Eldarion
| Eldarion | |
|---|---|
| Gondorian | |
 | |
| "Eldarion of Gondor" by Sara M. Morello | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Pronunciation | Q, [elˈdari.on] |
| Titles | High King, King of the Reunited Kingdom |
| Location | Gondor and Arnor |
| Language | Westron |
| Birth | Fo.A. 1 |
| Rule | Fo.A. 120 - c. Fo.A. 220[note 1][1] |
| Death | Possibly c. Fo.A. 220[1] (aged 219) |
| Family | |
| House | House of Telcontar |
| Parentage | Elessar & Arwen |
| Siblings | At least two sisters[2] |
| Children | At least one child, descendants in many later generations[3] |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Weaponry | Andúril[2] |
| Gallery | Images of Eldarion |
Eldarion was the second High King of the Reunited Kingdom. He was the only son of King Elessar and Queen Arwen Undómiel.
History[edit]
Eldarion was born in the first year of the Fourth Age. He did not inherit the choice of becoming an Elf, but had a long youth like one, having an appeareance of 20 years old until 60.[4]:78 Eldarion became the second King of the Reunited Kingdom after the death of his father Elessar in Fo.A. 120.[2] At the time of his ascending to the throne, Eldarion was "full ripe and ready for kingship". It is known that Eldarion was given the tokens of kingship (Andúril, etc.) by his father, who died soon after the crowning of his son.[2] He was also recorded to have several sisters.[2]
During Eldarion's reign, Findegil served as the royal scribe (or King's Writer). In Fo.A. 172, Findegil wrote a copy of the Thain's Book for the Thain of the Shire, probably at the request of Peregrin Took's great-grandson. This copy was the only one to include Bilbo's complete Translations from the Elvish, which Bilbo had composed while at Rivendell during his 'retirement' there.[5]
It was foretold that he should rule a great realm, and that it should endure for a hundred generations of Men after him, that is until a new age brought in again new things; from him should come the kings of many realms in long days after.[6]
Etymology[edit]
His name is Quenya. Paul Strack explains it means "Son of the Eldar", being a compound of Eldar and patronymic -ion.[7] In Letter 338, J.R.R. Tolkien spelled this name Eldaron: this is probably a typographic error.[1]
Genealogy[edit]
Eldarion was descended from several royal Elven houses, including the Three High Kings of the Elves, and from the Edain. He was a grandson of Elrond and, through his grandmother Celebrían, a great-grandson of Galadriel. He was the great-grandson of Eärendil the Mariner (Eldarion is descended from Eärendil on both sides of his family and in him the two genealogical lines of the Half-elven are reunited), through his Half-elven mother Arwen; he was also the nephew of the Half-elf lords Elladan and Elrohir. He was descended also from the great Kings of Westernesse on his father's side.[3] Tolkien mentioned the existence of descendants, whose only known fact is that they possessed a normal life span of around 80-90 years.[4]:79
| Eärendil | Elwing | Galadriel | Celeborn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elros | Elrond | Celebrían | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kings of Númenor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lords of Andúnië | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elendil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isildur | Anárion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kings of Arnor | Kings of Gondor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kings of Arthedain | Ondoher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arvedui | Fíriel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chieftains of the Dúnedain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arathorn II | Gilraen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aragorn II | Arwen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ELDARION | several sisters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| descendants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other versions of the legendarium[edit]
In an unfinished story set some 220 years after the fall of Sauron, the Reunited Kingdom encountered a renewal of Morgoth-worship known as the Dark Tree.[8] However, J.R.R. Tolkien did not finish this story, because he "discovered that the King's Peace would contain no tales worth recounting".[1]
In the twelfth note to a text written around 1959 and published in The Nature of Middle-earth, it is said that either the slow maturity of the Half-elven, or the "choice of kindred"[4]:78 extended to the third generation, suggesting that Eldarion, and Tar-Amandil, were among the Half-elven.[4]:82 However, this was changed to the second generation in the actual text.[4]:78 In the same text, Tolkien wrote that Eldarion had lived until the age of 125, most likely having passed away in Fo.A. 126.[4]:79
Portrayal in adaptations[edit]
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
- While Arwen is on her way to the Grey Havens to leave Middle-earth and Aragorn, she has a vision of her future son, which persuades her to stay. The boy (not named until the end credits) is played by Sadwyn Brophy, son of actor Jed Brophy.
Notes
- ↑ In a 1972 letter concerning The New Shadow, Tolkien states, "I have written nothing beyond the first few years of the Fourth Age. (Except the beginning of a tale supposed to refer to the end of the reign of Eldarion about 100 years after the death of Aragorn. ...)"
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 338, (dated 6 June 1972)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part One. Time and Ageing: XI. Ageing of Elves"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue", "Note on the Shire Records"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VIII. The Tale of Years of the Third Age", text of manuscript T4 events after the end of the Third Age in the year 3021
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Eldarion m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 12 September 2021)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XVI. The New Shadow"
| Eldarion House of Telcontar Continuation of the senior branch of the House of Isildur | ||
| Preceded by: Elessar | 2nd High King of the Reunited Kingdom Fo.A. 120 - c. Fo.A. 220 | Followed by: Unknown |
| 12th King of Arnor Fo.A. 120 - c. Fo.A. 220 | ||
| 35th King of Gondor Fo.A. 120 - c. Fo.A. 220 | ||
| Head of the House of Telcontar Fo.A. 120 - c. Fo.A. 220 | ||
