#Vorondil

[anghraine]

Today was a weird, uncomfortable day, so I'm consoling myself in the best way: with a Tumblr poll about my favorite Tolkien family—

*Tolkien wrote of the foundation of the Stewardship:

The Kings of Gondor had no doubt had “stewards” from an early time, but these were only minor officials ... He [Húrin of Emyn Arnen] was evidently the chief officer under the crown, prime counsellor of the King, and at appointment endowed with the right to assume vice-regal status [note: that is, the status of a viceroy or regent granted the powers and responsibilities of the king in his absence], and assist in determining the choice of heir to the throne, if this became vacant in his time. These functions all of his descendants inherited.

**Except the very elderly, obviously—but otherwise, every described Dúnadan of Gondor has dark or black hair (Boromir's is dark and longish by his death, while Faramir's is black and likely longer). Nearly all described Southern Dúnedain have grey eyes as well, including Boromir, Faramir, their uncle Imrahil, random soldiers, Rangers, messengers, etc, while Denethor has dark, glowing eyes (the color unknown). The members of the House of the Stewards, specifically including Boromir, also have enough of Elros's blood to inherit his beardlessness.

(None of the women of the Southern Dúnedain are described as anything except vaguely beautiful, but there's no reason to suppose the appearances of Elros's female descendants are more variable than the male ones, and Tolkien did say in NOME that Númenórean men and women were more physically similar to each other than usual.)

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Had to look up the information on the Horn of Gondor.

From The Return of the King, “Minas Tirith”:

“I have recieved this,” said Denethor, and laying down his rod he lifted from his lap the thing that he had been gazing at. In each hand he held up one half of a great horn cloven through the middle: a wild-ox horn bound with silver.

“That is the horn that Boromir always wore!” cried Pippin.

“Verily,” said Denethor. “And in my turn I bore it, and so did each eldest son of our house, far back into the vanished years before thr failing of the kings, since Vorondil father of Mardil hunted the wild kine of Araw in the far fields of Rhûn.”

And then in Appendix A.I.ii, in a footnote on the steward “Vorondil the Hunter” (father of Mardil; Mardil was the first ruling Steward of Gondor):

The wild white kine that were still to be found near the Sea of Rhûn were said in legend to be descended from the Kine of Araw, the huntsman of the Valar, who alone of the Valar came often to Middle-earth in the Elder Days. Oromë is the High-elven form of his name.

[wind-in-the-sky]

Whumptober day one

Just a sneakpeak for day one's prompt which should be out tomorrow afternoon!

(It's late, so not off to a great start, lol)

Just as he manages to fell the last of the orcs that had gathered at the top of the hill near the bleak remains of the seat of seeing, Aragorn heard a great ringing cry come from further down – HasteUrgencyAidByTheValarHelpHelpHelp – the horn of Vorondil had sounded, just as it had been at the beginning of this quest, and with its urgent song it compelled all those who could to aid the fair son of Gondor.

Springing into action, Aragorn belts down the hill to where that desperate sound had come from, followed closely by Legolas and Gimli both – the tree branches grasping and snagging at their legs, hindering them in their race against time. Soon enough, they break into an area of flatter ground to the sound of pitched fighting and the unmistakable whistle-thud of arrows meeting flesh – No, it couldn’t be! – but there is scant time to pause, as the fresh set of orcs set upon them. Aragorn is a near blur in his action; his sword biting deep into orcish flesh and his dagger backing it up. He dimly registers a low whistle from Gimli about the numbers of dead already lying around them; Boromir was a man who took after the warrior legends of old, and his skill with a blade was formidable.

A sudden icy dread seized his spine as he broke through the enemy ranks and races ever closer – Merry and Pippin were with him, and if that were the case then Boromir would willingly sacrifice his body to see his “little ones” safe. Aragorn finally burst into the clearing, and laid eyes on that which he had dreaded most – Boromir is slumped over his knees, several black arrows piercing his chest, blood leaking from the wounds crimson-bright as it dripped onto the forest floor. A great, hulking orc looms over him, drawing a twisted black bow to deliver the final shot. 

NO!

[bretwalda-lamnguin]

Faramir is a quenya royal name, the only other Faramir was the son of King Ondoher. For Denethor and Finduilas to name their son Faramir was against custom, but their family had used Quenya names before (e.g. Pelendur, Mardil and Vorondil) and clearly had that right. Pippin doesn't really have that excuse. Was Aragorn angry with him? I genuinely want to know how Faramir and Aragorn found out about this.

[sesamenom]

Tolkien only mentions people's absent mothers or wives if they're dead

...so about that:

dead, named

miriel

elenwe

luthien

nimloth (of doriath)

morwen

rian

nienor

aerin

finduilas [girlfriend]

eilinel [girlfriend]

arwen

theodwyn

tar-miriel

beruthiel

finduilas (of gondor)

primula

gilraen

elfhild

assumed eventually dead (mortal), named

adanel

andreth [girlfriend]

arachon

beldis

emeldir

zimrahin

gildis

gloredhel

hareth

hiril

meleth

elros' wife

tar-vanimelde

tar-ancalime

silmarien

almarian

erendis

ailinel

lindorie

inzilbeth

firiel

rian (of gondor)

morwen (of gondor)

morwen (of the dunedain)

ivorwen

not dead (as of last mention), named

tatie

nerdanel

indis

anaire

earwen

aredhel

idril

iminye

ilwen

meril [existence uncertain]

amarie [fiancee]

eldalote

enelye

galadriel

ungoliant

fluithin [existence uncertain]

varda

yavanna

vana

nessa

vaire

este

uinen

goldberry

melian

celebrian

elwing

lothiriel

eowyn

nimrodel (of lorien) [fiancee]

