Articles related to "Arnor"



Razing Arnor: How real were the Dunadan conspiracies?
Tolkien never explained how and why Arnor was divided into three kingdoms. Here are some speculations on possible causes leading up to the traumatic event, and an analysis of its consequences.
arnor gondor tarannon falastur beruthiel earendur

Strange as news from Bree...
A discussion of Bree's significance and probable history in the Third Age.
bree hobbits arnor dunedain middle-earth

Good Night, Good Rhudaur
Despite a reputation for evil, Rhudaur may have served a good purpose, both in the early centuries of the history of Arnor and in the last centuries of the Third Age.
rhudaur cardolan arthedain arnor imladris

Of Thegns and Kings and Rangers and Things
The fall of the kingdom of Arnor brought about an end to the kingship of the Heirs of Isildur. But an examination of the Rangers and the role they played in Eriador reveals some interesting possibilities about how the Heirs of Isildur may have preserved both their royal authority and their ties to Eriador's people through a unique blend of feudalism and inheritance law.
dunedain of the north dunedain of arnor heir of elendil heir of isildur rangers

Ranger For Hire: Have Horse, Will Travel
A discussion of possible locations where Aragorn's people may have lived in Eriador.
aragorn eriador tolkien rangers dunedain

The Merchants of Middle-earth
A discussion of money and economics in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth through the ages.
money middle-earth j.r.r. tolkien economy trade

Where Are the Aragorn and Arwen Web Sites?
A discussion of Aragorn and Arwen, how Web sites for them are currently lacking, and what may emerge on the Web as the popularity of these characters and the actors who portray them rises.
aragorn arwen strider the lord of the rings tolkien

Seeking the Wayward Children of Numenor
How did Arnor and Gondor come to be, and what were the fundamental differences between the characters of the two realms? And what was the contribution of Numenor to their founding? A discussion of the origins of Arnor and Gondor explores the dynamics of Numenorean culture and how it laid the foundation for the two realms in exile.
tolkien osgiliath annuminas pelargir fornost erain

Scaling the Walls of War in Middle-Earth
An examination of how Numenorean architecture may reflect a fundamental aspect of Numenor's imperial strategy and the flaw in Gondor's imperial ambitions.
numenor sauron gondor arnor umbar

By This Sword, I Rule!
In a comparison of Aragorn with barbarian hero archetypes, it becomes apparent that Tolkien appreciated the relationship between the energizing foreigner and the declining civilization as well as any pulp fiction author should have.
robert e. howard tolkien aragorn conan kull

Charting the Shire lines
Why is it that the Hobbits didn't overrun Eriador, and how, exactly, did they end up where they did end up? Their names and the Tale of Years provide a few clues that can provide a greater, if grimmer, picture of Hobbit society and history.
hobbits history shire eriador harfoots

Dear Gandalf ...
Speculations (some serious, some not so serious) on Gandalf's early movements and career.
gandalf middle-earth dunedain j.r.r. tolkien the lord of the rings

Gil-galad was an Elven-king...
A discussion of Gil-galad's history and genealogy, and the importance of The Silmarillion in studying Gil-galad.
gil-galad elendil numenor finwe lindon

Kryptic Tales of Middle-earth
A review of the various tales of horror and dread that Tolkien slipped into the Middle-earth canon.
ghost stories horror stores dead men sorcery necromancy

Much ado about Arwen: Elven Princess
A profile of Arwen as portrayed by J.R.R. Tolkien, and how the original character may have inspired Peter Jackson to extrapolate abilities she did not display in the book.
arwen j.r.r. tolkien peter jackson middle-earth aragorn

Shhh! It's a Secret Ring!
Who knew about the Rings of Power at the end of the Third Age? It requires some historical detective work to figure out who knew about them in the first place, who learned about them later, and who would have been around to forget about them.
rings of power the one ring numenor eregion noldor

The Good, the Bad, and the Outlawed
All the great tragedies of Tolkien's First Age cycle are founded upon the outlaw motif. The loss of community and the moral isolation force his characters to undertake purifying journeys. But the journeys are so arduous that most who tread the outlaw path fail to redeem themselves, or must do so by paying the ultimate price.
outlaws redemptive journey tolkien's outlaws noldor beren

