Decline of the
Lifespan of the Númenóreans
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The Númenóreans worried and
complained bitterly about the decline in their lifespans from the time of
Tar-Atanamir (lived II 1800-2221[1], reigned II
2029-2221) until the passage of Aragorn Elessar, when even Arwen Undómiel
complained about the Fate of Men[2].
The desire for life unending
within the Circles of the World, described by Tolkien as an envy of the Eldar[3], was one of the pertinent and persistent causes of
the rebellion of the Númenóreans in the Second Age. Indeed, Tolkien remarks that “the more joyful was their life, the
more they began to long for the immortality of the Eldar.”[4] Even
Tar-Minastir, who sent the Númenórean fleet to the assistance of Gil-galad in
the mid-Second Age, “loved the Eldar but envied them.”[5]
But there were other causes
as well – greed and hubris – behind the fall, as they were for the Noldor
before them, and as they are for real people in our real world. Tolkien writes that “after Minastir, the
Kings [of Númenor] became greedy of wealth and power. … their havens became fortresses, holding wide coastlands in
subjugation. Atanamir and his
successors levied heavy tribute, and the ships of the Númenóreans returned laden
with spoil.”[6]
Tar-Telemmaitë, the fifteenth king, “was so called because of his love
of silver, and he bade his servants to seek ever for mithril.”[7] His
successor, Tar-Vanimeldë, the third ruling Queen, was given to “music and
dance”, while her husband wielded royal power.
Tar-Vanimeldë’s husband so enjoyed the exercise of royal power that he
usurped the throne from his own son and ruled for 20 years in his despite. [8]
Yet the desire for life unending within Arda was
still the primary cause of the fall of the Númenóreans. Except for Tar-Palantir, it would appear that
every King of Númenor from Tar-Atanamir to Ar-Pharazôn was concerned about
obtaining life unending within the circles of the world.[9] Tar-Atanamir
received an embassy from Valinor concerning his complaint about having to
die. Along with this was a demand that
the Númenóreans be admitted to Aman, “’and taste there, were it but for a day,
the bliss of the Powers’”.[10] Messengers
from Manwë rebuked the king, “’Yet it seems that you desire now to have the
good of both kindreds, to sail to Valinor when you will, and to return when you
please to your homes.’”[11] As for
Ar-Pharazôn, he
…felt the shadow of death approach, as his days
lengthened; and he was filled with fear and wrath. …
And
[Sauron] said: ‘The Valar have possessed themselves of the land where this is
no death; and the lie to you concerning it, hiding it as best they may, because
of their avarice, and their fear lest the Kings of Men should wrest from them
the deathless realm and rule the world in their stead …’
Then
Ar-Pharazôn, being besotted, and walking under the shadow of death, for his
span was drawing towards it end, hearkened to Sauron; and he began to ponder in
his heart how he might make was upon the Valar.[12]
Even among the descendants
of the Faithful in Gondor, the problem followed them, as Faramir spoke to Frodo
in Henneth Annûn of the Dúnedain of Gondor:
‘Death was
ever present, because the Númenoreans still, as they had in their old kingdom,
and so lost it, hungered after endless life unchanging. Kings made tombs more splendid than houses
of the living, and counted old names in the rolls of their descent dearer than
the names of sons. Childless lords sat
in aged halls musing on heraldry; in secret chambers withered men compounded strong
elixirs, or in high cold towers asked questions of the stars. And the last king of the line of Anárion had
no heir.[13]
Finally, let us consider the
words of Arwen herself to Aragorn as prepared to die in his tomb in Rath Dínen:
‘”…There is now no ship that would bear me hence, and
I must indeed abide the Doom of Men, whether I will or I nill: the loss and the
silence. But I say to you, King of the
Númenoreans, not till now have I understood the tale of your people and their
fall. As wicked fools I scorned them,
but I pity them at last. For if this is
indeed, as the Eldar say, the gift of the One to Men, it is bitter to receive.”[14]
The
Númenórean Kings
The lives of the Númenórean
kings began to decline immediately after Tar-Atanamir and his son and
successor, Tar-Ancalimon. His eleven
predecessors, from Vardamir Nólimon to Ancalimon, lived an average of 404
years. Tar-Ancalimë, the first Ruling
Queen, had lived longest (other than Elros) at 412 years; Tar-Telperion, the Second
Ruling Queen, and Tar-Amandil, the second king (his father, Vardamir Nólimon,
declined the crown in his son’s favor), lived 411 years. Tar-Atanamir refused to surrender his life,
lived 421 years, the longest since Elros; so he gained perhaps 9 extra years of
questionable quality.[15]
Tar-Atanamir’s son, Tar-Ancalimon, also refused to surrender his life,
but only lived 400 years; his grandson, Tar-Telemmaitë continued the refusal to
surrender his life, and died at age 390 years.
