).[10] This suggests that the form Arwen itself is also coincidentally a valid, or at least understandable, Quenya calque (using ar-, stem Arwend-).

Her epessë, Undómiel, means "Evenstar", from Undómë "evening twilight" and el "star".

Portrayal in Adaptations

Arwen in adaptations

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Arwen does not appear.

1981: The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series):

Arwen is voiced by Sonia Fraser.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game):

Arwen appears in Rivendell after the Council of Elrond. She has a brief dialogue with Aragorn, and recites several lines from the Riddle of Strider. No voice actress is specified, but it is likely Kath Soucie.

2001-03: The Lord of the Rings (film series):

Arwen is played by Liv Tyler. Various additional scenes pertaining to Arwen are inserted, some of which deviate from the books and some of which seem inspired by The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen.

In the first film, she rescues Frodo Baggins from the Black Riders at Bruinen, thwarting them with a sudden flood, summoned by an incantation. In the book, it was Glorfindel who put Frodo on horseback and sent him alone to flee the Black Riders, and Elrond and Gandalf arranged the flood. Also, in the book, Frodo defends himself against the Black Riders, whereas in the movie Arwen defends him. Arwen wields the sword Hadhafang,a non-canonical sword that belonged to her father.

There are scene in which Aragorn has a dream about Arwen in which they kiss, a scene where Arwen has an argument with her father about leaving for Valinor, and a scene where she actually departs for Valinor and then changes her mind and returns when she sees a vision of her future son, Eldarion.

In addition, towards the end of the cinematic trilogy she apparently becomes sick with grief possibly over Aragorn's seemingly hopeless cause and his impending death. Elrond takes the reforged Narsil, now Andúril, to Aragorn at Dunharrow, and tells him that her fate has become bound with the One Ring, and that she is dying. However, no explanation is ever given for these statements. Later, after the Ring is destroyed, Arwen is present at Aragorn's coronation without any signs of illness.

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Arwen is a non-playable character and can be found in a gazebo overlooking the path from Rivendell into the Misty Mountains. She was not involved in the main storyline - or any side-quests for that matter - until 2010, when she passed Halbarad the banner she had made for Aragorn during the Epic Book Oath of the Rangers.

2011: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North:

Arwen resides in Rivendell, where players can discuss with her both historical and present subjects. While spotting appearance of Liv Tyler, her role is closer to the book that in the movie: for example, she provides Halbarad and the Grey Company the banner she had made for Aragorn, an event omitted from movie adaptation. She is voiced by Courtenay Taylor.

See Also

References