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{{Pronounce|Beruthiel.mp3|Ardamir}}
{{gondorian infobox
'''Queen Berúthiel''' was a Queen of [[Gondor]].
| name=Berúthiel
| image=[[File:Paula DiSante - Reporting to Beruthiel.JPG|250px]]
| caption="Reporting to Beruthiel" by [[Paula DiSante]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=Queen of [[Gondor]]
| position=
| location=[[Gondor]]
| affiliation=
| language=
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=her [[Cats of Queen Berúthiel|cats]]; spying on people of Gondor
| house=
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=[[Tarannon Falastur|Tarannon]]
| children=None
| gender=Female
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=
| weapons=
| steed=
}}
'''Berúthiel''' was a Queen of [[Gondor]] in the early part of the [[Third Age]]. She was the wife of King [[Tarannon Falastur]], and was noted as being "nefarious, solitary, and loveless".<ref name=Istari>{{UT|13a}}, note 7</ref> It is therefore of no surprise that she and Tarannon produced no heirs.<ref name=Tarannon>{{App|Gondor}}, entry for King Tarannon</ref>
 
== History ==
Berúthiel was a [[Black Númenóreans|Black Númenórean]].<ref name=Interview>{{webcite|author=[[Daphne Castell]]|articleurl=https://fantasticmetropolis.com/i/tolkien|articlename=The Realms of Tolkien|dated=|website=[https://fantasticmetropolis.com/i/tolkien ''The Realms of Tolkien'']|accessed=15 January 2021}}.</ref> It is possible that Berúthiel was from an inland city that was located further to the south than [[Umbar]].<ref group=note>It is mentioned that she loathed the smell of the sea, fish and gulls. She was compared  to the giantess Skadi who married Njord, the sea-god and got fed up with the seaside life, and was kept awake by the gulls and finally went back to live in Jotunheim. Since King Tarannon had her set on a ship and set adrift on the sea before a north wind and the ship was last seen flying past Umbar it is possible that she went back to the inland city with this ship and that this inland city was to the south of Umbar. Being the descendents of the [[King's Men]] most of the Black Númenóreans lived in [[Umbar]] and in other former Númenórean colonies in the south of Middle-earth.</ref><ref name=Interview/><ref name=Istari/>
 
Tarannon's reason for marrying her is not known. It is possible that the marriage was in connection with his extensions of the realm of Gondor along the coasts south of the mouths of the Anduin<ref name=Tarannon/> to maintain peaceful relations with the realm that she came from.
 
Tarannon brought her to live with him in his house south of [[Pelargir]] next to the [[Ethir Anduin|mouths of the river Anduin]] near the [[Belegaer|Sea]]. She hated Pelargir (loathing the smell of the sea, and fish, and the [[gulls]]), however, and dwelt in the [[King's House]] in [[Osgiliath]] instead. There she decorated the courtyard with strange and disturbing sculptures but kept the inside of the house mostly bare. She herself wore dark, drab clothing and "hated all making, all colors and elaborate adornments".


She was the wife of King [[Tarannon Falastur]] of Gondor, and was noted as being "nefarious, solitary, and loveless". It is therefore of no surprise that Tarannon died childless.
Berúthiel loathed cats, but they became attracted to her for precisely that reason. They followed her around, and eventually she took advantage of their company by enslaving and torturing them. In total she had ten [[Cats of Queen Berúthiel|cats]], nine black and one white. Berúthiel set the black cats to spy on the [[Men]] of Gondor and the white cat to spy on the black ones. She managed to learn many dark secrets about the realm and its people by conversing with them and "reading their memories". These cats were infamous among the Gondorians, but they dared not touch them; however, Men would curse whenever they saw one pass by them.