adamanta

lalia

eglantine

esmeralda

rosamunda

diamond

belladonna

donnamira

mirabella

belba

camellia

laura

pansy

linda

lobelia

chica

rosa

gilly

mimosa

prisca

dora

peony

tanta

lily

estella

alfrida

dina

cora

adaldrida

lavender

amethyst

ruby

sapphire

jessamine

gerda

druda

primrose

hilda

ivy

berylla

malva

hanna

salvia

menelgida

asphodel

nina

bell

marigold

rose (other one)

rose

lily (other one)

elanor

cwen

naimi

vaire (of tol eressea)

unnamed

nerdanel's mom

maglor's spouse [gender uncertain]

caranthir's spouse [gender uncertain]

celebrimbor's mom

ilion's wife

indis' mom

fingon's possible wife [existence disputed]

finduilas' mom

earwen's mom

denethor (of the laiquendi)'s mom

celeborn's first wife/amroth's mom [existence uncertain]

saeros' mom

cirdan's mom [existence disputed]

celeborn's mom

galadhon's mom

thranduil's mom

legolas' mom

nimloth (of doriath)'s mom

wives of beor, baran, belen, boron, baranor, beldir, boromir (of the beorians), bregor, beren (other one), bregolas, baragund, belegund

anduir's mom

amdir's wife/amroth's mom [existence uncertain]

wives of marach, imlach, magor, hathol, haldan, halmir, hundar, hunthor, haldad, haldar

bor's wife

ulfang's wife

gorlim's mom

dorlas' wife

aerin's mom

wives of vardamir, tar-amandil, nolondil, veantur, tar-elendil, earendur, axantur, hatholdir, caliondo, cemendur, hallatan, tar-anarion, tar-surion, isilmo, tar-minastir, tar-ciryatan, tar-atanamir, tar-ancalimon, tar-telemmaite, tar-alcarin, tar-calmacil, tar-ardamin, ar-adunakhor, ar-zimrathon, ar-sakalthor, tar-palantir, tar-gimilkhad

wives of valandil, earendur (second one), numendil, amandil, elendil, isildur, anarion, valandil, meneldil, eldacar, arantar, tarcil, tarondor, valandur, elendur, earendur (third one), amlaith, beleg, mallor, celepharn, celebrindor, malvegil, argeleb I, arveleg I, araphor, argeleb II, araval, araphant, aranarth, arahel, aranuir, aravir, aragorn I, araglas, arahad I, aragost, aravorn, arahad II, arassuil, arathorn I, argonui, arador,

wives of cemendur, earendil (of gondor), anardil, ostoher, tarostar, turambar (of gondor), atanatar I, siriondil, tarciryan, earnil I, ciryandil, ciryaher, calmacil, romendacil II, calimehtar, vidugavia, castamir, aldamir, hyarmendacil II, telemnar, minastan, tarondor, telumehtar, narmacil II, arciryas, calimehtar (other one), calimmacil, ondoher, siriondil (other one), earnil II

wives of marhari, marhwini, forthwini, frumgar, fram, leod, eorl, brego (of rohan), aldor, frea, freawine, freca, goldwine, deor, helm, hild, frealaf, brytta, walda, folcwine, fengel

wives of pelendur, vorondil, mardil, eradan, herion, belegorn, hurin I (of gondor), turin I (of gondor), hador (of gondor), barahir (of gondor), boromir (other one of gondor), cirion, hallas, hurin II, belecthor I, orodreth (of gondor), egalmoth (of gondor), beren (of gondor), beregond (other one), belecthor II, thorondir, turin II, turgon (of gondor), ecthelion II (of gondor)

wives of adrahil I, galador, agalahad, angelimir, adrahil II, elphir, imrahil

smeagol's grandmother

ibal's mom

beorn's wife [mortality uncertain]

ghan's wife

wives of girion, bard, bain, brand, bard II

wives of baranor (of gondor), beregond, borlas, berelach II

grima's mother

dunhere's mother

aghan's mother

mim's wife

wives of durin I, durin II, durin III, durin IV, durin V, durin VI, nain I, thrain I, thorin I, gloin (other one), oin (other one), nain II, dain I, borin, thror, thrain, gror, nain, farin, fundin, groin, dain II, gloin, thorin III

isengrim II's wife [mortality uncertain]

wives of isumbras III, ferumbras II, fortinbras I, isumbras IV, isumbold, isembard, adalgrim, flambard, sisigmond, adelard, ferdinand

wives of odo, olo, polo, ponto, dudo, adalgar, jago, gundahad, vigo, bosco

wives of gorhendad, sadoc, saradas, orgulas, marmadas, hamfast, wiseman, holman, cottar, hobson, holman, andwise, halfred, frodo (gardner), holfast

wives of woden, heden, eoh, tulkastor

if we include implied mortality (orange), we have our totals of:

total named: 129

dead, named: 43 not dead, named: 86

total unnamed: 273

probably dead, unnamed: 230 not dead, unnamed: 43

obviously the eventual mortality of the gazillion numenoreans does impact these numbers quite a bit, but it still does stand that more of the unnamed mothers/wives are dead than the named ones (84% vs 33%)

---

other notes:

orange = implied eventual death due to mortality at some point up to the end of the TA

[gender uncertain], [girlfriend], and [fiancee] characters were counted as wives

[existence uncertain] and [existence disputed] characters were included

[mortality uncertain] characters were counted as not dead

actually not only is Legolas’s mother still alive, post-quest she was like ‘Aragorn I’m your mum now’ and Aragorn was like ‘that’s kind of you but no need’ and she was like ‘NO. I AM YOUR MUM NOW.’

