Arathorn II

2010-05-12T01:23:16Z

200.131.24.150: /* Genealogy */

{{royalty infobox
|image=[[Image:Arathorn Born of Hope.jpg]]
|name=Arathorn II
|othernames=
|birth= [[Third Age 2873|T.A. 2873]]
|rule= [[Third Age 2930|T.A. 2930]]
|death= [[Third Age 2933|T.A. 2933]]
|age= 60
|realms= [[Rangers of the North]]
|race=[[Men]]
|gender=Male
|height=
|hair=
|eyes=
|}}{{Pronounce|Arathorn.mp3|Ardamir}}
{{quote|Arathorn is a stern man [...] and will be chieftain sooner than men looked for; yet my heart forbodes that he will be short-lived.|[[Dírhael]]<ref name="Av">{{App|Tale}}</ref>}}

'''Arathorn II''' ([[Third Age|T.A.]] 2873 - 2933, died aged 60) was the fifteenth [[Chieftain of the Dúnedain]] and succeeded his father, [[Arador]], when he was killed in [[Third Age 2930|T.A. 2930]]. He was the father of [[Aragorn II]], King of the [[Reunited Kingdom]].
==History==
Arathorn first appears in the annals at the age of fifty-six, in [[Third Age 2929|T.A. 2929]], seeking [[Gilraen]] as his wife. She was only twenty-two, so her father, [[Dírhael]], opposed the marriage. He also warned that Arathorn would not live long. Yet [[Ivorwen]], Gilraen's mother, was gifted with foresight and perceived that hope would be born from their marriage for the people of the [[Dúnedain]]. Thus, Gilraen and Arathorn married.

The next year, [[Third Age 2930|T.A. 2930]], [[Arador]], Arathorn's father, was slain by [[trolls]], and Arathorn became Chieftain. A year later, Gilraen bore him a son, who they named [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]]. Young Aragorn would never know his father; in [[Third Age 2933|T.A. 2933]], Arathorn went hunting orcs, but was shot through the eye and killed. Gilraen took their son to [[Rivendell]] to be fostered by [[Elrond]].

Arathorn II served as [[Chieftain of the Dúnedain]] for just three years. He was succeeded by his only son, who would become [[Aragorn II|Chieftain Aragorn II]], and in time King Elessar of the [[Reunited Kingdom of the Dúnedain]].

==Etymology==
Arathorn is likely named after his ancestor, [[Arathorn I]]. In a [[Letter 347|letter]] dated [[1972]], [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] gave the name the meaning "Eagle King" (from ''[[aran]]'' "king" and ''[[thoron]]'' "eagle").<ref>{{L|347}}</ref> However, in work written in the late 50's (published in [[Parma Eldalamberon]] 17, [[2007]]), Tolkien gave "Steadfast King" (from ''[[aran]]'' "king" and ''thorn'' "steadfast") instead. Which stands is uncertain.

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Arathorn II