The Middle-earth 1200

[Voronwë the Faithful]

One things that I am interested in tracking is comparing the relative positions of characters with the same name. Legolas and Legolas. Dior and Dior. Voronwë and Voronwë.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

I'll leave that tracking project to you VtF. My hands are more than full!

After Gorlim’s wife comes a unique congregation of lesser Middle-earth rulers, generally reigning in peaceful times, all at 34pts, with 2-6 indexed pgs, and very similar apportionments: all get 1pt from LotR, 2-3pts from Foster, 1-2pts from Tyler, 2or4pts from HoMe12, & 25-28pts combined from the 3 internet sites. (And a Ruling Steward & King of Dale will be #460 & #459, with 7indx.pgs each).


#470 Eilinel, wife of Gorlim the Unhappy (f) – 1st house adan
She was killed when Gorlim went to fight in the Dagor Bragollach with his lord Barahir. When they returned from battle, Gorlim found his house plundered, and wife missing. Dorthonion was overrun by Morgoth’s armies, and Barahir’s survivors fled to the hills as outlaws. Gorlim’s love for Eilinel kept him returning home, seeking her. One day he did, but it was a phantom devised by Sauron. Gorlim was then captured and tricked into betraying Barahir’s location with a promise to be reunited with Eilinel. He did betray them, so Sauron kept his word by torturing Gorlim to death. Unhappy indeed! (Eilinel’s phantom is not on this list). [TG:8,Eä:9,WK:1,RF:4,JT:2,SL:1,H3:4,H5:2,H11:2=33pts,14indx.pgs]

#469 Húrin II, 14th Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He was born in 2515 T.A., lived 113 years, ruled for 23, and was the 4th Man of note of his name. Húrin II was the grandson of Cirion, and was succeeded by his son Belecthor I. [TG:19,Eä:4,WK:5,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=34pts,2indx.pgs]

#468 Túrin I, 6th Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He was born in 2165 T.A., lived 113 years, ruled for 34, and was the 2nd Man of note of his name. Túrin I began 6 generations of Stewards named for 1st Age heroes, himself ruling during the Watchful Peace. He actually married twice, had several daughters, but was succeeded by his youngest child Hador. [TG:18,Eä:9,WK:1,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=34pts,3indx.pgs]

#467 Araglas, 6th Chieftain of the Dúnedain – arnorian dúnadan chieftain
Araglas was born in 2296 T.A., lived 159 years, and ruled for 128, the 2nd longest for a Chieftain after Aranarth. He followed his father, Aragorn I, after he was killed by wolves, ruling just 8 years. Araglas ruled during the Watchful Peace, and was succeeded by his son Arahad I. [TG:14,Eä:5,WK:6,RF:3,JT:1,LR:1,H12:4=34pts,3indx.pgs]

#466 Argonui, 13th Chieftain of the Dúnedain – arnorian dúnadan chieftain
Argonui was born in 2757 T.A., lived 155 years, ruled for 64, and his reign ended following the Fell Winter, invasion of the White Wolves, and great floods of Eriador. He succeeded his father Arathorn I, and was followed by his son Arador, grandfather of Aragorn. [TG:16,Eä:2,WK:9,RF:3,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=34pts,3indx.pgs]

#465 Eärendil, 5th King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He was born in 48 T.A., lived 276 years, ruled 86, and shared his name with Eärendil the Mariner. This Eärendil was the grandson of Meneldil, and the son of Cemendur. He was succeeded by his son Anardil. [TG:16,Eä:7,WK:4,RF:2,JT:2,LR:1,H12:2=34pts,3indx.pgs]

#464 Siriondil, 11th King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He was born in 570 T.A., lived 260 years, ruled 82, and succeeded his father Atanatar I. Siriondil had 2 children, Tarannon Falastur, 1st of the Ship-kings, and Tarciryan. [TG:14,Eä:3,WK:11,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=34pts,3indx.pgs]

#463 Celebrindor, 5th King of Arthedain – arnorian dúnadan king
He was born in 1062 T.A., lived 210 years, ruled 81, during a time of relative peace before Angmar. Celebrindor was succeeded by his son Malvegil. [TG:17,Eä:4,WK:4,RF:2,JT:2,LR:1,H12:4=34pts,4indx.pgs]

#462 Turgon, 24th Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He was born in 2855 T.A., lived 98 years, ruled 39, and was son of Túrin II. Turgon was father of Ecthelion II, and grandson of Denethor II. [TG:13,Eä:10,WK:3,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:4=34pts,4indx.pgs]

#461 Déor, 7th King of Rohan – rohirrim king
He was born in 2644 T.A., lived 74 years, ruled 19, and was a direct descendant of Eorl the Young. In Déor's turbulent time, Dunlendings forced him north to defeat them. But the Dunlendings captured Isengard and couldn’t be dislodged. Help would not arrive, so Déor kept riders in the north of Westfold. He was succeeded by his son Gram. [TG:13,Eä:9,WK:3,RF:3,JT:1,LR:1,H12:4=34pts,6indx.pgs]


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,Eä=Encyclopedia of Arda,WK=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,SL=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,LT=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree from UT; MISC: HF=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

The Orc-Captain Boldog and the Black-Númenórean Herumor of Harad appear in this installment, and a crossroads must now be noted. I’ve debated the exclusion of Boldog, and considered adding Herumor from ‘The New Shadow’ (who currently doesn’t appear on this list - an oversight on my part), with further explanations contained in both entries below, as well as at the bottom of the post.


