List of kings of Gondor

This is a list of the ruling kings of Gondor, one of the realms in Middle-earth in the fantasy works of J. R. R. Tolkien.

History

The kings of Gondor through Amandil claimed descent from the Lords of Andúnië, and from there to Silmariën and the Kings of Númenor. The line of Kings began with Elendil, who fled the downfall of Númenor with his sons Isildur and Anárion and established the twin realms-in-exile of Arnor and Gondor.[1] For several hundred years after its foundation, Gondor was ruled by the High-King of both Arnor and Gondor, but when Elendil and Isildur both perished early in the Third Age, the connection between the two kingdoms was severed and Gondor was ruled independently of Arnor. The Line of Kings in Gondor continued through the descendants of Anárion for over two thousand years, although through all this time the house suffered many tragic calamities and disasters such as the civil war of the Kin-Strife from TA 1432 to 1447 and the death of the King and his close family in the Great Plague of TA 1636.[2] As well as these dire events which nearly brought about the end of the line, the Kings in Gondor also experienced a slow sullying of the blood of Númenor from which they were descended, through several generations of their heirs inter-marrying with the lesser men of Middle-Earth. During the reign of King Arvedui of the North Kingdom, there was an attempt to regain the close connection between the two kingdoms after King Ondoher of Gondor and his two childless sons were slain in battle with the Wainriders.[3] Arvedui claimed the kingship of Gondor as the direct descendant of Isildur and also through being the husband of Fíriel, the only surviving child of Gondor's deceased King Ondoher. However, the claim was rejected by Gondor, where the captain who had defeated the Wainrider invaders had been instated as King Eärnil II. The line of Kings finally came to an end in TA 2050 when the last King of Gondor, Eärnur son of Eärnil II disappeared after riding to answer the challenges of the Witch-King in Minas Morgul,[4] and thereafter Gondor was ruled by the Line of the Stewards until the return of King Aragorn II.

Kings of Gondor

Each king was a son of the previous king, unless otherwise indicated.

  1. Elendil, son of Amandil. He reigned titularly as High King from S.A. 3320–3441.[5] His sons Isildur and Anárion were the co-rulers of Gondor itself (until Anárion's death in S.A. 3440.)
  2. Isildur officially ruled Gondor from S.A. 3441–T.A. 2
  3. Meneldil fourth child and son of Anárion, born S.A 3318, reigned T.A. 2–158. Meneldil was reportedly the last person born in Númenor before its destruction.
  4. Cemendur b. S.A 3399 r. T.A. 158–238
  5. Eärendil b. T.A. 48 r. 238–324
  6. Anardil b. 136 r. 324–411
  7. Ostoher b. 222 r. 411–492. He rebuilt Minas Anor as his summer residence and during his reign the Easterlings started to attack Gondor.
  8. Rómendacil I (Tarostar) b. 310 r. 491–541. As crown prince, he rode against the Easterlings and defeated them (thus, his regnal name means "victorious in the East"). Later the Easterlings invaded once again, and he rode to meet them in battle but was slain.
  9. Turambar b. 397 r. 541–667. Avenged the death of his father by conquering large parts of Rhovanion from the Easterlings.
  10. Atanatar I b. 480 r. 667–748
  11. Siriondil b. 570 r. 748–840
  12. Tarannon Falastur b. 654 r. 840–913. First of the Ship-Kings, died childless. Began a policy of exploration and expansion which greatly increased the power of Gondor. His Queen was the notorious Berúthiel, whom Tarannon was forced to send into exile.
  13. Eärnil I b. 736 r. 913–936. Nephew of Tarannon. Second of the Ship-Kings. He captured Umbar for Gondor, but was lost in a storm off its coast.
  14. Ciryandil b. 820 r. 936–1015. Third of the Ship-Kings. Died in the defence of Umbar against the Haradrim and Black Númenóreans.
  15. Hyarmendacil I (Ciryaher) b. 899 r. 1015–1149. Last of the Ship-Kings. He took a great army to avenge his father's death and conquered the southern lands of the Harad (his regnal name means "victorious in the South"). During his reign Gondor reached the height of its power and extended from the Misty Mountains south to Umbar and from the Great Sea east to the Sea of Rhûn.
  16. Atanatar II Alcarin b. 977 r. 1149–1226. From this point Gondor began a long decline in power and prestige, which was not halted until the reign of Elessar Telcontar at the beginning of the Fourth Age.
  17. Narmacil I b. 1058 r. 1226–1294. Second childless King. He soon tired of being a king and in III 1240, after just fourteen years on the throne, he turned over the rule of Gondor to his nephew Minalcar, who ruled as Regent through the rest of Narmacil's titular Kingship.
  18. Calmacil b. 1058 r. 1294–1304. Younger brother of Narmacil. The actual power of the realm during his reign was wielded by his tireless son and regent Minalcar.
  19. Minalcar was crowned as Rómendacil II, born 1126, Prince-regent 1240–1304, King 1304–1366. Under his reign (c.1240) were carved the pillars of Argonath.
  20. Valacar b. 1194 r. 1366–1432. Married Vidumavi, princess of Rhovanion. Later in his reign, unrest grew in the coastal provinces.
  21. Vinitharya,[6] crowned as Eldacar, born 1255, reigned 1432–1437. Deposed and driven into exile in Rhovanion by his distant relative, Castamir.
  22. Castamir, born 1259, usurped the throne during the Kin-strife in 1437, killed in 1447
  23. Eldacar restored, r. 1447–1490
  24. Aldamir b. 1330 r. 1490–1540. His reign was marked with constant warfare with the Corsairs of Umbar.
  25. Hyarmendacil II (Vinyarion) b. 1391 r. 1540–1621. In 1551 he accomplished an astounding victory over the Haradrim.
  26. Minardil b. 1454 r. 1621–1634. Slain at Pelargir by the Corsairs of Umbar
  27. Telemnar b. 1516 r. 1634–1636. Died in the Great Plague with all his children.
  28. Tarondor b. 1577 r. 1636–1798. Nephew of Telemnar; the longest-reigning King of Gondor. He removed the capital from Osgiliath to Minas Anor.
  29. Telumehtar Umbardacil b. 1632 r. 1798–1850
  30. Narmacil II b. 1684 r. 1850–1856
  31. Calimehtar b. 1736 r. 1856–1936
  32. Ondoher b. 1787 r. 1936–1944.[7] Died in battle, together with his two sons.