There followed a rapid decline in the lifespan of Númenórean kings after
that, as the chart shows: In the end,
their lifespan was the same as that of other Númenóreans, about 3 times the
life of other races of men, or about 210 years.[16]
After 14 generations of stable lifespans
of about 405 years, the lifespan of Númenórean kings began to decline
sharply. The yellow bar is for
Tar-Anducal, who for 20 years usurped the throne from his son,
Tar-Alcarin. Notice the straight-line
character of the lives of the rulers from 14 to 22.
In contrast to the Kings and
their close kindred in the royal house, there is evidence that the lifespan of
their cousins, the Lords of Andúnië, declined much more slowly. Assuming that the Lords of Andúnië had the
same lifespan as their cousins the Kings of Númenor, they would have also have
lived an average of 405 years until the reign of Tar-Ancalimon. After Tar-Ancalimon there were 11 Kings of
Númenor, but only 9 Lords of Andúnië.[17] Note that
Elendil the Tall was 322 at the time of his death, but still hale and strong
enough to fight Sauron side-by-side with Gil-galad.[18] The decline
in their lifespans – along with their own wealth and aggrandizement – seems to
have become the primary concern of the House of Elros. Since the Lords of Andúnië had longer lives
than the royal house, part of the policy of Ar-Gimilzôr in marrying Inzilbêth,
niece of Eärendur, 15th Lord of Andúnië, (his sister Lindórië was the mother of
Inzilbêth), could have been an attempt to see that his offspring had longer
lifespan. Inzilbêth seems to have been
opposed to marrying Gimilzôr[19], but it one must understand that the growing power
of the faction of the King’s Men, along with the increasingly tenuous position
of the Faithful, would make it hard for her to resist his desire to marry. At this point, Ar-Gimilzôr moved many of the
Faithful from the western regions of Númenor to the eastern regions near
Rómenna.[20]
The length of the lifespans of the
Númenórean kings collapsed rapidly during the third millennium of the Second Age,
while the Lords of Andúnië retained a fairly stable lifespan.
The
Lords of Andúnië may
have retained their longer lives through a way of life more like that of the
Eldar. In any case, the decline in the
lifespan of the kings must have been a matter of serious concern.
Tar-Palantir, son of
Inzilbêth and Gimilzôr, was the only Númenórean king since Tar-Atanamir to live
longer than his predecessor.[21] Eventually,
he died of grief as Númenóreans refused to reconcile themselves to the fate of Men
and to the Eldar and Valar.[22] Part of the
problem that plagued the Númenóreans is this very of refusal of reconciliation:
Tolkien noted that the long lifespan of the Númenóreans was “brought about by
assimilation of their mode of life to that of the Eldar … ‘Clinging to life’,
and so in the end dying perforce and involuntarily, was one of the changes
brought about by the Shadow and the rebellion of the Númenóreans; it was also
accompanied by a shrinking of their natural life-span.”[23] Tolkien also
implies that this represents an impiety on behalf of the Númenóreans,[24] and that this impiety and the accompanying rejection
of “the ‘theological’ teaching the Númenóreans had received from [the Eldar]’
marked a fall from grace and the diminution of the lifespan of the Dúnedain in
Númenor.[25]
The lifespans of both the
Kings of Arnor and Gondor continued to diminish in exile in Middle-earth. The Kings of Gondor lived about 20% longer
than the Kings of Arnor (and their successors in Arthedain), although there were
premature deaths from both warfare and from illness. The reasons for this difference in longevity is not quite clear:
certainly Arnor was under desperate assault by Angmar, but likewise Gondor was
under a series of attacks by Harad and various Easterlings peoples such has the
Wainriders and the Balchoth[26] The weather
was certainly milder in Gondor, which was the more southerly of the two
kingdoms of the exiled Dúnedain.[27] Some of the
difference might be due to a presumed to a return to the worship of Darkness
among some of the people of Arnor, a practice that might have led to the
weakening and eventual overthrow of Rhudaur by allies of Angmar.[28] The “waning
of the Dúnedain” [29] from continuous civil war might describe not only
the depopulation of the old kingdom of Arnor but also to shorter lives for its
exilic inhabitants.
The
decline in the length of the lives of the Kings of Gondor was slower than that
of the Kings of Arnor and Arthedain. Toward
the end of the kingdom, warfare took an increasingly greater toll on the royal
house. The yellow bar is for Castamir
the Usurper. Note the descending,
almost straight-line character of the lives of those kings not killed in
war. There is a rapid decline after 25,
Hyarmendacil II: Minardil was killed, Telemnar died in the Plague, and his
cousin Tarondor moved the capital to Minas Anor from Osgiliath.