#460 Belecthor II, 21st Ruling Steward – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He succeeded his father Beregond, ruled 61 years, and lived to be 120, the last centenarian of his line. Upon his death, the White Tree also died and was left standing. [TG:18,Eä:4,WK:2,RF:3,JT:4,LR:1,H12:2=34pts,7indx.pgs]

#459 Bain, 2nd King of (new) Dale – northman king
He succeeded his father Bard in 2977 T.A., and ruled for 30 years, during which time Balin set out from Esgaroth to reestablish Moria. Bain was succeeded by son Brand in 3007 T.A., whose realm extended far south & east of the Lonely Mountain. [TG:13,Eä:6,WK:2,RF:3,JT:4,LR:2,H6:2,H7:2=34pts,7indx.pgs]

#458 Dúnhere, Lord of Harrowdale – gondorian lord
He was the lord of the folk of Harrowdale, the nephew of Erkenbrand, and fought valiantly in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen under Grimbold. Dúnhere didn’t accompany Gandalf & Erkenbrand to the Battle of the Hornburg, but was sent to muster the Rohirrim in Harrowdale, where the Riders of Rohan gathered a few days later to ride to Minas Tirith. At the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Dúnhere was slain, and was remembered in the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg. [TG:15,Eä:2,RF:3,JT:3,LR:1,UT:6,H8:4=34pts,9indx.pgs]

#457 Esmeralda Took>Brandybuck, mother of Merry (f) @ – hobbit
She was the youngest of Adalgrim Took’s 5 children, thus was the younger sister of Thain Paladin II. Esmeralda married Saradoc ‘Scattergold’ Brandybuck and became the Mistress of Buckland. Merry was their only child. [TG:11,Eä:1,WK:2,RF:5,JT:2,MD:1,LR:2,H6:10=34pts,10indx.pgs]

#456 *Boldog – orc captain
He was an Orc captain sent by Morgoth to lead a raid into Doriath, seeking to capture Lúthien, but was slain by Thingol’s warriors, along with the rest of Boldog’s host. He appears in the ‘Lay of Leithien’ and the 1930 ‘Quenta’, but never reappears. [However in an essay on the origin of Orcs (‘Myths Transformed’, text X, HoMe10) c. 1959/60, Tolkien wrote a footnote in which he suggests “it is possible” that Boldog may not have been a personal name, but “a kind of creature: the Orc-formed Maiar, only less formidable than the Balrogs”. Although Wikipedia (& Jackson?) have run with this, it is CT who questions this late footnote, calling it “curious”, not knowing of any other references by his father to the name. After closely re-reading the texts containing Boldog the Orc-captain, I’m forced to keep him included as a singular character, given the standards I’ve used throughout this list, despite Tolkien’s 30yrs-later retro-speculation about a generic title of Boldog. Even if he was a Boldog, he was still the Orc-captain slain while raiding Doriath.] [TG:13,WK:11,JR:2,H3:4,H4:2,H10:2=34pts,21indx.pgs]

#455 Gormadoc ‘Deepdelver’ Brandybuck, Master of Buckland – hobbit master
He’s the head of the Brandybuck family-tree, and descendant of Gorhendad Oldbuck (appearing below). Gormadoc married Malva Headstrong, and had 3 children, the eldest Madoc succeeding his father as Master of Buckland. The nickname 'Deepdelver’ suggests that Gormadoc expanded Brandy Hall’s foundations beyond those of its founder Gorhendad. [TG:10,Eä:15,WK:2,RF:6,LR:2=35pts,1indx.pgs]

#454 Ar-Sakalthôr, 22nd Ruler of Númenor – númenórean king
He ruled Númenor for 69 years, and as was then the custom, he took his royal title in the Adûnaic tongue, rather than the Quenya Tar-Falassion, “Son of the Coast". [TG:10,Eä:6,WK:2,RF:3,JT:4,SL:2,UT:6,LE:2=35pts,2indx.pgs]

#453 Herumor, Lord of Harad – black-númenórean lord
According to ‘Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age’ in the published Silmarillion, he was a renegade Black Númenórean servant of Sauron who, along with Fuinur, “rose to power” among the “great and cruel” Haradrim in the 2nd Age after the Downfall of Númenor. Herumor literally means "Dark Lord" in Quenya. [The name Herumor is also mentioned in 'The New Shadow’, as leader of a growing evil cult in 4th Age Gondor during Eldarion’s reign. This mysterious entity is totally enigmatic, possibly even was to Tolkien himself, but the end of the unfinished tale hints that it was an 'Old Evil' that Tolkien readers would eventually recognize.] [TG:8,Eä:3,WK:9,RF:3,JT:4,SL:2,H12:6=35pts,3indx.pgs]

#452 Radbug – orc warrior
He was stationed in the Tower of Cirith Ungol under the command of Shagrat. Radbug was killed, having his eyes squeezed out by Shagrat, during the Battle of Cirith Ungol, when it seems he refused to obey orders. Shagrat then threatened Snaga with a similar fate if he also refused. [TG:7,Eä:4,WK:1,RF:4,JT:6,DD:10,LR:1,H9:2=35pts,3indx.pgs]

#451 Gorhendad Oldbuck, 1st Master of Buckland – hobbit master
He crossed the Brandywine in 740 S.R., and founded Brandy Hall. Gorhendad changed the family name to Brandybuck, in honour of their new land, and founded the line of the Masters of Buckland. The Thainship of the Shire that they possessed passed to the Tooks due to removing beyond the border, but the family wealth increased. [TG:14,Eä:4,WK:1,RF:6,JT:7,LR:1,H6:2=35pts,4indx.pgs]


Herumor the ‘New Shadow’ wasn't the only oversight on my part.

The absence of the Great Eagle of The Hobbit also has me in a quandry. Scholars such as Anders Stenström (& Michael Martinez?) have insisted that he must be a different entity than Gwaihir, as Gandalf simply couldn’t have miscounted his rescues. While I’m of the opinion that this discrepancy can be explained far easier than the total absence of this future King of All Birds, superior to Gwaihir the Windlord, existing in Middle-earth before, during, and after LotR; my standards have been to keep all potential characters separate, ignoring any hypothetical theories.

