#tarannon

[bretwalda-lamnguin]

I definitely think cultural prejudice factored against Berúthiel in Gondor, but I've been having thoughts about what an interesting situation her marriage is. I think there's a lot more to it than prejudice and a few cats...

Berúthiel was a Númenorian, but one descended from the Kings Men, as opposed to the Faithful ancestors of the Gondorians. Both sides of Númenor still exist in middle earth, but for the most part the Gondorians seem to want to claim sole right to Númenor's legacy, certainly after Arnor's collapse, and deny the existence and legitimacy of other groups of Númenorians (either by ignoring them or claiming them to be of “impure blood”). Umbar, other Númenorian colonies and Númenorians in the service of Sauron (e.g the Mouth of Sauron) obviously fly in the face of this. Gondor has at all times its own dark inversion to face. Umbar exists as an aspect of Gondor's dark shadow, reflecting the aspects of their culture and history that they are most uncomfortable with, but that still (to a lesser degree) exist within themselves. We see it most in Castamir the Usurper, a Númenorian blood-purist whose descendants do end up ruling Umbar. This makes Tarannon's marriage to Berúthiel interesting. Rather than deny the existence of the King's Men in middle earth, this seems more an attempt to reconcile the two, and re-unify the two halves of Númenor. There would have likely been some elements in Gondor all for this, Númenorian blood-supremecists who were King's Men in all but name, Castamir didn't come from nowhere. But this involves legitimising their political enemy in an attempt to reconcile them, by marrying Berúthiel Tarannon was acknowledging her to be a Númenorian, this was before the Kin-Strife. It cannot be an easy thing to walk back. Tarannon and Berúthiel did not love each other, this must have been an arranged marriage, and Berúthiel a prominent princess, likely growing up steeped in the local forms of Númenorian King's Men culture. So, with so much riding on it, why did it fail? I think there are two possible answers. The Gondorians were either repulsed by how similar the King's Men were to themselves, or by how different.

For the first, perhaps Berúthiel often talks in ways which are less veiled than the Gondorians, openly talking of Númenorian superiority, that other Men exist only to serve them, mocking those of "lesser bloodlines". This makes those who would consider themselves Faithful uncomfortable, she represents an unmasked version of Gondor, with all its rhetoric and justification swept aside and the horrible truth of Númenorian imperialism laid bare.

Alternatively, many in Gondor may have hoped that the years in exile may have set the descendants of the King's Men right, they can't surely still hold slaves and carry out human sacrifice by immolation, can they? Only for Berúthiel herself to dash this. Treating Tarannon's servants as slaves, calling for enslavement of defeated foes and burning of political enemies.

Perhaps it was some of both, to different people. Either way I think this is an interesting moment in Gondorian history, we never hear about any more attempts at reconciliation before or since, and the Gondorians post Kin-Strife (and especially from Mardil onward according to Faramir) take a different path. There are still dark elements there, but Gondor definitely becomes less like the King's Men, not more. Though this only seems to increase their resolve to deny them, and their right to claim Númenor's legacy. This would also explain why Tarannon was so keen to have her existence forgotten, this wasn’t just a failed marriage, it was failed geopolitics and diplomacy. Something that would potentially hurt Gondor for decades, even centuries.

[remusjohnslupin]

TOLKIEN LADIES: Berúthiel

Berúthiel lived in the King's House in Osgiliath, hating the sounds and smells of the sea and the house that Tarannon built below Pelargir "upon arches whose feet stood deep in the wide waters of Ethir Anduin;" she hated all making, all colours and elaborate adornment, wearing only black and silver and living in bare chambers, and the gardens of the house in Osgiliath were filled with tormented sculptures beneath cypresses and yews. She had nine black cats and one white, her slaves, with whom she conversed, or read their memories, setting them to discover all the dark secrets of Gondor, so that she knew those things "that men wish most to keep hidden," setting the white cat to spy upon the black, and tormenting them. No man in Gondor dared touch them; all were afraid of them, and cursed when they saw them pass.

