Tar-Ancalimë

From Tolkien Gateway
Tar-Ancalimë
Númenórean
Sara M. Morello - Queen Ancalime the Princess Shepherdess.jpg
"Queen Ancalime the Princess Shepherdess" by Sara M. Morello
Biographical Information
Other namesEmerwen Aranel (Q, "Princess Shepherdess")[1]
TitlesRuling Queen of Númenor
LocationNúmenor
LanguageAdûnaic, Sindarin and Quenya
BirthS.A. 873
Armenelos
RuleS.A. 1075 - 1280 (205 years)[2]
DeathS.A. 1285[2] (aged 412)
Family
HouseHouse of Elros
ParentageAldarion and Erendis[3]
SpouseHallacar[2]
ChildrenAnárion[2]
Physical Description
GenderFemale
GalleryImages of Tar-Ancalimë

Tar-Ancalimë was the seventh ruler and first Ruling Queen of Númenor, her reign lasted for 205 years, longest after that of Elros Tar-Minyatur.[2]

History[edit | edit source]

Tar-Ancalimë was born in S.A. 873[2] as the first and only child of the King's Heir, Aldarion and his wife Erendis.[4]

When Ancalimë was four years old her father left his family to return to the sea with the promise that he would return in two years. When he left, Erendis took Ancalimë from Armenelos to the White House of Erendis to be raised in the pastures of Emerië. Erendis, who already felt that her husband loved the sea more than her grew bitter during the years he was gone. Ancalimë was educated by her mother. She learned the Elven-tongue and that became her primary language as Erendis disliked Adûnaic, the language used by Aldarion. In reading scrolls and books she learned much of Númenor and its ancient history. Ancalimë's only childhood companion was Zamîn. Erendis had become bitter towards men and sought to feed her daughter with her own bitterness. Ancalimë saw few men in her childhood. She saw no one save her mother and few servants. Most of these servants were female and the few who weren't lived at a homestead a distance away.[4]

Her first encounter with a boy was in the summer of her seventh year when a boy older than her came to the house on an errand from a distant farm. Noticing her staring at him, he offered her a loaf of bread. Zamîn saw him and told him to be off. After he left Ancalimë asked Zamîn "What noisy thing was that?" Zamîn told her it was a boy and Ancalimë asked if the boy had a father and Zamîn told her that the boy's father was one of the venturers who had gone with her father Tar-Aldarion. This was the first time she had heard anything of her father and later asked her mother if it was true that Aldarion was her father and when he would return, angering Erendis.[4]

When Ancalimë was nine years old her father returned to Númenor. Ancalimë who had not seen him for five years had no memory of him. It was here at their reunion that Aldarion first promised to make her his heir though at the time, under the old law of succession this was not possible. Aldarion then rode to Armenelos to meet with the King, Tar-Meneldur who announced he was resigning and passed the Sceptre to Aldarion. A few days later a letter arrived at Emerië from Tar-Meneldur commanding that Erendis return to Armenelos and bring Ancalimë with her. Erendis refused to come but allowed Ancalimë to go.[4]

Ancalimë's personality was similar to her mother's due to being raised primarily by her but she shared many traits too with her father. Like her father she resolute and obstinate when it came to politics. She understood Aldarion's anger towards Erendis but also believed her mother was right with her treatment towards him when he returned. She shared in Erendis' dislike towards men, and had a dislike for marriage, especially obligatory marriage. She had something of her mother's coldness and sense of personal injury, but she was less prim than Erendis and liked jewels, music, admiration, and deference.[1]

Little is known of her life between the year her father returned and the year she became Queen, but it is said that she spent her days in both Emerië and Armenelos and Queen Almarian took a great liking to her while she drifted apart from Erendis, who she found irksome.[1]

In S.A. 892, Tar-Aldarion changed the Law of Succession in Númenor, he did this not just out of caring for his daughter but also for "reasons of private concern rather than policy" and out of his "long resolve to defeat Erendis". Under the new law the King's Heir would be the eldest child of the King or Queen regardless of gender. At just nineteen years old Ancalimë was proclaimed the King's heir.[1]

She withdrew to the countryside to a land near Emerië on the borders of the land of Hallatan of Hyarastorni, rejecting all the many suitors who sought her royal hand. While she was dwelling in the sheep-lands of Númenor she acquired the title Emerwen Aranel, which is Quenya for "Princess Shepherdess".[1]