The Magic of the Minstrels
Middle-earth had few professional entertainers, and that may be because the greatest entertainers of all had been the Elves, whose magic was still in some ways remembered.
minstrels entertainment treebeard arnor gondor

The Sauron Strategies: One War to Win Them All, Except...
The second of two essays examining the strategies Sauron employed during the Second and Third Ages. Striving to be like Morgoth, Sauron took on the world. Perhaps he bit off more than he could chew.
sauron gondor arnor lords of the eldar council of elrond

There Are Games Afoot!
How have role-playing games tried to depict Tolkien's world in the past? With the prospect of a new role-playing game based on The Lord of the Rings facing us, are there perhaps better methods of depicting Tolkien's vision while retaining playability?
iron crown enterprises middle-earth role-playing game new line cinema peter jackson the lord of the rings

Tolkien's Middle-earth doesn't look like Medieval Europe
A refutation of the medievalist interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.
middle-earth peter jackson j.r.r. tolkien medieval feudalism

Which parts of Middle-earth will we not see?
A discussion of several places in Middle-earth which are never seen in either Tolkien's book or Peter Jackson's movies, but of which J.R.R. Tolkien told us much.
belfalas calenardhon tharbad rohan aldburg

A History of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Part 2
Part 2 of an article covering the history of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
gil-galad elendil sauron last alliance of elves and men

Unwritten Tales of Love and War in Middle-Earth
Both the First Age and the Third Age are highlighted by tales of love and tragedy. Yet the Second Age reveals only pieces of what might have been another enchanting cycle of stories of love, heroism, and the long struggle against evil.
second age first age third age middle-earth elrond

The Tip of the Iceberg: New Information About Middle-Earth
This is the first of a series of essays analyzing previously unpublished works by J.R.R. Tolkien which have been brought to light by the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship.
elvish linguistic fellowship vinyar tengwar mythopoeic society osanwe-kenta rivers and beacon-hills of gondor

Ithilien, Moon Over Gondor
Ithilien rose and fell with the fortunes of Gondor, but when all else was lost, Gondor hung on to Isildur's former home tenaciously. What did this land mean to the people Isildur left behind?
isildur anarion last alliance of elves and men gil-galad arnor

Magic by Melkor, No Returns Accepted
How did magic work in Middle-earth, and was it really as unlimited as some people believe?
magic goiteia magia melkor morgoth the lord of the rings

Them Dwarves, Them Dwarves, Part II
A continuation of the discussion of Tolkien's Dwarves: their history, culture, and relationships with other peoples.
dwarves middle-earth tolkien eriador hobbits

How did Tolkien actually portray the Rohirrim?
A discussion of how Tolkien portrayed the Rohirrim, comparing and contrasting them with the peoples of the Icelandic sagas and ancient Germanic tribes.
j.r.r. tolkien middle-earth rohan iceland sagas

A History of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Part 1
First of three parts of a research paper covering the history of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Part one covers events leading up the war.
the last alliance of elves and men gil-galad elendil the tall isildur anarion

Is That an Orc in Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Happy to Be Evil?
In classic story-teller fashion, J.R.R. Tolkien used good and evil in Middle-earth to reflect human ambitions and failings.
good and evil orcs men elves nargothrond

Would Sandra Bullock be a good Mrs. Isildur?
Speculations about Isildur's wife and how her life might be portrayed in a movie.
isildur middle-earth elendil sauron tolkien

Frodo's Temptation; Aragorn's Resistance
The Kings of Numenore succumbed to Sauron's influence. The Nazgul had all been men who had been corrupted by him. Boromir went mad with desire for the One Ring. What enabled Aragorn to resist the temptation to seize the Ring?
aragorn elrond elros rivendell gandalf

Exploring Tolkien's Fourth Age
How Middle-earth might have appeared in the Fourth Age, had J.R.R. Tolkien finished writing The New Shadow.
new shadow j.r.r. tolkien middle-earth borlas barrow-wights