[edennill]

topics of contention among historians of Gondor:

whether Ar-Pharazon or Tar-Miriel should be considered the last ruler of Númenor. Pharazon is traditionally named as such, but once in a blue moon you have someone point out that he was an usurper and these aren't supposed to count. the refutations tend to come in the form of (a) but we're reluctant to make changes in the books (b) that it's definitely Pharazon's actions that are what comes to mind when you think about the last years of Númenor and Miriel shouldn't be linked with them

the rohirrim (not) being descended from the house of Hador. this is a story someone had more or less made up wholesale based on very little evidence, but calling them close relations makes people feel better about Gondor having given up a third of it's territory in their favour. every once in a while some young scholar realises this, tries to make his case, and is promptly shut down.

a slight lost-cause-ism problem regarding the kinstrife in some circles, for that matter, though thankfully it's a rather niche view (or at least one mostly kept silent about)

whether assorted first age figures were villains or tragic heroes. kind of like this fandom, tbh, though with way fewer uncritical fëanor stans and a lot more you do realise he would have hated you, right? (no morgoth fans though, because first of all, what the heck, and also that would be a very hard position to defend when his most important servant is actively trying to genocide you)

whether the ship-kings' conquests were that needful or advantageous, actually, and just how much historical reason the peoples of harad might have to not like gondorians

do. not. cite. the legend of beruthiel. as. a. historical. source, please! (seven stars! she hated gondor, gondor hated her, she was suspected of nefarious doings and tarannon had her sent back home. that's IT. she MIGHT have had cats, and the rest is common fancy)

who actually raised the first king of númenor after his parents, um, entered the realm of legend. yes, I know what the most fanciful story says, but it has to be just story, right? it would be so weird and ironic and our legendary progenitor can't have been raised by murderers...

surprisingly fierce battles over very obscure first age edain with legends attached. you can't imagine how much shouting can get involved.

[magicalmanhattanproject]

The Falasturiel Conspiracy

Okay, this is gonna be a grimmer one, but hear me out. I think I'm onto something.

So on my last Appendices diving post, I talked about Fíriel Ondoheriel, wife of Arvedui and how Arvedui tried to claim Gondor's throne by claiming that Fíriel had a right to the throne according to the Númenorean laws of succession. Last time I was mostly focused on Fíriel and how that deals with her, but there's something else weird about it.

How has this not come up before? Ondoher is the thirty-first king of Gondor. The Council of Gondor don't reply to Arvedui's claim. There's no "Yeah we already figured out that particular issue of succession like two dozen generations ago" message.

Somehow, in thirty-one generations, Gondor has never had an only or even an eldest daughter. Compare that to three ruling queens and three more generations of women that could have been queen but weren't (Silmarië, Tar-Súrion's sisters, and Tar-Míriel) in 25 rulers of Númenor. That... seems implausible.

Now, the Doylist explanation is simple: Tolkien forgot women exist again. But, if we want a Watsonian explanation, let's turn our attention to one of the very few women who does get mentioned in Gondor's history: Berúthiel.

Berúthiel is infamous in Gondorian history. She's a Black Númenorean from Umbar. She's evil, she's wicked, she's "nefarious, solitary, and loveless", she hates the Sea, she spies on the men of Gondor, and she's exiled and stricken from the Book of Kings but still lives on in reputation. She is also the wife of Tarannon Falastur, the 12th king of Gondor and the first who had no heirs.

So, like. Let's lay it all out.

It Just So Happens that there aren't any women who could possibly inherit the throne until Ondoher and all his sons are killed. Just So Happens. By Sheer Coincidence.

The first king of Gondor who dies without an heir has a foreign wife who may not be familiar or comfortable with Gondorian norms or political necessities.

The wife of that king really fucking hates her husband and refuses to live in the same city as him and spies on any man that has anything to do with her.

Are y'all picking up what I'm putting down?

[ruiniel]

A @tolkienrsb​ fic by @aprilertuileviresse /Aprilertuile on AO3, with art by @ruiniel

Artwork Rating: G | Fic rating: G | Warnings: No archive warnings apply, arranged marriage with all that implies nothing graphically described though | Relationship: Berúthiel/Maglor | Characters: Maglor, Berúthiel, Tarannon Falastur | Word count: 13k 

SUMMARY:

Beruthiel is set to wed the king of Gondor in an arranged marriage to ensure the safety of her people. Unhappy and alone in the city of her husband, she meets Maglor, also exiled from his own people. 

