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Things of Middle-earth

Kings of Arnor and Arthedain

Type: Offices & Ranks

Other Names:
line of Isildur
heirs of Isildur
Isildur's heirs

Description:

The Kings of Arnor and Arthedain were heirs of Isildur who ruled the North Kingdom, or its subrealm of Arthedain:

Table of Contents:
Description
History
— Summary
— Kings of Arnor and Gondor
— Kings of Arnor
— Kings of Arthedain
— Chieftains of the Dúnedain
— Kings of the Reunited Kingdom
Notes

Description
Family tree of the Kings of Arnor.
Family Tree of the Kings of Arnor and Arthedain.
In the North is the Kingdom of Arnor ruled by the descendants of Isildur....

The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Edited by Humphrey Carpenter, Letter 131 to Milton Waldman, circa 1951

In one of his letters, Tolkien describes the role of a reigning king of the Númenórean line, in contrast to that of a steward, such as the one that likely ruled in Arnor after Elendil and Isildur departed to fight the War of Last Alliance and before Isildur's son Valandil came of age to accede to the throne:
A Númenórean King was monarch, with the power of unquestioned decision in debate; but he governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker. In all debatable matters of importance domestic, or external, however, even Denethor [Steward of Gondor] had a Council, and at least listened to what the Lords of the Fiefs and the Captains of the Forces had to say. Aragorn re-established the Great Council of Gondor, and in that Faramir, who remained by inheritance the Steward (or representative of the King during his absence abroad, or sickness, or between his death and the accession of his heir) would [be] the chief counsellor.

The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Edited by Humphrey Carpenter, Letter 244 to a reader of The Lord of the Rings, circa 1963


History
The last leaders of the Faithful, Elendil and his sons, escaped from the DownFall [of Númenor] with nine ships...; and they were borne on the wings of a great storm and cast up on the shores of Middle-earth. There they established in the North-west the Númenórean realms in exile, Arnor and Gondor. Elendil was the High King and dwelt in the North at Annúminas; and the rule in the South was committed to his sons, Isildur and Anárion.

The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Númenor

Now Elendil and Gil-galad... made that League which is called the Last Alliance, and they marched east into Middle-earth gathering a great host of Elves and Men....

From Imladris they crossed the Misty Mountains... and marched down the River Anduin, and so came at last upon the host of Sauron on Dagorlad, the Battle Plain....

The host of Gil-galad and Elendil had the victory....

Then Gil-galad and Elendil passed into Mordor and... laid siege to it for seven years, and suffered grievous loss.... There in the valley of Gorgoroth Anárion son of Elendil was slain.... But at the last the siege was so strait that Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil, and they both were slain.... But Sauron also was thrown down....

Thus began the Third Age of the World.... Many of the Elves and many of the Númenóreans and of Men who were their allies had perished in the Battle and the Siege; and Elendil the Tall and Gil-galad the High King were no more....

[After] he had given counsel to Meneldil, his brother's son, and had committed to him the realm of the south, [Isildur]... marched north..., for he purposed to take up his father's realm in Eriador, far from the shadow of the Black Land.

But Isildur was overwhelmed by a host of Orcs...; and they descended upon him... nigh to... the Gladden Fields.... There well nigh all his people were slain, and among them were his three elder sons, Elendur, Aratan, and Ciryon; but his wife and his youngest son, Valandil, he had left in Imladris when he went to the war... [The] Orcs... shot [Isildur] with many arrows, and that was his end....

Valandil took up his abode in Annúminas, but his folk were diminished, and of the Númenóreans and of the Men of Eriador there remained now too few to people the land or to maintain all the places that Elendil had built....

The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

[In] the north Arnor dwindles, is broken into petty princedoms, and finally vanishes. The remnant of the Númenóreans becomes a hidden wandering Folk, and though their true line of Kings of Isildur's heirs never fails, this is only known in the House of Elrond.

The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Edited by Humphrey Carpenter, Letter 131 to Milton Waldman, circa 1951


History: Summary
The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur

Arnor. Elendil  †S.A. 3441, Isildur  †2, Valandil 249, Eldacar 339, Arantar 435, Tarcil 515, Tarondor 602, Valandur  †652, Elendur 777, Eärendur 861.