& Legolas was solemnly like ‘this means we are brothers now. I take my brotherly responsibilities very seriously. Family game night is on Tuesdays.’

that’s what happened.

[ao3feed-tolkien]

Idis takes the Public Service Test

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/MamjNcO

by what_katy_did_1234

Lady Idis is one of the few women to take the Public Service Test. When she discovers that only one man got a better result than her, she decides to find out who this mysterious man is. To her dismay, the more she discovers about him, the more she likes him. If only she could get over her shyness!

[Gorthon and Vorondil are based on former housemates of my husband when he was a student. Sorry-not-sorry. I haven’t even put in some of the wackier things the housemates did…]

Words: 10947, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 28 of LOTR fan fiction

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Idis of Emyn Arnen (OC), Lieutenant Barthon (OC), Captain Rador (OC), Amarchon (OC), Thorongil of Galaridh (OC), Duinion (OC), Head Archivist (OC), Halbor (OC), Gorthon (OC), Vorondil (OC), Elboron (Tolkien), Galadhel (OC), Barahir (Fourth Age)

Relationships: Idis/Thorongil

Additional Tags: Spies & Secret Agents, Assassins & Hitmen, Libraries, Inspired by The Lord of the Rings, Stalking, Competition, Exams

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/MamjNcO

[ecchima]

Hello everyone: Today I’m sharing a coloured sketch of my boy Vorondil! I played him during a DnD oneshot about the Fall of Gondolin and I had so much fun that I decided to draw him a few years after the events.

He’s doing alright, still an amazing cook doing his best to make people smile and find new recipes to share with everyone!

[the-writing-warg]

The Wild Kine of Araw

Genus : bovine

Name meaning : wild ox of Oromë

History : Legends claimed they were descendants from Oromë's personal herd of cattle, so they were named Kine of Araw (Araw being the sindarin form of Oromë). They were the quarry of Vorondil the hunter, an ancestor of the ruling stewards of Gondor, and it was he who cut the horn from a kine and made the Great horn out of it, that would later be used by Boromir before his death.

Description : They're barely described at all, save for a brief mention of 'wild white kine' in the appendices of the Lord of the rings, which seems to hint that eventually the Kine of Araw in middle Earth became a sub-species found only "near the Sea of Rhûn" as opposed to being pure Kine of Araw. Which is also supported by the consistent use of the phrase 'wild kine/ox' when describing the history of Boromir's horn. They're also said to be hardier and wilder than any other species of ox in middle Earth.

Influences : In an unpublished manuscript in the Bodleian library, tolkien likens the wild kine to aurochs, an extinct wild ox species that domestic cattle stem from.

Similar species to use as a reference :

Aurochs

"These are a little below the elephant in size, and of the appearance, color, and shape of a bull. Their strength and speed are extraordinary; they spare neither man nor wild beast which they have espied. These the Germans take with much pains in pits and kill them. The young men harden themselves with this exercise and practice themselves in this sort of hunting, and those who have slain the greatest number of them, having produced the horns in public, to serve as evidence, receive great praise." - Julius Caesar describing aurochs in his History of the Gallic War.

Since aurochs had been extinct at the time tolkien lived and so little is mentioned about the wild Kine of Araw, its impossible to know how closely tolkien imagined the two species to look, however there are a number of breeds that still exist today that have similar colouring, confirmation and behaviour to both aurochs and wild kine of Araw.

Pajuna cattle

The closest living relative to aurochs in the world, certain lineages are thought to share similar colours and markings with the aurochs and they share the same forward facing horns. They're extremely hardy cattle that have adapted to harsh living conditions.

Heck cattle

Bred by Heinz and Lutz Heck to be a modern auroch in the 1920s - 1930s, they naturally share alot of traits with the aurochs, they are one of the largest breeds in the world and are extremely aggressive, but they are still smaller than an actual auroch

Indian Gaur

One of the largest and most aggressive breeds of wild cattle, if left undisturbed they are more wary of humans but when in regular / semi-regular contact with humans they become aggressive. They've been known to charge without provocation, kill domestic cattle in fights and there's even been reports of them killing tigers.

Chianina

The largest breed of cow in the world, and is also white which technically makes them closer to the canonical description of the wild kine of Araw than others mentioned. They are more docile than the others on this list, due to working closely with humans and being bred for farm work (pulling carts, ploughing etc)

This post (and maybe more like this in the future) was inspired by @outofangband 's amazing posts on the flora , fauna and general environments of Arda, please go check out their posts if you like this sort of thing.

[sesamenom]

OP's argument contains approximately 43 incorrect statements and assumptions in total, which I will respond to in detail below:

Realistically, Aragorn has no claim to Gondor’s throne

wrong :-)

969 year difference Twenty six generations of human lived, breathed and died since the last King of Gondor.

okay so this is... a bit more complicated

the last King of Gondor (excluding the High Kingship claim on Isildur's side) was Earnur, who died in TA 2050.

Earnur was born TA 1928, making him approximately the same generation as Aranarth (TA 1938) on Aragorn's side and Vorondil (TA 1919) on Faramir's side.

Counting from my family tree, there are 15 generations on Aragorn's side since Aranarth (and Earnur), and the stated 26 on Faramir's side since Vorondil (and Earnur).

Pelendur was 40 when Vorondil was born; Vorondil was 41 when Mardil was born. Their average generation time on the Steward side would be around 40 years, and the average Gondorian would live for another 80 years past that.

The average generation time on the Dunedain side is closer to 70 years; and the average Dunedain would live for again, another 80 or so years afterwards (excluding the ones who died in orc raids)

That gives us approximately 25 generations worth of Gondorians in the time between Earendur and Aragorn, 14 generations of Dunedain, and one generation of peredhel.

except, since they live a bit longer, there were likely Gondorians up to the mid-2100s and Dunedain up to the 2200s who remembered the (short) reign of Earnur. Herion was the last Steward born before Earnur's death, so only 22 of those Stewards were actually born after Earnur's rule. on the Dunedain side, 2 of the 15 chieftains were born during Earnur's rule.

