Ruling Queens of Númenor
Encyclopedia
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's Middle-earth
legendarium
, the Ruling Queens of Númenor were Dúnedain
women who ruled the kingdom of Númenor
. Out of Númenor's twenty-five rulers, only three were female.
Although the females in Tolkien's writings generally have less ruling authority than the males, the laws of Númenor were ahead of their time in this fictitious universe. The first monarchy to adopt absolute primogeniture
(Sweden
) did not do so until 1980.
In the early days of Númenor, succession
followed the principle of agnatic primogeniture—that is, rule passed to the oldest male offspring of the King, and expressly forbade the succession of women or cognatic descendants. A similar principle was used by the High Kings of the Noldor
in Elves
, with whom the Edain
of Númenor had had extensive dealings.
Silmariën (born ), the progenitor of the line of the Lords of Andúnië—from which the Kings of Gondor
and Arnor
later sprung—was the oldest child of King Tar-Elendil. Under the laws at the time, women were not allowed to rule, so she was passed over in favour of her younger brother, Tar-Meneldur. Nevertheless, Silmariën is one of the most significant of Númenor's royal family, as she presumably inherited both the sword Narsil
and the Ring of Barahir from Tar-Elendil, her father, as these were handed down to her descendants, the Lords of Andúnië and later the Kings of Gondor and Arnor: it is to be presumed that her father, at least, considered her to have a good, maybe even rightful, claim to the throne. Silmariën also probably commissioned the creation of other precious heirlooms to survive into the Fourth Age
: the Sceptre of Andúnië, which after the Downfall became the Sceptre of Arnor, and the Star of Elendil, which likewise became a token of royalty in Arnor.
Tar-Aldarion
, the sixth ruler of Númenor, had only one child: a daughter, Ancalimë. He changed the law to allow absolute primogeniture
, under which rule would pass to the oldest child of the ruler, whether male or female.
The change of the law is referred to in The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A:
"The sixth King left only one child, a daughter. She became the first Queen; for it was then made a law of the royal house that the eldest child of the King, whether man or woman, should receive the sceptre."
This revised law was at first only valid if the daughter married and produced an heir by a certain age, and if she married another member of the royal family (partially to prevent another marriage as disastrous as that between Tar-Aldarion and Erendis — the failure of which Aldarion attributed to her lack of royal blood, and the attendant life-span disparity; but also to prevent control of the crown passing into the hands of another family). The former law was later dropped; the latter endured until the end of the realm. However, the Ruling Queens could choose not to get married at all (see Tar-Telperiën).
She married the nobleman Hallacar, son of Hallatan of Hyarastorni. Both Tar-Ancalimë and Hallacar were fifth-generation descendants of King Vardamir Nólimon, and the marriage was more one of politics than of love. The Queen aimed to produce an heir in order to secure her throne from her first cousin Soronto. Following the birth of their son, Hallacar and Tar-Ancalimë lived apart.
Tar-Ancalimë was raised by her mother Erendis
and a childhood companion was Zamîn. Her mother's tragic married life might have influenced Tar-Ancalimë's rejection of her husband. She was succeeded by her son, Tar-Anárion. She died in year 1285 of the Second Age
, at the age of 412 years.
Tar-Telperiën ruled for 175 years. During her reign, the Rings of Power
were forged, and Sauron
conquered Eriador
. She appears to have done little to react to these events. She refused to marry and bore no children. She was succeeded by Tar-Minastir, the son of her younger brother, Isilmo (who it is presumed was already dead). According to Tolkien's "The Line of Elros," she died in year 1731 of the Second Age at the age of 411 years. However, this conflicts with material published in The Lord of the Rings
, and elsewhere, stating that Tar-Minastir was king at the time of the Númenórean intervention against Sauron in the year 1700 of the Second Age.