Having said that, Fíriel Fairbairn daughter of Elanor, and Fíriel of the hobbit poem ‘The Last Ship’, are currently listed as 2 separate characters, ignoring any theory they are one-&-the-same. However, there’s a compelling case that they are. The name is rare, but she cannot be Fíriel of Gondor. And Fíriel Fairbairn is specifically mentioned in the Preface to Advs. of Tom Bombadil outlining the Verses of the Red Book - the Book inherited & presumably finished by the Fairbairns of the Towers, which states Celeborn took with him “the last living memory of the Elder Days” on a 'Last Ship'; the 3 ‘crowned’ Elves of the poem possibly being Celeborn, Thranduil, & Círdan, offering Sam’s granddaughter, at least in kind, a passage overseas, to which, as a mortal, she must decline.

Okay, I digress. At the very least the merger of the 2 Fíriels would free up a spot for an Eagle or a Herumor. Fíriel of the Last Ship is set to appear soon after #400, so by #401 I'll reach a resolution from the following options, and humbly request any input.

Option #1: Separate the Eagles, keep the Herumors together, and merge the Fíriels. (#401 becomes the Great Eagle/King of all Birds)
Option #2: Keep the Eagles together, separate the Herumors, and merge the Fíriels. (#401 becomes Herumor the New Shadow)
Option #3: Keep the Eagles & the Herumors together, and keep the Fíriels apart. (No change to the current list)

And I have a default option in case I receive no input, bearing in mind those who would just tell me to get rid of all the bloody trees.


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,Eä=Encyclopedia of Arda,WK=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,SL=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,LT=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree from UT; MISC: HF=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I believe that Fíriel of the hobbit poem ‘The Last Ship’ is in fact Fíriel Fairbairn daughter of Elanor. I further believe that the Great Eagle of The Hobbit cannot conclusively be considered Gwaihir, and that the explanation of the discrepancy is simply that The Hobbit is not and never was meant to really be part of the mythology, despite Tolkien's attempts to retrograde it in in some but not all ways. I have no opinion about the Herumors.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

I'll consider that a definite well-reasoned vote for Option #1! Much appreciated.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

Regarding the merging/separating of potentially same/different characters to satisfactorily fit the parameters of this list, let me say that I’ve already had to do so quite often in compiling the initial 1200. For instance, in the ‘Lost Tales’ indices, the Ancient Mariner and the Man of the Sea, although separately indexed, were tallied with Ulmo; as it is not only implied in the narratives, but stated in the indices.

Slightly more ambiguous, Uolë Kúvion, the Elf known as the Man in the Moon of the ‘Lost Tales’, was merged with the ‘character’ of the Man in the Moon of the whimsical hobbit poem; as the history of the poem (described by CT - from one of 1915 to the one published at Leeds 1923) shows a definite connection to the ‘aged Elf’ involving at some point Tilion the Steersman. And in the Preface to AdvsTB, we learn that the origin of Bilbo’s Moon poems link to Gondor tradition.

On the other hand, the Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl was NOT merged with Idril Celebrindal. Tolkien apparently at one point struck out his stating of this connection, and thus it must be classified as one of those mysteries. Even if I were to believe in my personal readings that the Sleeper is Idril, I could not in good conscience merge the 2.

So, while I firmly believe that Gwaihir & the Great Eagle of The Hobbit have to be considered one-&-the-same; that Fíriel Fairbairn & Fíriel of ‘The Last Ship’ should be thought of as one-&-the-same; and, get ready for this, that the Captain of the Black Ship in ‘Tal-Elmar’, Herumor the Black Númenórean Lord of Harad, the Witch-king of Angmar, and Herumor of ‘The New Shadow’ are ALL ONE ENTITY (encompassing a congruent 4500yr+ span of domination that the Lord of the Nazgûl would surely have had, versus him just emerging in Angmar T.A.1300 with no prior known history: see Harry Turtledove’s well-constructed theory in Meditations on Middle-earth, the last 2 chapters of HoMe12, and Michael Martinez’s blogs on the Fourth Age and the Fate of the Nazgûl); I CANNOT in good conscience merge any of them!

Which means my 3 characters of Fíriel, Gwaihir, & the Witch-king, must become 8! That would mean inserting 5 characters, making it a list of 1205. However, Fíriel Fairbairn in fact appeared back at #1010 (look her up), and Fíriel of ‘The Last Ship’ was to be appearing in the 300’s, so the merger would’ve been difficult in any case, and those 2 can stand just as they were. Herumor of Harad appeared last post, so that just means adding Herumor the New Shadow, the Great Eagle, and (since I brought him up) the Captain of the Black Ship in ‘Tal-Elmar’. The former would have garnered a grand total of 2pts (HoMe12) prior to Tolkien Gateway’s addition, and the latter 2, not indexed anywhere, would have had 0. (Foster, Tyler, & Day, all assume the Great Eagle is Gwaihir, so no points were to be had there!)