READ ON AO3: He taught me to love the sea

VIEW THE ART on Tumblr

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Favourite Female Tolkien Character Poll - Round 2, Match 13

Berúthiel

A queen of Gondor remembered for her cats. From a note in Unfinished Tales:

She was the nefarious, solitary, and loveless wife of Tarannon, twelfth King of Gondor and first of the ‘ship-kings,’ who took the crown in the name of Falastur (‘Lord of the Coasts’), and was the first childless king. Berúthiel lived in the King’s House in Osgiliath, hating the sounds and smells of the sea and the house that Tarannon built below Pelargir ‘upon arches whose feet stood deep in the wide waters of Ethir Anduin’; she hated all making, all colours and elaborate adornment, wearing only black and silver and living in bare chambers, and the gardens of the house in Osgiliath were filled with tormented sculptures beneath cypresses and yews.

She had nine black cats and one white [my note: sonehow this feels like a metaphor/imagery for Sauron and the Ringwraiths], her slaves, with whom she conversed, or read their memories, setting them to discover all the dark secrets of Gondor, so that she knew those things ‘that men wish most to keep hidden’, setting the white cat to spy on the black, and tormenting them. No man in Gondor dared to touch them; all were afraid of them, and cursed when they saw them pass.

…her name was erased from the Book of the Kings…and King Tarannon had her set on a ship alone with her cats and set adrift on the sea before a north wind. The ship was last seen flying past Umbar under a sickle moon, with a cat at the masthead and another as a figure-head on the prow.

Fíriel of Gondor

The last surviving child of King Ondoher of Gondor, under Númenorean law she would have been the heir to the throne. She married Arvedui Last-king of Arnor, and he sought to claim the throne of Gondor in her name. He was refused, and the line of kings of Gondor ended two generations later, while the kingdom of Arnor ended with Arvedui.

Apparently no one argued that Fíriel herself rather than her husband should inherit the throne.

[vidumavi]

Who of the married into Gondorian nobility trinity worked the best? Seems like there could be multiple answers here.

I think it really depends on how you define “worked best”! The reason I lumped Mithrellas, Berúthiel and Vidumavi into one category in my head is that to me, their stories (or how I think about their stories because lbr, the canon information is sparse here) all involve a strong sense of alienation and othering from the culture they’ve married into.

Vidumavi was probably the happiest with her life- she married her husband out of love, there are no hints that she did not have a loving marriage and a good relationship with her son and she died before the civil war started and her grandson was murdered. Still, she left her home behind to become Queen of a country whose nobility- including her husband’s relatives- considered her racially inferior, and no matter how happy she was with her family, that grief and anger and worry for her children and grandchildren would have probably followed her her whole life. But she did ultimately have a choice in coming to Gondor, which doesn’t seem true for Berúthiel, whose marriage was likely political and who despised her husband (both Vidumavi and Berúthiel have to change their names to Sindarin, though, an interesting parallel of having to give up parts of their identity).

(Most mentions of Berúthiel that we get have a sense of historical mythmaking and dramatization about them and I tend to read them as a wild, one-dimensional exaggeration by people who did not understand her at all. She should get to do a little bit of dark magic and cat-communing, though. As a treat)

Berúthiel was probably ostracized and treated as cruelly as Vidumavi, it’s just not mentioned because her entire role is to be a semi-legendary villain (and to be a vehicle for Jirts weird hatred of cats. Booo.). Her stint as Queen of Gondor ends with her husband possibly attempting to murder (??) her and like 20 years (?) later Gondor conquers her home, so whatever diplomacy might have been attempted by her family in marrying her off to Tarannon was probably no success. She gets one good hit in, though, by refusing her husband heirs (possibly through cat magic, we don’t know. this is one of those “Jirt scrabbled it onto the back of a receipt and it’s illegible to human eyes” drafts). And I suppose if “traumatize the population of Gondor so much that they whisper her name thousands of years later” was something she would have considered a victory (based if true), she won that one too.

Mithrellas is the odd one out here, mostly because we know so little about her and because she didn’t really have an impact on geopolitics, but I’ve always found it hard to believe that her marriage to Imrazor was a happy one. People who vanish into the night alone immediately after giving birth never to be seen again are probably not in a very good situation, though I go back and forth on how consensual the marriage was in the first place. She was entirely alone, lost in a strange country and had just lost all her companions when he found her and I think it would have been very easy for him to take advantage of her in that situation, even if she agreed to marry him of her own free will (I’m having thoughts about her and Berúthiel both rejecting motherhood in some way, but god help me this post is already long enough).

