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Eärnur

Biographical information

Other names

Titles

King of Gondor

Date of birth

TA 1928

Year ascended to the throne

TA 2043

Date of death

TA 2050

Realms ruled

Gondor

Spouse

None

Weapon

King's sword

Physical description

Race

Men

Culture

Dúnedain, Men of Gondor

Gender

Male

Height

Hair color

Eye color

Peter Jackson's Film Trilogy

Actor

Voice

Character

Eärnur was the thirty-third and last King of Gondor until Aragorn II Elessar. He took the throne upon the death of his father Eärnil II in TA 2043, and after his disappearance, the Stewards of Gondor ruled in his name for many generations.

BiographyEdit

Eärnur was the son of Eärnil II. He was a great warrior and became a great leader of armies before he became King and his greatest victory was in TA 1975 in the Battle of Fornost against Angmar, in which he defeated the Witch-king, whom he intended to slay had his steed not panicked in terror of the Witch-king's darkness. After becoming king in TA 2043, he was challenged by the Witch-king of Angmar, chief of the Ringwraiths, who then resided in Minas Morgul. Eärnur being quick to anger and wrath would have accepted his challenge had the wise Steward, Mardil Voronwë, not held him back, and so the first challenge went unanswered. In TA 2050, a second challenge came with mockery and Mardil could not stop him and he accepted. After entering the gates of Minas Morgul with a small escort, he was never heard from again. His crown lay on his father's tomb in the Hallows of Minas Tirith.

The Line of Anárion was broken and the rule of Gondor passed to the Stewards, beginning with Mardil Voronwë, who had tried to restrain Eärnur from going to Minas Morgul to face the Witch-king. The Stewards were to rule "until the King returns" for it wasn't sure at first whether Eärnur had been killed dueling with the Witch-king or not. In addition, Eärnur left without naming an heir, and while many other nobles in Gondor could lay some sort of claim to the kingship, those claims were generally held in doubt, and no one wanted to risk another civil war, which had devastated Gondor before and weakened it.^[1][2][3]

PersonalityEdit

Eärnur did not inherit his father's wisdom; his only delight was battle and he desired no wife. He was also known for engaging in weapons sports and was more of a champion than a king of men.

EtymologyEdit

Eärnur is a Quenyan word that meant "Sea-friend".

Portrayal in adaptationsEdit

Video gamesEdit

In The Lord of the Rings Online, it is revealed that the Witch-king corrupted Eärnur into a Wraith soon after he entered Minas Morgul. Now known as Mordirith, he became known as the False King, Steward of Angmar. In a twisted mockery of the Stewards who replaced him, Mordirith ruled in Carn Dûm on the behalf of the Witch-king, suppressing any form of rebellion from the few Men that had not allied with Angmar. He was killed during the War of the Ring by the Elf Maiden Narmeleth,who felled him with Dunachar, the brother blade of Aragorn's sword (Dunachar was not the brother blade to Andúril, Dunachar was an Elvish blade, they just used the same model in-game.). He was thrown into the void of Angmar after his death. Narmeleth was mortally wounded in this battle and died a few minutes later.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ The Lord of the Rings: Appendix A, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
2. ↑ The Complete Guide to Middle-earth
3. ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth pgs. 58-9

External linkEdit

• Eärnur at Tolkien Gateway