The Old Kings of Gondor are distant memories.

Faramir would like to object:

There are Loremasters in Gondor dedicated to the study of Gondorian history: furthermore, this continues traditions dating back to the late Numenor period, when there were still those few old Numenoreans who could somewhat see the Straight Line, hence how they got to Valinor/Tol Eressea in the first place.

What SHOULD have happened is after a generation or two, the Stewards of Gondor claimed full kingship. And because the line of kings had died out, no one would care. It happened almost ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

It happened almost one thousand years ago, yes. At Aragorn's coronation, he quite famously recites the Et Earello verse, first spoken by Elendil about three thousand years ago, and his crown is fashioned after the helm of Isildur.

Elros ruled almost six thousand years ago and most anyone important, including assorted Chieftains and Stewards, probably knows his brother personally. Ecthelion died in FA 510, and Denethor's father bore his name as that of a famous elven warrior. Before him was Turgon and Turin II; Beren, Egalmoth, Morwen, Turin I, Dior, and assorted Hurins lie further up the family tree.

The memory of Gondor is long, and their traditions longer.

Aragorn may have a direct line of descent to Isildur,  but that’s old news.

He is the direct heir of Isildur, who was the eldest son and heir of Elendil, who was the heir of Elros, who was the first King of Numenor and the heir of the High Kingship of the Noldor and the Sindar, and the great-great-grandson of Melian the Maia.

Aragorn is some foreigner, who is NOT a noble, and spent most of his time wandering the wilderness as a Ranger.

He spent 23 years (a third of his adult life, at the time) as Thorongil, serving in the army of Gondor alongside Steward Ecthelion II, to the point where Ecthelion II may have liked him more than Denethor.

He then spent several years acting as a scout in the early phases of the War of the Ring, including capturing Gollum in TA 3008. Afterwards, he returned to Arnor as a Strider the Ranger, wherein he was tasked with guarding the Shire. His "wandering in the wilderness" was in fact his cover for keeping the Ring hidden and Frodo guarded.

Remember, not all who wander are lost, and the crownless again shall be king :)

For reference, all this information is available in summary on Tolkiengateway which the OP has most kindly linked.

Legitamacy [sic] of bloodline isn’t the only factor that makes a king. You also need land, and armies, and some degree of cooperation from fhe [sic] local nobles to crown yourself king.

Land: the entire region of Arnor as controlled by the Dunedain. Armies: he brought the Dunedain and most of Southern Gondor in what was practically a miracle army at the Pelennor. Cooperation from local nobles: he was something of the favorite not-son of Ecthelion II (perhaps why Denethor distrusted him?) and Faramir in fact officiated his coronation:

he also had the support of Imrahil, for what it's worth.

What happened in Return of the King is the current ruler Denethor, was a bad ruler who screwed up badly and was in league with Sauron. Then Denethor died, and Faramir was injured in battle. Faramir then should have gone on to become the ruler of Gondor, as Denethor’s heir.

At least check out sparknotes before you make such a bold claim? Denethor definitely wasn't doing great at the end, but he was most certainly not "in league with Sauron": rather, he was in a state of Sauron-induced depression at the thought of impending Sauron-induced doom. (Poor guy) After Denethor's death, Faramir went on to become the Steward of Gondor as Denethor's heir, part of whose role was to grant the kingship to the rightful claimant.

But here comes Aragorn, who turns a siege with an army fo [sic] the Dead, and tricks the enemy into fleeing wih [sic] the ships. He has the banner of Gondor’s king, heals some people, BOOM. He is king. No contest, little pushback. Faramir, who is by right the next ruler of Gondor, because his farher [sic] and ancestors have been ruling Gondor doe [sic] the past thousand years, accepts Aragorn as king.

Aragorn brings hope in the form of sudden and unexpected reinforcements, turning a certain death into a potential victory, bearing the symbol of Elendil and the White Tree. Essentially, it's like if King Arthur showed up to the middle of the Battle of the Somme and saved several thousand lives while holding Excalibur up.

He then performs what is seen by the people of Gondor as miracles akin to the elves of old: the hands of a king are the hands of a healer, as so the loremasters tell. Not only does he heal the soldiers, but he specifically heals the injuries of the Shadow dealt by the blows of the Witch-King of Angmar himself, after the Shadow's victims were thought to have met certain death. Additionally, this tradition likely dates back to Elros having some potentially Maia-derived power, similar to Elrond healing the Morgul-knife.

It is Faramir's official job to cede the throne to Aragorn, which both of them recognize. Additionally, part of the process involves the ceremonial acceptance of the people of Minas Tirith:

I would like to note that Faramir was on the edge of death and Aragorn applied some magic medicine to heal him.

Asea aranion/kingsfoil doesn't do anything for *Mannish people not of the Line of Elros, making it a very effective demonstration of Aragorn's bloodline through the "hands of the king are the hands of a healer" tradition- the medicine isn't magic, Aragorn is, and he just saved Faramir's life by manually kicking Sauron-remnants out of his head.

I dunno about you, but if I was Faramir, and my bloodline ruled Gondor for centuries, and I was up for kingship because Denethor just died, I would ve [sic] a tad reluctant to give it tyo [sic] some foreigner who showed up just today.

He would in no way be up for kingship anymore than Ioreth would; Aragorn's descent through the Line of Isildur remains the line of the High Kings of Arnor and Gondor. Additionally, Aragorn as Thorongil has been around Gondor for 20+ years and was already beloved by the people and other nobility alike.