From
the beginning of the Third Age, the Kings of Arnor had shorter lives than the
Kings of Gondor. There is straight-line
character in the shortening lives of the Kings of Arnor from 3 to 27, but then
the lifespan of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain stabilized at just short of 160
years.
The lifespan of Aragorn
Elessar[30] is roughly in line with the declining lifespan of
the Kings of Gondor, but an increase of about one-fourth for the lifespan of 8
the last 10 Chieftains of the Dúnedain.
Of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, the last two, Arador and Arathorn II,
died violent deaths in battle, as did Aragorn I; excluding these three, the
Chieftains lived almost 160 years. The
lifespan of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain seems to have stabilized at this
level. This is also the lifespan of the
last King of Gondor live to the end of his natural life, Eärnil II. The length of Aragorn II’s life, however, is
instead in line with that of the Kings of Gondor, and was roughly the same as
the age of a King of Númenor just before the downfall and drowning of that
land. Part of this is that “in Aragorn
Elessar the dignity of the kings of old was renewed”[31], and a special grace granted to Aragorn, but also in
part perhaps due to the fact that Aragorn had grown up in the house of Elrond,
who “’came to love him as a son of his own.’”[32] Part of it
may also been that Aragorn lived more like the Eldar than any other Dúnadan
since the days of his forefather Valandil: he had assimilated the mode of his
life to that of the Eldar.
The
lifespan of the Kings of Arnor was never as long as those of Gondor. Aragorn's lifespan, however, was more in
line with that of a King of Gondor.
Notice the straight-line character of the lines, excluding those rulers
killed in combat.
Other
Númenóreans
The length of life for other
Númenóreans is not explicitly referenced except in a few places. Tarinya-Almarian,
the queen of Tar-Meneldur, told her husband that “’The kin of Erendis have not
the length of life that is granted to the descendants of Elros…”[33] Tolkien wrote that Tar-Aldarion was so
unhappy in his marriage to Erendis, for which he blamed her fate of a shorter
life, that he made a law that the King’s Heir in Númenor could wed only among
the descendants of Elros, but then he notes that “this rule of ‘royal marriage’
was never a matter of law, but it became a custom of pride: ‘a symptom of the
growth of the Shadow, since it only became rigid when the distinction between
the Line of Elros and other families, in life-span, vigour, or ability, had
diminished or altogether disappeared.’”[34] From this we may deduce that the average Númenórean
was living to something beyond 200 years, since the kings were dying at about
that age.[35] One wonders how much shorter the lives of
average Númenóreans had become having begun their time on Númenor with
lifespans “in the beginning thrice that of lesser Men”[36] if “the
distinction between the Line of Elros and other families, in life-span … had
diminished or altogether disappeared”.
I think that in this context, we must imagine that the lifespans of even
the average Númenóreans had become noticeably shorter as well.[37]
The
line of the Stewards seems stable but with high variance. The Princes of Dol Amroth show a marked
decline in lifespan.[38] Only the
Lords of Dol Amroth show the straight-line character of declines in the royal houses
in the Second and Third Ages.
Tolkien notes that during the
rule of the Stewards, “the lifespan those [Dúnedain of Gondor] even of the
purer blood steadily decreased.”[39] He also notes that
...though not in the direct line,
the Hurinionath
[the Stewards], the family to which Pelendur and Mardil belonged, were of
Númenórean blood hardly less pure than that of the kings, and undoubtedly had
some share in the actual blood of Elendil and Anárion.[40]
These two families must be
considered extraordinary in Gondor. The
Princes of Dol Amroth had elven blood in them from the elf-maid
Mithrellas. The Stewards were related
to the House of Anárion: it should not be surprising that the house of the
Stewards would be related to the kings whom they served, nor should it be
thought unusual that the royal house would marry into the other noble houses of
the land: indeed, it would be unusual if they did not, as it was in the latter
years of Númenor. In addition, the two
houses were related by the end of the Third Age: Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth
was brother-in-law to Denethor II, so Faramir was his nephew.[41]
Of the Stewards, only Hador,
the seventh Ruling Steward, lived to an age comparable to the royal houses: he
died at age 150 in III 2395. Belegorn, his
great-grandfather and fourth Ruling Steward, died age 130 in III 2204. The White Tree planted by Tarondor in Minas
Tirith died during the reign of Belecthor II, the 21st Ruling
Steward; thereafter, none of the five Ruling Stewards lived beyond 100 years. (Faramir lived to 120 years after Aragorn II
restored the kingdom and planted a seedling of the White Tree.) As an interesting note, none of the Ruling
Stewards died in battle, although Boromir, 11th Ruling Steward and
ancestor of the Boromir of The Fellowship of the Ring, died at age 79:
“His life was shortened by the poisoned wounds he received in the Morgul-war.”[42]
In the case of the Princes of
Dol Amroth, their lifespan from III 2913 onward was not more than real-world
folk of quite advanced age: none of the last 4 Princes of Dol Amroth mentioned
by Tolkien lived beyond age 100.[43] Since these were the two leading families of
Gondor, and they probably had the “purest” blood in that land – and so the
longest lives by Tolkien’s logic – I think it is reasonable to expect that by
the end of the Third Age, most of the folk of Gondor were typically living to
what we real-world folk would call an advanced but not particularly fanciful
age.