But the number 1203 is somehow not as pleasing as 1205. So I’ll add 2 more characters that were an intended oversight initially, but DO fully qualify under my existing parameters of ALL Middle-earth texts. And those 2 would be none other than Queens Elizabeth I & II, appearing in the text of ‘Ælfwine & Dírhaval’ (HoMe11), obviously an addition by the modern narrator (see character #1000). So, to surmount this dilemma as cleanly as possibly, and with satisfied conscience, consider this now a list of 1205:


#1205 The Lord of Eagles>King of all Birds
This list has been about providing a closure, in this year of 2014, alongside ‘The Hobbit’ movies. As such #1200 started us off with Gollum’s grandmother. With these 5 retrofits, it seems again appropriate to begin with the inclusion of an unindexed entity that some actually believe is a separate Eagle than Gwaihir, thus belonging only to The Hobbit, and who’ll undoubtedly appear in the upcoming end to the prequel trilogy of movies. He wears a golden crown, becomes the ‘King of all Birds’, and does this all apparently while Gwaihir the Windlord, survivor of the First Age, descendant of Thorondor, falls into the position of Lord of Eagles by default at the promotion of the unnamed King of all seagulls, robins, pelicans, barn-owls, etc! If you so choose…

#1204 Captain of the Black Ship in ‘Tal-Elmar’
He’s retrofitted as an unindexed addition, after my exposing a personal theory that this could be none other than one of the 3 Black Númenórean Ringwraiths that became Lord of the Nazgûl. A black captain, before he was the ‘Black Captain’? In fact this entity is, even within the tale, mysterious but commanding. He’s the captain of a contingent of 4 ships, his being “black-winged”, landing in Middle-earth in a bygone era, which CT posits is Anfalas at the time Númenor is attempting to establish permanent havens, several centuries before the Ringwraiths are said to first appear, and Umbar & Harad become Númenórean strongholds. The Captain surmises that Tal-Elmar and his people are distant relations of the Númenóreans. In the end, the men of the ships say to Tal-Elmar that the “black sails of our captain have passed further up the water… your time of dwelling in these hills is come to an end”. At this “Tal-Elmar offers himself as a hostage”, which are the last words of text in the whole of The History of Middle-earth, ironically following the penultimate chapter ‘The New Shadow’.

#1203 Herumor the New Shadow
He would’ve got 2pts from HoMe12 if he hadn’t been overlooked and now retrofitted. But even more than the Captain above, he is a mystery in an enigma wrapped in a riddle, or however Churchill put it. Who is this “Old Evil” that was remembered by Borlas “before the Great Peace”, and could be “smelt” in a subterranean lair in 4th Age Gondor? Harry Turtledove never answered this particular question, but read his essay in Meditations on Middle-earth and the answer may present itself!

#1202 & #1201 Queen Elizabeth I of England & Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Speaking of 2014, the 2nd Elizabeth, and last retrofitted character of the legendarium, should, godwilling, see us through this watershed year in Tolkienia. These 2 earn a place on this list, as many Europeans do, some of the 20th century, simply because Tolkien gave us the conceit, till the end, in all of his works, that his tales were transmitted, down the line, by a modern-day narrator (see #1000 on this list). Elizabeth II barely post-dates steam engines! In ‘Ælfwine & Dírhaval’ (HoMe11), the 1st text A concludes with “Though a Man, [Túrin] spoke like an Elf of the Hidden Kingdom… whose speech and schooling until manhood had been that of some secluded country where the English had remained nearer that of the court of Elizabeth I than of Elizabeth II”. These 2 would have garnered 2pts each, with one indexed page. Thus the last 3 would've chimed in near #1110.


All right, no more dilemmas. I can now sleep easy. Let’s plow through the next 150!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The Middle-earth 1205!

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

The last of the 35-pointers:


#450 Hathaldir the Young, outlaw companion of Barahir – 1st house adan warrior
He’s the first of Barahir’s outlaw band that has an epithet to his name to appear on this list. As he is merely young, not outrageously unhappy, and retains both hands, Hathaldir just cracks the top 450. [TG:12,Eä:6,WK:1,RF:3,JT:3,SL:2,H3:4,H5:2,H11:2=35pts,5indx.pgs]

#449 Edrahil of Nargothrond – noldo warrior
He was the chief of 10 elves who remained loyal to Finrod, joining Beren’s Quest for the Silmaril. Edrahil rescued Finrod's crown and asked that it be given to a steward until the king returned. He died in the dungeon of the original Minas Tirith. [TG:8,Eä:1,WK:1,RF:4,JT:7,DK:1,SL:3,H5:8,H11:2=35pts,5indx.pgs]

#448 Dúrin VII, the Last – dwarf king
He restores the ancient kingdom of Khazâd-dûm to Dúrin’s Folk in the 4th Age, as prophesized at the time of the Battle of Azanulbizar. Only 3 more Dúrins now to appear… [TG:15,Eä:9,WK:2,JR:1,MD:5,LR:1,H12:2=35pts,6indx.pgs]

#447 & #446 Aratan & Ciryon, 2nd & 3rd sons of Isildur – gondorian dúnedain princes
Isildur sent these 2 of his sons to man Minas Ithil and guard Cirith Dúath to prevent an escape route to Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance. After the events of the Seige, Ciryon was the first brother to fall in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, and Aratan was mortally wounded trying to save him. [TG:14,Eä:1,WK:5,RF:3,JT:2,SL:2,UT:4,H12:4=35pts,6indx.pgs - each]

#445 Dírhaval of Dor-lómin, author of the Narn i Hîn Húrin – 3rd house adan poet
He only composed one poem, but Dírhavel’s legacy is that of a poet. He wrote the ‘Tale of the Children of Húrin’, the longest of all the lays of Beleriand, drawing on the knowledge of all survivors gathered at the Mouths of Sirion. Dírhavel fell there in the 3rd Kinslaying. [TG:11,Eä:10,WK:2,RF:4,UT:4,H11:4=35pts,7indx.pgs]

#444 Faramir, son of King Ondoher – gondorian dúnadan prince
He was supposed to stay in Minas Anor as regent, according to custom, when his father & brother went to war against the Wainriders. But Faramir rode out in disguise and was caught as his party retreated to the Dead Marshes. The Leader of the Éothéod (Marh-?, see #1191) came to their rescue; but Faramir died in his arms, and after his body was searched it was found that he was the Prince of Gondor. [TG:17,Eä:3,WK:1,RF:3,JT:4,LR:1,UT:4,H12:2=35pts,8indx.pgs]