How i wouldve written is:

Given OP's previous plethora of errors, I think we can all agree that it's lucky this is not the case

The Stewards of Gondor become kings, and only a few historians care about this, because it is ancient history.

Someone of a high station serving under the king has previously declared the heir's claim void and become king; that someone is called Castamir and that event is called the Kin-strife, one of the bloodiest eras of Gondorian history in which Osgiliath fell to civil war and its palantir was lost. Additionally, the realm of "ancient history" becomes very different when Elrond is one of the leading loremasters of Middle-Earth, and Gondor has surviving oral traditions dating back to at least middle period Numenor (as evidenced by the recognition of Et Earello and the familiarity with Sindarin in general, and Quenya among loremasters)

Denethor, the corrupt ruler dies.

Denethor does die, and is the Ruling Steward at the time of his death. He is no more corrupt than Theoden-with-Grima is, though he does make some exceedingly ill-advised decisions.

The hero Aragorn shows up and helps drive off the armies of Mordor, saving Gondor.

Yes, he does in fact show up in the ships of the Corsairs with reinforcements and the standard of Gondor/Elendil.

Aragorn heals Faramir, has a nice little talk of “hey I saved your city, I save your life, you are now in my debt, would you give me the throne pretty please? Oh and you are weak and bed bound, meanwhile I have this legendary sword. In case you were wondering.”

He wouldn't need to ask: Faramir is more than willing to do his duty and reinstate Aragorn as King, especially given that both his claim and leadership have been well proven.

And then Aragorn becomes king of Gondor.

Specifically, he becomes King of Gondor and Arnor, though in practice he's mostly king of Gondor because he grants the Shire independence.

Yo I have a hot take about how Aragorn is not the rightful king of Gondor

Wanna hear it?

After the last hot take, I dread to. Please tell me.

[arofili]

the line of elros ❖ stewards of gondor ❖ headcanon disclaimer

          Pelendur was a lord of the House of Húrin and served as the Steward to the kings Ondoher and Eärnil II. He was a friend of Eärnil and sympathetic to his ambitions to achieve royalty for his descendants, though during Ondoher’s rules it was assumed that this would be possible only through marriage, perhaps of Eärnil’s son Eärnur to Ondoher’s daughter Fíriel.           Before any such arrangement could be made, Fíriel was wed to Prince Arvedui of Arthedain, the last remnant of the once-noble realm of Arnor. Eärnur was relieved, for his interests lay in men, but Eärnil’s frustration only grew.           When Gondor faced the double threat of attack by the Wainriders and Haradrim, Ondoher appointed Eärnil general of the southern army, for despite their political conflicts there was respect between them, and Eärnil was a great warrior. Ondoher ordered his younger son Faramir to remain in Minas Anor as regent, aided by Steward Pelendur, in case he and his other heirs should fall in battle.           While Eärnil routed the Haradrim, Ondoher’s army faced a greater threat than they had anticipated, and the King, his elder son Artamir, and his nephew Minohtar were all slain. Worst of all was the discovery of Faramir’s demise, for he had refused to stay behind and rode to war with the Éothéod in disguise. Though Eärnil avenged their deaths and routed the Wainriders from Gondor, there was now no clear heir to the throne.           Pelendur, deeply grieved by the loss of the King and his heirs, assumed his Stewardly responsibility as ruler of Gondor until a new King could be crowned. He had never expected this burden, and it wore on him; it was only through the support of his wife Meleth that he was able to endure while the Council of Gondor deliberated who would be their next leader.           Eärnil, a descendant of King Telumehtar Umbardacil through his younger son Arcíryas, presented his claim with the confidence that he would swiftly be declared King, but he was met with an unexpected challenge in the form of Ondoher’s son-in-law, Prince Arvedui. As the husband of the last King’s daughter Fíriel, who under the old laws of Númenor would have inherited as Ruling Queen, Arvedui argued that she was the rightful ruler of Gondor. Since it had been many long centuries since the Dúnedain had been led by a woman, he claimed that he should become King of Gondor in her stead. Additionally, Arvedui emphasized his position as the Heir of Isildur, once a King of Gondor himself, and thus also the Heir of High King Elendil; his children would be heirs of Arnor and Gondor, reuniting the Two Kingdoms and fulfilling the prophecy of the seer Malbeth.           But to the men of Gondor, Arthedain was a small kingdom and only a remnant of Arnor, never as glorious as their own realm. Furthermore, Pelendur had ever been a friend of Eärnil and spoke for him among the Council of Gondor. After a year of debate, they denied Arvedui’s claim and crowned Eärnil II King instead.           Pelendur served as Eärnil’s Steward for the rest of his life, and upon his death, Eärnil chose his son Vorondil as the next Steward, making the position hereditary in honor of his friend’s loyalty. Vorondil was renowned as a hunter for his pursuit of the Kine of Araw near the far-off shores of the Sea of Rhûn where he had traveled in his youth.           From one of these great, wild white oxen, he fashioned a great horn bound with silver and engraved with ancient characters. This horn passed from Vorondil to his heir, Mardil, and from him to his, and so forth from eldest son to eldest son through many generations, until it met its end with Boromir son of Denethor II. The horn was part of a matched pair, the other of which was given to his wife Anwariel as a courting gift, though this was lost long before Boromir’s time.

[anghraine]

Stewardist amusements: I was thinking about the names of, uh, every member of the House of the Stewards (aka House of Húrin/Húrinionath) and how often they choose namesakes from which species or factions, and had the idea of amusing myself by looking at every single one of them. You know, as you do.

Note: I am exercising judgment in some finer points of ambiguity! But you can look at my analysis after the cut if you're interested in how I'm choosing to spend the day.

