Silmariën

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 03:41, 16 July 2006 by Ebakunin (talk | contribs)

Silmariën (born Second Age 521) 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.

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, 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.

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).

Genealogy

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