Tar-Vanimeldë ruled for 111 years. When she died in 2637 of the Second Age at the age of 360 years, the Kingship should have gone to her son, Tar-Alcarin, but Herucalmo usurped the throne and ruled for twenty years as King Tar-Anducal. His rule was not considered legitimate, and in the official records Vanimeldë was directly followed by Alcarin.
She should have been Queen, but her cousin Ar-Pharazôn forced her to marry him so that he himself would gain the title of King, and in effect he usurped the throne. He changed her name to Ar-Zimraphel (as Ruling Queen she would have preferred the Quenya
Tar-; she would have been Tar-Míriel). That she was given her own royal name may imply that she was, technically speaking, considered equal or even higher than her husband, but in all reality he stole the sceptre from her. When Eru Ilúvatar
sank Númenor, Míriel attempted to ascend Meneltarma, trying to reach the Hallow on the summit (presumably she hoped to address Eru and/or the Valar
in prayer). However, the great wave that rolled over the sinking land overtook her, and she drowned before reaching the summit.
, the surviving Númenóreans (led by descendants of Silmariën) founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor in Middle-earth. At that point, cognatic primogeniture seems to have been abandoned; none of the rulers of Arnor or Gondor
were women, and in the case of Anárion
's children the youngest child Meneldil received the throne, as his older siblings were women. Queen Berúthiel
of Gondor, although certainly formidable, was a Queen-consort, and therefore did not rule, at least officially (and in the event her husband proved his executive superiority over her). Arvedui
of Arthedain suggested that cognatic primogeniture was abandoned due to the frequent wars in which the Realms in Exile were embroiled.
In , Arvedui — who was married to Fíriel
, daughter and only surviving child of King Ondoher—invoked the old Númenórean law to claim that he (not his wife) should be granted the throne. In fact, though, his wife's claims were merely supplementary: his main argument was that his father as heir to the High-Kingship exercised authority over Gondor, and that accordingly in the absence of a close male heir to the dead King, the crown reverted to the High-King, or in this case to his heir (since he was married to the rightful heiress). It was this scorning of Gondorian independence which so annoyed the Southerners as to refuse the couple's claims: had the throne been claimed by Fíriel herself, or in her name only, there might have been different results. Instead, the Steward Pelendur
gave the throne to Eärnil II
, a prominent general, and a distant relative of the deceased Ondoher. Eärnil II was a direct male-line descendant of King Telumehtar Umbardacil (Eärnil's father was Siriondil, son of Calimmacil, son of Arciryas, son of Telumehtar). The Kingship eventually passed to Fíriel's line, in the person of King Aragorn 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...
, the Ruling Queens of Númenor were 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...
women who ruled the kingdom of Númenor
Númenor
Númenor is a fictional place in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings. It was a huge island located in the Sundering Seas to the west of Middle-earth, the main setting of Tolkien's writings, and was known to be the greatest realm of Men...
. Out of Númenor's twenty-five rulers, only three were female.
Although the females in Tolkien's writings generally have less ruling authority than the males, the laws of Númenor were ahead of their time in this fictitious universe. The first monarchy to adopt absolute primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
(Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) did not do so until 1980.
In the early days of Númenor, succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
followed the principle of agnatic primogeniture—that is, rule passed to the oldest male offspring of the King, and expressly forbade the succession of women or cognatic descendants. A similar principle was used by the High Kings of the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
in Elves
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
, with whom the Edain
Edain
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Edain were men who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to the Elves....
of Númenor had had extensive dealings.