I love rolling these three around in my head and looking at parallels and juxtapositions between them. All three of them are in fraught positions with limited power despite their status, considered Other, all three are, in a sense, alone. I think Vidumavi “works” best, because she actually has a family around that loves her- she's the only one, I think, who wouldn't change much about her life if she looked back at the end of it- but of course the society around her is so bigoted that what should have been simply a marriage makes someone start a civil war that permanently destabilizes the kingdom.

[hobbitwrangler]

For the WIP ask game, I can’t be the only one interested in Queen of Cats! I assume this is Beruthiel, which would be amazing because the little bit that I know about her is so intriguing. But even if it’s not Beruthiel, that would be equally amazing because then it’s a total blank slate! Either way, I’m very interested to find out more!

Yess @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras you are correct! (Also thank you to @glorf1ndel for your ask about this as well!)

This fic is set years after Tarannon's death when Hyarmendecil I is king. It follows one of Gondor's spies as he enters Umbar and comes across a strange woman with a lot of cats (totally not Berúthiel *wink wink*) who offers him shelter. A+ decision-making, I'm sure he'll be fine.

Probably the thing holding me back most in this fic is figuring out how to portray Berúthiel physically/stylistically which unfortunately involves me working out what Black Numenóreans and people of Umbar are like when it comes to their culture, which is a level of effort my brain just runs away from at the moment.

“Have you not realised who I am?” Farnon frowned slightly, unease growing in his throat. She looked at him, an oddly quizzical expression on her face, as if were a rabbit who had not jumped through the hoop as expected. There was something disconcerting about her eyes. They stared straight ahead, not directly at him. Yet the tilt of her head, the quirk of her lips, made it seem as if she could read the growing fear on his face.  Even as he watched, one of the cats leapt up onto her lap. It stretched, opening wide its red mouth to reveal sharp white teeth. The old woman reached long, sharp-nailed hands to scratch behind the creature’s ears and it arched its back, purring thunderously. Something rubbed against his leg and Farnon jumped, realising that it was another one of the cats slinking past him to curl up at its mistress’s feet.  “I …” Another black shape gazed at him from across the room, its eyes glinting yellow in the firelight. They are all black. He did not know how, but he was suddenly overcome by the feeling that he was being watched. Of course you are being watched. And yet he felt as though she was looking at him, not across the fire, but from above. His eyes rose, slowly, heavy with dread, and he saw it. On the rafters above them, sat another cat, its tale switching as it stared at him out of gold-green eyes. Its fur was luxuriously thick and white as bone. 

wip title ask game

[sweetearthandnorthernsky]

tarannon falastur

[potatoobsessed999]

1, 8, 14 & 16?

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

Oh, one-shots for sure. I love reading multichaps, and I’ve got so many ideas for ones to write - and several that have been in progress for, uh, a while. But it’s really hard for me to actually finish longer projects, so one-shots are nicer and give me more of a sense of accomplishment.

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

Huh, that’s a hard question. I guess I generally prefer writing the beginning? That’s when I’m the most fired up and excited about the story idea.

14. How do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

I just wallow in the feels, and I am so very dramatic about it. Sometimes I draw from personal experience, but generally the big thing is just that I’m identifying with the characters while I write. I tend to act out their body language to get a handle on what that would look like, too.

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

Oh, SO many! It’s hard to decide on just one to share! One I’m really excited about even though it’s coming along super slowly is my alternate character interpretation of Queen Berúthiel. When it’s done, it’ll follow her from childhood through to being set adrift by Tarannon. She’s heroic and Tarannon is villainous, but she’s misunderstood and disliked in Gondor due to racism against her Haradrim heritage, as well as her Autistic flat affect getting misinterpreted to mean that she’s uncaring. She’s a devotee of Nienna, and a lot of her more macabre canon behavior has to do with that - her garden full of tormented statues is her “mourning garden,” for instance, and she meditates there on the sorrows of the world.

