Gondorians

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Gondorians
People
Liz Danforth - Gondorian.jpg]
"Gondorian" by Liz Danforth
General Information
Other namesMen of Gondor, Stone-folk, Stonehouse-folk
OriginsDescendants of the Númenóreans in Gondor (partly Northmen and Pre-Númenóreans)[1][2]
LocationsGondor
AffiliationLast Alliance of Elves and Men, Host of the West
RivalriesHaradrim, Corsairs of Umbar, Wainriders, Balchoth
LanguagesGondor Sindarin, Quenya, Westron
MembersDenethor, Boromir, Faramir
Physical Description
LifespanDúnedain: three times the life of a regular man but later considerably diminished[3]
GalleryImages of Gondorians

The Gondorians were the inhabitants of Gondor.[4][5] The Dúnedain of Gondor, also known as the Dúnedain of the South, constituted the ruling class and nobility of Gondor being descendants of the Exiles of Númenor who established the South-Kingdom. The history of the Gondorians is dominated by the actions of the Dúnedain of the South.

History

Early History

After the Downfall of Númenor, the Exiles of Númenor, led by Elendil, established the Realms in Exile of Arnor and Gondor. Arriving at the mouths of the Anduin, Elendil's sons, Isildur and Anárion, ascended the great river and founded the realm of Gondor.[6]

In Númenorean colonies and outposts, such as Belfalas, Pelargir, Lond Daer and Umbar, there were many Faithful, fully or partially of Númenórean blood, who descended from Númenor long before its Downfall. The colonists welcomed Elendil's sons and allied themselves with the founders of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain.[6][7] Most of these men were those who lived in the White Mountains during the Dark Years.[8] Elendil made the Faithful nobles (kin of Elendil) who ruled Belfalas "Princes".[9]

Originally ruled by the High King of the Dúnedain, they were divided as the Dúnedain of Arnor and the Dúnedain of Gondor, following the death of Isildur, son of Elendil, in T.A. 2.[6][10] Isildur had relinquished the rule of Gondor to his nephew Meneldil who became the first King of Gondor to rule in his own right, and so the Gondorians became an independent people.[6][10]

Third Age

In the south, the realm of Gondor endured, and for a time the splendour of the Gondorians grew, until it recalled the wealth and majesty of Númenor during the reign of Hyarmendacil I by T.A. 1050.[6][11][10][11] High towers the people of Gondor built, and strong places, and havens of many ships; and the Winged Crown of the Kings of Men was held in awe by people of many lands and tongues.[6]

Yet at the last, in the later Third Age, the Dúnedain of Gondor waned for their blood became much mingled with that of other men, especially the Northmen of Rhovanion.[11] King Eldacar, who himself had Northmannish blood, showed favour to the Northmen who supported him.[11] This led to the Kin-strife, when many Dúnedain of Gondor were slain.[11] After his return from exile, many noble houses, including the royal House of Anárion, became more mingled with the blood of "lesser" Men.[11]

The Great Plague decimated the Gondorians with many, including King Telemnar, his kin, as well as many others of the Dúnedain of Gondor, being killed.[6][11]

After the reign of King Eärnur, royal descendants among the Dúnedain of Gondor 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.[11] Thus, by default, Mardil began the line of Ruling Stewards of Gondor.[6][11]

After the Stewards picked up the southern rule, the Gondorians still defended the passage of the Anduin against the terrors of Minas Morgul and against all the enemies of the West.[6]

By the time of the War of the Ring, most Gondorians lived within Minas Tirith, or in the high vales of the mountain-borders, in Lossarnach, or further south in Lebennin.[8] The herdsmen and husbandmen that dwelt in the townlands of the Pelennor were not many.[8] The Dúnedain of Gondor lived in Minas Tirith and the adjacent townlands, as well as the tributary fiefs and royal lands of Anórien, Ithilien, and Belfalas.[7][12]

Later History

In the Fourth Age, the Dúnedain of Gondor and Arnor were reunited under King Aragorn II Elessar (who was also called the Dúnadan) so that the Gondorians became a part of a great Reunited Kingdom that spanned western Middle-earth.

Culture

Customs

The high men of the South married late in their life and had few children. Several of the Kings of Gondor were childless.[11]

Gondorian ships were usually black and silver in colour.[13]

Before a meal, the Gondorians looked towards the West.[14]

Politics

"...there is much else that may be told." — Glóin
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Language

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Westron, or the Common Speech, was the main language of the people of Gondor. Though the source of Westron lay in Pelargir, the clearest form, without any accent, was spoken in Minas Tirith. This style was nobler and more antique than other dialects, and this was the Westron the Elves adopted. In reverence of the mighty lords of Númenor of old, Eldarin was spoken by nobility. Quenya was known to the learned, and Sindarin was used to be polite, especially by those of high Númenórean blood. However, especially the Sindarin contained several dialectical differences.

Characteristics

Physical Appearance

"...there is much else that may be told." — Glóin
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Lifespan

In the Third Age, the lifespan of the Dúnedain was less than of their ancestors in Númenor; specifically after the end of the Kings of Gondor, the waning was even swifter. In contrast, their cousins, the Dúnedain of the North, maintained significant longevity.[15]


Portrayal in adaptations

1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:

Gondorians, or Gondorian Commoners, are one of the cultures, suitable for player characters, that are given a detailed description. The Gondorians contain varying degrees of blood from Dúnedain, Northmen and Men from Harad and Dunland.[16][17]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 64, (dated 30 April 1944), also Letter 144, Letter 256
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 64, (dated 30 April 1944), also Letter 144, Letter 256
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
  7. 7.0 7.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Men"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Minas Tirith"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages"
  13. Daniel Helen, "Tolkien’s annotated map of Middle-earth transcribed" dated 10 November 2015, The Tolkien Society (accessed 5 August 2018)
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Window on the West"
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  16. S. Coleman Charlton (1993), Middle-earth Role Playing (2nd edition, softcover) (#2001), p. 168
  17. Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Martin Rundkvist, Erik Ragvik, Olle Sahlin, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The People (#2020)