Silmariën (born ), the progenitor of the line of the Lords of Andúnië—from which the Kings 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...
and 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...
later sprung—was the oldest child of King Tar-Elendil. Under the laws at the time, women were not allowed to rule, so she was passed over in favour of her younger brother, Tar-Meneldur. Nevertheless, Silmariën is one of the most significant of Númenor's royal family, as she presumably inherited both the sword Narsil
Narsil
Narsil is a fictional sword featured in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It is introduced in The Lord of the Rings as having once belonged to King Elendil of the Dúnedain...
and the Ring of Barahir from Tar-Elendil, her father, as these were handed down to her descendants, the Lords of Andúnië and later the Kings of Gondor and Arnor: it is to be presumed that her father, at least, considered her to have a good, maybe even rightful, claim to the throne. Silmariën also probably commissioned the creation of other precious heirlooms to survive into the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
: the Sceptre of Andúnië, which after the Downfall became the Sceptre of Arnor, and the Star of Elendil, which likewise became a token of royalty in Arnor.
Tar-Aldarion
Tar-Aldarion
Tar-Aldarion is a character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium.He was the sixth King of Númenor, succeeding his father, Tar-Meneldur. He was a great mariner, and during his time Númenor started to invest more in its navy and strengthened its presence overseas in Middle-earth. He wedded Erendis in...
, the sixth ruler of Númenor, had only one child: a daughter, Ancalimë. He changed the law to allow absolute primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, under which rule would pass to the oldest child of the ruler, whether male or female.
The change of the law is referred to in The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A:
"The sixth King left only one child, a daughter. She became the first Queen; for it was then made a law of the royal house that the eldest child of the King, whether man or woman, should receive the sceptre."
This revised law was at first only valid if the daughter married and produced an heir by a certain age, and if she married another member of the royal family (partially to prevent another marriage as disastrous as that between Tar-Aldarion and Erendis — the failure of which Aldarion attributed to her lack of royal blood, and the attendant life-span disparity; but also to prevent control of the crown passing into the hands of another family). The former law was later dropped; the latter endured until the end of the realm. However, the Ruling Queens could choose not to get married at all (see Tar-Telperiën).
Tar-Ancalimë
Tar-Ancalimë (S.A. 873–1285, r. 1075–1280) was the seventh ruler and first Ruling Queen of Númenor. Her name means "Most bright".She married the nobleman Hallacar, son of Hallatan of Hyarastorni. Both Tar-Ancalimë and Hallacar were fifth-generation descendants of King Vardamir Nólimon, and the marriage was more one of politics than of love. The Queen aimed to produce an heir in order to secure her throne from her first cousin Soronto. Following the birth of their son, Hallacar and Tar-Ancalimë lived apart.
Tar-Ancalimë was raised by her mother Erendis
Erendis
Erendis is the fictional wife of King Tar-Aldarion of Númenor in J. R. R. Tolkien's Unfinished Tales and, as such, the Queen Consort of Númenor. Erendis was beautiful, fell in love with Aldarion as a young maiden, and was approved by his parents as a suitable consort.-Fictional biography:Erendis...
and a childhood companion was Zamîn. Her mother's tragic married life might have influenced Tar-Ancalimë's rejection of her husband. She was succeeded by her son, Tar-Anárion. She died in year 1285 of the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
, at the age of 412 years.
Tar-Telperiën
Tar-Telperiën (S.A. 1320–1731, r. 1556–1731) was the tenth ruler and second Ruling Queen of Númenor. She succeeded her father, King Tar-Súrion (who was King either because his two elder sisters had no interest in ruling, or because they had been forced to surrender their claims in youth by Tar-Ancalimë).Tar-Telperiën ruled for 175 years. During her reign, the Rings of Power
Rings of Power
The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...
were forged, and 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...
conquered Eriador
Eriador
Eriador is a large region in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth. In the Second Age, and possibly much earlier, it was largely forested, but the Dúnedain felled most of the forests to build ships. Much of it was encompassed in the early Third Age by the kingdom of Arnor, which...
. She appears to have done little to react to these events. She refused to marry and bore no children. She was succeeded by Tar-Minastir, the son of her younger brother, Isilmo (who it is presumed was already dead). According to Tolkien's "The Line of Elros," she died in year 1731 of the Second Age at the age of 411 years. However, this conflicts with material published in The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, and elsewhere, stating that Tar-Minastir was king at the time of the Númenórean intervention against Sauron in the year 1700 of the Second Age.