[valinorbr]

Berúthiel foi uma rainha de Gondor, conhecida por ser nefasta e solitária. Detestava gatos, mas os escravizou 10 deles (um branco e 9 pretos) para espionar e torturar inimigos. Após causar temor em Gondor, foi exilada pelo rei Tarannon Falastur, sendo seu nome apagado dos registros. Berúthiel voltou para sua cidade natal, mas a memória dela e de seus gatos perdurou.

[somelotrnerd]

The History of Gondor: Part 2

Map of Gondor:

Despite the loss of Isildur, both Gondor and Arnor would grow in wealth and power for the next 800 years. Gondor’s growth would only briefly be interrupted by an Easterling invasion in 492 of the Third Age. However, while Arnor would eventually begin its steady decline into ruin, Gondor would continue marching to prosperity. From 830 to 1149 TA, Gondor experiences its Golden Age - a period of rule by four consecutive rulers collectively known as the Ship-kings.These kings, Tarannon Falastur, Eärnil I, Ciryandil, and Ciryaher (also known as Hyarmendacil I), would seek to expand Gondor’s might in both military and navy. 

Tarannon, the first of these kings, extends Gondor’s realm both west and south of the Mouths of Anduin. Tarannon is also known as the husband of Queen Berúthiel, a Black Númenórean known for being nefarious, solitary, and loveless, and of course for her spy cats. Tarannon is the first King of Gondor to die without an heir to his throne. Having years earlier cast his wife out to sea adrift aboard a ship, the crown passes to his nephew Eärnil I.

Eärnil continues the expansion of his uncle by constructing a great navy and repairing the old Númenórean port of Pelargir. Despite the greatness Gondor has achieved, it is not yet the supreme power of the coasts of Middle-earth - for there is still the haven of Umbar- also a former Númenórean port, but under the control of Black Númenóreans and Haradrim. In 933 TA, twenty years into his kingship, Eärnil attacks the forces of Umbar, seizing control of the harbor and as a result, the seas of Middle-earth. Still, the sea itself is not tamed, for just three years later, Eärnil is lost at sea and never seen again. 

His son, Ciryandil, rises to the kingship. This third Ship-king continues the practice of building ever more ships, though he would die 79 years later in Umbar when the Haradrim, led by the lords exiled by his father, lay siege to the city. 

Ciryaher then becomes the fourth and final Ship-king. He seeks vengeance for his father’s death and, after building up his armies, he attacks Harad by both land and sea in a decisive victory in 1050 TA. He forces the defeated kings of Harad to acknowledge the overlordship of Gondor and dubs himself Hyarmendacil, meaning “South-victor.” 

At this moment, Gondor is at the very height of its power - both militarily and in terms of lands occupied. Their lands stretch from Celebrant in the North to Harnen and Umbar in the South; from the Greyflood in the West to the Sea of Rhûn in the East. The realm is now spread far and wide, but it would not last - for lesser kings, plague, and civil war are on the horizon. 

With Hyarmendacil’s death in 1149 TA, his son Atanatar takes the throne as the 16th King of Gondor. Despite his 77-year reign, the strength and wealth of Gondor would begin to deteriorate.

The 19th king, Rómendacil II, would take the crown in 1304 TA. While there have been two kings between these rulers, Rómendacil is effectively the ruler during nearly the entire reign of his father and uncle before him after winning great renown in battle. During the rule of his uncle, the Easterlings resume their attacks on Gondor and during his battles, Rómendacil discovers that not all of the Northmen adhere to Gondor. Seeking to secure the region, he leads a great force from Gondor to attack the Easterling army occupying the lands between Rhovanion and the Sea of Rhûn in 1248 TA. His attack is a success, completely defeating the Easterlings west of the sea. It is then that he begins going by the name Rómendacil, meaning “East-victor.”

In that very year, Rómendacil fortifies the western shore of the Anduin north through the lands of Calenardhon. It is at his behest that the Argonath, the great Pillars of the Kings Anárion and Isildur, are constructed north of Amon Hen. It’s possible that the Seat of Seeing and the Seat of Hearing are also built during this time, given their proximity and Rómendacil’s interest in the North.

Rómendacil also takes a special interest in the Northmen, many of whom he brings into his service. Rómendacil even goes so far as to send his son to live among the Northmen, though this seemingly small act would bring civil war to Gondor. Prince Valacar would marry a woman of the Northmen and have a son named Eldacar. Valacar would rule for 66 years after his father’s death, but when he dies in 1432 TA, Eldacar takes the throne to the anger of many. Many Gondorians of Númenórean blood disapprove of Eldacar’s mixed heritage, and believe a half-breed has no right to rule. 