Unless I'm getting some numbers wrong, this is the breakdown of the names of every single named member (by birth, not marriage) of the House of the Stewards:

By my count, there are 35 named members of the House of the Stewards.

5 of the named members of the house seem to be named after Elves.

19 of the named members of the house seem to be named after other humans (all are previous Dúnedain and/or First Age Edain).

1 of the named members of the house is named after a peredhel.

10 members of the house have no known namesakes.

While, as you can see, there seems a very strong preference for human namesakes among the Stewards, 0 known members of the family have names in an originally Mannish language such as Adûnaic, either in whole or in part. This seems notable because the only other Gondorian noble house we have quite a bit of multi-generational information about, the Princes of Dol Amroth, do show repeated uses of Adûnaic or part-Adûnaic names even in a much less detailed family tree. POME does say that the ancestors of the Stewards were a family of Sindarin-speaking Elf-friends on Númenor, so this may be a 3000+-year-old family tradition.

27 of the named members of the house have Sindarin names, vastly outstripping all other language sources and confirming Tolkien's statement that the Ruling Stewards overwhelmingly preferred to use Sindarin names (this does not end with the Ruling Stewardship, btw; although Faramir's own name is Quenya, both of his only known descendants have fully Sindarin names).

4 of the named members of the house have wholly Quenya names (though few of them are named by Tolkien until the rise of the Ruling Stewardship and he suggests many more would have had Quenya names in that earlier era; the change was deliberate and marked).

2 named members of the house have names in mixed Sindarin and Quenya (it's the same name for both people: Boromir).

2 named members of the house have names from any source other than Sindarin or Quenya (it's also the same name: Denethor is from Nandorin).

I thought halfway through about separating out human-namesake names based on whether they seem to be namesakes of Edain or other Númenóreans, but was too lazy to do more math.

Steward Húrin of Emyn Arnen: namesake of Húrin Thalion, a human; the name is Sindarin (this Húrin was a cousin of King Minardil and the first person appointed to the Stewardship proper; all other Stewards were his descendants).

Steward Pelendur: unknown if he was a namesake of anyone. The name is Quenya.

Steward Vorondil the Hunter: unknown if he was a namesake. The name is Quenya (with his generation, the Stewardship became inherited in the usual dynastic fashion; he was Pelendur's son).

Ruling Steward Mardil Voronwë: indirectly a namesake of the entire house of Anárion (Mardil = friend of the house, and JRRT explained "house" here to refer to the royal house of Gondor at the time), which is human (Númenórean edition). The name is Quenya. He was known as "the Faithful" and "the Steadfast" for his loyalty, which translates into Quenya as Voronwë (rather than as a reference to the Elf, IMO).

Ruling Steward Eradan: it's unknown if he was a namesake of anyone; the name is Sindarin. This is likely not his original name, since Tolkien is very emphatic that the Stewards deliberately switched to giving their children Sindarin names after the establishment of the Ruling Stewardship, which occurred long after Eradan's birth (the Húrinionath generally used Quenya names prior to the failure of the kings as a privilege granted to Gondorians of royal blood, but very deliberately dropped the language of royalty once they became actual rulers, but didn't want to appear to claim the throne).

6. Ruling Steward Herion: it's unknown if he was a namesake of anyone; the name is Sindarin (though it would also fit Quenya).

7. Ruling Steward Belegorn: it's unknown if he was a namesake of anyone. The name is Sindarin (very likely including the Sindarin word beleg, "mighty," which is more famous in the name of the First Age Elf Beleg Cúthalion—but since it's an actual Sindarin word of significant meaning, it's not at all certain the Steward is named for him personally).

8. Ruling Steward Húrin I: the name is still Sindarin, and he was likely a namesake of the human Númenórean founder of his house, but his son's name suggests an association with Húrin Thalion of the Edain as well.

9. Ruling Steward Túrin I: undoubtedly, given his father's name, a namesake of Túrin Turambar, the great tragic hero of the human Edain. The name is Sindarin.

10. Steward Túrin was highly unusual in marrying twice and had numerous daughters (names unknown) and a late-born son, the Ruling Steward Hador. Hador was likely a namesake of the First Age hero Hador Lórindol ("Goldenhead") of the human Edain; the Steward may also have been named for Hador's family in general, the great house known later as the House of Hador. The name appears to be Sindarin.

11. Ruling Steward Barahir: namesake of Barahir of the House of Bëor, a great human hero in his own right and father of the most renowned man of all the Edain, Beren Erchamion. The name is Sindarin.

12. Ruling Steward Dior: namesake of King Dior Eluchíl of Doriath, a peredhel (likely mortal IMO, but in any case neither a human nor an Elf). The name is (probably Doriathrin) Sindarin.

13. Lady Rían, daughter of Steward Barahir and sister to Steward Dior: namesake of the tragic human musician Rían of the House of Bëor, the cousin of Morwen Eledhwen and mother of Tuor. The name is Sindarin.

14. Ruling Steward Denethor I, son of Rían: namesake of the Elf king Denethor of the Green-elves. Tolkien's clearest explanation of the name's etymology states it is Sindarinized Nandorin (the forerunner to Silvan Elvish).

15. Ruling Steward Boromir: namesake of Boromir, Lord of Ladros, of the human House of Bëor. According to Tolkien, it is an etymologically "mixed" name, combining Sindarin and Quenya (although the Sindarin word mîr is very close to the -mir or -mírë that occurs as a suffix in various masculine Quenya names, it's not typically used that way in Sindarin names).

