Character Bios
Malach Aradan
Meaning: Aradan: Noble Man
Location(s):
Estolad
Hithlum
Race/Species: Man
Type/Kind: 1st Age Edain
Title(s):
Chieftain of the Third House of the Edain
Dates:
I 307-398
Parents:
father: Marach, Chieftain of the Third House of the Edain
Siblings:
Imlach
Spouse:
Zimrahin (Meldis) (HoME only)
Children:
Adanel (HoME only)
Magor
other, unnamed children (HoME only)
Description:
Malach Aradan, son of Marach, Chieftain of the Third House of the Edain, is the father of Adanel and Magor, grandfather of Hathol, and great-grandfather of Hador Lórindol, Lord of Dor-lómin.
[Many] young and eager men of the Edain went away and took service with the kings and lords of the Eldar. Among them was Malach son of Marach, and he dwelt in Hithlum for fourteen years; and he learned the Elven-tongue and was given the name of Aradan.
The Edain did not long dwell content in Estolad, for many still desired to go westward.... Therefore the kings of the three houses of the Noldor... sent word that any of the Edain that wished might remove and come to dwell among their people.... The people of Aradan (for Marach his father remained in Estolad until his death) for the most part went on westward; and some came to Hithlum, but Magor son of Aradan and many of the people passed down Sirion into Beleriand....
The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 17, Of the Coming of Men into the West
Now Hador Lórindol, son of Hathol, son of Magor, son of Malach Aradan, entered the household of Fingolfin in his youth, and was loved by the King. Fingolfin therefore gave to him the lordship of Dor-lómin, and into that land he gathered most of the people of his kin, and became the mightiest of the chieftains of the Edain.
The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 17, Of the Coming of Men into the West
Etymology
ar(a)- 'high, noble, royal' appears in a great many names, as Aradan, Aredhel, Argonath, Arnor, etc.; extended stem arat- appearing in Aratar, and in arato 'champion, eminent man', e.g. Angrod from Angaráto and Finrod from Findaráto; also aran 'king' in Aranrúth. Ereinion 'scion of kings' (name of Gil-galad) has the plural of aran; cf. Fornost Erain 'Norbury of the Kings' in Arnor. The prefix Ar- of the Adûnaic names of the Kings of Númenor was derived from this.
The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names
adan(a) (plural Edain) in Adanedhel, Aradan, Dúnedain. For its meaning and history see Atani in the Index.
The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names
Atani 'The Second People', Men (singular Atan)...; since in Beleriand for a long time the only Men known to the Noldor and Sindar were those of the Three Houses of the Elf-friends, this name (in the Sindarin form Adan, plural Edain) became specially associated with them, so that it was seldom applied to other Men who came later to Beleriand, or who were reported to be dwelling beyond the Mountains. But in the speech of Ilúvatar... the meaning is 'Men (in general)'.
The Silmarillion, Index of Names
Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 4Feb10