King of Gondor
King of Gondor was the title of the Númenórean (later known as Dúnedain) rulers of Gondor. Each king governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker. The line of the Kings would endure for over two thousand years, but would eventually fail with the presumed death of Eärnur. The kingship would be restored later by Aragorn, the hidden descendant of Elendil.
History
The origins of the Kings of Gondor lie with the House of Elros. Through Amandil the Kings claimed descent from the Lords of Andúnië, and from there to Silmariën and the Kings of Númenor. The first line of the Kings of Gondor were primarily members of the House of Anárion.
Elendil was the first King of Arnor and was succeeded by Isildur. Elendil ruled over both realms as High King of the Dúnedain-in-exile Isildur succeeded as High King as well upon his father's death. Isildur committed Gondor to the rule of Meneldil the son of Anarion as sole King of Gondor, but Isildur's royalty in the South-realm remained, as his line was by right High King over both Arnor and Gondor, though after Isildur's death, the realms were split. Isildur's son, Valandil, opted to not press his claim as High King of the Realms-in-Exile. Thus were the two realms sundered from each other, though Isildur's line technically could still lay claim to the dormant High Kingship.
The kingship of Gondor, unlike Arnor which had a direct line from Isildur to Arvedui, underwent several succession crises even before they eventually failed altogether. The first king of Gondor who had no direct offspring was Falastur, who had to be succeeded by his nephew Eärnil I. The next childless king was Narmacil I, who had to be succeeded by his brother Calmacil. The worst crisis, however, was that of the Kin-strife, a civil war which resulted in both the loss of Umbar and the shedding of royal blood. From this war, Eldacar emerged victorious, but the House of Anárion was greatly weakened. The house suffered further in the invasion of the Wainriders, which killed the king Ondoher and his sons. Only his daughter Fíriel survived, who previously had married the king of Arthedain, Arvedui.
Arvedui made an attempt to be named king of Gondor himself, citing two reasons. First, Isildur did not give up his being High King of both realms in exile, instead only committing the rule of Gondor to Meneldil, but not giving up his royalty. This meant that Isildur's heirs technically still held royalty within Gondor, even if they did not rule. Secondly, according to the Numenorian laws of succession, the sceptre would go the oldest child of the ruler upon their death, be they male or female. Thus, technically the kingship would have gone to Arvedui's wife Fíriel rather than a claimant from outside Ondoher's immediate family. However, the council of Gondor elected to ignore Arvedui's claims, and the kingship went instead to Eärnil II, who was a member of the house of Anárion. After him, the crown lasted only one generation before the last of the kings.
The final king was Eärnur, who reigned for only seven years before he was challenged to single combat by the Witch-king of Angmar. Enraged by this, Eänur accepted the challenge and rode to Minas Morgul, where he vanished and was never seen again. After his disappearance, however, there was no member close enough to the House of Anárion left in the realm of Gondor to make a claim to the kingship. Rather than suffer another civil war, the rule of the Kingdom of Gondor fell to a succession of Stewards.
In Third Age 3019, the kingship of Gondor was restored in the person of Aragorn, who was the hidden descendant of Isildur. Aragorn was also a blood descendant of Anárion via the marriage of his ancestor Arvedui to the Gondorian princess Fíriel. Aragorn, taking the regnal name Elessar, reestablished the kingship of Gondor before going on to refound the realm of Arnor as well, thus recreating the Reunited Kingdom. Elessar's new royal house would henceforth be known as the House of Telcontar. Elessar would rule until Fourth Age 120, before passing the rule of the kingdom to his son Eldarion.
Duties and office
The King was the ultimate commander of the armies and navies of Gondor. For example, King Eärnil II sent his son Eärnur as the leader of the army who defeated the Witch-king of Angmar. The King would also be in charge of building projects, such as creating fortifications. The King served as the ultimate arbiter of justice in court matters. The King would have the ability to forge diplomatic alliances and both administer and renew oaths. The King was the only one invested with the ability to invoke the name of Eru, though this power was seldom used. Finally, the King had the legal right of using the palantíri available to him in places such as Minas Ithil. He could also invest others to do this on his behalf if the situation required it. However, this practice ended when Sauron gained control of the Ithil-stone, for fear that he might work evil with it.
The King appointed a Steward who would help in both the running of the King's affairs and ruling in the King's stead if he was incapacitated or otherwise away from the kingdom. There was also a Council of Gondor who advise the King, though the full extent of the council's powers remains unclear. The Council retained enough authority to block the attempt of Arvedui, last king of Arthedain, to be named King of Gondor, even though he technically met the requirements. Earnil would be named in his stead.