Arthedain. Amlaith of Fornost (eldest son of Eärendur) 946, Beleg 1029, Mallor 1110, Celepharn 1191, Celebrindor 1272, Malvegil 1349, Argeleb I  †1356, Arveleg I 1409, Araphor 1589, Argeleb II 1670, Arvegil 1743, Arveleg II 1813, Araval 1891, Araphant 1964, Arvedui Last-king  †1975. End of the North-kingdom.

Chieftains. Aranarth (elder son of Arvedui) 2106..., Aragorn II F.A. 120.

The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: The Realms in Exile


History: Kings of Arnor and Gondor

3320 IIRealms in Exile founded: Arnor and Gondor
3320 IIElendil founds the northern realm of Arnor
3320 IIElendil becomes King of Arnor and Gondor
3441 IIElendil, King of Arnor and Gondor, slain by Sauron on Orodruin

3441 IIIsildur becomes King of Arnor and Gondor
4 Oct. 2 IIIIsildur, King of Arnor and Gondor, slain in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields

History: Kings of Arnor

4 Oct. 2 IIIValandil becomes King of Arnor
10 IIIValandil assumes his throne as King of Arnor
249 IIIValandil, King of Arnor, dies

249Eldacar becomes King of Arnor
339Eldacar, King of Arnor, dies

339Arantar becomes King of Arnor
435Arantar, King of Arnor, dies

435Tarcil becomes King of Arnor
515Tarcil, King of Arnor, dies

515Tarondor becomes King of Arnor
602Tarondor King of Arnor dies

602Valandur becomes King of Arnor
652Valandur, King of Arnor, dies

652Elendur becomes King of Arnor
777Elendur, King of Arnor, dies

777Eärendur becomes King of Arnor
861Eärendur, King of Arnor, dies

861Division of Arnor

History: Kings of Arthedain

861Amlaith becomes King of Arthedain
946Amlaith, King of Arthedain, dies

946Beleg becomes King of Arthedain
1029Beleg, King of Arthedain, dies

1029Mallor becomes King of Arthedain
1110Mallor, King of Arthedain, dies

1110Celepharn becomes King of Arthedain
1191Celepharn, King of Arthedain, dies

1191Celebrindor becomes King of Arthedain
1272Celebrindor, King of Arthedain, dies

1272Malvegil becomes King of Arthedain
1349Malvegil, King of Arthedain, dies

1349Argeleb I becomes King of Arthedain
c. 1350Arthedain claims lordship over all Arnor
1356Argeleb I, King of Arthedain, dies

1356Arveleg I becomes King of Arthedain
1409Arveleg I, King of Arthedain, dies

1409Araphor becomes King of Arthedain
1589Araphor, King of Arthedain, dies

1589Argeleb II becomes King of Arthedain
1670Argeleb II, King of Arthedain, dies

1670Arvegil becomes King of Arthedain
1743Arvegil, King of Arthedain, dies

1743Arveleg II becomes King of Arthedain
1813Arveleg II, King of Arthedain, dies

1813Araval becomes King of Arthedain
1891Araval, King of Arthedain, dies

1891Araphant becomes King of Arthedain
1964Araphant, King of Arthedain, dies

1940Arvedui of Arthedain weds Fíriel of Gondor
1964Arvedui becomes King of Arthedain
1944Arvedui's claim to the crown of Gondor is rejected
1975Arvedui, last King of Arthedain, dies shipwrecked in Forochel

History: Chieftains of the Dúnedain

1976Chieftains of the Dúnedain established by Aranarth
...
2933Aragorn II becomes Chieftain of the Dúnedain

History: Kings of the Reunited Kingdom

1 May 3019 IIILine of Kings of Arnor and Gondor renewed by Elessar
1 May 3019 IIIAragorn II becomes King Elessar Telcontar of the Reunited Kingdom
1 Mar. 120 IVAragorn II, King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom, dies

1 Mar. 120 IVEldarion becomes King of the Reunited Kingdom

Notes
The sign indicates a premature death, in battle or otherwise, though an annal of the event is not always included.

The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers

c.circa: the date is approximate.

Contributors:
Elena Tiriel 30Dec12, 5Jan13

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