#443 Arador, 14th Chieftain of the Dúnedain – arnorian dúnadan chieftain
He succeeded his father Argonui in 2912 T.A. Arador’s rule was uneventful, but that he was captured & killed by Hill-Trolls north of Rivendell. Arador was succeeded by his son Arathorn II in 2930 T.A. [TG:14,Eä:4,WK:5,RF:4,JT:3,LR:1,H12:4=35pts,9indx.pgs]

#442 White (Withered) Tree of Minas Tirith (n) – tree
It’s the 4th of the White Trees of Gondor to appear on the list, and no doubt the most famous. Planted as a sapling by King Tarondor in 1640 T.A., it died in 2872 T.A. with the death of the Ruling Steward Belecthor II. No seedling was found, so it was left standing in the Court of the Fountain after its death. When replaced by the Mindolluin sapling in 3019 T.A., the remains of this Withered Tree were laid to rest in the Tombs of the Kings with royal honours. Life, lineage, station, epithet, fame, death, and honoured burial – and there are those that would deny it its rightful place on this list. Shame! [TG:6,WK:4,RF:9,JT:3,LR:5,H7:2,H8:4,H12:2=35pts,23indx.pgs]


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,Eä=Encyclopedia of Arda,WK=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,SL=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,LT=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree from UT; MISC: HF=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

These are the ten 36-point characters:

#441 Ar-Zimrathôn, 21st Ruler of Númenor – númenórean king
His father Ar-Adûnakhôr was the first king to take his name in the Adûnaic tongue, and the tradition was continued by Ar-Zimrathôn. His recorded Quenya name, Tar-Hostamir, apparently means "Collector of Jewels". Ar-Zimrathôn held the Sceptre for 71 years, lived to the age of 235, and he was succeeded by his son Ar-Sakalthôr. [TG:12,Eä:9,WK:2,RF:2,JT:2,LR:1,UT:6,LE:2=36pts,2indx.pgs]

#440 Narvi, maker of the Doors of Durin – dwarf craftsman
He lived in Khazâd-dûm, and befriended Celebrimbor of Eregion. Together they crafted the Doors of Durin guarding the West-gate of Moria. Narvi’s name was engraved upon the Doors by the Elf-lord. [TG:18,Eä:3,WK:1,RF:2,JT:5,LR:1,UT:4,H7:2=36pts,3indx.pgs]

#439 Aldamir, 23rd King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He was the younger son of King Eldacar, 21st King of Gondor. Aldamir’s older brother, Ornendil, was executed by Castamir who usurped the throne during the Kin-strife. Castamir was subsequently killed by Eldacar, whose line was restored. When Aldamir eventually succeeded his father, he did so as the 23rd King of Gondor. During his rule, kings of Harad rebelled against Gondor and Aldamir was slain. His son Vinyarion succeeded him and avenged his death with victory over Harad, after which he ruled as Hyarmendacil II. [TG:17,Eä:5,WK:5,RF:2,JT:4,LR:1,H12:2=36pts,4indx.pgs]

#438 Beregond, 20th Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He succeeded his father Beren in 2763 T.A., ruling 48yrs until his death at the age of 111. Beregond defeated the Corsairs of Umbar, who invaded Gondor’s southern coasts. This provided relief to Rohan which was being attacked by Dunlendings as well as Corsairs. Beregond was succeeded by his son Belecthor II. [TG:18,Eä:1,WK:3,RF:3,JT:6,LR:1,H12:4=36pts,5indx.pgs]

#437 Frerin, brother of Thorin Oakenshield – dwarf prince
He was driven into exile from Erebor, along with Thorin, when Smaug attacked. Frerin later took part in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. In the Battle of Azanulbizar, he was in the first assault of the vanguard, led by his father, which was thrown back and defeated near the Mirrormere. Frerin, his kinsman Fundin, and many others, were slain; and after the battle, their bodies were burned on pyres by the surviving Dwarves. [TG:15,Eä:1,WK:1,RF:5,JT:10,MD:1,LR:1,H12:2=36pts,7indx.pgs]

#436 Isengrim II Took, 22nd Thain of the Shire – hobbit thain
He became Thain in 1083 S.R., the 10th Thain of the Took line, and began the excavation of the Great Smials. This was shortly after Tobold first planted pipe-weed in the Southfarthing, and during Isengrim II’s reign the Shire-reform was established in the Shire-Reckoning. He was succeeded by his son Isumbras III. [TG:16,Eä:3,WK:1,RF:4,JT:5,LR:1,H6:4,H8:2=36pts,8indx.pgs]

#435 Egalmoth, 18th Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He was the grandson of Morwen, daughter of Belecthor I. Egalmoth succeeded his cousin Ecthelion I (see below) in 2698 T.A. During his reign there was war with the Orcs, and in 2710 T.A. King Déor of Rohan requested aid against the Dunlendings, but Egalmoth was unable to send help. He was succeeded by his son Beren in 2743 T.A. [TG:17,Eä:4,WK:3,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,UT:2,H2:2,H11:2.H12:2=36pts,8indx.pgs]

#434 Ecthelion I, 17th Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan ruling-steward
He succeeded his father Orodreth in 2685 T.A. Ecthelion I rebuilt the White Tower in Minas Tirith, which thereafter bore his name. However he had no children, so was succeeded by his cousin Egalmoth (see above) the grandson of Orodreth's sister. [TG:16,Eä:4,WK:4,RF:2,JT:3,LR:1,H8:2,H12:4=36pts,11indx.pgs]

#433 Galdor of the Havens – sinda counsellor
Sent as messenger by Círdan to Rivendell, he was present at the Council of Elrond. Galdor made inquiries into the absence of Saruman, and the proof that the ring was the One Ring. He later mentioned his knowledge of Bombadil, and agreed he had not the power to keep the Ring; also agreeing the Sea could not hide the Ring forever. Galdor also foreshadowed the return of the Ringwraiths, and predicted no force could stop Sauron from overrunning Middle-earth. These comments led to Elrond’s decision that the Ring must be destroyed in Mount Doom. Tolkien concluded that, unlike Glorfindel, he was not the Galdor of Gondolin. [TG:20,Eä:2,WK:2,RF:3,JT:2,LR:1,H6:2,H7:2,H12:2=36pts,12indx.pgs]

