History of Men (Volume III): The Dúnedain

by Boddah

The next section of the History of Men we shall examine is that of the Dúnedain. They are direct descendants of the Men of Númenór. After reading Volume II you should understand the Númenóreans and their origins. The Númenóreans happen to be the origins of the Dúnedain. Before the Downfall of Númenór, Elendil fled to Middle-Earth with his sons Isildur and Anárion. There they established the two kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.

Elendil founded Arnor late in the Second Age. Its boundaries were the eastern Misty Mountains and the western Blue Mountains (Ered Luin). The Shire would also have been included in Arnor had it been established at the time. The capital of Arnor was Annúminas by Lake Nenuial. At the infamous siege of Barad-dûr, Elendil fell, the next in line for kingship would have been Isildur, but he perished on the trip back to Arnor, his three sons died with him. Isildur’s youngest son Valandil had not gone to the war and became the third king of Arnor.

The last king of Arnor was Eärendur, and after his death in the 861st year of the Third Age each of his three sons claimed the throne. This led to Arnor dividing up into three different kingdoms: Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. Eärendur’s oldest son led Arthedain and is considered the true heir to the line of Isildur.

Elendil also founded Gondor, and it was at first jointly ruled by Isildur and Anárion. After the siege of Barad-dûr, in which Elendil and Anárion had died, the throne of Gondor fell to Anárion’s son, Meneldil. For Isildur departed to Arnor to take up kingship there. But, he and all of his sons except one were killed on the trip back to Arnor. So the kings of Gondor were descendants of Anárion.

When the king, Eärnur was killed at Minas Morgûl in the 2050th year of the Third Age, the rule of Gondor was taken by his Steward, Mardil Voronwë. The Stewards vowed to hold the throne until the king came back. In the 3019th year of the Third Age the king did indeed return. Aragorn II Elessar was a descendant of Isildur, and he reclaimed the throne of Gondor.

All of the men who lived in Gondor and Arnor, and that were descendants of Númenóreans were called the Dúnedain (singular: Dúnadan). Perhaps the most famous Dúnadan of the latest Age would be Aragorn Elessar. Aragorn was born in the 2931st year of the Third Age and died in the 120th year of the Fourth Age. So he lived quite a long time for a Man. He was the heir of Isildur through thirty-nine generations, before the War of the Ring, he was the Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North. After the War was over, he was the King of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor.

He was named after his ancestor Aragorn I. His father was Arathorn II, his mother Gilraen. Aragorn was also a descendant of Elros, Elrond’s twin brother, and the first king of Númenór. Aragorn lost his father when he was two years old to an Orc attack. Like many of his ancestors, Aragorn was fostered in Rivendell by Elrond. His true identity was hidden for the fear that if the enemy knew he was the Heir of Isildur, he would be murdered. So Aragorn was renamed Estel, and not told about his heritage until his coming of age the 2951st year of the Third Age. When Elrond revealed to Estel his heritage he gave him the shards of Narsil and the Ring of Barahir. Narsil was the sword his ancestor, Elendil, which had shattered at the siege of Barad-dûr. Around this time Aragorn met, and fell in love with Elrond’s daughter, Arwen Undómiel.

Aragorn assumed his proper role as the sixteenth Chieftain of the Dúnedain, and went into the Wild. Aragorn and his men went to protect the Shire at the request of Gandalf the Grey, and Aragorn became known as Strider in the area around Bree. In a nutshell, after the War of the Ring, Aragorn settled down, and married Arwen. He also became king of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor.

References

The Encyclopedia of Arda

Wikipedia

Next- Volume IV: The Northmen and Rohirrim