Tolkien does not enumerate the
lifespans of other families of the Dúnedain other than the royal houses until
after Eärnur, the last King of the House of Anárion of Gondor, was lost in
Imlad Morgul. None of the other
families were of interest until the House of Anárion became extinct.
Possible
considerations for Tolkien’s notes
JRR Tolkien was a capable
mathematician. In one of his letters,
he reported his calculation that the “Númenórean calendar was just a bit better
than the Gregorian”, and then explains that while the Gregorian calendar is 26
seconds fast, the Númenórean calendar is 17.2 seconds slow.[44] This is a
bit of a tedious calculation without a computer or calculator: Tolkien did it
by hand.
The distinct declines in the
lifespans of the Númenórean rulers appear to be straight-line
calculations. There should be notes
among his papers on this decline, or perhaps even a chart or rough graph for
the ruling houses of Númenor, Arnor and Gondor. (I doubt there is a graph or set of calculations for the Lords of
Andúnië, but perhaps there is.)
There are also similar
declines for the Lords of Dol Amroth, as I have noted. It is entirely possible that Tolkien did all
this work without sketching out a chart other than the tables he constructed:
no charts or graphs have ever been referenced in The History of Middle-Earth
series.
Appendix
1: The House of Elros[45]
Tolkien tells us explicitly
how old the Kings of Númenor are. A
preliminary step to building an estimate of the lifespans of the Lords of
Andúnië is to first build a model of the lifespans of the Kings. You can find a simple model here.
|
|
|
king |
born |
sovereign |
Retired |
died |
age |
ruled |
Comment |
|
1 |
I |
Elros |
-58 |
32 |
442 |
442 |
500 |
410 |
High King
of the Númenóreans |
|
2 |
II |
Vardamir |
61 |
442 |
443 |
471 |
410 |
|
nominally
ruled 1 year |
|
3 |
III |
Amandil |
192 |
442 |
590 |
603 |
411 |
148 |
|
|
4 |
IV |
Elendil |
350 |
590 |
740 |
751 |
401 |
150 |
father of
Silmariën, wife of Elatan of Andúnië; ancestor of Elendil and Aragorn; sent
first Númenórean ships back to Middle-Earth |
|
5 |
V |
Meneldur |
543 |
740 |
883 |
942 |
399 |
143 |
|
|
6 |
VI |
Aldarion |
700 |
883 |
1075 |
1098 |
398 |
192 |
born
Anardil |
|
7 |
VII |
Ancalimë |
873 |
1075 |
1280 |
1285 |
412 |
205 |
first
ruling queen |
|
8 |
VIII |
Anárion |
1003 |
1280 |
1394 |
1404 |
401 |
114 |
|
|
9 |
IX |
Súrion |
1174 |
1394 |
1556 |
1574 |
400 |
162 |
|
|
10 |
X |
Telperiën |
1320 |
1556 |
1731 |
1731 |
411 |
175 |
second
ruling queen |
|
11 |
XI |
Minastir |
1474 |
1731 |
1869 |
1873 |
399 |
138 |
may have
been coregent from ca. 1700; sent fleet to help Gil-galad |
|
12 |
XII |
Ciryatan |
1634 |
1869 |
2029 |
2035 |
401 |
160 |
the Shadow
falls on Númenor |
|
13 |
XIII |
Atanamir |
1800 |
2029 |
|
2221 |
421 |
192 |
refused
to lay down his life |
|
14 |
XIV |
Ancalimon |
1986 |
2221 |
|
2386 |
400 |
165 |
|
|
15 |
XV |
Telemmaitë |
