The Peoples of Middle-earth (34 page)

It has been difficult to find a satisfactory way of presenting this complex material, especially in view of the lack of correspondence in the texts of the Northern and Southern Lines (B-C; A-B-C). As with the two texts F 1 and F 2 of the Appendix on Languages, it has seemed best to give first the full text of C, with the corrections and expansions noted as such (though without any attempt to distinguish the relative times of their making), and to indicate significant differences in B in the Commentary following the text. In addition, I give an account of the brief manuscript A of the Southern Line at the beginning of the Commentary on that part of the work (p. 211).

As I have already mentioned, there is no writing extant before the manuscript A. It will be seen, however, that the names of the southern kings and their dates were already very largely fixed in A as first written down, and that (although the historical notes are very scanty and brief by comparison with the final form) such matters as the Kin-strife and the claim of Arvedui (last king in the North) to the southern crown were fully if not very substantially present; it may be supposed therefore that initial notes and lists have not survived (see also p. 216, under Ondohir). It is generally impossible to say how much of the matter that entered at each successive stage had newly arisen, and how much was present but at first, when the scope of the work was not yet fully realised, held in abeyance. But there is reason to think (see p. 213) that a firm if undeveloped structure of the history of the Realms in Exile had arisen a good while before the first texts of The Heirs of Elendil were composed. There are cases in text B where the actual working out of the history can be clearly seen, but always within that structure.

The Heirs of Elendil.

Summary of the Annals in the 'Book of the Kings' and the 'Roll of Stewards of Gondor'. The dates are corrected to the reckoning of the Ages according to the Eldar, as also used in Arnor. In Gondor the dates were reckoned from the foundation of Osgiliath, Second Age 3320. Twenty-one years thus have to be added to the year-numbers here given to find the dates of the first Gondor era.

Elendil of Numenor

Isildur Anarion Kiryandil Earnur Veandur Valandil Meneldil of Arnor of Gondor

Year.

Second Age.

3119. Elendil born in Numenor. His father was Valandil

[> Amandil) chief of the party of the Elf-friends.

3209. Isildur, elder son of Elendil, born in Numenor.

3219. Anarion, second son of Elendil, born in Numenor.

3299. Kiryandil, son of Isildur, born in Numenor.

3318. Meneldil, son of Anarion, born. He was the last man to be born in Numenor.

3319. Downfall of Numenor.

3320. Establishment of the Numenorean 'realms in exile' in the west of Middle-earth: Arnor in the north of the westlands (with chief city at Annuminas) by Elendil; Gondor in the south (with chief city at Osgiliath) by his sons.

Isildur planted a seedling of the White Tree of Avallon, gift of the Eldar, in Minas Ithil. The Palantiri, or Seven Stones of Sight, were divided, and set up in towers: three in Arnor, at Annuminas, and at Amon Sul, and upon the Emyn Beraid looking towards the Sea; four in the realm of Gondor, at Osgiliath, at Minas Ithil, at Minas Anor, and at Orthanc in Angrenost (Isengard).

3339. Earnur, second son of Isildur, born in Gondor.

3379. Veandur, third son of Isildur, born in Minas Ithil.

3429. Sauron attacks Gondor from the neighbouring land of Mordor. He destroys Minas Ithil and burns the White Tree. Isildur escapes by ship down Anduin, and sails north from Anduin's Mouths to Elendil in Arnor, with his wife and sons; he bears with him a seedling of the White Tree, grown from its first fruit in Middle-earth.

Anarion holds out in Osgiliath.

3430. The last Alliance is begun. Elendil and Isildur obtain the help of Gil-galad and Elrond and gather great forces.

They march east to Imladris. Valandil son of Isildur born in Imladris.

3434. The Battle of Dagorlad. Gil-galad and Elendil are victorious. The Siege of Barad-dur is begun.

3440. Anarion is slain before Barad-dur.

3441. Fall of Barad-dur and overthrow of Sauron. Elendil and Gil-galad are slain. Isildur delivers Gondor to Meneldil son of Anarion. He plants the White Tree again in Minas Anor in memory of his brother, and marches up Anduin, intending to return to Arnor.