According to the [[Unfinished Tales]]:
Eventually, Tarannon exiled Berúthiel from Gondor and her name was erased from the [[Book of the Kings]]. He had her set on a ship that "was last seen flying past Umbar with a cat at the masthead and another as a figurehead on the prow".<ref name=Istari/>
{{quote|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... 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.|''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', note 7 to "The Istari"}}


Her name was removed from the Books of the Kings (but not from the memory of [[Men]]), and Tarannon had her set adrift on sea in a ship with her cats:
== Legacy ==
{{quote|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.|''ibid''}}
No wars with Umbar or Harad are mentioned during the reign of King Tarannon.<ref name=Tarannon/> It is possible that the setting Berúthiel on a ship that was last seen flying past Umbar offended the realm that Berúthiel was from. The conquest of Umbar took place during the reign of King [[Eärnil]] 23 years after the death of King Tarannon.<ref>{{App|Gondor}}, entry for King Eärnil</ref>


In an interview [1] Tolkien had in 1966 he added the following information on her:
Despite the erasure of her name from Gondor's records, Berúthiel and her cats were so notorious that they were held in the memory of Gondorians for centuries; [[Aragorn]] alluded to them more than 2,000 years after her death.<ref>{{FR|II4}}</ref>


<blockquote>''Well, Berúthiel went back to live in the inland city, and went to the bad (or returned to it—she was a Black Númenórean in origin, I guess). She was one of these people who loathe cats, but cats will jump on them and follow them about—you know how sometimes they pursue people who hate them? I have a friend like that. I'm afraid she took to torturing them for amusement, but she kept some and used them: trained them to go on evil errands by night, to spy on her enemies or terrify them.''</blockquote>
== Etymology ==
{{Pronounce|Beruthiel.mp3|Ardamir}}
The name ''Berúthiel'' is [[Sindarin]]. Its meaning is not glossed, but as Paul Strack explains it might mean "Angry Queen" and might be a combination of ''[[bereth|ber(eth)]]'' ("queen, spouse") + ''[[rúth]]'' ("anger") + feminine suffix ''[[-iel]]''.<ref>{{webcite|author=Paul Strack|articleurl=https://www.eldamo.org/content/words/word-445516141.html|articlename=S. ''Berúthiel'' f.|website=Eldamo|accessed=29 October 2021}}</ref> Since the Black Númenóreans did not use the [[Elvish|Elven tongues]], this title was probably given to her by the Gondorians and is not her real name.


Piecing all this info together, it can be surmised that Berúthiel was a [[Black Númenóreans|Black Númenórean]] from an unnamed Black Númenórean settlement south of [[Umbar]] (there were several, mentioned a couple of times but never mapped or named), and that Tarannon probably married her in an attempt to settle the feuds Gondor had with the more southern Númenórean realms in exile. Berúthiel probably returned home, and her expulsion from Gondor must have reignited hostilities between the Black Númenórean realms and Gondor, which eventually lead to the capture of Umbar in [[Third Age]] 933 after a new war.
== Genealogy ==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | ATA | | |ATA=[[Atanatar I]]<br/><small>''{{TA|480|n}} - {{TA|748|n}}''</small>}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | SIR | | |SIR=[[Siriondil (King of Gondor)|Siriondil]]<br/><small>''{{TA|570|n}} - {{TA|830|n}}''</small>}}
{{familytree | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| |}}
{{familytree | BER |~| TAR | | TAC |BER='''BERÚTHIEL'''<br/><small>''unknown''</small>|TAR=[[Tarannon Falastur]]<br/><small>''{{TA|654|n}} - {{TA|913|n}}''</small>|TAC=[[Tarciryan]]<br/><small>''unknown''</small>}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | |!| |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | EAR |EAR=[[Eärnil I]]<br/><small>''{{TA|736|n}} - {{TA|936|n}}''†</small>}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | |!| |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | CIR |CIR=[[Ciryandil]]<br/><small>''{{TA|820|n}} - {{TA|1015|n}}''†</small>}}
{{familytree/end}}


[[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] disliked cats, and it seems that Berúthiel was associated with evil because of her cats, or vice versa.
== Inspiration ==
In an interview from 1966, Tolkien likened Berúthiel to the giantess [[Wikipedia:Skaði|Skaði]] of Norse mythology, since they both shared a dislike for "seaside life".<ref name=Interview/><ref>[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[The Inklings (book)|The Inklings]]'', "Thursday evenings", pp. 137-8</ref>


{{references|n}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beruthiel}}
[[Category:Black Númenóreans]]
[[Category:Black Númenóreans]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Gondorians]]
[[Category:Sindarin names]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[de:Berúthiel]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:hommes:3a:dunedain:gondoriens:beruthiel]]
[[fi:Berúthiel]]

