 | |
| Arnorian | |
| Aranarth | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Titles | Chieftain of the Dúnedain |
| Location | Rivendell |
| Language | Sindarin, Westron |
| Birth | T.A. 1938 |
| Rule | T.A. 1976 - 2106 |
| Death | T.A. 2106 (aged 168) |
| Family | |
| House | House of Isildur |
| Parentage | Arvedui and Fíriel |
| Siblings | At least one younger brother [note 1] |
| Children | Arahael, at least one other [note 2] |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Gallery | Images of Aranarth |
Aranarth (T.A. 1938[1][note 3] - 2106,[2] died aged 168) was the first of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, and would have been the sixteenth King of Arthedain had Angmar not destroyed the realm.
History
Aranarth was the son of Arvedui, the son of King Araphant of Arthedain,[2] and Fíriel, the daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor,[3][4] and as such, he was descended from both Isildur and Anárion.[5][6]
In T.A. 1974 when Aranarth was a young man, the Witch-king of Angmar overran Arthedain and conquered Fornost.[7] Most of the remnants of the Dúnedain fled over the Lune into Lindon. However, Aranarth's father held out upon the North Downs until he escaped to the north. After hiding in abandoned dwarf-mines in the Blue Mountains the King and his men sought the help of the Lossoth, who aided out of pity and fear.[8]
Aranarth reported to Círdan of the King's flight to the north. Círdan sent a ship to the Icebay of Forochel to seek and rescue him.[8] However, in T.A. 1975[9] a short time after Arvedui and his men had boarded the ship, a storm drove the ship against the ice and its hull was broken. Arvedui drowned and the two palantíri the King had taken with him during the fall of Fornost were lost in the sea.[8] As a result, Aranarth nominally became the King of Arthedain in exile in Lindon.
In the same year, the remnants of the Dúnedain, forces from Lindon and a large expeditionary force from Gondor, led by Eärnur, the son of King Eärnil of Gondor, destroyed the kingdom of Angmar.[10] However, the Kingdom of the Dúnedain of the north was discontinued, because there were now only few Dúnedain in the north and the population of Eriador was reduced.[11] Aranarth took the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain.[12]
Aranarth's son Arahael was born and raised in Rivendell, as were all the sons of chieftains after him; and Elrond was entrusted with the safekeeping of the heirlooms of the North-kingdom: the Ring of Barahir, the shards of Narsil, the Star of Elendil, and the Sceptre of Annúminas.[11]
Aranarth died in 2106, after ruling for 130 years - longer than any other chieftain.
Etymology
Aranarth is a Sindarin name. Its meaning is not glossed, but the Association Tolkiendil suggests it means "Noble King".[13] It is suggested to be a compound of aran ("king", "lord", "chief", [lit.] high or noble person) and arth ("noble"),[13] which may be related to the initial element of Arthedain.[14]
David Salo suggested that the final element could be *arth ("noble"), which would be cognate to Quenya arta.[15]
Genealogy
Other versions of the legendarium
A late manuscript of what would later become Appendix A lists Aranarth's date of birth as T.A. 1938,[1] but in the same manuscript,[16] as well as in Appendix A, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"[3] and in the Tale of Years,[4] his parents' wedding year is given as T.A. 1940. It is possible that the year of birth being two years before the year of marriage of his parents, who were of royal descent, was an oversight.
Portrayal in adaptations
1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:
- Aranarth is a Dúnadan based in Fornost, famous for his tracking abilities and described as a man "who leaves no footprints".[17]
Notes
- ↑ In Appendix A in the list of rulers of The Northern Line, Aranarth is indicated as the elder son of Arvedui, meaning that he had at least one younger brother. Furthermore, in Appendix A in the entry for King Arvedui in ERIADOR, ARNOR AND THE HEIRS OF ISILDUR it is mentioned that "the sons of the king" (i.e. Arvedui) were driven over the Lune.
- ↑ In Appendix A, Dírhael is said to be a descendant of a younger branch of Aranarth, meaning he had at least one other child
- ↑ This date is given in an early draft of Appendix A. This conflicts with the pubished sources where Aranarth's parents were married in two years later.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", manuscript C, The Chieftains of the Dunedain, 1. Aranarth, p. 196
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur", Chieftains. Aranarth, p. 1038
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for King Ondoher, p. 1049
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1940, p. 1086
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur", p. 1038
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", p. 1038
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1974, p. 1086
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", entry for King Arvedui, pp. 1041-43
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1975, p. 1086
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for King Ondoher, pp. 1050-51
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", entry for Chieftain Aranarth, p. 1043
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1976, p. 1086
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Association Tolkiendil, "Compound Sindarin Names in Middle-earth", Tolkiendil, accessed 5 February 2022
- ↑ Paul Strack, "S. Aranarth m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon, accessed 5 February 2022
- ↑ David Salo (2004), A Gateway to Sindarin, pp. 240, 341
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", manuscript C, The Northern Line of Arnor: the Isildurioni, 24. Araphant
- ↑ Wesley J. Frank, et al. (1994), Arnor: The Realm (#2005)
Born | Aranarth | Died |
Preceded by | Followed by | |
None |