Though she rejected her courting nobles, she grew close to a shepherd by the name of Mámandil. She could tell that he was beginning to fall for her, but she ignored his hinting until he openly declared his love for her. She withdrew and refused saying that she could not marry him as she was the King's Heir. Mámandil simply laughed and revealed that he was not a simple farmer and indeed Hallatan, of the Line of Elros. His deceit greatly angered her, and she again rejected him stating that she did not wish to marry anybody not least him.[1]

In the end she did wed Hallatan in the year S.A. 1000, though not out of love. Several stories tell of her reasons for marrying him; in one his persistence combined with the Council's urgings convinced her, in another her cousin Soronto, tried to argue that she could not be made Queen under the law as she was unwed so she married him to spite him, in another the law that the Queen must be married had been rescinded but she was still required to have children or else Soronto would have claim to the Sceptre when she died. However, it was clear that she did not wish to be married and so their marriage was an unhappy one.[1]

Ancalimë had forbidden her serving-women to marry, but Hallacar arranged their weddings and a wedding feast at his house in Emerië in secret and invited Ancalimë. When Ancalimë arrived with her serving-women and learned the true nature of the feast, she was furious and refused to attend. It was too far for her to ride back alone, so she listened to the laughter of the feast from her chamber alone, imagining it to be mockery directed at her. Afterwards Ancalimë hated Hallacar.[1]

She became the first Ruling Queen of Númenor in S.A. 1075. Her father died in S.A. 1098 and afterward she neglected the policies of her father and no longer provided help to Gil-Galad in Lindon.[1] In S.A. 1280 she surrendered the throne to her son Tar-Anárion. She died in S.A. 1285, at the age of 412 years.[2]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Ancalimë (pron. [aŋˈkalime]) is a Quenya name. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it means "Brightest" as a feminised form of ancalima ("brightest"),[5], which consists of the superlative or intensive prefix an- and the element calima ("bright").[6] It is possible that her parents gave her this name, because she was beautiful even from birth.[4] Like all the rulers of Númenor who took their royal names in Quenya, Ancalimë added the prefix tar- ("high") to her name when she received the Sceptre.[7]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vardamir Nólimon
S.A. 61 - 471
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Amandil
192 - 603
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nolondil
b. 222
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Elendil
350 - 751
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Axantur
b. 395
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beregar
unknown
 
Núneth
unknown
 
Tar-Meneldur
543 - 942
 
Almarian
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cemendur
b. 575
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Erendis
771 - 985
 
Tar-Aldarion
700 - 1098
 
Ailinel
b. 712
 
Orchaldor
unknown
 
Almiel
b. 729
 
Hallatan
b. 711
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Soronto
b. 799
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TAR-ANCALIMË
873 - 1285
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hallacar
852 - 1211
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Anárion
1003 - 1404
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Two daughters
unknown
 
Tar-Súrion
1174 - 1574
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

Tar-Ancalimë
House of Elros
Born: S.A. 873 Died: S.A. 1285
Preceded by:
Tar-Aldarion
7th Ruler/1st Ruling Queen of Númenor
S.A. 1075 - 1280
Followed by:
Tar-Anárion


Kings of Númenor
Elros Tar-Minyatur (S.A. 32 - 442) · Tar-Vardamir* (442) · Tar-Amandil (442 - 590) · Tar-Elendil (590 - 740) · Tar-Meneldur (740 - 883) · Tar-Aldarion (883 - 1075) · Tar-AncalimëQ (1075 - 1280) · Tar-Anárion (1280 - 1394) · Tar-Súrion (1394 - 1556) · Tar-TelperiënQ (1556 - 1731) · Tar-Minastir (1731 - 1869) · Tar-Ciryatan (1869 - 2029) · Tar-Atanamir (2029 - 2221) · Tar-Ancalimon (2221 - 2386) · Tar-Telemmaitë (2386 - 2526) · Tar-VanimeldëQ (2526 - 2637) · Tar-Anducal (2637 - 2657) · Tar-Alcarin (2657 - 2737) · Tar-Calmacil (2737 - 2825) · Tar-Ardamin (2825 - 2899) · Ar-Adûnakhôr (2899 - 2962) · Ar-Zimrathôn (2962 - 3033) · Ar-Sakalthôr (3033 - 3102) · Ar-Gimilzôr (3102 - 3177) · Tar-Palantir (3177 - 3255) · Ar-Pharazôn (3255 - 3319)
* Immediately abdicated in favour of his son · Q Ruling Queens · Usurped throne. Later struck off the Line of Kings · Usurped throne from his cousin Tar-Míriel