Chief among these is his second cousin Castamir. Castamir is Gondor’s Captain of Ships, and thus is supported by both Umbar and Pelargir among other coastal regions of the realm. In 1437 TA, five years into his cousin’s rule, Castamir leads a rebellion and besieges the city of Osgiliath. During this attack, Osgiliath is covered in flames and the Dome of Stars, a great hall in the capital, is destroyed and its palantír is lost in the Anduin. In his sack of Osgiliath, Castamir first shows his utter cruelty and executes Eldacar’s son Ornendil. 

Thus begins the Kin-strife in Gondor. Eldacar goes into exile, fleeing to his mother’s kin in Rhovanion. In turn, many of the Northmen previously loyal to Gondor, as well as Gondorians in the northern provinces rally behind the rightful King. Castamir would rule Gondor for 10 years, continuing to show his true colors to his people and steadily losing favor and becoming seen as the usurper he is.

Finally, in 1447 TA, Eldacar returns with a great army from Rhovanion and meets Castamir’s forces at the Crossings of Erui. Many are killed in this deadly conflict before Eldacar takes his vengeance upon Castamir, killing him in single combat. Castamir’s sons retreat to the haven of Pelargir, where they would hold out for a year before sailing with all their forces to Umbar. Eldacar, who has no ships of his own, is unable to pursue them, and as a result, Gondor would lose control of Umbar for the next 400 years as the sons of Castamir join the enemies of Gondor, bringing about the Corsairs of Umbar. The Corsairs would ally with the Haradrim in a war against Gondor in which the new king, Eldacar’s son Aldamir, is killed. Eleven years later, in 1551 TA, Aldamir’s son would defeat the Men of Harad in battle, avenging his father and taking the name Hyarmendacil II. 

The Corsairs would plague the coast of Gondor for many years, but another plague would become a much greater concern for Gondor in 1636 TA. This plague affects a huge area of Middle-earth, and its source is an old and ancient foe. The plague coincides with the emergence of a shadow in Dol Guldur, and Sauron’s plague would not only devastate Gondor, but their enemies to the East and South as well. Osgiliath is especially hard hit and people fleeing the city would cause Minas Anor to become the new capital of the kingdom. Meanwhile, Calenardhon is so hard hit by the plague that it is nearly completely abandoned. Among the casualties of the plague are not only thousands of Gondorians, but King Telemnar, all his children, and even the White Tree of Gondor.

After the Kin-strife and now this Great Plague, Gondor has been severely weakened. In 1856 TA, enemies would once again come from the East. The spirit of Sauron once again moves the Easterlings into hostilities against Gondor. This group of Easterlings, known as the Wainriders, travels in great fortified camps of wagons and have invaded Rhovanion. King Narmacil II leads Gondor and the Men of the North in the Battle of the Plains south of Mirkwood. The battle is a disaster. Narmacil II is killed and the Easterlings enslave the people of Rhovanion. Some of the Northmen would escape and flee to the upper vales of the Anduin in their exile, becoming known as the Éothéod.

The first Lord of the Éothéod warns the new King Calimehtar, who is determined to avenge his father, that the Wainriders are preparing a raid on Calenardhon, but that the enslaved Northmen are also nearing a revolt. With time being precious, Calimehtar leads an army north, drawing the Wainriders south to meet them at Dagorlad. As the battle seems in doubt, Calimehtar’s secret cavalry crosses the Undeeps, meets up with the Éothéod riders and arrive at the battle, assuring their victory. Between the battle and the revolt in Rhovanion, the Wainriders are driven back to the East.

In 1940 TA, after many centuries of operating independently from one another, King Ondoher of Gondor meets with King Araphant of Arthedain - a splinter kingdom of the former realm of Arnor. They realize that the wars, plague and misfortune they’ve experienced are no mere coincidences. There is a single force bent upon the destruction of the Dúnedain. The kingdoms ally once more in hopes of saving both from collapse and Prince Arvedui marries Ondoher’s daughter Fíriel, further cementing their alliance. However, whatever alliance there is would be short lived, merely bringing about another contest for the throne.

