Arvedui
Encyclopedia
Arvedui is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
legendarium
.
Arvedui was the son of King Araphant of Arthedain. He was born in T.A.
1864 and came to the throne in 1964 at the death of his father. His name meant Last king, and he was named so because of a prophecy by Malbeth the Seer
:
Arvedui married Fíriel
, daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor
, who was killed in 1944. This was the first renewal of contact between Arnor
and Gondor, after a long estrangement, when both realized that both kingdoms were coming under simultaneous attack from the regrouping forces of Sauron
(Angmar
against Arthedain, the Wainriders against Gondor). At Ondoher's death, Arvedui sent messages to Gondor claiming the throne as a direct descendant of Isildur
and as the husband of Fíriel, the only surviving child of King Ondoher (since the King and both his sons perished in the battle against the Wainriders). Arvedui was refused by Pelendur
the Steward of Gondor
: the Gondorians appointed general Eärnil
as King instead.
Arvedui became King of Arthedain soon after, and in T.A. 1974 Angmar attacked again, driving the Dúnedain
away. He and his guard hid in the old Dwarf
mines of the Blue Mountains. Gondor sent help in the form of a great fleet, but it was delayed and came too late: Arthedain was overrun. Starvation drove Arvedui to flee to the Ice-bay of Forochel. Though the inhabitants were not friendly, they helped the gaunt King out of pity (and perhaps because of their weapons).
Círdan
of Lindon
sent a ship north to rescue him in 1975, and against the advice of the Snowmen of Forochel Arvedui boarded it. Before departing, he gave his ring, the Ring of Barahir to the chief of the Snowmen. Shortly after leaving land, the ship was crushed by ice packs and the king drowned. In this shipwreck the palantíri of Amon Sûl and Annúminas were lost forever. Shortly afterwards, a Gondorian army under Eärnur managed to destroy Angmar with help of Círdan, but Arthedain and all of Arnor were no more, and the kingship had ended.
His son Aranarth became the first of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain. Despite the fall of the North Kingdom, the line of Isildur
remained unbroken. Arvedui's claim was never forgotten by his descendants, though it would be centuries before Aragorn
invoked the claim.
It is commonly thought that the line of Anárion
had ended, as Eärnil's son Eärnur had left no heir. However, it is worth noting that the line of Anárion did run in Arvedui's descendants, thanks to his marriage to Fíriel who was directly descended from Anárion.
The prophecy became truth, for Arvedui was indeed the last King of Arnor, and likewise the line of the Kings of Gondor
also ended with Eärnil's son Eärnur. The realms were not reunited until a thousand years later, when Aragorn
became King Elessar.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
.
Arvedui was the son of King Araphant of Arthedain. He was born in T.A.
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
1864 and came to the throne in 1964 at the death of his father. His name meant Last king, and he was named so because of a prophecy by Malbeth the Seer
Malbeth the Seer
In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Malbeth the Seer was a wise man of Arthedain who was remembered for two prophecies.-Regarding the Fall of Arthedain:At the birth of the son of Araphant he saidThis prophecy was to be fulfilled in the year...
:
- "Arvedui you shall call him, for he will be the last in Arthedain. Though a choice will come to the Dúnedain, and if they take the one that seems less hopeful, then your son will change his name and become king of a great realm. If not, then much sorrow and many lives of men shall pass, until the Dúnedain arise and are united again." — Appendix A: "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
Arvedui married Fíriel
Fíriel
Fíriel is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth.As the daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor, Fíriel was wed to Prince Arvedui of Arthedain during a time when Arvedui's father Araphant made an alliance with Ondoher...
, daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor
Gondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, who was killed in 1944. This was the first renewal of contact between Arnor
Arnor
Arnor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. The name probably means "Land of the King", from Sindarin Ara- + dor...
and Gondor, after a long estrangement, when both realized that both kingdoms were coming under simultaneous attack from the regrouping forces of Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
(Angmar
Angmar
Angmar is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's continent of Middle-earth.-Synopsis:Angmar was founded in in the far north of the Misty Mountains by the evil Lord of the Ringwraiths, who became known as the "Witch-king of Angmar"...
against Arthedain, the Wainriders against Gondor). At Ondoher's death, Arvedui sent messages to Gondor claiming the throne as a direct descendant of Isildur
Isildur
Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the author's books The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and as the husband of Fíriel, the only surviving child of King Ondoher (since the King and both his sons perished in the battle against the Wainriders). Arvedui was refused by Pelendur
Pelendur
Pelendur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, appearing The Return of the King.He was Steward of Gondor in the year 1944 Third Age. He was born in T.A...
the Steward of Gondor
Stewards of Gondor
The Stewards of Gondor were rulers from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth.-Overview:Steward was the traditional title of a chief counsellor to one of the Kings of Gondor. The office of Arandur first came into existence during the reign of King Rómendacil I...
: the Gondorians appointed general Eärnil
Eärnil II
Eärnil II is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth. He was born in T.A. 1883. In 1945 Third Age he was elected as the thirty-second King of Gondor after his predecessor, King Ondoher, was slain in battle. In the previous year a two-pronged attack had been launched...
as King instead.
Arvedui became King of Arthedain soon after, and in T.A. 1974 Angmar attacked again, driving the Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
away. He and his guard hid in the old Dwarf
Dwarf (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
mines of the Blue Mountains. Gondor sent help in the form of a great fleet, but it was delayed and came too late: Arthedain was overrun. Starvation drove Arvedui to flee to the Ice-bay of Forochel. Though the inhabitants were not friendly, they helped the gaunt King out of pity (and perhaps because of their weapons).
Círdan
Círdan
Círdan the Shipwright is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He was a Telerin Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, and lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.He had a beard, which was rare for...
of Lindon
Lindon (Middle-earth)
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth in the fictional universe of J. R. R. Tolkien. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon and Harlindon...
sent a ship north to rescue him in 1975, and against the advice of the Snowmen of Forochel Arvedui boarded it. Before departing, he gave his ring, the Ring of Barahir to the chief of the Snowmen. Shortly after leaving land, the ship was crushed by ice packs and the king drowned. In this shipwreck the palantíri of Amon Sûl and Annúminas were lost forever. Shortly afterwards, a Gondorian army under Eärnur managed to destroy Angmar with help of Círdan, but Arthedain and all of Arnor were no more, and the kingship had ended.
His son Aranarth became the first of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain. Despite the fall of the North Kingdom, the line of Isildur
House of Isildur
In the literary works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the House of Isildur was the Royal House of Arnor, Arthedain, Cardolan, Rhudaur and, much later, Gondor The house was descended from Isildur, elder son and heir of Elendil the Faithful...
remained unbroken. Arvedui's claim was never forgotten by his descendants, though it would be centuries before Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
invoked the claim.
It is commonly thought that the line of Anárion
Anárion
Anárion is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His name is derived from Anar, which means "Sun" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya...
had ended, as Eärnil's son Eärnur had left no heir. However, it is worth noting that the line of Anárion did run in Arvedui's descendants, thanks to his marriage to Fíriel who was directly descended from Anárion.
The prophecy became truth, for Arvedui was indeed the last King of Arnor, and likewise the line of the Kings of Gondor
Kings of Gondor
This is a list of kings of Gondor from the fictional universe of Middle-earth by J. R. R. Tolkien.The kings of Gondor through Amandil claimed descent from the Lords of Andúnië, and from there to Silmariën and the Kings of Númenor....
also ended with Eärnil's son Eärnur. The realms were not reunited until a thousand years later, when Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
became King Elessar.
See also
- Witch-king of AngmarWitch-king of AngmarThe Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Black Captain among other names, is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. In Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, he is the chief of the Nazgûl , the chief servants...