2136 |
2386 |
|
2526 |
390 |
140 |
|
|
16 |
XVI |
Vanimeldë |
2277 |
2526 |
|
2637 |
360 |
111 |
third
ruling queen |
|
|
|
Anducal |
2286 |
2637 |
|
2657 |
371 |
20 |
husband
of Vanimeldë; usurped throne from Alcarin, his son; ruled 20 years |
|
17 |
XVII |
Alcarin |
2406 |
2657 |
|
2737 |
331 |
100 |
ruled 80
years; rightful king 100 years |
|
18 |
XVIII |
Calmacil |
2516 |
2737 |
|
2825 |
309 |
88 |
|
|
19 |
XIX |
Ardamin |
2618 |
2825 |
|
2899 |
281 |
74 |
Ar-Abattârik
in Adûnaic |
|
20 |
XX |
Adûnakhôr |
2709 |
2899 |
|
2962 |
253 |
63 |
first
king to take his name in Adûnaic |
|
21 |
XXI |
Zimrathôn |
2798 |
2962 |
|
3033 |
235 |
71 |
|
|
22 |
XXII |
Sakalthôr |
2876 |
3033 |
|
3102 |
226 |
69 |
|
|
23 |
XXIII |
Gimilzôr |
2960 |
3102 |
|
3177 |
217 |
75 |
moved the Faithful to Rómenna |
|
24 |
XXIV |
Palantir |
3035 |
3177 |
|
3255 |
220 |
78 |
Ar-Inziladûn
in Adûnaic |
|
25 |
XXV |
Pharazôn
† |
3118 |
3255 |
|
3319 † |
201 |
64 |
seized
Míriel (Zimraphel), daughter of Palantir; usurped the throne; ruined Númenor
by attacking Valinor |
Appendix
2: The House of Valandil of Andúnië
The “corresponding
Númenórean King” is the king at the death estimated for the Lord of Andúnië
except for Amandil and Elendil, who are presumed to have outlived
Ar-Pharazôn. Before the reign of
Tar-Atanamir, the Lords of Andúnië have been assigned the average age of the
Kings of Númenor. After that, the ages
of the Lords of Andúnië is calculated to decline so that there are only 19
generations of Lords of Andúnië while there are 21 for the Kings of Númenor.[46]
|
|
line
from Elros |
Born |
died |
age |
Comment |
est. birth |
est. death |
est. age |
Corresponding
Númenórean King |
Age of the Kings of Númenor |
|
|
1 |
I |
Elros |
-58 |
442 |
500 |
High King
of the Númenóreans |
-58 |
442 |
500 |
Elros |
500 |
|
2 |
II |
Vardamir |
61 |
471 |
410 |
ruled
nominally 1 year |
61 |
471 |
410 |
Vardamir |
410 |
|
3 |
III |
Amandil |
192 |
603 |
411 |
|
192 |
603 |
411 |
Amandil |
411 |
|
4 |
IV |
Elendil |
350 |
751 |
401 |
father of
Silmariën, mother of Valandil of Andúnië; ancestor of Elendil and Aragorn |
350 |
751 |
401 |
Elendil |
401 |
|
|
|
Silmariën |
521 |
|
|
Silmariën,
daughter and eldest child of Elendil, married Elatan of Andúnië |
521 |
934 |
413 |
Meneldur |
401 |
|
1 |
I |
Valandil |
630 |
|
|
first
Lord of Andúnië |
630 |
1035 |
405 |
Aldarion |
398 |
|
2 |
II |
|
|
|
|
|
787 |
1192 |
405 |
Ancalimë |
412 |
|
3 |
III |
|
|
|
|
|
944 |
1349 |
405 |
Anárion |
401 |
|
4 |
IV |
|
|
|
|
|
1102 |
1507 |
405 |
Súrion |
400 |
|
5 |
V |
|
|
|
|
|
1259 |
1664 |
405 |
Telperiën |
411 |
|
6 |
VI |
|
|
|
|
|
1416 |
1821 |
405 |
Minastir |
399 |
|
7 |
VII |
|
|
|
|
|
1573 |
1978 |
405 |
Ciryatan |
401 |
|
8 |
VIII |
|
|
|
|
|
1731 |
2136 |
405 |
Atanamir |
421 |
|
9 |
IX |
|
|
|
|
Tar-Ancalimon
becomes King of Númenor |
1888 |
2293 |
405 |
Ancalimon |
400 |
|
10 |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