#432 Léod, Lord of the Éothéod – northman lord
He was a great horseman of the Men of the North he ruled. But he tried to tame a proud white foal that he chanced to capture, eventually causing Léod to be thrown, hitting his head on a rock and dying. He was 42, and his son was 16, who would become Eorl the Young, 1st King of Rohan. Eorl later caught & tamed the same horse, itself becoming Felaróf, 1st of the Mearas. [TG:11,Eä:1,WK:1,RF:3,JT:7,LR:1,UT:4,H7:4,H12:4=36pts,13indx.pgs]


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,Eä=Encyclopedia of Arda,WK=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,SL=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,LT=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree from UT; MISC: HF=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

#431 Arassuil, 11th Chieftain of the Dúnedain – arnorian dúnadan chieftain
He succeeded his father Arahad II in 2719 T.A., served 65yrs, and died at age 156. His chieftainship saw Orcs invade Eriador, while the Rangers fought many battles to hold them back. The Battle of Greenfields in the Shire occurred during Arassuil’s reign, also the Long Winter. He was succeeded by his son Arathorn I in 2784. [TG:20,Eä:3,WK:7,RF:3,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=37pts,3indx.pgs]

#430 Anardil, 6th King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He ruled for 87yrs, from 324 T.A. until his death at age 275. Anardil was the last king to dwell exclusively in the capital of Osgiliath, as his son & successor Ostoher began the tradition of the kings spending the summer at the citadel of Minas Anor. [TG:19,Eä:7,WK:5,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=37pts,3indx.pgs]

#429 Bregor, 5th Lord of the 1st House – 1st-house edain lord
He was the oldest child and only son of Boromir, and thus was the 2nd Lord of Ladros. Bregor’s sisters were Andreth & Beril. His lordship lasted from the death of his father in 432 F.A. to his own passing in 448 at age 89. He had 5 children, and was succeeded by his eldest son Bregolas, who was in turn succeeded by his younger brother Barahir following the Dagor Bragollach. [TG:15,Eä:2,WK:1,RF:3,JT:2,SL:1,CH:1,UT:4,H3:2,H5:2,H10:2,H11:2=37pts,7indx.pgs]

#428 Milo Burrows, son of Rufus @ – hobbit
He was a grandson of Gorbadoc Brandybuck, and married Peony Baggins, a cousin of Bilbo. Their 4 children were Mosco, Moro, Myrtle & Minto, and apart from the youngest, all attended Bilbo’s Farewell Party. Milo was known, at least to Bilbo, for failing to reply to letters; so he was one who found a special gift in Bag End following Bilbo's departure: a golden inkpot & pen. Due to this role, and several name-changes, Milo chimes in just ahead of 2 fathers of the Fellowship. [TG:13,Eä:5,WK:1,RF:3,JT:4,LR:1,H6:10=37pts,9indx.pgs]

#427 Saradoc ‘Scattergold’ Brandybuck, Master of Buckland @ – hobbit master
He was the son of ‘Goldfather’ son of ‘Broadbelt’ son of ‘Masterful’ son of ‘Proudneck’ son of ‘Deepdelver’, but only his son was ‘the Magnificent’. Saradoc married Esmeralda Took, and he attended Bilbo’s Farewell Party, along with his father, brother, wife, son, nephew, and various aunts, uncles & cousins. He became Master of Buckland following his father Rorimac's death in 1408 S.R. Meriadoc was their only child. [TG:8,Eä:7,WK:1,RF:6,JT:2,MD:1,LR:2,H6:8,H8:2=37pts,14indx.pgs]

#426 Drogo Baggins, father of Frodo – hobbit
Drogo, born in 1308 S.R., was the 2nd child and eldest son of Fosco Baggins & Ruby Bolger. He married Primula Brandybuck, and they, like Saradoc & Esmeralda above, had only one, albeit famous, child. Drogo, like most Bucklanders, was fond of good food, and liked boating. The circumstances of his & Primula’s deaths cannot be discussed here due to strict edict from Messrs. Grubbs & Burrowes, but after their unfortunate accident young Frodo was taken under the custody of his uncle Rorimac. [TG:10,Eä:2,WK:1,RF:8,JT:4,MD:1,LR:3,H6:6,H7:2=37pts,24indx.pgs]

#425 River-woman, mother of Goldberry (f) – unknown
Speaking of mysteries, this is one of slightly more grandiosity. As the mother-in-law of Tom Bombadil, she is indeed a riddle inside an enigma, or rather inside the ‘house in the deepest hollow’. And yes, this is one of those rare instances where we have David Day to thank – that is, for her justifiable mid-stationing at #425. I’m satisfied with the simple/complex dichotomy that Tom is a product of the ‘countryside’, and his wife, the ‘river-daughter’. And on a related note, Goldberry, Tom, & Eru himself, will appear in the top-100, to not-so-subtly hint at those 4 - racially classified as, non-Valar, non-Maiar, ‘unknowns’ (although their occupations will be classified as mother, master, mistress, & Creator respectively). [TG:5,Eä:7,WK:1,RF:3,JT:2,DD:19,LR:1=38pts,4indx.pgs]

#424 Bucca of the Marish, 1st Thain of the Shire – hobbit thain
Outside of the Great Years, it’s hard to dispute the half-dozen years as critical as 1974-1981 of the 3rd Age. Of the least important events at the time, was a hobbit taking leadership for his people. Around 4 years after the fall of the North-Kingdom, the Shire-hobbits elected Bucca of the Marish as their 1st Thain. He was to rule the land in the King's stead, and it is said he brought peace and prosperity to the Shire. His family became the Oldbucks, and eventually the Brandybucks. [TG:11,Eä:15,WK:1,RF:3,JT:5,LR:1,H12:2=38pts,4indx.pgs]

