 | |
| Gondorian | |
| Mardil | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Voronwë (Q, "Steadfast") |
| Titles | Steward of Gondor, Ruling Steward |
| Location | Gondor |
| Language | Westron, Sindarin |
| Birth | T.A. 1960 |
| Rule | T.A. 2050 - 2080 (30 years) |
| Death | T.A. 2080 (aged 120) |
| Family | |
| House | House of Húrin |
| Parentage | Vorondil |
| Children | Eradan[1] |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Gallery | Images of Mardil |
Mardil Voronwë (Third Age 1960[2] – 2080,[3]) was Steward under the kings Eärnil II and Eärnur,[4] and then became the first Ruling Steward of Gondor.
History
In T.A. 2029, Mardil succeeded his father Vorondil[5] as the Steward of Gondor (a tradition begun with his grandfather Pelendur).[6].
When Eärnil II died in T.A. 2043 and Eärnur ascended to the throne, the King of Minas Morgul (the Witch-king of Angmar) challenged him to single combat. Mardil was able to restrain Eärnur's wrath at that time, but in T.A. 2050 the King of Morgul renewed his challenge, adding taunts that Eärnur had added the weakness of age to the faint heard of his youth. Mardil was powerless to prevent Eärnur from riding to Minas Morgul; he and his small escort were never heard from again.[7]
Eärnur had died unmarried with no heirs. Royal descendants had become few and no claimant for the throne could be found of pure Númenórean blood, or whose claim all would accept, and people were afraid of a new Kin-strife that would devastate the kingdom. Thus, by default, Mardil began the line of Ruling Stewards of Gondor.[7]
Each new Stewards took office with the oath "to hold rod and rule in the name of the king, until he shall return". This oath would be sworn by all of the Ruling Stewards.[8]
Mardil received the epithet Voronwë, which means "the Steadfast" in Quenya.[9] One of his works was to introduce and establish the Stewards' Reckoning in Gondor. He inserted two leap-days in the year T.A. 2050.[10] After Mardil the Stewards of Gondor no longer took names in Quenya (High-elven[11]), but took names in Sindarin instead.[9]
Etymology
Mardil is Quenya for "Devoted to the House" (of the Kings),[12] being a combination of mar(da) ("house") and the suffix -(n)dil ("friend", "lover", "devoted to").[13]
His epithet Voronwë is Quenya for "the Steadfast".[9] This could be the noun voronwë ("steadfastness")[14] used as a name.[15]
Genealogy
Portrayal in adaptations
Mardil in adaptations
-
Mardil in The Lord of the Rings Online
2019: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- Mardil appears in a flashback depicting the fate of King Eärnur. In the flashback, the messenger of Minas Morgul succeeds in delivering the Witch-king's second challenge by revealing the wight of Egalmoth the Lord of Minas Ithil, Mardil's cousin, causing the Steward to turn away in grief and disgust long enough for Eärnur to accept the challenge.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Ruling Stewards, entry for Eradan, p. 1039
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", The Ruling Stewards of Gondor, 1. Mardil Voronwë, p. 204
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Ruling Stewards, entry for Mardil, p. 1039
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Kings of Gondor, entries for Eärnil II and Eärnur, p. 1039
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Stewards of Gondor, entry for Vorondil the Hunter, p. 1039
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", "The Stewards", first paragraph, p. 1053
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for Eärnur, p. 1053
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", "The Stewards", second paragraph, p. 1053
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Stewards of Gondor, entry for Steward Mardil Voronwë, p. 1039
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix D, "The Calendars", p. 1108
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of the Elves", first paragraph
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Note 118 to Letter 297, (dated August 1967)
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Mardil m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon, accessed 5 February 2022
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), entry Q Voronwë, p. 115
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Voronwë m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon, accessed 27 May 2026
Born | Mardil | Died |
Preceded by | Vacant Next held by: Faramir, 969 years later | |
None Position established | Followed by |