2045 |
2450 |
405 |
Telemmaitë |
390 |
|
11 |
XI |
|
|
|
|
|
2195 |
2593 |
399 |
Vanimeldë |
360 |
|
12 |
XII |
|
|
|
|
|
2336 |
2729 |
393 |
Alcarin |
331 |
|
13 |
XIII |
|
|
|
|
|
2470 |
2857 |
386 |
Ardamin |
281 |
|
14 |
XIV |
|
|
|
|
|
2596 |
2977 |
380 |
Zimrathôn |
235 |
|
15 |
XV |
Eärendur |
|
|
|
his
sister Lindórië was the mother of Inzilbêth mother of Tar-Palantir |
2715 |
3089 |
374 |
Sakalthôr |
226 |
|
16 |
XVI |
|
|
|
|
|
2825 |
3193 |
368 |
Palantir |
220 |
|
17 |
XVII |
Numendil |
|
|
|
his son Elentir
might have been betrothed to Tar-Míriel, daughter of Tar-Palantir. |
2928 |
3290 |
362 |
Pharazôn † |
201 † |
|
18 |
XVIII |
Amandil |
|
3319 |
|
last Lord of
Andúnië; sailed to Eressëa to warn the Valar of Ar-Pharazôn’s impending
attack. Might have been the younger
son of Numendil. |
3023 |
3379 |
355 |
Pharazôn † |
201 † |
|
19 |
XIX |
Elendil † |
3119 |
3441 |
322 |
"The
Tall", High King of the Dúnedain (Annúminas)[47] |
3119 |
3441 † |
322 † |
Pharazôn † |
201 † |
Appendix
3: The House of Anárion[48]
|
|
|
king |
born |
sovereign |
died |
age |
ruled |
Comment |
Arnor |
|
1 |
I |
Elendil † |
3119 |
3320 |
3441 † |
322 |
121 |
"The
Tall", High King of the Dúnedain (Annuminas) |
Elendil |
|
|
|
Anárion † |
3219 |
|
3440 † |
221 |
|
killed by
a stonecast at Barad-dûr; never sovereign |
Elendil |
|
1 |
I |
Meneldil |
3318 |
10 |
158 |
280 |
148 |
King of
Gondor. Seat at Osgiliath |
Valandil |
|
2 |
II |
Cemendur |
3399 |
158 |
238 |
279 |
80 |
|
Valandil |
|
3 |
III |
Eärendil |
48 |
238 |
324 |
276 |
86 |
|
Eldacar |
|
4 |
IV |
Anardil |
136 |
324 |
411 |
275 |
87 |
|
Arantar |
|
5 |
V |
Ostoher |
222 |
411 |
492 |
270 |
81 |
|
Tarcil |
|
6 |
VI |
Rómendacil
I † |
310 |
492 |
541 † |
231 |
49 |
born
Tarostar; slain in battle with Easterlings |
Tarondor |
|
7 |
VII |
Turambar |
397 |
541 |
667 |
270 |
126 |
|
Elendur |
|
8 |
VIII |
Atanatar
I |
480 |
667 |
748 |
268 |
81 |
|
Elendur |
|
9 |
IX |
Siriondil |
570 |
748 |
830 |
260 |
82 |
|
Earendur |
|
10 |
X |
Falastur |
654 |
830 |
913 |
259 |
83 |
born
Tarannon; first childless king |
Amlaith |
|
11 |
XI |
Eärnil I
† |
736 |
913 |
946 † |
210 |
33 |
nephew of
Falastur; drowned in storm off Umbar |
Beleg |
|
12 |
XII |
Ciryandil
† |
820 |
946 |
1015 † |
195 |
69 |
fell in
battle with against Harad |
Beleg |
|
13 |
XIII |
Hyarmendacil
I |
899 |
1015 |
1149 |
250 |
134 |
born
Ciryaher |
Celepharn |
|
14 |
XIV |
Atanatar
II |
977 |
1149 |
1226 |
249 |
77 |
called
Alcarin, the Glorious. Height of power
of Gondor |
Celebrindor |
|
15 |
XV |
Narmacil
I |
1049 |
1226 |
1294 |
245 |
68 |
second
childless king |
Malvegil |
|
16 |
XVI |
Calmacil |
1058 |
1294 |
1304 |
246 |
10 |
brother
of Narmacil I |
Malvegil |
|
17 |
XVII |
Rómendacil
II |
1126 |
1304 |
1366 |
240 |
62 |
regent
from 1240 for his uncle and then his father; built Argonath |
Arveleg I |
|
18 |
XVIII |
Valacar |
1194 |
1366 |
1432 |
238 |
66 |
married