#423 Tar-Súrion, 9th Ruler of Númenor – númenórean king
He was the 3rd child but eldest son of Tar-Anárion. His 2 older sisters had claim to the Sceptre, because of the new law, but refused. It’s recorded that the fear of their grandmother, Queen Tar-Ancalimë, was the reason. Thus the Kingship passed by default to Tar-Súrion. His 162-year reign was enveloped by females of the royal line: his inheritance due to his grandmother & sisters, and his eldest child, who was a daughter. She would reign as Tar-Telperiën, Númenor's 2nd Ruling Queen, after he gave up the Sceptre at age 382. [TG:15,Eä:10,WK:2,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,UT:4,LE:3=38pts,4indx.pgs]

#422 Malvegil, 6th King of Arthedain – arnorian dúnadan king
He was the son of Celebrindor, succeeded his father in 1272 T.A., reigned 77yrs, and died at the age of 205. It was during Malvegil's reign that the Witch-king founded Angmar, and hobbits moved westward towards Bree. He was succeeded by his son Argeleb I in 1349. Malvegil's name, in translation, implies "Sword of Gold". [TG:17,Eä:6,WK:5,RF:2,JT:5,LR:1,H12:2=38pts,5indx.pgs]

#421 Ciryandil, 14th King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He succeeded his father Eärnil I in 936 T.A., and ruled 79yrs. Ciryandil ‘Ship-friend’ was the 3rd Ship-king of Gondor, and he continued his father's naval policies. He spent much of his reign defending Umbar, the recently captured haven, against the Black Númenóreans & Haradrim. In 1015 T.A. Ciryandil was slain in Haradwaith at age 195 while Umbar was besieged. He was succeeded by his son Ciryaher, later known as Hyarmendacil I. [TG:14,Eä:4,WK:5,RF:4,JT:6,LR:1,H12:4=38pts,6indx.pgs]


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,Eä=Encyclopedia of Arda,WK=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,SL=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,LT=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree from UT; MISC: HF=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Just getting back into town, and copying the latest installment into the master list.

Very interesting that Frodo's father and Goldberry's mother are back to back. With the River-mother being ranked higher.

[Dân o Nandor on Anduin]

The 420…

#420 Vidugavia, ‘King of Rhovanion’ – northman ruling-prince
Coincidentally, he and his daughter (below) tallied the exact same score & # of indexed pages, but with slightly different apportionments. Vidugavia was the self-styled ‘King of Rhovanion’, more properly recorded as ‘the most powerful of the Northern princes’, ruling the lands between Mirkwood & the River Running. He was a friend & ally of Rómendacil II of Gondor, whom he helped in his victory over the Easterlings in 1248 T.A., and received his son Valacar as ambassador in his northern court. Valacar would eventually marry Vidumavi, Vidugavia's daughter. Vidumavi was not his only child however, as Vidugavia is recorded as a distant ancestor of Marhari of Rhovanion, whose son retreated to the Vales of Anduin and founded the line of the Éothéod . [TG:13,Eä:3,WK:3,RF:5,JT:4,MD:1,LR:1,UT:4,H12:4=38pts,7indx.pgs]

#419 Vidumavi, Queen of Gondor (f) – northman queen
Daughter of Vidugavia (above), Vidumavi is also known as Galadwen, both meaning ‘Wood-maiden’. She fell in love with, and married, Valacar Prince of Gondor and ambassador in her father’s court. They had a son Vinitharya in 1255 T.A., and 5 years later Vidumavi was welcomed in Gondor. However, not being of the Dúnedain, she died in 1344 before Valacar became king. Because of this, many Gondorians were unwilling to accept his son Vinitharya, who became King Eldacar following Valacar’s death in 1432, leading to the Kin-strife. Her & her father’s points from Drout’s Encyclopedia come from Sandra Straubhaar’s ‘Goths’ article. [TG:17,Eä:3,WK:3,RF:2,JT:1,MD:1,LR:1,UT:4,H12:6=38pts,7indx.pgs]

#418 Gimilkhâd, father of Ar-Pharazôn – númenórean prince
He was the younger son of Ar-Gimilzôr and Queen Inzilbêth. His older brother Inziladûn followed his mother, as one of the secret Faithful, and took the royal title of Tar-Palantir. But Gimilkhâd followed his father, and became leader of the King’s Men, opposing his brother. It was his son Ar-Pharazôn who usurped the Sceptre from Tar-Palantir's daughter Tar-Míriel, eventually bringing the ultimate destruction of Númenor, not to mention the shape of the World. Subjective lists likely would have him well-situated in the top-300; as it is this is an objective list, and Tolkien unfortunately wrote little of the 2nd Age. Thus the same can likely be said for the placement of his son, who sadly won’t crack the top... well you’ll see. [TG:14,Eä:2,WK:1,RF:4,JT:9,SL:2,UT:4,H12:2=38pts,10indx.pgs]

#417 Amárië, ‘beloved’ of Finrod (f) – vanya
Finrod met Amarië in Valinor, where they fell in love. When Finrod followed his siblings, uncles & cousins into exile, Amarië, an unmarried Vanya, was not permitted to go. However, Finrod's death at the hands of Sauron ironically re-united them, as it’s recorded that they lived together once again in Valinor. [TG:20,Eä:2,WK:1,RF:2,JT:5,SL:2,H11:4,H12:2=38pts,10indx.pgs]

