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
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 II Realms in Exile founded: Arnor and Gondor
3320 II Elendil founds the northern realm of Arnor
3320 II Elendil becomes King of Arnor and Gondor
3441 II Elendil, King of Arnor and Gondor, slain by Sauron on Orodruin
3441 II Isildur becomes King of Arnor and Gondor
4 Oct. 2 III Isildur, King of Arnor and Gondor, slain in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields
History: Kings of Arnor
4 Oct. 2 III Valandil becomes King of Arnor
10 III Valandil assumes his throne as King of Arnor
249 III Valandil, King of Arnor, dies
249 Eldacar becomes King of Arnor
339 Eldacar, King of Arnor, dies
339 Arantar becomes King of Arnor
435 Arantar, King of Arnor, dies
435 Tarcil becomes King of Arnor
515 Tarcil, King of Arnor, dies
515 Tarondor becomes King of Arnor
602 Tarondor King of Arnor dies
602 Valandur becomes King of Arnor
652 Valandur, King of Arnor, dies
652 Elendur becomes King of Arnor
777 Elendur, King of Arnor, dies
777 Eärendur becomes King of Arnor
861 Eärendur, King of Arnor, dies
861 Division of Arnor
History: Kings of Arthedain
861 Amlaith becomes King of Arthedain
946 Amlaith, King of Arthedain, dies
946 Beleg becomes King of Arthedain
1029 Beleg, King of Arthedain, dies
1029 Mallor becomes King of Arthedain
1110 Mallor, King of Arthedain, dies
1110 Celepharn becomes King of Arthedain
1191 Celepharn, King of Arthedain, dies
1191 Celebrindor becomes King of Arthedain
1272 Celebrindor, King of Arthedain, dies
1272 Malvegil becomes King of Arthedain
1349 Malvegil, King of Arthedain, dies
1349 Argeleb I becomes King of Arthedain
c. 1350 Arthedain claims lordship over all Arnor
1356 Argeleb I, King of Arthedain, dies
1356 Arveleg I becomes King of Arthedain
1409 Arveleg I, King of Arthedain, dies
1409 Araphor becomes King of Arthedain
1589 Araphor, King of Arthedain, dies
1589 Argeleb II becomes King of Arthedain
1670 Argeleb II, King of Arthedain, dies
1670 Arvegil becomes King of Arthedain
1743 Arvegil, King of Arthedain, dies
1743 Arveleg II becomes King of Arthedain
1813 Arveleg II, King of Arthedain, dies
1813 Araval becomes King of Arthedain
1891 Araval, King of Arthedain, dies
1891 Araphant becomes King of Arthedain
1964 Araphant, King of Arthedain, dies
1940 Arvedui of Arthedain weds Fíriel of Gondor
1964 Arvedui becomes King of Arthedain
1944 Arvedui's claim to the crown of Gondor is rejected
1975 Arvedui, last King of Arthedain, dies shipwrecked in Forochel
History: Chieftains of the Dúnedain
1976 Chieftains of the Dúnedain established by Aranarth
...
2933 Aragorn II becomes Chieftain of the Dúnedain
History: Kings of the Reunited Kingdom
1 May 3019 III Line of Kings of Arnor and Gondor renewed by Elessar
1 May 3019 III Aragorn II becomes King Elessar Telcontar of the Reunited Kingdom
1 Mar. 120 IV Aragorn II, King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom, dies
1 Mar. 120 IV Eldarion 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