Revision as of 10:00, 29 October 2021

Berúthiel
Gondorian
Paula DiSante - Reporting to Beruthiel.JPG
"Reporting to Beruthiel" by Paula DiSante
Biographical Information
TitlesQueen of Gondor
LocationGondor
Notable forher cats; spying on people of Gondor
Family
SpouseTarannon
ChildrenNone
Physical Description
GenderFemale
GalleryImages of Berúthiel

Berúthiel was a Queen of Gondor in the early part of the Third Age. She was the wife of King Tarannon Falastur, and was noted as being "nefarious, solitary, and loveless".[1] It is therefore of no surprise that she and Tarannon produced no heirs.[2]

History

Berúthiel was a Black Númenórean.[3] It is possible that Berúthiel was from an inland city that was located further to the south than Umbar.[note 1][3][1]

Tarannon's reason for marrying her is not known. It is possible that the marriage was in connection with his extensions of the realm of Gondor along the coasts south of the mouths of the Anduin[2] to maintain peaceful relations with the realm that she came from.

Tarannon brought her to live with him in his house south of Pelargir next to the mouths of the river Anduin near the Sea. She hated Pelargir (loathing the smell of the sea, and fish, and the gulls), however, and dwelt in the King's House in Osgiliath instead. There she decorated the courtyard with strange and disturbing sculptures but kept the inside of the house mostly bare. She herself wore dark, drab clothing and "hated all making, all colors and elaborate adornments".

Berúthiel loathed cats, but they became attracted to her for precisely that reason. They followed her around, and eventually she took advantage of their company by enslaving and torturing them. In total she had ten cats, nine black and one white. Berúthiel set the black cats to spy on the Men of Gondor and the white cat to spy on the black ones. She managed to learn many dark secrets about the realm and its people by conversing with them and "reading their memories". These cats were infamous among the Gondorians, but they dared not touch them; however, Men would curse whenever they saw one pass by them.

Eventually, Tarannon exiled Berúthiel from Gondor and her name was erased from the Book of the Kings. He had her set on a ship that "was last seen flying past Umbar with a cat at the masthead and another as a figurehead on the prow".[1]

Legacy

No wars with Umbar or Harad are mentioned during the reign of King Tarannon.[2] It is possible that the setting Berúthiel on a ship that was last seen flying past Umbar offended the realm that Berúthiel was from. The conquest of Umbar took place during the reign of King Eärnil 23 years after the death of King Tarannon.[4]

Despite the erasure of her name from Gondor's records, Berúthiel and her cats were so notorious that they were held in the memory of Gondorians for centuries; Aragorn alluded to them more than 2,000 years after her death.[5]

Etymology

The name Berúthiel is Sindarin. Its meaning is not glossed, but as Paul Strack explains it might mean "Angry Queen" and might be a combination of ber(eth) ("queen, spouse") + rúth ("anger") + feminine suffix -iel.[6] Since the Black Númenóreans did not use the Elven tongues, this title was probably given to her by the Gondorians and is not her real name.

Genealogy

 
 
 
 
 
 
Atanatar I
480 - 748
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Siriondil
570 - 830
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BERÚTHIEL
unknown
 
Tarannon Falastur
654 - 913
 
Tarciryan
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eärnil I
736 - 936
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ciryandil
820 - 1015


Inspiration

In an interview from 1966, Tolkien likened Berúthiel to the giantess Skaði of Norse mythology, since they both shared a dislike for "seaside life".[3][7]

Notes

  1. It is mentioned that she loathed the smell of the sea, fish and gulls. She was compared to the giantess Skadi who married Njord, the sea-god and got fed up with the seaside life, and was kept awake by the gulls and finally went back to live in Jotunheim. Since King Tarannon had her set on a ship and set adrift on the sea before a north wind and the ship was last seen flying past Umbar it is possible that she went back to the inland city with this ship and that this inland city was to the south of Umbar. Being the descendents of the King's Men most of the Black Númenóreans lived in Umbar and in other former Númenórean colonies in the south of Middle-earth.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Istari", "Notes", note 7
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for King Tarannon
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Daphne Castell, "The Realms of Tolkien", The Realms of Tolkien (accessed 15 January 2021).
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for King Eärnil
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Journey in the Dark"
  6. Paul Strack, "S. Berúthiel f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 29 October 2021)
  7. Humphrey Carpenter, The Inklings, "Thursday evenings", pp. 137-8