Just four years after their alliance, Gondor’s enemies make a coordinated assault. The Haradrim invade from the South and just a few days later, Wainriders return from the East. Ondoher’s distant cousin Eärnil II leads an army south, while Ondoher leads an army north to meet the Wainriders. The chariots and horsemen of the Easterlings wreak havoc upon the King’s Guard, and Ondoher and both his sons are killed in the Disaster of the Morannon. After destroying the Haradrim in the South, Eärnil II brings his army north, catching the Easterlings by surprise in their celebration and decimating their forces, driving the survivors back to the East.

With the death of Ondoher and his heirs, both Arvedui and Eärnil II lay claim to the throne. Arvedui’s claim comes from, and would hinge upon, reintroducing an ancient Númenórean law of accession, which would see the eldest child, not the eldest son, inherit the throne, in which case his wife Fíriel would become the first Ruling Queen of Gondor. He also attempts to capitalize on the fact that he himself is the heir of Isildur, and their children would symbolize this reunification of Gondor and Arnor.

While the Steward Pelendur and Council of Gondor acknowledge the honor that the heir of Isildur title commands, they decree the King of Gondor must be of the line of Anárion, and the kingship passes to Eärnil II. Eärnil, who is described as both wise and humble, sends a message to Arvedui saying, “I do not forget the loyalty of Arnor, nor deny our kinship, nor wish that the realms of Elendil should be estranged. I will send you aid when you have need, so far as I am able.” - The Return of the King, Appendix A: “Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion”

This oath would be unfulfilled as Arthedain continues to be plagued by its centuries old enemy - the Witch-king of Angmar. In the Fall of 1973 TA, Gondor receives word that Arthedain is about to be attacked as the Angmar War surpasses 400 years. Eärnil II sends his son Eärnur north with a fleet as great as they could spare. However, by the time they arrive, Arthedain is conquered and Arvedui is drowned in the sea. 

Eärnur joins with Círdan, and a combined force of Elves and Men destroys the army of Angmar. Eärnur seeks to fight the Witch-king, but his horse is terrified and flees the battle against its rider’s wishes. The Witch-king mocks Eärnur, but would himself flee at the coming of Glorfindel and the Elves of Rivendell. It is at this moment that Glorfindel pronounces his prophecy that not “by the hand of man shall he fall.”

Being driven from the North, the Witch-king would instead bring the war directly to Gondor. He returns to Mordor in 1980 TA and rallies the other eight Nazgûl to him. Twenty years later, they lay siege to Minas Ithil and in 2002 TA, they sack the city, take control of its palantír, and remake the city to a place of unspeakable evil. This once great city of Isildur is occupied by foul creatures and comes to be known as Minas Morgul, meaning “Tower of Dark Sorcery.” This leads many Gondorians living in Ithilien to flee, depopulating the lands east of the river. In this same year, Minas Anor is renamed Minas Tirith, meaning “Tower of Guard.”

After his father’s death, Eärnur ascends to the throne in 2043 TA. After Eärnur’s coronation, the Witch-king sends him a challenge to single combat while reminding him of his disgrace of seeming to flee the battlefield in the North. Fortunately, the Steward Mardil Voronwë convinces the King not to go. However, seven years later, in 2050 TA, the Witch-king renews his challenge and this time, the King would accept. He sets his crown on his father’s lap in the Houses of the Dead and, with a small escort of knights, he rides across the river and past the gates of Minas Morgul. None of the company would ever be seen again.

[twilightcitadel]

Brynndor:

God(s): Zephyrus, Seraphina.

Capital City: Twilight Citadel

Ruler: The Arcane Sovereign Guild

Native Race: Eirwynar

Description: Brynndor is geographically divided into two distinct halves. The lower half is characterised by its lower altitude, featuring green, rolling hills and expansive meadows. This region is filled with large green spaces and dense woodland areas, all infused with the essence of Seraphina. The upper half of Brynndor is defined by a high-altitude mountain range, where clouds and thunder are prevalent. The mountains vary in height, gradually reaching their highest near the border of the Snowdrift Dominion (north). This part of Brynndor has the essence of Zephyrus. Brynndor has 5 separate regions, Stormspear, Tarannon, Derwenholt, Elderwood, and Greenbriar.

