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The King of Gondor was the Númenórean ruler of Gondor.
The King of Gondor governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker.[1] The line of the Kings would endure for over two thousand years, but would eventually fail with the presumed death of Eärnur. The kingship would be restored later by Aragorn, the hidden descendant of Elendil.
History
Through Amandil the Kings claimed descent from the Lords of Andúnië, and from there to Silmariën and the Kings of Númenor. The line of the Kings of Gondor was associated with the House of Anárion.
Elendil was the first King of Arnor and was succeeded by Isildur. Elendil ruled over both realms as High King of the Dúnedain-in-exile Isildur succeeded as High King as well upon his father's death. Isildur committed Gondor to the rule of Meneldil the son of Anarion as sole King of Gondor, but Isildur's royalty in the South-realm remained, as his line was by right High King over both Arnor and Gondor, though after Isildur's death, the realms were split. Isildur's heirs ruled Arnor and Anárion's heirs ruled Gondor.
The kingship of Gondor, unlike Arnor which had a direct line from Isildur to Arvedui, underwent several succession crises even before they eventually failed altogether. The first king of Gondor who had no direct offspring was Falastur, who had to be succeeded by his nephew Eärnil I. The next childless king was Narmacil I, who had to be succeeded by his brother Calmacil. The worst crisis, however, was that of the Kin-strife, a civil war which resulted in both the loss of Umbar and the shedding of royal blood. From this war, Eldacar emerged victorius, but the House of Anárion was greatly weakened. The house suffered further in the Great Plague until at last, after the death of Ondoher, the crown passed to a cousin several times removed named Eärnil II. After him, the crown lasted only one generation before the last of the kings.
The final king was Eärnur, who reigned for only seven years before he was challenged to single combat by the Witch-king of Angmar. Enraged by this, Eänur accepted the challenge and rode to Minas Morgul, where he vanished and was never seen again. The rule of the Kingdom of Gondor fell to a succession of Stewards until the restoration of the line of Kings with Elessar (Aragorn), the first king of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor.
Duties and Office
The King was the ultimate commander of the armies and navies of Gondor. For example, King Eärnil II sent his son Eärnur as the leader of the army who defeated the Witch-king of Angmar. The King would also be in charge of building projects, such as creating fortifications.[2] The King served as the ultimate arbiter of justice in court matters.[3] The King would have the ability to forge diplomatic alliances and both administer and renew oaths.[4] The King was the only one invested with the ability to invoke the name of Eru, though this power was seldom used.[5] Finally, the King had the legal right of using the palantíri available to him in places such as Minas Ithil. He could also invest others to do this on his behalf if the situation required it.[6] However, this practice ended when Sauron gained control of the Ithil-stone, for fear that he might work evil with it.[7]
The King appointed a Steward who would help in both the running of the King's affairs and ruling in the King's stead if he was incapacitated or otherwise away from the kingdom.[8] There was also a Council of Gondor who would advise the King, though it is unclear exactly how much authority the King had over the Council and vice versa. The Council retained enough authority to block the attempt of Arvedui, last king of Arthedain, to be named King of Gondor, even though he technically met the requirements. Earnil would be named in his stead.
Part of the tradition associated with the King was that he was the only one who knew the location of the Tomb of Elendil. This burial ground was used as a place of secrecy or meditation by the Kings, and they were sworn not to let the location of it be known. It would remain secret until the days of the Stewards.[9]
The kings of Gondor had a crown used as a badge of office. They also would set in a great throne in the White Tower, a tradition respected even during the time of the Ruling Stewards, who did not sit on the King's throne.
