Character Bios
Tar-Amandil
Meaning: High Aman-lover
Location(s): Númenor
Race/Species: Man
Type/Kind: 2nd age Numenoreans
Title(s): 3rd King of Númenor
Dates: II 192~603
Parents:
father:
Vardamir Nólimon
— deemed 2nd King of Númenor
Siblings:
Vardilmë
Aulendil
Nolondil
Children:
Tar-Elendil
— 4th King of Númenor
Eärendur
Mairen
Description:
Tar-Amandil, son of Vardamir Nólimon, was the 3rd King of Númenor:
A legitimate male heir... could not refuse [the kingship]; but... could in fact immediately resign to his natural heir. He was then himself deemed also to have reigned for at least one year; and this was the case (the only case) with Vardamir, the son of Elros, who did not ascend the throne but gave the Sceptre to his son Amandil.1
Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 2, Aldarion and Erendis: Notes, Note 26
Tar-Amandil... was the son of Vardamir Nólimon, and he was born in the year 192. He ruled for 148 years,2 and surrendered the sceptre in 590; he died in 603.
Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 3, The Line of Elros, Kings of Númenor
Tar-Elendil... was the son of Tar-Amandil, and he was born in the year 350.
Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 3, The Line of Elros, Kings of Númenor
Etymology
tar- 'high' (Quenya tara 'lofty'), prefix of the Quenya names of the Númenórean Kings; also in Annatar. Feminine tari 'she that is high, Queen' in Elentári, Kementári....
The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names
man- 'good, blessed, unmarred' in Aman, Manwë; derivatives of Aman in Amandil, Araman, Úmanyar....
-(n)dil is a very frequent ending of personal names, Amandil, Eärendil (shortened Eärnil), Elendil, Mardil, etc.; it implies 'devotion', 'disinterested love'....
The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names
Notes
1 Upon the departure of Elros [in 442], being then 381 years of age, [Vardamir] did not ascend the throne, but gave the sceptre to his son. He is nonetheless accounted the second of the Kings, and is deemed to have reigned one year. It remained the custom thereafter until the days of Tar-Atanamir that the King should yield the sceptre to his successor before he died; and the Kings died of free will while yet in vigour of mind.
Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 3, The Line of Elros, Kings of Númenor
2 The figure of 148 (rather than 147) must represent the years of Tar-Amandil's actual rule, and not take the notional year of Vardamir's reign into account.
Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 3, The Line of Elros, Kings of Númenor: Notes, Note 3
Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 15Dec09