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[ao3feed-tolkien]

The Queen and her Cats

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

by KayleeArafinwiel

Glassiel (known to history as Queen Beruthiel) was just a slip of a girl when she was brought to Gondor to wed Tarannon Falastur. However, he hated her, and she never found solace in Gondor or its people. Still, being summarily packed off to who-knows-where is heartbreaking in itself.

Words: 100, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 18 of B2MEM 2023 Bingo

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Berúthiel (Tolkien), Berúthiel's Cats (Tolkien), Berúthiel's White Cat (Tolkien)

Relationships: Berúthiel/Tarannon Falastur

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

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Quotes on both characters, because they’re intriguing and I didn’t remember them well!

Pearl Took (from Letters of JRR Tolkien, letter 214; fair warning, pretty fatphobic in tone)

Lalia the Great (or less couteously the Fat) …ruled the Tooks and the Great Smials for 22 years, a grand and memorable, if not universally beloved, ‘matriarch’. She was not at the famous Party [Bilbo’s 111th birthday], but was prevented from attending rather by her great size and immobility than by her age. Her son, Ferumbras, had no wife, being unable (it was alleged) to find anyone willing to occupy apartments in the Great Smials, under the rule of Lalia. Lalia, in her last and fattest years, had the custom of being wheeled to the Great Door, to take the air on a fine morning. In the spring of Shire Year 1402 [the year after Bilbo’s party] her clumsy attendant let the heavy chair run over the threshold and tipped Lalia down the flight of steps into the garden. So ended a reign and life that might well have rivalled that of the Great Took.

It was widely rumoured that the attendant was Pearl (Pippin’s sister), though the Tooks tried to keep the matter within the family. At the celebration of Ferumbras’ accession the displeasure and regret of the family was formally expressed by the exclusion of Pearl from the ceremony and feast; but it did not escape notice that later (after a decent interval) she appeared in a splendid necklace of name-jewels that had long lain in the hoard of the Thains.

To me this doesn’t suggest intent, just that Lalia wasn’t particularly mourned; but definitely a fine source of hobbit gossip!

Queen Berúthiel

In the main text of LOTR, the only mention of her is a reference to her cats. This is elaborated on in the notes to “The Istari” chapter of Unfinished Tales (summary by Christopher Tolkien):

Berúthiel was the nefarious, solitary, and loveless wife of Tarannon, twelfth king of Gondor (T.A. 830-913) and first of the ‘Ship-kings’, who took the crown in the name of Falastur ‘Lord of the Coasts’, and was the first childless king [of Gondor]. Berúthiel lived in the King’s House in Osgiliath, hating the sounds and smells of the sea and the house that Tarannon built below Pelargir ‘upon arches whose feet stood deep in the wide water of Ethir Anduin’; she hated all making, all colours and elaborate adornment, wearing only black and silver and living in bare chambers, and the gardens of the house in Osgiliath were filled with tormented scupltures beneath cypresses and yews. She had nine black cats and one white, her slaves, with whom she conversed, or read their memories, setting them to discover all the dark secrets of Gondor, so that she knew the things ‘that men most wish to keep hidden’, setting the white cat to spy upon the black, and tormenting them. No man in Gondor dared touch them; all were afraid of them, and cursed them when they saw them pass. What follows is almost illegible in the unique manuscript, except for the ending, which states that her name was erased from the Book of the Kings (‘but the memory of men is not wholly shut in books, and the cats of Queen Berúthiel never passed wholly out of men’s speech’), and that King Tarannon had her set on a ship alone with her cats and set adrift on the sea before a north wind. The ship was last seen flying past Umbar under a sickle moon, with a cat at the masthead and another as a figure-head on the prow.

RIP Berúthiel but I’m different, I would love a house on stilts in the ocean. Nonetheless, a literal goth queen, and I want fanart of that last scene.

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Round 2

Berúthiel vs Pearl Took

Berúthiel:

A Queen of Gondor noted for her unhappy marriage and her cats.

An evil sorceress who is also a cat lady. Need I say more

Pearl Took:

The eldest sister of Pippin Took.

Ok but can you IMAGINE being Pippin Took's eldest sister. This girl DEFINITELY has eldest daughter syndrome. She dealt with it by casually murdering an elderly relative :)

Round 2 masterpost