(interregnum 1944 - 1945)

33. Eärnil II b. 1883 r. 1945–2043. Was given the crown after a year of rule by the Steward Pelendur. A descendant of Telumehtar Umbardacil.

34. Eärnur b. 1928 r. 2043–2050 (presumed death). Last King of Gondor.

(interregnum 2050 - 3019)

35. Elessar b. 2931 r. T.A. 3019 - F.A. 120, was the first king of the Reunited Kingdom. He was a descendant of Ondoher's daughter, and a direct descendant of Isildur.

36. Eldarion r. F.A. 120 – ?

Adaptations

In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, both Elendil and his son Isildur are shown in the opening prologue depicting the War of the Last Alliance. Aragorn II is also portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in all three of the trilogy's films. There is however an inconsistency in the film adaptation when it is mentioned that Isildur was the Last King of Gondor, while in Tolkien's official works the line ended with Eärnur when he disappeared in TA 2050.

In The Lord of the Rings Online, there are several appearances made by a few of the Kings of Gondor on this list as Non-Player Characters. Aragorn appears at many in-game locations as either a leader of the Dúnedain rangers or as a member of the fellowship of the ring before his crowning as King, and can be interacted with by the player for many different story line quests. Other Kings of Gondor that make appearances include Isildur in a session instance where the player temporarily controls a soldier of Gondor near the end of the second age, as well as Eärnur who appears during the Epic Story-line and group instance play as a wraith under the influence of the Witch-King called Mordirith.

Games Workshop produces miniatures of Aragorn, Elendil, and Isildur for The Lord of the Rings: Strategy Battle Game.[8]

Aragorn appears in both of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth real-time strategy games, as well as King Eärnur who makes a brief campaign appearance during The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II: The Rise of the Witch-King expansion pack.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tolkien, J.R.R. (2005). The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition. Harper Collins. p. 1037. ISBN 0-261-10325-3.
  2. ↑ Tolkien, J.R.R. (2005). The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition. Harper Collins. p. 1086. ISBN 0-261-10325-3.
  3. ↑ Tolkien, J.R.R. (2005). The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition. Harper Collins. p. 1049. ISBN 0-261-10325-3.
  4. ↑ Tolkien, J.R.R. (2005). The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition. Harper Collins. p. 1087. ISBN 0-261-10325-3.
  5. ↑ Tolkien, J.R.R. (2005). The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition. Harper Collins. p. 1038. ISBN 0-261-10325-3.
  6. ↑ According to Jordanes' Getica, there was a Gothic king "Vinitharius" who conquered the Wends.
  7. ↑ The name appears to be taken from the legendary Burgundian king Gundaharius (the Quenya root ondo, meaning "stone", corresponds to Sindarin gond or gonn).
  8. ↑ "Aragorn (Black Gate)". Games Workshop. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
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