Isildur and his three elder sons are slain by Orcs in the Gladden Fields. His fourth son Valandil succeeds to Arnor, but being a child remains for a time with Elrond at Imladris.

The Second Age ends and the Third Age begins.

Here follows the roll of the Kings of the Northern Line, and after the ending of the kings the names of the chieftains of the Dunedain of the North who maintained throughout this Age the line of Valandil son of Isildur unbroken.

In the tenth year of the Third Age Valandil being come to manhood took up the kingship of Arnor and dwelt at Annuminas by Lake Nenuial.

The Heirs of Elendil.

The Northern Line of Arnor: the Isildurioni.

1. Elendil. born S.A.3119 lived 322 years +slain 3441

or T.A.1

2. Isildur 3209 232 +slain 3441

or T.A.1

3. Valandil 3430 260 died T.A.249

4. Eldakar T.A. 87 252 339

5. Arantar 185 250 435

6. Tarkil 280 235 515

7. Tarondor 372 230 602

8. Valandur 462 190 +slain 652

9. Elendur 552 225 died 777

10. Earen dur 640 221 861

After Earendur the Northern Kingdom of Arnor was broken up.

The sons of the king established smaller independent kingdoms.

The direct line of the eldest son ruled the realm of Arthedain in the north-west; their city was Fornost. Annuminas became deserted owing to the dwindling of the people. The chief of the lesser realms were [Cardolan east of the Baranduin; and Rhudaur north of the Bruinen. Arthedain still claimed the overlordship, but this was disputed. >] Cardolan south of the Great Road and east of the Baranduin; and Rhudaur north of the Great Road between the Weather Hills and the Bruinen. There was often strife between the kingdoms; the chief matter of debate was the possession of the Weather Hills and the land westward thence towards Bree. For both Rhudaur and Cardolan desired to control Amon Sul (which stood upon their borders), because of the Tower built there by Elendil, in which was kept the chief palantir of the North. / From this time on the official names of the kings were no longer given, after the manner of Numenor, in High-elven or 'Quenya' form; but the kings of Arthedain used Elvish names of Noldorin form and still maintained their friendship with the Eldar of Lindon and Imladris.

11. Amlaith of. born 726 lived 220 years died 946

Fornost.

12. Beleg 811 218 1029

13. Mallor 895 215 1110

In his time an evil shadow fell upon Greenwood the Great, and it became known as Mirkwood. The Sorcerer of Dol Guldur (later known to be Sauron returned) begins to work evil. The Periannath cross the Mountains and come into Arnor.

14. Celepharn. born 979 lived 212 years died 1191

15. Celebrindol

[> Celebrindor] 1062 210 1272

16 Malvegil 1144 205 1349

In the days of Malvegil Orcs again became a menace, and invaded the lands of Arnor. The Ulairi or Ringwraiths began to stir again. The chief of the Olairi comes north and establishes himself as a king of evil men in Angmar in the far north regions. The Witch-king makes war on the realms of the Dunedain, which are disunited. The lesser realms resist the claim of the King at Fornost to be overlord of all the former lands of Arnor. In token of this claim all the kings of Arthedain, and the chieftains after them, take names with the prefix aran, ar(a) signifying 'high king'. [Added: The purpose of the Witch-king is to destroy Arnor, for there is more hope of success in the North (where the realm is disunited) than in the South while Gondor remains strong. At this time no descendants of Isildur remain in Rhudaur or Cardolan; therefore the kings of Arthedain again claim overlordship in all Arnor. The claim is rejected by Rhudaur, in which power has been seized by men in secret league with Angmar.]

[Struck out: The kings of Arthedain also claim to be guardians of the palantir of Amon Sul, though this is outside their territory, standing on the borders of Cardolan and Rhudaur between whom also it is a matter of bitter dispute.]

