Silmariën

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Silmariën
Númenórean
Biographical Information
BirthS.A. 521[1]
Family
ParentageTar-Elendil
SiblingsIsilmë, Tar-Meneldur
SpouseElatan
ChildrenValandil
Physical Description
GenderFemale
GalleryImages of Silmariën

Silmariën was the first child of Tar-Elendil, the fourth King of Númenor. Because of the law of agnatic primogeniture, she could not succeed her father and instead her brother took up the Sceptre as Tar-Meneldur.[2][3]

Silmariën wed Elatan of Andúnië, and in honor of their son Valandil, her father created the royal title of Lord of Andúnië. Thus her heirs became a royal line of Númenor[3], and centuries later they led the Faithful to Middle-earth to found the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. Aragorn, the hero of the War of the Ring, is her direct descendant through many generations.

For unknown reasons Tar-Elendil gave his eldest daughter the Ring of Barahir, as opposed to her brother, the heir to the Sceptre. Silmariën also was given a mithril fillet, though it is not recorded by whom. The fillet would become part of the Elendilmir, a sign of royalty in Númenor and later the crown of the Kingdom of Arnor.

Genealogy

             Tar-Elendil   
                 |                                      
     ____________|_________________
    |                   |          |            
    |                   |          |                       
SILMARIËN = Elatan   Isilmë    Tar-Meneldur = Almarian
          |                                 |
          |                                 |
       Valandil                        Tar-Aldarion

Etymology

Silmariën's name is difficult to translate, but might mean "She of the Shining Light" in Quenya (an assimilation of silima = the miraculous material that the Silmarils were made of, and -iën = feminine suffix).

Other versions of the legendarium

Silmariën was definitely the eldest child of Tar-Elendil, and her birthdate is given in The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor as S.A. 521. In the Tale of Years, it is given as 548, a date that goes back to the first drafts of that text whose revision was overlooked by Tolkien.

References