Vardamir
| Vardamir | |
|---|---|
| Númenórean | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Nólimon (Q) |
| Titles | King of Númenor (de jure) |
| Location | Númenor |
| Language | Adûnaic, Sindarin and Quenya |
| Birth | S.A. 61[1] Númenor |
| Rule | S.A. 442 (immediately abdicated) S.A. 442 - 443 (de jure)[1] |
| Death | S.A. 471[1] (aged 410) Númenor |
| Family | |
| House | House of Elros |
| Parentage | Elros[2] |
| Siblings | Tindómiel, Manwendil and Atanalcar[2] |
| Children | Amandil, Vardilmë, Aulendil and Nolondil[2] |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
Vardamir Nólimon (Q, pron. [ˈvardamir ˈnoːlimɔn]) was the brief second King of Númenor.[1]
History[edit]
As the eldest of the four children of Elros Tar-Minyatur,[2] Vardamir was the heir to the Sceptre of Númenor. He was called Nólimon, because his chief love was for ancient lore gathered from Elves and Men.[1] Throughout his life, Vardamir had four children: three sons, Amandil, Aulendil, and Nolondil; and one daughter, Vardilmë.[2]
Upon the death of Elros, the Sceptre of Númenor fell to Vardamir. However, due to the extraordinary length of Elros' life, Vardamir was 381 years old at the time in which he inherited the Scepter - old even for a Númenórean of royal blood. Instead of ascending the throne, Vardamir immediately passed on the Sceptre to his eldest son Amandil, who would rule as Tar-Amandil. Probably because of this decision, unlike all the rulers of Númenor who took royal titles in Quenya, the prefix tar- ("high") was not added to his name. Despite this decision, Vardamir was still officially counted as the second King of Númenor, being deemed to have ruled nominally for a single year.[1]
Legacy[edit]
Vardamir's abdication of the Scepter to his son Amandil, began the custom wherein which future rulers of Númenor would pass on the Scepter to their heir before dying of their own free will while still being in good health and mind. This tradition lasted for many generations until the reign of Tar-Atanamir.[1]
Etymology[edit]
Vardamir is Quenya. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it probably means "Varda-jewel". It is probably a compound of Varda ("the name of the Valië of the stars, the spouse of Manwë", "exalted", "lofty", "sublime") and mírë ("jewel").[3]
His sobriquet Nólimon is Quenya. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it means "Learned One". It seems to be a compound of nólë ("lore, knowledge") and the agental suffix -mo ("one", "anyone", "someone", "somebody").[4]
Genealogy[edit]
| Eärendil b. F.A. 503 | Elwing b. F.A. 503 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elros Tar-Minyatur F.A. 532 - S.A. 442 | Elrond b. F.A. 532 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VARDAMIR S.A. 61 - 471 | Tindómiel after 61 | Manwendil after 61 | Atanalcar after 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tar-Amandil 192 - 603 | Vardilmë b. 203 | Aulendil b. 213 | Nolondil b. 222 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tar-Elendil 350 - 751 | Eärendur b. 361 | Mairen b. 377 | Yávien b. 371 | Oromendil b. 382 | Axantur b. 395 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other versions of the legendarium[edit]
In 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" extended to the second generation, suggesting that Vardamir, like Arwen, was among the Half-elven.[5]:78 In the same text, Vardamir was said to have lived to be 391, apparently being ninety-one years older than the usual Númenórean age of 300.[5]:79
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry II Vardamir Nólimon
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife", "The earlier generations of the Line of Elros"
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Vardamir m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 12 December 2021)
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Nólimon m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 12 December 2021)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part One. Time and Ageing: XI. Ageing of Elves"
| Vardamir House of Elros | ||
| Preceded by: Elros Tar-Minyatur | 2nd King of Númenor (de jure) S.A. 442 - 443 | Followed by: Tar-Amandil |
| 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 |