Vidumavi, daughter of King of Rhovanion |
Araphor |
|
19 |
XIX |
Eldacar |
1255 |
1432 |
1490 |
235 |
58 |
born
Vinthanarya; deposed 1437-1447 by Castamir |
Araphor |
|
|
|
Castamir
† |
1259 |
1437 |
1447 † |
188 |
10 |
called
"The Usurper". Descendant
of Calmacil; killed by Eldacar at Ethraid Erui |
Araphor |
|
20 |
XX |
Aldamir † |
1330 |
1490 |
1540 † |
210 |
50 |
died
fighting rebels of Umbar allied with Harad |
Araphor |
|
21 |
XXI |
Hyarmendacil
II |
1391 |
1540 |
1621 |
230 |
81 |
born
Vinyarion; defeated Harad in vengeance for Aldamir |
Argeleb
II |
|
22 |
XXII |
Minardil
† |
1495 |
1621 |
1634 † |
139 |
13 |
killed by
the great-grandsons of Castamir at Pelargir |
Argeleb
II |
|
23 |
XXIII |
Telemnar |
1516 |
1634 |
1636 |
120 |
2 |
died in
the Plague with his children. White
Tree died. |
Argeleb
II |
|
24 |
XXIV |
Tarondor |
1577 |
1636 |
1798 |
221 |
162 |
nephew of
Telemnar. Moved seat to Minas
Anor. Planted scion of White
Tree. Mordor unguarded. |
Arveleg
II |
|
25 |
XXV |
Umbardacil |
1632 |
1798 |
1850 |
218 |
52 |
born
Telumehtar. destroyed Havens of Umbar |
Araval |
|
26 |
XXVI |
Narmacil
II † |
1684 |
1850 |
1856 † |
172 |
6 |
Nazgûl
re-entered Mordor. killed in battle
with the Wainriders |
Araval |
|
27 |
XXVII |
Calimehtar |
1736 |
1856 |
1936 |
200 |
80 |
defeated
Wainriders. Built White Tower of
Minas Anor |
Araphant |
|
28 |
XXVIII |
Ondohir † |
1787 |
1936 |
1944 † |
157 |
8 |
he and
his sons killed by Wainriders.
Daughter Fíriel married Arvedui of Fornost |
Araphant |
|
|
|
Interregnum |
|
1944 |
|
|
1 |
interregnum;
Pelendur the Steward of Ondoher ruled |
Araphant |
|
29 |
XXIX |
Eärnil II
[49] |
1883 |
1945 |
2043 |
160 |
98 |
great-grandson
of Umbardacil; sent fleet to Lindon to fight Angmar; Nazgûl seized Minas
Ithil |
Aranarth |
|
30 |
XXX |
Eärnur † |
1928 |
2043 |
2050 † |
122 |
7 |
went to Minas
Morgul to face Lord of the Nazgûl, never returned. Last King of Gondor. |
Aranarth |
Appendix
4: The House of Isildur[50]
|
|
|
|
|
king |
born |
sovereign |
Died |
age |
ruled |
comment |
Gondor |
|
High King |
1 |
1 |
I |
Elendil † |
3119 |
3320 |
3441 † |
322 |
121 |
"The
Tall", High King of the Dúnedain (Annúminas) |
Elendil |
|
|
2 |
2 |
II |
Isildur † |
3209 |
3441 |
2 † |
234 |
2 |
|
Meneldil |
|
Arnor |
1 |
3 |
III |
Valandil |
3430 |
10 |
249 |
260 |
239 |
High King
of Arnor (Annúminas) |
Eärendil |
|
|
2 |
4 |
IV |
Eldacar |
87 |
249 |
339 |
252 |
90 |
|
Anardil |
|
|
3 |
5 |
V |
Arantar |
185 |
339 |
435 |
250 |
96 |
|
Ostoher |
|
|
4 |
6 |
VI |
Tarcil |
280 |
435 |
515 |
235 |
80 |
|
Rómendacil
I |
|
|
5 |
7 |
VII |
Tarondor |
372 |
515 |
602 |
230 |
87 |
|
Turambar |
|
|
6 |
8 |
VIII |
Valandur
† |
462 |
602 |
652 † |
190 |
50 |
|
Turambar |
|
|
7 |
9 |
IX |
Elendur |
552 |
652 |
777 |
225 |
125 |
|
Siriondil |
|
|
8 |
10 |
X |
Eärendur |
640 |
777 |
861 |
221 |
84 |
Arnor divided
into 3 kingdoms after he died |
Falastur |
|
Arthedain |
1 |
11 |
XI |