#416 Magor Dagorlind ‘the Sword’, 3rd Lord of the 3rd House – 3rd house adan lord
Born in 341 F.A., he was the grandson of Marach, 1st Lord of the 3rd House. Magor’s warrior epithets were hasty additions to the ‘folk of Marach’ tree, which itself was repeatedly emended. So which battles gave him the name ‘Singer in Battle’ & ‘the Sword’? Perhaps when he led the larger part of Marach’s people out of Hithlum, south of the Ered Wethrin, some conflicts ensued. Or, that he proudly served no Elf-lord, like his son Hathol ‘the Axe’, might have meant frequent unaided orc-battles. Again, all hasty jottings on an ever-changing tree, which temporarily saw Hador’s genealogy advanced to his grandfather Magor’s position, to justify the name ‘House of Hador’ (mentioned in Arda Reconstructed, thus the point awarded to Magor from Kane). But the final 3rd House tree, and all of its notes, provided by CT in HoMe11, is surely that which tells the tale. [TG:11,Eä:7,WK:1,RF:2,JT:6,DK:1,SL:2,H11:8=38pts,11indx.pgs]

#415 Ioreth of Lossarnach, eldest Healer of Minas Tirith (f) – gondorian
She was from Imloth Melui in Lossarnach before she moved to Minas Tirith and worked in the Houses of the Healing. By the time of the War of the Ring she was the oldest healer there and was well versed in lore. She helped to heal Faramir, but her talkative nature tended to annoy Aragorn and Gandalf. Foster characterized her in this tactful way: “Her folk wisdom was exceeded only by her loquacity”. Her name literally means “old woman”, and she was ‘Yoreth’ in the drafts. [TG:17,Eä:2,WK:2,RF:5,JT:3,LR:1,H8:4,H9:4=38pts,15indx.pgs]

#414 Celepharn, 4th King of Arthedain – arnorian dúnadan king
He was the son of Mallor, succeeding the throne in 1110 T.A. on his father’s death. During Celepharn’s rule, Fallohides & Stoors followed the Harfoots into Eriador; also Gondor reached the height of its power. He reigned for 81yrs, until 1191, and died at the age of 212. He was succeeded by his son Celebrindor. [TG:22,Eä:6,WK:5,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=39pts,2indx.pgs]

#413 Cemendur, 4th King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He was actually born in the 2nd Age, but was the first King of Gondor to be born in Middle-earth, being the son of Meneldil son of Anárion son of Elendil. Cemendur succeeded his father in 158 T.A., ruled for 80yrs, and died at the age of 280. His reign was apparently a peaceful one; his name meaning ‘Earth-servant’ in Quenya. Cemendur was succeeded by his son Eärendil. [TG:21,Eä:3,WK:9,RF:2,JT:1,LR:1,H12:2=39pts,3indx.pgs]

#412 Arahad I, 7th Chieftain of the Dúnedain – arnorian dúnadan chieftain
He succeeded his father Araglas, who died in 2455 T.A. During his reign, Sauron returned to Dol Guldur with increased strength, ending the Watchful Peace; the White Council was formed in Rivendell headed by Saruman; and orcs increased in the Misty Mountains leading to the wounding & departing of Celebrían wife of Elrond. Arahad I ruled for 68yrs, died in 2523 at the age of 158, and was followed by his son Aragost. [TG:21,Eä:4,WK:6,RF:3,JT:2,LR:1,H12:2=39pts,4indx.pgs]

#411 Turambar, 9th King of Gondor – gondorian dúnadan king
He succeeded his father in 541 T.A., when Rómendacil I was killed in an Easterling invasion of Ithilien. Turambar sought vengeance, not only destroying the Easterling horde, but continuing on to conquer the new territory of Rhûn for Gondor. He reigned 126yrs, the longest reign since Meneldil, as he came to the throne at a young age. Turambar died in 667 at the age of 270, and was succeeded by his son Atanatar I. [TG:18,Eä:6,WK:4,RF:3,JT:5,LR:1,H12:2=39pts,4indx.pgs]


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS - for ENTRIES: TG=Tolkien Gateway,Eä=Encyclopedia of Arda,WK=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien; for INDICES: LR=Lord of the Rings,SL=Silmarillion,UT=Unfinished Tales,HX=History of Middle-earth Vol.X,LT=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed; for both ENTRIES & INDICES: MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia; for NAME-LISTS: CH=Children of Húrin,B1 or B2=the ‘Qenya & Gnomish Lexicons’ from Book of Lost Tales Vols.1&2,FG=the ‘Fall of Gondolin’ from BoLT Vol.2,LE=the ‘Line of Elros’ tree from UT; MISC: HF=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I kinda woulda thunk that Ioreth would have been a little higher. Based on nothing at all.

[kzer_za]

I would have expected Gimilkhâd to be a bit higher. But then, I don't know most of these kings and stewards very well.

[Beutlin]

Is Ioreth the first "major" character (several speaking lines) from "The Lord of the Rings" on this list?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I think so. A quick look through the master list reveals a number of other characters that have at least one line:

Robin Smallburrow at 473
Ingold of Minas Tirith at 475
Odo Proudfeet at 476
Hob Hayward at 536
Windfara at 701
and Mrs. Maggot all the way back at 1040

But I think Ioreth is the first from LOTR to have several lines.

[Passdagas the Brown]

dp

[Passdagas the Brown]

The late Númenórean "unfaithful" have the best names (along with dwarven place names).

I mean, if my name was Ar-Pharazôn, I would have defeated all my enemies in high school.

[yovargas]

I mean, if my name was Ar-Pharazôn, I would have defeated all my enemies in high school.

Perhaps, but you probably would also have accumulated more of them.

[Passdagas the Brown]

I mean, if my name was Ar-Pharazôn, I would have defeated all my enemies in high school.

Perhaps, but you probably would also have accumulated more of them.

Good point. And I likely would have also accumulated the nickname: Ar-FART-athon.