Mardil

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The name Voronwë refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Voronwë (disambiguation).
Mardil
Gondorian
Oznerol-1516 - Earnur and Mardil.jpg
"Earnur and Mardil" by Oznerol-1516
Biographical Information
Other namesVoronwë (Q, "Steadfast")
TitlesSteward of Gondor, Ruling Steward
LocationGondor
LanguageWestron, Sindarin
BirthT.A. 1960
RuleT.A. 2050 - 2080 (30 years)
DeathT.A. 2080 (aged 120)
Family
HouseHouse of Húrin
ParentageVorondil
ChildrenEradan
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Mardil

Mardil Voronwë (Third Age 1960[1]2080,[2]) was Steward under the kings Eärnil II and Eärnur, and then became the first Ruling Steward of Gondor.

History[edit | edit source]

In T.A. 2029, Mardil succeeded his father Vorondil as the second hereditary Steward of Gondor (a tradition begun with his grandfather Pelendur).[3]

When Eärnil II died in T.A. 2043 and Eärnur ascended to the throne, the King of Minas Morgul (the Witch-king of Angmar) challenged him to single combat. Mardil was able to restrain Eärnur's wrath at that time, but in T.A. 2050 the King of Morgul renewed his challenge, adding taunts that Eärnur could not ignore. Mardil was powerless to prevent Eärnur from riding to Minas Morgul; he and his small escort were never heard from again.

Eärnur had died unmarried with no heirs. Royal descendants had become few and no claimant for the throne could be found of pure Númenórean blood, or whose claim all would accept, and people were afraid of a new Kin-strife that would devastate the kingdom. Thus, by default, Mardil began the line of Ruling Stewards of Gondor.[4]

Because the fate of the King was unknown, Mardil made an oath to rule in the King's name until "the King returns". This oath would be sworn by all of the Ruling Stewards.

Mardil ruled Gondor with a steady hand and earned the epithet Voronwë, which means "the Steadfast" in Quenya.[5][6] One of his works was to introduce and establish the Stewards' Reckoning in Gondor. He inserted two leap-days in the year T.A. 2050.[7] After Mardil the Stewards of Gondor no longer took names in Quenya (High-elven[8]), but took names in Sindarin instead.[5]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Mardil is Quenya for "Devoted to the House" (of the Kings),[9] being a combination of mar(da) ("house") + suffix -(n)dil ("friend", "lover", "devoted to").[10]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Pelendur
1879 - 1998
 
 
 
 
Vorondil
1919 - 2029
 
 
 
 
MARDIL
1960 - 2080
 
 
 
 
Eradan
1999 - 2116
 
 
 
 
Herion
2037 - 2148


Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

Mardil in adaptations

2019: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Mardil appears in a flashback depicting the fate of King Eärnur. In the flashback, the messenger of Minas Morgul succeeds in delivering the Witch-king's second challenge by revealing the wight of Egalmoth the Lord of Minas Ithil, Mardil's cousin, causing the Steward to turn away in grief and disgust long enough for Eärnur to accept the challenge.

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", p. 204
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", "The Stewards"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion", Stewards of Gondor, entry for Steward Mardil Voronwë
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 115 entry Q Voronwe 'steadfastness'
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix D, "The Calendars"
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of the Elves", first paragraph
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Note 118 to Letter 297, (dated August 1967)
  10. Paul Strack, "Q. Mardil m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 5 February 2022)
Mardil
House of Húrin
Born: T.A. 1960 Died: T.A. 2080
Preceded by:
Vorondil
Steward to the King of Gondor
T.A. 20292050
Vacant
Next held by:
Faramir, 969 years later
None
Position established
1st Ruling Steward of Gondor
T.A. 2050 - 2080
Followed by:
Eradan


The Southern Line and the Heirs of Anárion
Kings of Gondor: Elendil (S.A. 3320 - 3441) · Isildur (S.A. 3441 - T.A. 2) and Anárion (S.A. 3320 - 3440) · Meneldil (T.A. 2 - 158) · Cemendur (158 - 238) · Eärendil (238 - 324) · Anardil (324 - 411) · Ostoher (411 - 492) · Rómendacil I (492 - 541) · Turambar (541 - 667) · Atanatar I (667 - 748) · Siriondil (748 - 830) · Tarannon Falastur (830 - 913) · Eärnil I (913 - 936) · Ciryandil (936 - 1015) · Hyarmendacil I (1015 - 1149) · Atanatar II Alcarin (1149 - 1226) · Narmacil I (1226 - 1294) · Calmacil (1294 - 1304) · Rómendacil II (1304 - 1366) · Valacar (1366 - 1432) · Eldacar (1432 - 1437) · Castamir the Usurper (1437 - 1447) · Eldacar restored (1447 - 1490) · Aldamir (1490 - 1540) · Hyarmendacil II (1540 - 1621) · Minardil (1621 - 1634) · Telemnar (1634 - 1636) · Tarondor (1636 - 1798) · Telumehtar Umbardacil (1798 - 1850) · Narmacil II (1850 - 1856) · Calimehtar (1856 - 1936) · Ondoher (1936 - 1944) · Eärnil II (1945 - 2043) · Eärnur (2043 - 2050)
Stewards of Gondor: Húrin of Emyn Arnen (c. T.A. 1630s) · Pelendur (before T.A. 1944 - 1998) · Vorondil (1998 - 2029) · Mardil Voronwë (2029 - 2080) · Eradan (2080 - 2116) · Herion (2116 - 2148) · Belegorn (2148 - 2204) · Húrin I (2204 - 2244) · Túrin I (2244 - 2278) · Hador (2278 - 2395) · Barahir (2395 - 2412) · Dior (2412 - 2435) · Denethor I (2435 - 2477) · Boromir (2477 - 2489) · Cirion (2489 - 2567) · Hallas (2567 - 2605) · Húrin II (2605 - 2628) · Belecthor I (2628 - 2655) · Orodreth (2655 - 2685) · Ecthelion I (2685 - 2698) · Egalmoth (2698 - 2743) · Beren (2743 - 2763) · Beregond (2763 - 2811) · Belecthor II (2811 - 2872) · Thorondir (2872 - 2882) · Túrin II (2882 - 2914) · Turgon (2914 - 2953) · Ecthelion II (2953 - 2984) · Denethor II (2984 - 3019) · Faramir (T.A. 3019 - Fo.A. 82) · Elboron (Fo.A. 82 onwards)
Kings of Gondor: Elessar (T.A. 3019 - Fo.A. 120) · Eldarion (Fo.A. 120 onwards)
Non-ruling stewards are in italics