Amlaith |
726 |
861 |
946 |
220 |
85 |
King of
Arthedain (Fornost) |
Ciryandil |
|
|
2 |
12 |
XII |
Beleg |
812 |
946 |
1029 |
217 |
83 |
|
Hyarmendacil
I |
|
|
3 |
13 |
XIII |
Mallor |
895 |
1029 |
1110 |
215 |
81 |
|
Hyarmendacil
I |
|
|
4 |
14 |
XIV |
Celepharn |
979 |
1110 |
1191 |
212 |
81 |
|
Atanatar
II |
|
|
5 |
15 |
XV |
Celebrindor |
1062 |
1191 |
1272 |
210 |
81 |
|
Narmacil
I |
|
|
6 |
16 |
XVI |
Malvegil |
1144 |
1272 |
1349 |
205 |
77 |
|
Rómendacil
II |
|
|
7 |
17 |
XVII |
Argeleb I
† |
1226 |
1349 |
1356 † |
130 |
7 |
killed in
battle with Rhudaur and Angmar |
Rómendacil
II |
|
|
8 |
18 |
XVIII |
Arveleg I
† |
1309 |
1356 |
1409 † |
100 |
53 |
killed
fighting Angmar at Amon Sûl |
Valacar |
|
|
9 |
19 |
XIX |
Araphor |
1391 |
1409 |
1589 |
198 |
180 |
|
Hyarmendacil
II |
|
|
10 |
20 |
XX |
Argeleb
II |
1473 |
1589 |
1670 |
197 |
81 |
|
Tarondor |
|
|
11 |
21 |
XXI |
Arvegil |
1553 |
1670 |
1743 |
190 |
73 |
|
Tarondor |
|
|
12 |
22 |
XXII |
Arveleg
II |
1633 |
1743 |
1813 |
180 |
70 |
|
Umbardacil |
|
|
13 |
23 |
XXIII |
Araval |
1711 |
1813 |
1891 |
180 |
78 |
Defeated
Angmar with help of Lindon and Rivendell |
Calimehtar |
|
|
14 |
24 |
XXIV |
Araphant |
1789 |
1891 |
1964 |
175 |
73 |
war with
Angmar resumes |
Eärnil II |
|
|
15 |
25 |
XXV |
Arvedui † |
1864 |
1964 |
1975 † |
111 |
11 |
crushed
by sea-ice during war with Angmar.
Married Fíriel daughter of Ondoher of Gondor. Claimed throne of Gondor, but claim
rejected. |
Eärnil II |
|
Chieftains |
1 |
26 |
XXVI |
Aranarth |
1938 |
1975 |
2106 |
168 |
131 |
Chieftain
of the Dúnedain (Imladris) |
none |
|
|
2 |
27 |
XXVII |
Arahael |
2012 |
2106 |
2177 |
165 |
71 |
|
none |
|
|
3 |
28 |
XXVIII |
Aranuir |
2084 |
2177 |
2247 |
163 |
70 |
|
none |
|
|
4 |
29 |
XXIX |
Aravir |
2156 |
2247 |
2319 |
163 |
72 |
|
none |
|
|
5 |
30 |
XXX |
Aragorn I
† |
2227 |
2319 |
2327 † |
100 |
8 |
slain by
wolves |
none |
|
|
6 |
31 |
XXXI |
Araglas |
2296 |
2327 |
2455 |
159 |
128 |
|
none |
|
|
7 |
32 |
XXXII |
Arahad I |
2365 |
2455 |
2523 |
158 |
68 |
|
none |
|
|
8 |
33 |
XXXIII |
Aragost |
2431 |
2523 |
2588 |
157 |
65 |
|
none |
|
|
9 |
34 |
XXXIV |
Aravorn |
2497 |
2588 |
2654 |
157 |
66 |
|
none |
|
|
10 |
35 |
XXXV |
Arahad II |
2563 |
2654 |
2719 |
156 |
65 |
|
none |
|
|
11 |
36 |
XXXVI |
Arassuil |
2628 |
2719 |
2784 |
156 |
65 |
|
none |
|
|
12 |
37 |
XXXVII |
Arathorn
I † |
2693 |
2784 |
2848 † |
155 |
64 |
|
none |
|
|
13 |
38 |
XXXVIII |
Argonui |
2757 |
2848 |
2912 |
155 |
64 |
|
none |
|
|
14 |
39 |
XXXIX |
Arador † |
2820 |
2912 |
2930 † |
110 |
18 |
killed by
hill-trolls in the Coldfells |
none |
|
|
15 |
40 |
XL |
Arathorn
II † |
2873 |
2930 |
2933 † |
60 |
3 |
killed by
an orc-arrow |
none |
|
High King |
1 |
41 |
XLI |
Aragorn
II |
2931 |
2933 |
3019 |
210 |
206 |
King of
the Reunited Kingdom as Elessar |
Aragorn II |
|
|
2 |
42 |
XLII |
Eldarion |
|
120 |
|
|
|
born ca. IV
30; ruled at least 100 years |
Eldarion |