 | |
| Noldo | |
| Orodreth | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Pronunciation | S, [oˈrodreθ] |
| Other names | Artaresto (Q, fn) Artaher/Arothir (Q/S, fn)[1]:note 47 |
| Titles | King of Nargothrond Lord of Narog[2][3] |
| Position | Warden of Minas Tirith (F.A. 102 - 457) |
| Location | Tirion; Minas Tirith; Nargothrond |
| Language | Quenya and Sindarin |
| Birth | Between Y.T. 1300 & 1495 Tirion |
| Rule | F.A. 465 - 495 |
| Death | F.A. 495[4] Battle of Tumhalad |
| Family | |
| House | House of Finarfin |
| Parentage | Angrod & Eldalótë[1] |
| Spouse | Unnamed Sindarin wife |
| Children | Finduilas & Gil-galad[1][5]NB |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Gallery | Images of Orodreth |
Orodreth was a lord of the Noldor and a dynast of the House of Finarfin. He served as the warden of Minas Tirith under his uncle Finrod until the fortress was overrun by Sauron.
After Finrod’s death, Orodreth was proclaimed King of Nargothrond but was killed during the fall of the city. He was the son of the Noldorin lord Angrod and the father of Finduilas and Gil-galad.[1]
Orodreth was noted as being among the Lambengolmor, "the greatest, kings, princes and warriors" among the Elves.[1]:note 23
History
Early History
He was born in Valinor sometime during the Years of the Trees. His name in Quenya was Artaresto.[5]
During the Flight of the Noldor, Orodreth spoke softly and sought to calm the Noldor to reflect before taking the decision to leave Aman.[6] After the return of the Noldor to Middle-earth and the completion of Nargothrond, Orodreth's uncle Finrod gave the fortress of Minas Tirith to Orodreth's keeping.[7]
Orodreth held the fortress of Minas Tirith in the vale of Sirion until shortly after the Dagor Bragollach Sauron, lieutenant of Morgoth, overran the isle, took Minas Tirith by storm and turned it into Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves, in F.A. 457. Orodreth had to flee from Minas Tirith south to Nargothrond.[8]
Arrival of Beren
When Beren, son of Barahir came to Nargothrond in F.A. 465, Finrod, the King of Nargothrond, decided to accompany him on his quest for the Silmaril, fulfilling his oath. However, Celegorm and Curufin, the Sons of Fëanor, were also at Nargothrond at the time, and persuaded almost all the people of Nargothrond to refuse to accompany Finrod on the quest for the Silmaril so that only Edrahil and ten companions agreed to go with Finrod and Beren. Finrod gave his crown to Orodreth to rule Nargothrond as a regent in his absence. With Finrod gone, Celegorm and Curufin further swayed the hearts of the people of Nargothrond, and Orodreth had no power to withstand them. The ultimate goal of the brothers was to take control of all Elf-kingdoms before then seeking the Silmarils. When news came that Finrod had been killed and that Tol-in-Gaurhoth had been destroyed, the sons of Fëanor were shamed and fell from power, as the people cried out that the maiden Lúthien had done what the sons of Fëanor dared not. Orodreth returned to power and expelled Celegorm and Curufin from Nargothrond.[9]
Arrival of Túrin
In F.A. 487, word of the inspiring deeds of Túrin and Beleg, the "Two Captains" of Dor-Cúarthol who had thrown the power of Angband back, became known in Nargothrond. Many there grew restless, believing that if an outlaw could do such hurt to the Enemy, what might not the Lord of Narog do. Orodreth, however, would permit none of his people to join Túrin, and sent messages that Túrin was not to set foot in Nargothrond or drive Orcs into it. He did, however, offer help other than arms, possibly being moved to do so by Thingol and Melian with whom exchanged messages with.[10]
