The wise will stay here and hope to rebuild our town...
 | |
| Númenórean | |
| Silmariën | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Location | Númenor |
| Language | Adûnaic, Sindarin and Quenya |
| Birth | S.A. 521[1] |
| Death | unknown (aged 109+) |
| Family | |
| House | House of Elros |
| Parentage | Tar-Elendil |
| Siblings | Isilmë and Tar-Meneldur |
| Spouse | Elatan |
| Children | Valandil |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
| Gallery | Images of Silmariën |
Silmariën was the first child of the fourth King of Númenor, Tar-Elendil, and mother of the first Lord of Andúnië.
History
Silmariën was the eldest child of King Tar-Elendil and elder sister of Meneldur. However, because of the Númenórean law of agnatic primogeniture that then existed in the Realm, she could not succeed her father as King of Númenor, and instead her brother took up the Sceptre as Tar-Meneldur.[2]
Silmariën wed Elatan of Andúnië and, in honor of their son Valandil, her father created the royal title of Lord of Andúnië. Also, instead of giving this valuable heirloom to his heir, Tar-Elendil gave her the Ring of Barahir.[3] Silmariën also was given a mithril fillet.[4]
Legacy
Her heirs, coming of the royal line of Númenor,[5] led the Faithful to Middle-earth to found the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor centuries later. Aragorn, the hero of the War of the Ring, is her direct descendant through many generations.
Her fillet would become part of the Elendilmir, a sign of royalty in Númenor and, later, the crown of the Kingdom of Arnor.[4]
Etymology
Silmariën's name is not given a translation, although its etymology is straightforward in Quenya. It may incorporate silma, "silver, shining white;[6] crystal (white)[7]", and obviously ends in the feminine ending -rien, apparently a variant of -ien (see -riel).[8] The meaning therefore would be *"Maiden garlanded with shining light"
Genealogy
| Tar-Amandil 192 - 603 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tar-Elendil 350 - 751 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elatan unknown | SILMARIËN b. 521 | Isilmë b. 532 | Tar-Meneldur 543 - 942 | Almarian unknown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valandil b. 630 | Tar-Aldarion 700 - 1098 | Ailinel b. 712 | Almiel b. 729 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lords of Andúnië | Kings of Númenor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.[1] 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.[9] This error was fixed in later editions of The Lord of the Rings.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "A Description of the Island of Númenor", Note 2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entry SIL
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p.23
- ↑ Helge Fauskanger, "Quettaparma Quenyallo" December 25, 2008, Ardalambion
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniv. Ed.), Appendix B, "The Second Age"
