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Khamul
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 73
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 Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:03 am Post subject: Gasp! Would Aragorn become heir of Numenor? |
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No, really, consider it!
Let's say Sauron's been wiped away from Middle Earth, the elves departed...the works. But had Numenor existed still, even in the Fourth Age, would Aragorn, being only known heir, rule it?
(This is also assuming that for whatever reason, all the original royalty of Numenor got wiped out.  )
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ArwenUndomiel
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 51
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmn. I never thought of that.
You've got to consider Gondor, though. He couldn't rule both, he'd have to choose. Maybe his son could rule Numenor...?
Wait, then what would happen when Aragorn died? Oh, I'm all confused now. It's probably true that Aragorn, as the only heir, would be expected to claim the throne. I just don't see how he could. |
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Khamul
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 73
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I suppose...it seems unprobable however.
And at the end of ROTK, it says when he died, so did the last heir of Numenor.
Why couldn't his son become king of Numenor? (had it still existed)
Perhaps because he was not "pure Numenorean"?
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ArwenUndomiel
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
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Location: Australia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Weird. I never noticed that. Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe because the kid was half-elvish it didn't count as an heir to Numenor. |
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Haleth
Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 538
Location: The ruins of Tharbad.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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I have to beg your patience because this isn't going to be easy to explain.
If you dig through Tolkien's works, you can find a reference to the Meneltarma reappearing out of the sea. It was the only part of Numenor to ever be seen above the waves after the disaster. The reference, I think, is in Unfinished Tales.
As well, there is a section in Unfinished Tales dealing with the family tree of the Numenorian rulers.
Tolkien made things a bit complicated. Succession passed to the eldest child, not the eldest son, which meant women could be ruling queens. The catch was that a woman was allowed to refuse the crown. Men were not allowed that luxury.
There was a Numenorean princess who refused the crown. Elendil and Aragorn are descended from her, which gives them, in theory, a stronger claim on the throne of Numenor than Ar-Pharzon, the last king of Numenor who led the disastrous invasion of Valinor (where he and his family were wiped out).
Therefore, Aragorn could legitimately be called the heir of Numenor.
Unfortunately, what remained of Numenor likely couldn't support a large family, let alone and entire civilization.
The original (and doubtlessly clearer) explanation can be found in Unfinished Tales.
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Khamul
Joined: 20 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you Haleth, that's a reasonable and well put explanation.
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Cressida
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 36
Location: Illinois, USA
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| Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Khamul wrote: | Yes, I suppose...it seems unprobable however.
And at the end of ROTK, it says when he died, so did the last heir of Numenor. |
Hmm, are you reading it in English? In English, he says he's "the last of the Numenoreans," not "the last heir of Numenor."
Aragorn might have become the heir of Numenor if it had existed, but there would be one difficulty. He's descended from Elendil, who was descended from Silmarien, the eldest daughter of one of the early kings. At the time Silmarien was born, daughters could not inherit the throne. Later, the laws were changed so that they could, but Silmarien's descendants were not automatically made kings at the time.
If the rest of Numenor's royal family were wiped out, they might have been willing to make Aragorn king, but there would have been some controversy, I think. If there had been a popular alternate claimant like Eärnil in Gondor, they might well have gone with him instead.
Just my 3 cents!  |
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