Tar-Atanamir
| Tar-Atanamir[1] | |
|---|---|
| Númenórean | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | "The Great", "The Unwilling"[1] |
| Titles | King of Númenor |
| Location | Númenor |
| Language | Adûnaic, Sindarin and Quenya |
| Birth | S.A. 1800[1] |
| Rule | S.A. 2029 - 2221 (192 years)[1] |
| Death | S.A. 2221[1] (aged 421) |
| Family | |
| House | House of Elros |
| Parentage | Tar-Ciryatan[2] |
| Children | Tar-Ancalimon[3], unnamed child - ancestor of Herucalmo[4] |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
Tar-Atanamir (pron. [aˈtanamir]) was the thirteenth King of Númenor.[1]
History[edit]
Tar-Atanamir succeeded his father, Tar-Ciryatan, and ruled for 192 years, from S.A. 2029 until his death, being the first King to rule for life since Tar-Minyatur.[1]
He was proud and greedy like his father. During his reign the Númenóreans exacted heavy tributes from the men of the coasts of Middle-earth. In his time the Shadow fell upon Númenor and the king and those that followed his opinion spoke openly against the ban that forbade them to sail to Tol Eressea and Aman and the mortality of Men, but they still kept their wisdom and feared and did not defy the Valar.[1] It was then when the people started being divided into the King's Men and the Faithful.[5]
During his reign the Eldar reported to the Valar that the Númenóreans were beginning to speak against the Ban of the Valar. Aggrieved, Manwë sent messengers to Tar-Atanamir. They explained that even if the Númenóreans could find the way to Aman it would not undo their doom. Tar-Atanamir brought up the matter of his ancestor Eärendil who still lived in the sky, but according to the messengers his was a fate apart. Atanamir was unsatisfied that he and his people must abide the will of Eru.[6]
He was known as "the Great", and also "the Unwilling", because he was the first King of Númenor that refused to give up his life and the Sceptre of Númenor to his heir. He lived on into old age and senility.[1] Thus he begun a new tradition as every of his successors did not relinquish his reign until death.[7]
He was succeeded by his son, Tar-Ancalimon.[3] Herucalmo, the husband of queen Tar-Vanimeldë, also was descended from Tar-Atanamir.[4]
Etymology[edit]
Atanamir is a Quenya name. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it means "Man Jewel" from atan ("Man") and mírë ("jewel", "gem", "precious thing", "treasure", "precious").[8] Like all the rulers of Númenor who took their royal names in Quenya, Atanamir added the prefix tar- ("high") to his name when he received the Sceptre.[9]
Genealogy[edit]
| Tar-Minastir 1474 - 1873 | |||||||
| Tar-Ciryatan 1634 - 2035 | |||||||
| TAR-ATANAMIR 1800 - 2221 | |||||||
| Tar-Ancalimon 1986 - 2386 | |||||||
| Tar-Telemmaitë 2136 - 2526 | |||||||
Other versions of the legendarium[edit]
In the Tale of Years, it said in S.A. 2251 "Tar-Atanamir takes the sceptre", however, Atanamir died in 2221. 2221 is itself an emendation of 2251, and the former (2221) appears in the later tables, while the latter (2251) in the earlier tables: therefore 2251 (properly 2221) should have read "Death of Tar-Atanamir. Tar-Ancalimon takes the sceptre".[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XIII Tar-Atanamir the Great
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XII Tar-Ciryatan
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XIV Tar-Ancalimon
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XVI Tar-Vanimeldë
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Númenor", paragraph about king Tar-Atanamir, p. 1036
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entries XIV to XXV
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Atanamir m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 23 December 2021)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", first paragraph and entry I to XXV
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", Note 10
| Tar-Atanamir House of Elros | ||
| Preceded by: Tar-Ciryatan | 13th King of Númenor S.A. 2029 - 2221 | Followed by: Tar-Ancalimon |
| Kings of Númenor |
|---|
| Elros Tar-Minyatur (S.A. 32 - 442) · Tar-Vardamir* (442) · Tar-Amandil (442 - 590) · Tar-Elendil (590 - 740) · Tar-Meneldur (740 - 883) · Tar-Aldarion (883 - 1075) · Tar-AncalimëQ (1075 - 1280) · Tar-Anárion (1280 - 1394) · Tar-Súrion (1394 - 1556) · Tar-TelperiënQ (1556 - 1731) · Tar-Minastir (1731 - 1869) · Tar-Ciryatan (1869 - 2029) · Tar-Atanamir (2029 - 2221) · Tar-Ancalimon (2221 - 2386) · Tar-Telemmaitë (2386 - 2526) · Tar-VanimeldëQ (2526 - 2637) · Tar-Anducal† (2637 - 2657) · Tar-Alcarin (2657 - 2737) · Tar-Calmacil (2737 - 2825) · Tar-Ardamin (2825 - 2899) · Ar-Adûnakhôr (2899 - 2962) · Ar-Zimrathôn (2962 - 3033) · Ar-Sakalthôr (3033 - 3102) · Ar-Gimilzôr (3102 - 3177) · Tar-Palantir (3177 - 3255) · Ar-Pharazôn‡ (3255 - 3319) |
| * Immediately abdicated in favour of his son · Q Ruling Queens · † Usurped throne. Later struck off the Line of Kings · ‡ Usurped throne from his cousin Tar-Míriel |