17. Argeleb I. born 1226 lived 130 years + slain 1356

[He was slain in battle with Cardolan in the strife of the palantir of Amon Sul. >] Argeleb fortifies the Weather Hills. He was slain in battle with Rhudaur (with secret aid of Angmar); the enemy tries to seize the palantir of Amon Sul.

18. Arveleg I. born 1309 lived 100 years + slain 1409

The Witch-king of Angmar taking advantage of war among [the Numenoreans or Dunedain >] the Dunedain comes down out of the North. He overruns Cardolan and Rhudaur. [Cardolan is ravaged and destroyed and becomes desolate. The Tower of Amon Sul is razed and the palantir is broken. Evil spirits come and take up their abode in the mounds of the hills of Cardolan.

In Rhudaur an evil folk, workers of sorcery, subjects of Angmar, slay the remnants of the Dunedain and build dark forts in the hills. But the Dunedain of Fornost, in spite of the death of their king, hold out, and repel the forces of Angmar with the help of Cirdan of Lindon. >] Cardolan is ravaged; the Tower of Amon Sul is razed and the palantir is removed to Fornost. In Rhudaur an evil folk ... [as above] build dark forts in the hills, while the remaining Dunedain of Cardolan hold out in the Barrow Downs and the Forest; the Dunedain of Arthedain repel the forces of Angmar from Fornost with the help of Cirdan of Lindon.

19. Araphor. born 1391 lived 198 years died 1589

20. Argeleb II 1473 197 1670

In his day the people of the old lands of Arnor become further diminished by the coming of the plague out of the south and east, which also devastated Gondor. [The plague does not pass beyond the Baranduin. >] The plague lessens in deadliness as it goes north; but Cardolan becomes desolate. Evil spirits come out of Angmar and take up their abode in the mounds of Tyrn Goerthaid. / It was Argeleb II who granted the land west of the Baranduin to the Periannath; they crossed the river and entered the land in 1601.

21. Arvegil. born 1553 lived 190 years died 1743

22. Arveleg II 1633 180 1813

23. Araval 1711 180 1891

With the help of Lindon and Imladris he won a victory over Angmar in 1851, and sought to reoccupy Cardolan, but the evil wights terrify all who seek to dwell near.

24. Araphant. born 1789 lived 175 years died 1964.

Angmar recovers and makes war on the Dunedain. Araphant seeks to renew ancient alliance and kinship with Gondor. In 1940 his heir Arvedui wedded Firiel daughter of King Ondohir

[> Ondonir] of Gondor. But Gondor is engaged in the long Wars of the Wainriders, and sends little help. Ondohir [> Ondonir]

and his sons fell in battle in 1944, and Arvedui claimed the crown of Gondor, on behalf of Firiel and himself as representing

'the elder line of Isildur', since no close male claimant to the throne in Gondor could at first be found. The claim was rejected by Gondor, but Arvedui and his descendants continued to consider themselves as the true heirs of Anarion as well as of Isildur.

25. Arvedui.

born 1864 lived 110 years +drowned 1974 [> 1975]

He was the last king at Fornost. In [added: the winter of] 1974

the Witch-king destroyed Fornost, laid Arthedain waste, and scattered the remnants of the Dunedain. Arvedui escaped from Fornost and fled north, taking the palantiri of Annuminas and Emyn Beraid. He attempted to go by ship from Forochel to Gondor but was wrecked and the Stones were lost. The sons of Arvedui took refuge with Cirdan of Lune. The following year Elrond and Cirdan, with some belated help from Gondor, sent by sea, defeated the forces of Angmar. The Witch-king was overthrown by Elrond, and his realm brought to an end. The northern lands though desolate were now made somewhat more wholesome again. But it was found later that the Witch-king had fled away secretly southwards, and had entered Minas Ithil (now called Minas Morgul) and become Lord of the Ringwraiths.

The remnants of the Dunedain of the North become rangers and errants, living largely in hiding, but waging ceaseless war on all evil things that still are abroad in the land. The sons of their chieftains are usually fostered in Imladris by Elrond, to whose keeping are given the chief remaining heirlooms of their house, especially the shards of Elendil's sword, Narsil.