16. Ruling Steward Cirion: unknown namesake. It's Sindarin.

17. Ruling Steward Hallas: unknown namesake. It's Sindarin.

18. Ruling Steward Húrin II: presumably the namesake of Húrin I. Still Sindarin.

19. Ruling Steward Belecthor I: unknown namesake. It's clearly Sindarin.

20. Ruling Steward Orodreth: namesake of the Elf king Orodreth of the Noldor, ruler of Nargothrond (son of Angrod, nephew of Finrod, Galadriel, and Aegnor, and father of Finduilas and Gil-galad). The name is Sindarin, a direct cognate to the Quenya Artaresto.

21. Lady Morwen, daughter of Steward Belecthor and sister of Steward Orodreth: very probably a namesake of Morwen Eledhwen of the House of Bëor, an iconic tragic heroine of the First Age human Edain, and mother of Túrin Turambar and Niënor Níniel. The name is Sindarin.

22. Ruling Steward Ecthelion I, son of Steward Orodreth: namesake of the Elf lord Ecthelion of Gondolin. The name is archaic Sindarin.

23. Ruling Steward Egalmoth, grandson of Morwen: namesake of the Elf lord Egalmoth of Ecthelion. The name is archaic Sindarin.

24. Ruling Steward Beren: namesake of the greatest of human heroes, Beren Erchamion, husband of Lúthien Tinúviel. The name is Sindarin.

25. Ruling Steward Beregond: no known namesake (though he himself has one—the guardsman Beregond in LOTR, who befriends Pippin). The name is Sindarin.

26. Ruling Steward Belecthor II: namesake of his ancestor Belecthor I, a previous Ruling Steward and thus a Númenórean human. It remains Sindarin.

27. Ruling Steward Thorondir: no known namesake (though it is very similar to the name of the king of the Giant Eagles, that's unlikely to be its inspiration IMO). It is definitely Sindarin.

28. Ruling Steward Túrin II: likely the namesake of his ancestor Steward Túrin I, a Númenórean human man. It remains wholly Sindarin.

29. Ruling Steward Turgon: namesake of the Noldorin Elf Turgon, King of Gondolin, father of Idril Celebrindal. According to "The Shibboleth of Fëanor," it's a Sindarin approximation of Turgon's original Quenya name Turucáno.

30. Ruling Steward Ecthelion II: namesake of his ancestor, the human (Dúnadan) Steward Ecthelion I. Once again, it's Sindarin.

31. Ruling Steward Denethor II: namesake of his ancestor, the human Steward Denethor I. It remains in Sindarinized Nandorin.

32. Lord Boromir, son of Steward Denethor II: namesake of his ancestor, the great Númenórean (ergo human) warrior-Steward Boromir. Steward Boromir was the son of the first Steward Denethor, so it seems obvious that his name is meant to echo the first Denethor -> Boromir. It remains mixed Sindarin and Quenya.

33. Steward Faramir, Prince of Ithilien: namesake of a previous human Dúnadan prince in Gondor, Prince Faramir of the House of Anárion, son of King Ondoher of Gondor. Faramir is the first member of the House of the Stewards in many, many centuries to receive a purely Quenya name (we know this from his namesake, since all members of the house of Anárion had names in pure Quenya).

34. Elboron: this one is shakier, but many of the details about the Princes of Dol Amroth comes from a document which also includes Elboron as a son of Faramir and Éowyn (included due to Faramir being sister-son to Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth). Elboron is very likely a partial namesake of his paternal uncle Boromir, a human Dúnadan; although the Dúnedain tend to recycle whole names rather than partial or indirect namesakes like this, the re-purposing of a name component to honor a previous generation seems more common among ancient Númenóreans (e.g., Elendil and his grandson Elendur) and Elves, so I'll count it. The name is Sindarin.

35. Barahir: we don't know Barahir's exact position in the succession (son of Faramir's eldest son? son of another child? firstborn or younger child? etc), but he is actually mentioned in LOTR as a grandson of Faramir. He's a namesake of either his much nearer ancestor, Steward Barahir, or the father of Beren Erchamion, but a human either way. The name is Sindarin.

[wind-in-the-sky]

Whole fic for 'We do not love the sword for its sharpness

Warning: major character death because it's my take on Amon Hen and Boromirs death

(Not hugely original, I know, but eh, it fit the race against the clock prompt for day 1 of whumptober)

Just as he manages to fell the last of the orcs that had gathered at the top of the hill near the bleak remains of the seat of seeing, Aragorn heard a great ringing cry come from further down – HasteUrgencyAidByTheValarHelpHelpHelp – the horn of Vorondil had sounded, just as it had been at the beginning of this quest, and with its urgent song it compelled all those who could to aid the fair son of Gondor.

The horn sounds again, another desperate call, the orcs faltering against the brightness of the sound, and Aragorn moves; springing into action, he belts down the hill to where that desperate sound had come from, followed closely by Legolas and Gimli both – the tree branches grasping and snagging at their legs, hindering them in their race against time. Soon enough, they break into an area of flatter ground to the sound of pitched fighting and the unmistakable whistle-thud of arrows meeting flesh – No, it couldn’t be! – but there is scant time to pause, as the fresh set of orcs set upon them. Aragorn is a near blur in his action; his sword biting deep into orcish flesh and his dagger backing it up. He dimly registers a low whistle from Gimli about the numbers of dead already lying around them; Boromir was a man who took after the warrior legends of old, and his skill with a blade was formidable.

A sudden icy dread seized his spine as he broke through the enemy ranks and races ever closer – Merry and Pippin were with him, and if that were the case then Boromir would willingly sacrifice his body to see his “little ones” safe. Aragorn finally burst into the clearing, and laid eyes on that which he had dreaded most – Boromir is slumped over his knees, several black arrows piercing his chest, blood leaking from the wounds crimson-bright as it dripped onto the forest floor. A great, hulking orc looms over him, drawing a twisted black bow to deliver the final shot. 