Tar-Vanimeldë
Tar-Vanimeldë (S.A. 2277–2637, r. 2526–2637) was the sixteenth ruler and third ruling Queen of Númenor. She was the daughter and heiress of Tar-Telemmaitë. She had little interest in ruling, however, and left the day-to-day chores of monarchy to her husband, the nobleman Herucalmo. Her name means "Beautiful Beloved".Tar-Vanimeldë ruled for 111 years. When she died in 2637 of the Second Age at the age of 360 years, the Kingship should have gone to her son, Tar-Alcarin, but Herucalmo usurped the throne and ruled for twenty years as King Tar-Anducal. His rule was not considered legitimate, and in the official records Vanimeldë was directly followed by Alcarin.
Míriel Ar-Zimraphel
Míriel was the daughter of King Tar-Palantir, and the rightful heir of Númenor.She should have been Queen, but her cousin Ar-Pharazôn forced her to marry him so that he himself would gain the title of King, and in effect he usurped the throne. He changed her name to Ar-Zimraphel (as Ruling Queen she would have preferred the Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
Tar-; she would have been Tar-Míriel). That she was given her own royal name may imply that she was, technically speaking, considered equal or even higher than her husband, but in all reality he stole the sceptre from her. When Eru Ilúvatar
Eru Ilúvatar
Eru Ilúvatar is a fictional deity in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the creator of all existence . In Tolkien's invented language of Elvish, Eru means "The One", or "He that is Alone" and Ilúvatar signifies "Father of All"...
sank Númenor, Míriel attempted to ascend Meneltarma, trying to reach the Hallow on the summit (presumably she hoped to address Eru and/or the Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
in prayer). However, the great wave that rolled over the sinking land overtook her, and she drowned before reaching the summit.
Ruling Queens in Gondor and Arnor
After the destruction of NúmenorAkallabêth
Akallabêth is the fourth part of the fantasy work The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is relatively short, consisting of about thirty pages.-Synopsis:...
, the surviving Númenóreans (led by descendants of Silmariën) founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor in Middle-earth. At that point, cognatic primogeniture seems to have been abandoned; none of the rulers of Arnor or 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....
were women, and in the case 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...
's children the youngest child Meneldil received the throne, as his older siblings were women. Queen Berúthiel
Queen Berúthiel
Queen Berúthiel is a minor fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.Berúthiel was first mentioned in Unfinished Tales. She was of Black Númenórean origin, from "the inland city", somewhere south of Umbar. Her marriage to Tarannon Falastur is believed to have been arranged for political...
of Gondor, although certainly formidable, was a Queen-consort, and therefore did not rule, at least officially (and in the event her husband proved his executive superiority over her). Arvedui
Arvedui
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...
of Arthedain suggested that cognatic primogeniture was abandoned due to the frequent wars in which the Realms in Exile were embroiled.
In , Arvedui — who was married to 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 and only surviving child of King Ondoher—invoked the old Númenórean law to claim that he (not his wife) should be granted the throne. In fact, though, his wife's claims were merely supplementary: his main argument was that his father as heir to the High-Kingship exercised authority over Gondor, and that accordingly in the absence of a close male heir to the dead King, the crown reverted to the High-King, or in this case to his heir (since he was married to the rightful heiress). It was this scorning of Gondorian independence which so annoyed the Southerners as to refuse the couple's claims: had the throne been claimed by Fíriel herself, or in her name only, there might have been different results. Instead, the Steward 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...
gave the throne to Eärnil II
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...
, a prominent general, and a distant relative of the deceased Ondoher. Eärnil II was a direct male-line descendant of King Telumehtar Umbardacil (Eärnil's father was Siriondil, son of Calimmacil, son of Arciryas, son of Telumehtar). The Kingship eventually passed to Fíriel's line, in the person of King Aragorn Elessar
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...
.