Hobbit Tales, or Never There And Back Again...
A discussion of some of the other stories Tolkien could have told about Hobbits had he explained their history in greater detail.
hobbits tolkien shire buckland gondor

Who Were the Real Heroes of Middle-Earth?
An analysis of how Tolkien's relationship with his wife Edith is metaphorically reflected in the relationships he created for his heroes and heroines.
beren luthien aragorn arwen lord of the rings

Et Tu, Faramir?
Tolkien's vivid mythology captures the imagination with a careful retelling of supposedly ancient stories which were long forgotten. But just exactly what were the imaginary sources for Tolkien's imaginary sources? Middle-earth's undiscovered literature evokes a wheels-within-wheels mystique, much as real literature draws upon older sources to build up its own power and breadth.
epic of gilgamesh indo-european tyr zeus julius caesar

He Shall Be Like a Tree Planted By the Rivers of Water
The trees of Middle-earth reveal Tolkien's deep love for nature's graceful giants. But though the Ents championed the cause of trees in a world of two legged hewers, they seemed to reveal little about themselves. We must magnify Tolkien's words with our imaginations if we are to behold the all the trees in the silent, wild wood.
ents entwives entish aragorn galadriel

Whalers meet to discuss profession
Whalers from around the world met last month to discuss whaling and whale utilization. The result? More resolve to continue whaling efforts into the new millennium.
world council of whalers conference

The Historic Baranduin
An essay written in the style of National Geographic which examines life and history along the historic Baranduin river in Eriador.
lake evendim baranduin middle-earth annuminas dunedain

Tolkien's Time Machine: When Literary Worlds Collide
Most readers agree that The Lord of the Rings is a unique book. And though J.R.R. Tolkien is credited with helping launch the modern fantasy literary genre, there are no other books which approach LoTR in quality and perfection. Why? Could it be that Tolkien was pursuing a goal which no one else has yet attempted?
the lord of the rings j.r.r. tolkien middle-earth medieval romand heroic romance

Glossing the Hobbit Heroes' Homecoming
Further comments regarding Peter Jackson's 'Return of the King' with particular attention paid to the omission of 'The Scouring of the Shire' from the filmatic version.
hobbit saruman wormtongue battle of bywater meriadoc

Indiana Jones and the Treasures of Middle-earth
A light-hearted romp through possible scenarios that Indiana Jones might face while looking for a Middle-earth artifact.
harrison ford middle-earth silmarils feanor arkenstone

Resurrecting Dale, City of A Thousand Untold Stories
An examination of the events and peoples connected with the city of Dale, and some of the possibilities Tolkien would have considered had he devoted more time to its history and kings.
dale erebor tolkien the hobbit the lord of the rings

A Long Time Ago, in a Middle-Earth Far, Far Away...
J.R.R. Tolkien's story-telling is steeped in the tradition of fairy-tales and folklore. But he even found time (and room) to drop a few of his own fairy-tales and folk stories into the larger composition.
three brothers scratch folklore folk tales folk stories

And Now for the Other Love Story
An examination of the lifestyles Sam Gamgee and Rose Cotton may have known while growing up, and how their families fit into Shire economics and society.
sam gamgee frodo bilbo hobbits rosie cotton

Are We Ready For Peter Jackson's Aragorn?
An assessment of the character of Aragorn and how it should be portrayed in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movies.
peter jackson lord of the rings aragorn viggo mortensen frodo

A History of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Part 3
Part three of a three-part article examining the causes and events of the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. This section includes the end notes and bibliography of sources.
aule valinor war of the last alliance of elves and men concerning galadriel and celeborn unfinished tales

If I only had a Bombadil...
A discussion of Tom Bombadil and his importance to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Should fans hope to see Bombadil in a Fellowship of the Ring Dvd?
tom bombadil frodo sam merry pippin

The Quests of Middle-earth
A look at Tolkien's use of quests in his stories, long and short, and of how role-playing games and more recent fantasy stories have departed from Tolkien's ideas.
quest gilgamesh j.r.r. tolkien the lord of the rings fellowship


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