 

NO!

 

With a great cry Aragorn brings his sword arcing down on the misshapen bow, breaking it clean in twain. A grunt, and the uruk hai he'd just tackled pushes him back - the both of them thudding into a tree - and the uruk's curved shield comes arcing up and the points of it thud into the bark either side of his neck, trapping him there until he ducks out from underneath, just in time to avoid the swing of an equally wicked sword. From then on, the duel is a blur of fierce motion, of swords dropped and near misses up to the point Aragorn manages to skewer it on the point of his sword, then swiftly behead it.

He sprints over to Boromir and skids to his knees by his side.

"They took the little ones!" Boromir manages to grit out.

"Stay still." Aragorn replies, almost a command, as his hands clamp desperately around one of the arrow wounds, trying to stem the slow bubble of blood.

"Frodo. Where is Frodo?" it is nearer a whisper now, and Aragorn can hear the hitch in his breathing as Boromir struggles against the pain.

"I let Frodo go," he whispers back.

"Then you did what I could not, I tried to take the ring from him." his breathing stutters again, turning into near frantic gasping for air.

"The ring is beyond our reach now," is Aragorn's reply, a reassurance

"Forgive me, I did not see ... I have failed you all."

"No, Boromir. You fought bravely. You have kept your honor."

Aragorn reaches for one of the arrows - to stem the flow further, or to remove it, he doesn't know - but Boromir weakly bats his hand away.

"Leave it! It is over ... the world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness and my city to ruin ... Aragorn." Desperation laces his tone as blood spills from his lips, his hand shooting upwards to clasp Aragorn's shoulder.

Laying one hand of his own over it, Aragorn reassures him "I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail." 

"Our people...our people..." 

He can see Boromir's hand grasping for his sword, laying on the leaf litter just out of his reach, so Aragorn places it in his hand and with the last of his strength Boromir brings it thudding to his chest in a pale imitation of a soldier's salute.

"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my King." Boromir grits out between bloodied lips, his face pale, throat working against the blood choking it.

Those words are final, and the life in his eyes fades out, and the agony slips from his face with it.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor." he says, and Aragorn bends down to place a kiss on his forehead - a benediction and a farewell in one to one of the greatest Men he had known in his long years of life.

[bretwalda-lamnguin]

It's interesting how Malbeth the Seer's role for the later kings of Arthedain parallels the Steward's role for the later Gondorian kings. Both serve as chief advisors, with something of a spiritual, quasi-religious role. Malbeth gives prophectic guidance to the kings, the Stewards keep the tradition of Isildur.

Both seem clearly associated with spiritual power, Malbeth with foresight, the Stewards with the ability to read the hearts and minds of others (going by Denethor and Faramir at least).

But the key difference it seems is that for all their spiritual power, the Húrinionath are pragmatists at heart, and seem to have a flair for the political. Malbeth on the other hand doesn't seem to know or care (telling the king to name his son last king is not a good way to inspire confidence in your dynasty!)

I also find it interesting that the decision for the Dúnedain that Malbeth talks about, is arguably the one taken by Pelendur. Putting Eärnil II on the throne of Gondor. The more hopeful, pragmatic choice, the one a Steward would always take regardless of signs and omens.

I wonder if any of the Húrinionath, probably Vorondil or Mardil met Malbeth after the fall of Arthedain, I can't imagine they got on well...

[emerwenaranel]

Friendly reminder

It is funny that so many people remember Vorondil as a great hunter but they forget that, during his stewardship, the Nazgul besieged Minas Ithil until the city fell, and they turned it into Minas Morgul.

[vorondil]

just watched BNHA recently and fell in love with bakugou

[luna-writes-stuff]

April Tolkien Challenge; Day 19

Horn of Gondor

tap picture for better quality

——

Someone adviced me to watch the short film “Horn of Gondor” on YouTube for this, and I absolutely loved it! Check it out if you will.

The horn of Gondor, a longtime heirloom for the Stewards of Gondor. It was created by Vorondil, who gave it to his descendants, as many other Tolkien relics had been. It eventually landed in the hands of Boromir, son of Denethor, who would be the last person to wield it.

In the Lord of the Rings, there are three canon events where Boromir used the horn. It was known to be heard all the way to Minas Tirith, as to warn Gondorians of battle or other threats. The first time Boromir blew it, was when the fellowship of the ring left Rivendell in the year 3018 of the Third Age. He was known to often do it, as to announce his travels to other companions throughout the lands.

The second time he used it, was in Moria, when the fellowship lay under the attack of goblins, a Balrog and a cave troll. The sound made the enemy halt their movements for a little while, taken aback by the sound, but it did little else for Boromir.

The third, and unfortunately last time, the horn would be used, was at the riverbanks of Parth Galen. There, the fellowship was ambushed by the Uruk-Hai, which came from Isengard, where the wizard Saruman lived. He blew the horn to call for aid in the defending of the two hobbits Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck and Peregrin ‘Pippin’ Took. While the horn was heard on time by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. They were too late, and Boromir had fallen to save the lives of the two hobbits. Both Merry and Pippin got taken away by the Uruk-Hai, leaving the three hunters alone, and Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee on the River to return the ring to Mordor. It was said the last blow had been so hard, even Faramir and Denethor II heard it.

The horn was split in half by the Uruk-Hai, and laid on Boromir at his funeral. It was his brother, Faramir, who would later find the horn in the waters, and immediately recognize it as Boromir’s. The heirloom was given back to Denethor, who began to grieve the loss of his son. Pippin and Gandalf would later meet the steward on his throne, holding the split horn in his lap.

——

Sources:

-One Wiki To Rule Them All

-Tolkien Gateway

-Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien