That's a good point, Teresa. I think I remember something in The Silmarillion about Isildur before the Last Alliance and his ring decision which does paint him in a different light.
Why wouldn't Aragorn claim the throne of Gondor?
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Boaz
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Teresa, good points on Isildur... especially the weregild.
Regarding Isildur... before the destruction of Numenor, Isildur's family was estranged from the rest of Numenorean society, especially the royal family. The king, Ar-Pharazon, had become the mightiest monarch the world had ever seen. He even took Sauron prisoner, but within ten years, Sauron had wormed his way into Ar-Pharazon's trust and become both Prime Minister and High Priest of the Royal Cult. Numenoreans were obsessed with immortality and Sauron played on the king's fear of death. With Ar-Pharazon cutting all ties to the past (reverence of the Angels, friendship with the Elves, and a benevolent attitude towards the Men left in Middle-earth) and Sauron declaring the unholiness of the sacred tree of Numenor, Isildur snuck into the palace one night and stole the last fruit from the three thousand year old tree. He fought valiantly and escaped to bring the fruit to his grandfather. When Numenor was destroyed a few years later, everyone praised Isildur for his forethought. The White Tree of Gondor was the product of that fruit.
And cutting the Ring from Sauron's hand, in and of itself, is the single mightiest act of any Man in Middle-earth.
Concerning Men... Tolkien's humans come in basically three branches, those who are allied with Elves (or those descended from those who helped the Elves), those who are not, and the Pukel-men or Woses. The humans who allied with the Elves of the First Age are all western European in appearance. Tolkien was writing an English mythology, so his good humans are all light skinned. They have black, brown and yellow hair. They are of middling to excessive height. They are rarely cowards, though they do not usually provoke fights. Elves referred to Men as Edain, the Second Born. But this term came to mean just the Men who allied with them during the First Age. Bor and his sons are the exception to the above physical descriptions.
In the Second Age, the Edain were given a continent away from Middle-earth... Numenor. Valinor (the land of the Valar, the Angels) was located far to the west of Middle-earth... Numenor was closer to Valinor than to Middle-earth. Thus the Men of Numenor began calling themselves the Men of the West, the Dunedain.
Other humans are almost always lumped together as Easterlings. They are swarthy with dark hair. They are of shorter stature than the Dunedain. There are also mentions of Southrons attacking Gondor. These Men are darker complexioned than the Dunedain, but not always. During the Second Age, the Dunedain had trading posts, ports, forts, and colonies all over Middle-earth. Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anarion, were not the only high lords of Numenor to escape the cataclysm. The chiefest of the Numenorean holdings in Middle-earth happened to be the land just south of Gondor... Harad, especially Umbar. The most noble of the Haradrim were of Numenorean blood. I assume this was diluted through the years, but was renewed when the losers of the Gondorian Civil War fled to Umbar and took it about 1950 Third Age.
It may be of interest that the Rohirrim are believed by the Gondorians to have descended from a branch of the Edain who decided not to fight alongside the Elves in the First Age.
Aragorn appears to be the thirty-ninth direct male descendent from Isildur who himself is the heir of Valandil, the first Lord of Andunie. Andunie was the westernmost province of Numenor. Valandil married Silmarien, the eldest child of Tar-Elendil, fourth King of Numenor. Later, the succession laws were changed to allow females to inherit, but it was always in the tradition of Aragorn's family that even though they were not Kings of Numenor, they were the elder family... that he descended eldest child to eldest child to eldest child all the way back to Elros, the first King of Numenor. By the way, Elros was Elrond's twin brother.
The tradition of the Lords of Andunie, and after the royals of Arnor and Gondor, was to revere the Valar, befriend the Elves, and to assist the helpless humans. Their identity went back to the founders of the Edain... Beor, Marach, and Haleth. Their identity as scions of Elros was linked to the Elves. Since Elros' brother was still around six thousand years later, it's not too difficult to to see the value the Dunedain (Aragorn, Denethor, etc.) placed upon their lineage.
Oh, by the way, I mentioned Finrod in my last post. He was an Elven king who befriended Beren. He saved Beren from a werewolf, but was slain. His youngest sibling is Galadriel.
The stories of the great heroes and ancestors of Aragorn... Beren, Earendil, Isildur... these stories are not mere myths. They are not touchstones. They are fact. Living breathing fact. Beren's best friend was Galadriel's brother. Earendil is Elrond's father. Isildur stood with Elrond against Sauron. These Elves verify Aragorn's claims.
I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was fourteen. I was quickly intrigued by Fellowship, I gorged upon Towers, and about a third of the way through Return I discovered the appendices. I quit reading the narrative and read all the appendices... notes and all. It was like giving free crack to Marion Barry. I found all the history, the dates, and the backstory for which I'd been longing. (It would be another two years before I learned of the existence of The Silmarillion.) But I was horribly disappointed when I learned that following Sauron's destruction, some jerk named Elessar became King of Gondor and married Arwen. What?!?! Did Aragorn die? Was he pushed aside for some Gondorian dandy? It was not until I found, in the narrative, that Elessar was Aragorn's regnal name.
By the way... I know I've packed my posts with lots of people and places from Tolkien's writings... but believe me when I tell you that I've tried to truly simplify my explanations. I've never even mentioned Eru, Illuvatar, Aman, Beleriand, Manwe and all his buddies, Melkor, Glaurung, the Vanyar, Finwe, Olwe, Petty Dwarves, the origins of Dwarves and Ents, Draugluin, Tar-Miriel, Amandil, the voyages of Earendil, Fingolfin, the sons of Feanor, the sons of Ulfang, Estel (the name Aragorn's mother gave him), or that fact that before a flaming eye ball... Sauron used to turn himself into a wolf, a serpent, a vampire bat, the Lord of Gifts, and maybe more.
Regarding Isildur... before the destruction of Numenor, Isildur's family was estranged from the rest of Numenorean society, especially the royal family. The king, Ar-Pharazon, had become the mightiest monarch the world had ever seen. He even took Sauron prisoner, but within ten years, Sauron had wormed his way into Ar-Pharazon's trust and become both Prime Minister and High Priest of the Royal Cult. Numenoreans were obsessed with immortality and Sauron played on the king's fear of death. With Ar-Pharazon cutting all ties to the past (reverence of the Angels, friendship with the Elves, and a benevolent attitude towards the Men left in Middle-earth) and Sauron declaring the unholiness of the sacred tree of Numenor, Isildur snuck into the palace one night and stole the last fruit from the three thousand year old tree. He fought valiantly and escaped to bring the fruit to his grandfather. When Numenor was destroyed a few years later, everyone praised Isildur for his forethought. The White Tree of Gondor was the product of that fruit.
And cutting the Ring from Sauron's hand, in and of itself, is the single mightiest act of any Man in Middle-earth.
Concerning Men... Tolkien's humans come in basically three branches, those who are allied with Elves (or those descended from those who helped the Elves), those who are not, and the Pukel-men or Woses. The humans who allied with the Elves of the First Age are all western European in appearance. Tolkien was writing an English mythology, so his good humans are all light skinned. They have black, brown and yellow hair. They are of middling to excessive height. They are rarely cowards, though they do not usually provoke fights. Elves referred to Men as Edain, the Second Born. But this term came to mean just the Men who allied with them during the First Age. Bor and his sons are the exception to the above physical descriptions.
In the Second Age, the Edain were given a continent away from Middle-earth... Numenor. Valinor (the land of the Valar, the Angels) was located far to the west of Middle-earth... Numenor was closer to Valinor than to Middle-earth. Thus the Men of Numenor began calling themselves the Men of the West, the Dunedain.
Other humans are almost always lumped together as Easterlings. They are swarthy with dark hair. They are of shorter stature than the Dunedain. There are also mentions of Southrons attacking Gondor. These Men are darker complexioned than the Dunedain, but not always. During the Second Age, the Dunedain had trading posts, ports, forts, and colonies all over Middle-earth. Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anarion, were not the only high lords of Numenor to escape the cataclysm. The chiefest of the Numenorean holdings in Middle-earth happened to be the land just south of Gondor... Harad, especially Umbar. The most noble of the Haradrim were of Numenorean blood. I assume this was diluted through the years, but was renewed when the losers of the Gondorian Civil War fled to Umbar and took it about 1950 Third Age.
It may be of interest that the Rohirrim are believed by the Gondorians to have descended from a branch of the Edain who decided not to fight alongside the Elves in the First Age.
Aragorn appears to be the thirty-ninth direct male descendent from Isildur who himself is the heir of Valandil, the first Lord of Andunie. Andunie was the westernmost province of Numenor. Valandil married Silmarien, the eldest child of Tar-Elendil, fourth King of Numenor. Later, the succession laws were changed to allow females to inherit, but it was always in the tradition of Aragorn's family that even though they were not Kings of Numenor, they were the elder family... that he descended eldest child to eldest child to eldest child all the way back to Elros, the first King of Numenor. By the way, Elros was Elrond's twin brother.
The tradition of the Lords of Andunie, and after the royals of Arnor and Gondor, was to revere the Valar, befriend the Elves, and to assist the helpless humans. Their identity went back to the founders of the Edain... Beor, Marach, and Haleth. Their identity as scions of Elros was linked to the Elves. Since Elros' brother was still around six thousand years later, it's not too difficult to to see the value the Dunedain (Aragorn, Denethor, etc.) placed upon their lineage.
Oh, by the way, I mentioned Finrod in my last post. He was an Elven king who befriended Beren. He saved Beren from a werewolf, but was slain. His youngest sibling is Galadriel.
The stories of the great heroes and ancestors of Aragorn... Beren, Earendil, Isildur... these stories are not mere myths. They are not touchstones. They are fact. Living breathing fact. Beren's best friend was Galadriel's brother. Earendil is Elrond's father. Isildur stood with Elrond against Sauron. These Elves verify Aragorn's claims.
I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was fourteen. I was quickly intrigued by Fellowship, I gorged upon Towers, and about a third of the way through Return I discovered the appendices. I quit reading the narrative and read all the appendices... notes and all. It was like giving free crack to Marion Barry. I found all the history, the dates, and the backstory for which I'd been longing. (It would be another two years before I learned of the existence of The Silmarillion.) But I was horribly disappointed when I learned that following Sauron's destruction, some jerk named Elessar became King of Gondor and married Arwen. What?!?! Did Aragorn die? Was he pushed aside for some Gondorian dandy? It was not until I found, in the narrative, that Elessar was Aragorn's regnal name.
By the way... I know I've packed my posts with lots of people and places from Tolkien's writings... but believe me when I tell you that I've tried to truly simplify my explanations. I've never even mentioned Eru, Illuvatar, Aman, Beleriand, Manwe and all his buddies, Melkor, Glaurung, the Vanyar, Finwe, Olwe, Petty Dwarves, the origins of Dwarves and Ents, Draugluin, Tar-Miriel, Amandil, the voyages of Earendil, Fingolfin, the sons of Feanor, the sons of Ulfang, Estel (the name Aragorn's mother gave him), or that fact that before a flaming eye ball... Sauron used to turn himself into a wolf, a serpent, a vampire bat, the Lord of Gifts, and maybe more.
(Speaking to the books only)
Bo's already done yeoman's work with this. I would just add that Elrond wouldn't allow the marriage ("She shall not be the bride of any Man less than the King of both Gondor and Arnor." Appendix A, part (v), Part of the Tale of Arwen and Aragorn), and Aragorn wanted it to happen at the right time ("No", said Aragorn, "But I deem the time unripe; and I have no mind for strife except with our Enemy and his servants." Return of the King, Houses of Healing).
Bo's already done yeoman's work with this. I would just add that Elrond wouldn't allow the marriage ("She shall not be the bride of any Man less than the King of both Gondor and Arnor." Appendix A, part (v), Part of the Tale of Arwen and Aragorn), and Aragorn wanted it to happen at the right time ("No", said Aragorn, "But I deem the time unripe; and I have no mind for strife except with our Enemy and his servants." Return of the King, Houses of Healing).
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So it's also because he knows that if he had tried to take the crown at the wrong time he might have divided the kingdom (or at least the factions in power) and, who knows, perhaps even started a civil war.
Boaz
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Teresa, it's very exciting for me to see that you, a published author, are a real fan of Tolkien. You don't just know the names... you actually know the characters. I remember reading back in 1998, on some internet blurb, that Peter Jackson got the job of directing The Lord of the Rings because he was a real fan. He stated he'd read the story twice. Now, I'm not a movie director nor a writer... I'm just a fan who read The Lord of the Rings about sixteen times in high school. I estimate I've read the trilogy about thirty times in all... I dunno if that's commendable or certifiably crazy. There were not any websites back when I graduated in 1984 and none of my friends read Tolkien... so I lived it and relived it inside my head. God bless my mom for giving me The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales, and JEA Tyler's The New Tolkien Companion. I know there must be someone like me in the film industry, I wish that person had been heavily involved in the writing.
Aragorn can be too easily categorized as Conan or any John Wayne character. Most kids after watching the films probably think Aragorn and Legolas should be renamed Kickassador and Shootfaceacus. But there is so much more to him than his ability to fight. Jackson tried to show this in a brief moment when Frodo offers the Ring to Aragorn, but Aragorn refuses by closing Frodo's fingers on the Ring. It's a great moment. It's a chance for us to know Aragorn's heart and Jackson immediately rushes on to Aragorn charging two hundred orcs. He did the same thing when Bilbo finds the Ring in The Hobbit. There is a moment of comprehension for Bilbo of what Gollum has lost (not just the Ring, but his entire family, his culture, his friendships, and any chance of any love)... and Jackson moves right on the preposterous 3D Dwarven roller coaster ride through the Misty Mountains. I don't need titillation and gratuitous violence, I need to know the characters.
At the age of twenty, Aragorn learned of his true lineage, was given the heirlooms of his house, met Arwen for the first time, and set out as a ranger to test himself. He wanted to see if he could become the man to restore his family.
At the age of forty-nine, Aragorn had lived as a ranger, fought alongside the Rohirrim, and led the Men of Gondor in battle. He had counselled a King and a Steward. He had befriended Gandalf. And he knew Sauron was preparing for war. In the process of learning his limits and devoloping his talents, Aragorn had decided to always take the high road and never shirk from any duty. He had made up his mind to reject all evil... including any slight temptations to cut corners. This is when he became betrothed to Arwen.
He was eighty-five when he met Frodo at The Pony. But since the blood of Numenor nearly ran true in Aragorn (this is a phrase Tolkien used a few times to describe Men who were long lived, wise, foresighted, strong in will, strong in body, daring, courageous, and usually moved to pity rather than to scorn... these characteristics show their still existent kinship with the Elves), eighty-five for him is like twenty-eight to you and me. Can you imagine eighty-five years of experience and knowledge into the body of someone under the age of thirty? What could you accomplish under those circumstances? He went on to live to one hundred and eighty-seven.
Aragorn's mother named him Estel, that is Hope. He was to be the hope of the Dunedain, and especially the remnants of Arnor since they'd been dispossed for the last thousand years. While he was their hope, his role to the world was that of King, i.e. he was to establish justice and peace. The Return of the King is the establishment of justice for the weak and peace for the oppressed. Orcs, Trolls, brigands, and Wargs were all driven from the West after Aragorn became King. The Rohirrim were reconfirmed as allies and brothers in arms. Isengard was given to Treebeard. The north kingdom of Arnor was re-established, presumably with the remaining rangers and Elrond's sons as the nobility. The Shire was declared off limits to Men. Treaties were offered to the Easterlings and Southrons if they would accept.... and when they encroached upon Aragorn's domains, then he, Eomer, Imrahil, and Faramir went and crushed them. As the Shire had lived in harmony and contentment, so did the rest of the western lands during the life of Aragorn.
The thrones of Gondor and Arnor were not Aragorn's lodestones. Neither was Arwen. His goal was to be true to the truth. Beautfiful or ugly... happy or sad... he always went with what was true. By striving for this with all his might, he attracted Arwen, he gained the respect of Gandalf, he was able to protect Frodo... and he was able to use the palantir of Orthanc and resist Sauron! Pippin did not last two seconds against Sauron. Saruman was an angel and he could not resist Sauron. Denethor was a Dunedain of great power, but was still only able to see what Sauron showed him. But Aragorn not only resisted Sauron's control, he used the palantir as he desired without interference from or spying by Sauron. I believe this was because of Aragorn's complete integrity of body, soul and mind... and not just because the stones were family heirlooms.
Aragorn can be too easily categorized as Conan or any John Wayne character. Most kids after watching the films probably think Aragorn and Legolas should be renamed Kickassador and Shootfaceacus. But there is so much more to him than his ability to fight. Jackson tried to show this in a brief moment when Frodo offers the Ring to Aragorn, but Aragorn refuses by closing Frodo's fingers on the Ring. It's a great moment. It's a chance for us to know Aragorn's heart and Jackson immediately rushes on to Aragorn charging two hundred orcs. He did the same thing when Bilbo finds the Ring in The Hobbit. There is a moment of comprehension for Bilbo of what Gollum has lost (not just the Ring, but his entire family, his culture, his friendships, and any chance of any love)... and Jackson moves right on the preposterous 3D Dwarven roller coaster ride through the Misty Mountains. I don't need titillation and gratuitous violence, I need to know the characters.
At the age of twenty, Aragorn learned of his true lineage, was given the heirlooms of his house, met Arwen for the first time, and set out as a ranger to test himself. He wanted to see if he could become the man to restore his family.
At the age of forty-nine, Aragorn had lived as a ranger, fought alongside the Rohirrim, and led the Men of Gondor in battle. He had counselled a King and a Steward. He had befriended Gandalf. And he knew Sauron was preparing for war. In the process of learning his limits and devoloping his talents, Aragorn had decided to always take the high road and never shirk from any duty. He had made up his mind to reject all evil... including any slight temptations to cut corners. This is when he became betrothed to Arwen.
He was eighty-five when he met Frodo at The Pony. But since the blood of Numenor nearly ran true in Aragorn (this is a phrase Tolkien used a few times to describe Men who were long lived, wise, foresighted, strong in will, strong in body, daring, courageous, and usually moved to pity rather than to scorn... these characteristics show their still existent kinship with the Elves), eighty-five for him is like twenty-eight to you and me. Can you imagine eighty-five years of experience and knowledge into the body of someone under the age of thirty? What could you accomplish under those circumstances? He went on to live to one hundred and eighty-seven.
Aragorn's mother named him Estel, that is Hope. He was to be the hope of the Dunedain, and especially the remnants of Arnor since they'd been dispossed for the last thousand years. While he was their hope, his role to the world was that of King, i.e. he was to establish justice and peace. The Return of the King is the establishment of justice for the weak and peace for the oppressed. Orcs, Trolls, brigands, and Wargs were all driven from the West after Aragorn became King. The Rohirrim were reconfirmed as allies and brothers in arms. Isengard was given to Treebeard. The north kingdom of Arnor was re-established, presumably with the remaining rangers and Elrond's sons as the nobility. The Shire was declared off limits to Men. Treaties were offered to the Easterlings and Southrons if they would accept.... and when they encroached upon Aragorn's domains, then he, Eomer, Imrahil, and Faramir went and crushed them. As the Shire had lived in harmony and contentment, so did the rest of the western lands during the life of Aragorn.
The thrones of Gondor and Arnor were not Aragorn's lodestones. Neither was Arwen. His goal was to be true to the truth. Beautfiful or ugly... happy or sad... he always went with what was true. By striving for this with all his might, he attracted Arwen, he gained the respect of Gandalf, he was able to protect Frodo... and he was able to use the palantir of Orthanc and resist Sauron! Pippin did not last two seconds against Sauron. Saruman was an angel and he could not resist Sauron. Denethor was a Dunedain of great power, but was still only able to see what Sauron showed him. But Aragorn not only resisted Sauron's control, he used the palantir as he desired without interference from or spying by Sauron. I believe this was because of Aragorn's complete integrity of body, soul and mind... and not just because the stones were family heirlooms.
