Eärnur

Eärnur had great courage like his father, but did not possess his father's wisdom. He had a strong body and a hot mood. He did not marry, because fighting was his only pleasure. Nobody in Gondor could defeat him in the weapon-sports in which he took pleasure. Eärnur seemed more like a champion than a captain or king. He retained his vigour and skill to a later age than was then usual.

Angmar

During the Angmar War, what was left of the ancient realm of Arnor was under attack. While not ignoring the North-Kingdom, King Eärnil II had trouble of his own, and could not spare any of his troops to send North. Upon learning that the Witch-king was preparing for the final blow in Third Age 1973, he sent his son Prince Eärnur north, as Captain of Gondor. Though his fleet sailed rapidly, he was not in time to save Arthedain or Arvedui, its last king. His massive fleet - so large it filled Mithlond, Harlond and Forlond - was hailed by the Men that had survived the last defeat, and the Elves also. To Gondor's standards, the expeditionary force was mediocre in size. It did, however, include cavalry from Rhovanion, which would prove useful on the wide lands of the North.

With Círdan, Eärnur travelled East, and cleansed the lands of Orcs and other servants of Angmar. All fled before the might of the Host of the West, with Eärnur at its head. At the same time, Glorfindel came west from Rivendell and they fought against Angmar at Fornost. When finally the Witch-king, clad in black, came forth near the site, many of the horses fled in terror. The Witch-king challenged Eärnur directly, but as he charged, his steed also swerved, and it took some time before the Captain of Gondor could regain control. The Witch-king laughed at this seeming retreat, but his victory would not last long. The Elves of Rivendell entered the battlefield, and the Witch-king fled before the might of Glorfindel. Fleeing in despair, Eärnur wanted to pursue him, but Glorfindel spoke against it: "Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall".

But nonetheless, Eärnur bore a grudge against the wraith that disgraced him, and so he won the chief hatred of the Witch-king.

Kingship

It was soon found out that the Witch-king escaped to Mordor, and set up abode in Minas Ithil, which in consequence was renamed Minas Morgul. After the death of Eärnil and the coronation of Eärnur, the Witch-king challenged him to single combat, reminding him of the disgrace in the North. The Steward, Mardil Voronwë, persuaded him not to go.

Seven years later, the Witch-king renewed his challenge, and this time, Eärnur could not be held back. Before leaving, however, Eärnur left his crown on the lap of his father in the Houses of the Dead. There it was picked up again by Faramir, the last Ruling Steward, for the coronation of Elessar almost a millennium later. With a small escort of knights, he rode past the gates of Minas Morgul. None were ever seen again.

No new king was elected and the rule of Gondor passed to the Ruling Stewards, beginning with Mardil Voronwë. The Stewards were to rule "until the King returns", because it was uncertain at first whether Eärnur had been killed or not. In addition, Eärnur left without an heir, and while many others in Gondor could lay some sort of claim to the kingship, those claims generally had some sort of doubt, and no one wanted to risk another civil war like the Kin-strife.

Eärnur is a Quenya name that is a shortened form of the name Eärendur. It means "(professional) mariner". As Paul Strack explains, a more literal translation might be "Servant of the Sea". It is a compound of eär ("sea") and -(n)dur ("servant").

Eärnur was a member of the "fifth line" of Kings of Gondor, which started with his father after the death Ondoher and his sons in Third Age 1944, and ended with himself a little over a century later.

In an earlier version of what would later become the chapter The Window on the West the last king of the line of Anárion was not called King Eärnur, but was called King Elessar.