In F.A. 490,[11] Gwindor, a prince of Nargothrond and an escaped thrall of Morgoth returning from his captivity in Angband, led Túrin son of Húrin, a Man of the House of Hador to Nargothrond. In Nargothrond, Túrin hid his name, calling himself Agarwaen, son of Úmarth ("Bloodstained, son of Ill-fate"). Finduilas, daughter of Orodreth, fell in love with him, but he avoided her because she had previously been the beloved of his friend Gwindor. Túrin declined to tell her his name, so that she called him Thurin ("The Secret"). He was also called Adanedhel ("Man-Elf") because he was so alike to an Elf, though he was a Man.[2][12][13]
His identity did not remain hidden for long. Gwindor revealed to Finduilas that 'Agarwaen' was in fact Túrin, and 'Úmarth' his famous father Húrin. When the news of this reached Finduilas' father, Orodreth, King of Nargothrond, Túrin was given great honor and standing, but the revelation of Túrin's identity would also bring Morgoth's curse with him.[2][12][13]
Túrin became a chief counselor of Orodreth, and was extremely influential in Nargothrond. He encouraged the people of Nargothrond to abandon their practice of secrecy, and they built a great bridge before the gates. Because of his prowess with Gurthang, his black sword, he himself became known as Mormegil ("Black Sword").[2][12][13]
However, sometime after, two messengers, named Gelmir and Arminas, sent there by Círdan, arrived to Nargothrond, delivering the message from Ulmo, Lord of Waters himself, to the King Orodreth, advising him to shut the doors of Nargothrond and destroy the bridge before its gates. At this time Orodreth relied upon the counsel of Túrin, who scorned the words of the messengers, for it was upon his advice that the bridge had been built and it was his policy for the King's forces to go forth openly to war, and sent them away.[2][12][14]
This would prove to be a fatal mistake, since in F.A. 495,[4] Morgoth unleashed his forces at Nargothrond. Led by Glaurung the dragon, they devastated the army of Orodreth at the Battle of Tumhalad. In that battle Orodreth was slain, and after that the Fall of Nargothrond was inevitable, due to the bridge that allowed Glaurung and Morgoth's host to ravage the city, and most of its people were either enslaved or killed (including Orodreth's daughter Finduilas).[2][12][14]
Etymology
Orodreth translates to "mountaineer".[15] Paul Strack suggests that it is a combination of orod ("mountain") and reth ("climber").[16]
His Quenya name was Artaresto (arta ("noble"); resto may be derived from √RETH (“endurance”)[note 1]) which Sindarized to Rodreth and was further altered to Orodreth because of his love of the mountains.[5]
Other names
In Ælfwine’s translation of the Quenta into Old English; Old English equivalents of Elvish names, he is called Ordred;[17] while Christopher Tolkien does not provide a translation, it could mean "spear council" ("ord" meaning "spear",[18] and "rǣd", commonly shortened to "red", meaning council[19])
Genealogy
| Míriel d. Y.T. 1170 | Finwë d. Y.T. 1495 | Indis b. Y.T. | Olwë b. Y.T. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fëanor Y.T. 1169 - 1497 | Findis b. Y.T. | Fingolfin Y.T. 1190 - F.A. 456 | Írimë b. Y.T. | Finarfin b. Y.T. 1230 | Eärwen b. Y.T. | unknown sons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finrod Y.T. 1300 - F.A. 465 | Angrod d. F.A. 455 | Eldalótë b. Y.T. | Aegnor d. F.A. 455 | Galadriel b. Y.T. 1362 | Celeborn b. F.A. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORODRETH d. F.A. 495 | Elrond b. F.A. 532 | Celebrían b. S.A. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FinduilasNB F.A. 272 - 495 | Gil-galadNB d. S.A. 3441 | Elladan b. T.A. 130 | Elrohir b. T.A. 130 | Arwen T.A. 241 - Fo.A. 121 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other versions of the legendarium
Decline into weakness and insignificance
As noted by Christopher Tolkien, in The Lays of Beleriand, Orodreth goes through a steady decline as the legendarium evolved.