Part of the tradition associated with the King was that he was the only one who knew the location of the Tomb of Elendil. This burial ground was used as a place of secrecy or meditation by the Kings, and they were sworn not to let the location of it be known. It would remain secret until the days of the Stewards.
The kings of Gondor had a crown used as a badge of office. They also would set in a great throne in the White Tower, a tradition respected even during the time of the Ruling Stewards, who did not sit on the King's throne.
List of Kings
Elendil, son of Amandil, reigned titularly as High King from Second Age 3320 – Second Age 3441 while his sons Isildur and Anárion were the co-rulers of Gondor itself until Anárion's death in Second Age 3440
| # | Name | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elendil | Second Age 3320 – Second Age 3441† | Reigned as High King of Gondor with his sons as co-rulers. |
| 2. | Anárion | Second Age 3320 – Second Age 3440† | Son of Elendil and co-ruler. |
| 2. | Isildur | Second Age 3320 – Third Age 2† | Son of Elendil and co-ruler. |
| 3. | Meneldil | Third Age 2 – Third Age 158 | Son of Anárion. First sole ruler of Gondor |
| 4. | Cemendur | Third Age 158 – Third Age 238 | |
| 5. | Eärendil | Third Age 238 – Third Age 324 | |
| 6. | Anardil | Third Age 324 – Third Age 411 | |
| 7. | Ostoher | Third Age 411 – Third Age 492 | |
| 8. | Rómendacil I | Third Age 492 – Third Age 541† | Born Tarostar |
| 9. | Turambar | Third Age 541 – Third Age 667 | |
| 10. | Atanatar I | Third Age 667 – Third Age 748 | |
| 11. | Siriondil | Third Age 748 – Third Age 830 | |
| 12. | Tarannon Falastur | Third Age 830 – Third Age 913 | First of the Ship-kings. Died childless |
| 13. | Eärnil I | Third Age 913 – Third Age 936 | Nephew of Tarannon |
| 14. | Ciryandil | Third Age 936 – Third Age 1015† | |
| 15. | Hyarmendacil I | Third Age 1015 – Third Age 1149 | Last of the Ship-kings |
| 16. | Atanatar II Alcarin | Third Age 1149 – Third Age 1226 | |
| 17. | Narmacil I | Third Age 1226 – Third Age 1294 | Second childless king |
| 18. | Calmacil | Third Age 1294 – Third Age 1304 | Younger brother of Narmacil. His son Minalcar ruled as prince-regent from 1240 – 1304 |
| 19. | Rómendacil II | Third Age 1304 – Third Age 1366 | Born Minalcar |
| 20. | Valacar | Third Age 1366 – Third Age 1432 | Married Vidumavi, the daughter of Vidugavia |
| 21. | Eldacar | Third Age 1432 – Third Age 1437 | Born Vinitharya |
| 22. | Castamir | Third Age 1437 – Third Age 1447† | Usurped the throne during the Kin-strife. Known as the Usurper |
| 21a. | Eldacar | Third Age 1447 – Third Age 1490 | Won back the throne with aid from the Northmen and Dúnedain of Gondor |
| 23. | Aldamir | Third Age 1490 – Third Age 1540† | |
| 24. | Hyarmendacil II | Third Age 1540 – Third Age 1621 | Born Vinyarion |
| 25. | Minardil | Third Age 1621 – Third Age 1634† | |
| 26. | Telemnar | Third Age 1634 – Third Age 1636 | Died in the Great Plague with all his children |
| 27. | Tarondor | Third Age 1636 – Third Age 1798 | Nephew of Telemnar |
| 28. | Telumehtar Umbardacil | Third Age 1798 – Third Age 1850 | |
| 29. | Narmacil II | Third Age 1850 – Third Age 1856† | |
| 30. | Calimehtar | Third Age 1856 – Third Age 1936 | |
| 31. | Ondoher | Third Age 1936 – Third Age 1944† | Died in battle with his two sons. His daughter Fíriel might have been ruling queen but was passed by. |
| 32. | Eärnil II | Third Age 1945 – Third Age 2043 | Descendant of Telumehtar Umbardacil. Was crowned after a year of rule by the Steward Pelendur |
| 33. | Eärnur | Third Age 2043 – Third Age 2050† | Last King of Gondor. Reign of the Stewards begins |
| 34. | Elessar | Third Age 3019 – Fourth Age 120 | First High King of the Reunited Kingdom, male-line descendant of Isildur, female-line descendant of Anárion via his ancestor Fíriel |
| 35. | Eldarion | Fourth Age 120 – c. Fourth Age 220 |
For a detailed family tree of the individual Kings of Gondor until Eärnur, see: House of Anárion.
† Did not die a natural death
Referencias
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