List of Kings
Elendil, son of Amandil, reigned titularly as High King from S.A. 3320 – 3441 while his sons Isildur and Anárion were the co-rulers of Gondor itself until Anárion's death in S.A. 3440
Kings of Gondor | |||
Name | Reign | Notes | |
1. | Anárion & Isildur | S.A. 3320 – S.A. 3440† | Sons of Elendil and co-rulers. |
2. | Meneldil | T.A. 2 – T.A. 158 | Son of Anárion. First sole ruler of Gondor |
3. | Cemendur | T.A. 158 – T.A. 238 | |
4. | Eärendil | T.A. 238 – T.A. 324 | |
5. | Anardil | T.A. 324 – T.A. 411 | |
6. | Ostoher | T.A. 411 – T.A. 492 | |
7. | Rómendacil I | T.A. 492 – T.A. 541† | Born Tarostar |
8. | Turambar | T.A. 541 – T.A. 667 | |
9. | Atanatar I | T.A. 667 – T.A. 748 | |
10. | Siriondil | T.A. 748 – T.A. 830 | |
11. | Tarannon Falastur | T.A. 830 – T.A. 913 | First of the Ship-kings. Died childless |
12. | Eärnil I | T.A. 913 – T.A. 936 | Nephew of Tarannon |
13. | Ciryandil | T.A. 936 – T.A. 1015† | |
14. | Hyarmendacil I | T.A. 1015 – T.A. 1149 | Last of the Ship-kings |
15. | Atanatar II Alcarin | T.A. 1149 – T.A. 1226 | |
16. | Narmacil I | T.A. 1226 – T.A. 1294 | Second childless king |
17. | Calmacil | T.A. 1294 – T.A. 1304 | Younger brother of Narmacil. His son Minalcar ruled as prince-regent from 1240 – 1304 |
18. | Rómendacil II | T.A. 1304 – T.A. 1366 | Born Minalcar |
19. | Valacar | T.A. 1366 – T.A. 1432 | Married Vidumavi, the daughter of Vidugavia |
20. | Eldacar | T.A. 1432 – T.A. 1437 | Born Vinitharya |
Castamir | T.A. 1437 – T.A. 1447† | Usurped the throne during the Kin-strife. Known as the Usurper | |
21. | Eldacar | T.A. 1447 – T.A. 1490 | Won back the throne with aid from the Northmen and Dúnedain of Gondor |
22. | Aldamir | T.A. 1490 – T.A. 1540† | |
23. | Hyarmendacil II | T.A. 1540 – T.A. 1621 | Born Vinyarion |
24. | Minardil | T.A. 1621 – T.A. 1634† | |
25. | Telemnar | T.A. 1634 – T.A. 1636 | Died in the Great Plague with all his children |
26. | Tarondor | T.A. 1636 – T.A. 1798 | Nephew of Telemnar |
27. | Telumehtar Umbardacil | T.A. 1798 – T.A. 1850 | |
28. | Narmacil II | T.A. 1850 – T.A. 1856† | |
29. | Calimehtar | T.A. 1856 – T.A. 1936 | |
30. | Ondoher | T.A. 1936 – T.A. 1944† | Died in battle with his two sons. His daughter Fíriel might have been ruling queen but was passed by. |
31. | Eärnil II | T.A. 1945 – T.A. 2043 | Descendant of Telumehtar Umbardacil. Was crowned after a year of rule by the Steward Pelendur |
32. | Eärnur | T.A. 2043 – T.A. 2050† | Last King of Gondor. Reign of the Stewards begins |
33. | Elessar | T.A. 3019 – Fo.A. 120 | First High King of the Reunited Kingdom, blood descendant of Isildur, descendant of Anárion via his ancestor Fíriel |
34. | Eldarion | Fo.A. 120 – c. Fo.A. 220 |
- For a detailed family tree of the individual Kings of Gondor until Eärnur, see: House of Anárion.
Other names
"King of Gondor" was translated as Aran Ondóreo in Quenya,[10] and Aran Gondor in Sindarin.[11]
The ancestry of the Kings of Gondor
Kings of the Dúnedain
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 244, (undated, written circa 1963)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Steward and the King"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Palantíri"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", "The Stewards"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", "Notes"This was first done by Rómendicil I, see note 53
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Eldarin Hands, Fingers & Numerals and Related Writings — Part Three" (edited by Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 49, June 2007, p. 27
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part One: The End of the Third Age: XI. The Epilogue", p. 128