In the poem, on the other hand, Orodreth emerges as hostile and formidable, and his character is carefully outlined: he is quick to anger (1973) but his wrath is cold and long-enduring (2133–4), he is seldom moved to pity (1969, 2134), grim-hearted and deep-counselled (2132–3), but capable of deep love (1970) as also of fierce hate (2135). Afterwards, as the legends developed, Orodreth underwent a steady decline into weakness and insignificance, which is very curious. Many years later, when meditating the development of the Túrin saga, my father noted that Orodreth was ‘rather a weak character’; cf. the Narn, p. 160: ‘he turned as he ever did to Túrin for counsel’. Ultimately he was to be displaced as the second King of Nargothrond (Unfinished Tales p. 255, note 20). But all this is a far cry from the hard and grim king in his underground hall depicted in the poem; Felagund had not yet emerged, nor the rebellious power of Celegorm and Curufin in Nargothrond (see further p. 246).
Early legendarium
In earlier versions of the legendarium, Orodreth was a more important character, and the original king of Nargothrond. However, his importance diminished over time.
In one of the early versions, he had two sons whose names were translated as Ordhelm and Ordláf in Old English by Ælfwine, though the original Elvish names were lost to time.[20] In another version, his two sons were Haldir [< Halmir] who was slain after being trapped by Orcs and hung on a tree,[21]:112 and a younger son Orodlin.[22]:309
Parentage and children
In the published versions of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales Orodreth is the son of Finarfin and younger brother of Finrod Felagund.[6][7][9][23][24]
In J.R.R. Tolkien's updates to the genealogical tables of the descendants of Finwë, dating between 1959-1968, Orodreth's lineage went through several revisions. First, while named as Artanáro Rhodothir, he was changed to be son of Finrod Felegund. When Tolkien apparently recalled that Finrod had no wife or son, Orodreth was then made the son of Finrod's brother, Angrod. Orodreth's name was then changed from Artanáro to Artaresto. Finally, in a note dated August 1965, Tolkien fully elaborated on both Orodreth (Artaresto) being the son of Angrod, and Gil-galad (Artanáro) in turn being the son of Orodreth.[5]
Christopher Tolkien did not incorporate these changes into the published materials, but he did make several comments on them. "For a reason unknown to me, my father displaced the second King of Nargothrond and made him a member of the same family in the next generation; but this and associated genealogical changes were never incorporated in the narratives of The Silmarillion."[25] "There can be no doubt that this was my father’s last word on the subject; but nothing of this late and radically altered conception ever touched the existing narratives, and it was obviously impossible to introduce it into the published Silmarillion. It would nonetheless have been very much better to have left Gil-galad’s parentage obscure."[5]
A note from The Nature of Middle-earth
However, in a very late note dated c. 1972-3, the name Orodreth is again mentioned in the list of some renowned heroes in the royal lines of old, so it seems that Tolkien abandoned the name Arothir (which was itself meant to replace Orodreth a few years earlier).[26]
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Narn i Hîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Land of Bow and Helm"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §275
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The parentage of Gil-galad", p. 349-351
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and its Realms"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Land of Bow and Helm"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §267
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Túrin Turambar"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "Túrin in Nargothrond"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Fall of Nargothrond"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings: Eldarin Roots and Stems", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), root RETE, p. 182
- ↑ Paul Strack, "S. Orodreth m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon, accessed 19 October 2022
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: Appendix 1: Fragments of a translation of The Quenta Noldorinwa into Old English, made by Ælfwine or Eriol; together with Old English equivalents of Elvish names"
- ↑ An Anglo-Saxon dictionary : based on the manuscript collections of the late Joseph Bosworth. Supplement, pg. 676
- ↑ An Anglo-Saxon dictionary : based on the manuscript collections of the late Joseph Bosworth. Supplement, pg. 683
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: Appendix 1: Fragments of a translation of The Quenta Noldorinwa into Old English, made by Ælfwine or Eriol; together with Old English equivalents of Elvish names", p. 213
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, III. The Later Annals of Beleriand"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Appendix: I. The Genealogies"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Narn i Hîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)", "Appendix", much fuller account of the coming of the Elves Gelmir and Arminas to Nargothrond
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", p. 255 note 20
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part Two. Body, Mind and Spirit: V. Beards", footnote, p. 189
Born | Orodreth | Died |
None Position established | Warden of Minas Tirith | None Minas Tirith captuted by Gorthaur |
Preceded by | None |