Don't you think it was both, though? A test of him as a individual who could not be tempted -- probably this would apply equally to Faramir in the same situation, if he had ever been in the same situation -- but also proof that he was the rightful king, that it was his family heirloom?
I don't think it is a rare thing for established fantasy writers of about my age to be fans of Tolkien -- real fans, not the kind who read the trilogy twice. I don't know how many times I have read LOTR and The Hobbit, because I stopped counting after the first couple of times. Maybe five or six, plus countless times going back to read favorite moments. The Silmarillion and the HOME books -- my reading there has been rather spotty, but there are favorite parts I've read more than once. Tolkien's letters once (except for going back and reading some of them to refresh my mind about certain points during discussions). I've also read a number of critical essays and engaged in discussions about his work that have added to my understanding.
And I do think that writers (and this applies to unpublished writers of some experience, too, not just those of us who have been lucky enough to be published) may have some insights into the work just because we know how stories are put together and how the writing process evolves, etc. Of course as a fantasy writer I've read "On Fairy-Stories" many times.
This is not much compared with fans like yourself, or people I know who read LOTR every year or so. So I would never call myself an expert like so many of the people I've met, just an enthusiastic fan.
Boaz
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Teresa, I'm an unabashed fan... but not an expert. I went to prep school and started as a Lit major in college, but moved on... I should have spent as much time on Business Administration as I did on Tolkien... I dunno, maybe I could have made Tolkien into a career. Anyway, I can easily imagine that experienced writers will see patterns and processes that Tolkien uses and which I just think of as "neato". You probably can see how Aragorn was added in to the already existing story... something I never knew until recently. I've spent hardly any time reading Tolkien's letters or biographies.
I'd say my time in Middle-earth has prepared me to critique every other fantasy lit to it... which may be fair or completely unfair. I am a overly harsh judge of any tales that mirror Tolkien's style or substance. You can read my reviews of The Sword of Shanarra and The Eye of the World in the Brooks and Jordan forums. And while my posts are spot on, in my opinion, they serve the purpose of trolling... I confess. Hey, I'm not Aragorn... sometimes I fall to temptation.
If I were a character in Middle-earth, I'd either Ioreth, the old woman in Minas Tirith who won't shut up, or I'd be Ted Sandyman, a delusional ne'er do well who collaborates with the enemy.
My time reading about Aragorn, Feanor, and Luthien has also kept me from other author's works... great stories... yours. I'm gonna put that on my New Year's Resolution List... or is that the kiss of death?
And as to the first question of your post... Yes. Absolutely. It was confimation that he had both the skill and the pedigree.
I'd say my time in Middle-earth has prepared me to critique every other fantasy lit to it... which may be fair or completely unfair. I am a overly harsh judge of any tales that mirror Tolkien's style or substance. You can read my reviews of The Sword of Shanarra and The Eye of the World in the Brooks and Jordan forums. And while my posts are spot on, in my opinion, they serve the purpose of trolling... I confess. Hey, I'm not Aragorn... sometimes I fall to temptation.
If I were a character in Middle-earth, I'd either Ioreth, the old woman in Minas Tirith who won't shut up, or I'd be Ted Sandyman, a delusional ne'er do well who collaborates with the enemy.
My time reading about Aragorn, Feanor, and Luthien has also kept me from other author's works... great stories... yours. I'm gonna put that on my New Year's Resolution List... or is that the kiss of death?
And as to the first question of your post... Yes. Absolutely. It was confimation that he had both the skill and the pedigree.
If you read the present trilogy (the one by "Madeline Howard") you'll find quite a bit of Tolkien influence, which is something I resisted during the first 20+ years of my writing career, but the story came along and insisted that I write it. If you were to read something like Goblin Moon or The Queen's Necklace, you would be hard put to find any Tolkien influence, although there must be some because everything we read influences us somehow.
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