Oropher
Oropher | |
---|---|
Sinda | |
"Oropher" by Kimberly | |
Biographical Information | |
Location | Doriath[1], Woodland Realm |
Affiliation | Last Alliance of Elves and Men |
Language | Silvan Elvish, Sindarin |
Birth | Before F.A. 507[1] Doriath |
Rule | S.A. 750 - S.A. 3434 |
Death | S.A. 3434 (aged 3101+) Battle of Dagorlad |
Notable for | Established the Woodland Realm |
Family | |
Children | Thranduil |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Male |
Gallery | Images of Oropher |
Oropher was one of the Iathrim[1] who later established the Woodland Realm of the Silvan Elves of Greenwood the Great in the Second Age. He was killed at the Battle of Dagorlad and was succeeded by his son, Thranduil. Thus, he was the grandfather of Legolas, a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.
History
Early Life
- See also: #Other versions of the legendarium
Oropher was one of the Iathrim who spent his early life in Doriath. Before the destruction of Doriath, he had a son, Thranduil, who would later succeed him to his kingship. Following the destruction of Beleriand, Oropher would be among the many Sindar who decided to stay in Middle-earth.[1]
Move to Greenwood the Great
Among the wave of Sindar who left Lindon and travelled eastward, before the building of the Barad-dûr in S.A. 1000,[2] Oropher travelled to Greenwood the Great, and it was in S.A. 750 that he was taken up by the Elves of the Wood as their king and founded the Woodland Realm.[1][3]
The few Sindar who had come with him were soon merged with the Silvan Elves, adopting their customs and language and taking names of Silvan form and style. Oropher and his household wished to return to a simple existence natural to the Elves before they had been disturbed by the Valar.[1]
Originally, Oropher's realm encompassed the south of Greenwood, with dwellings about the hill of Amon Lanc.[4][1] However, throughout the Second Age, he migrated north with his people three times.[4] According to one tradition, the first movement was northward beyond the Gladden Fields, due to his desire to distance himself from the increasing encroachments of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and his resentment of the intrusions of Celeborn and Galadriel in Lothlórien.[1]
Oropher was also disturbed by the reports of Sauron's rising power and by the end of the Second Age, he dwelt in the western glens of the Emyn Duir and his numerous people lived and roamed in the woods and vales westward as far as Anduin, north of the ancient Dwarf-Road.[4]
War of the Last Alliance
Although Oropher's desire was to distance himself and his people from the affairs of the rest of the world, he could see the danger that Sauron posed, and that his defeat would bring about peace in Middle-earth. Thus, he joined the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, summoning a large army which joined with Amdír's smaller force of Elves of Lórien to create a great host of Silvan Elves.[1]
The Silvan Elves were strong and brave, but despite having poor armour and weapons in comparison with the Noldor, Amdír and Oropher were unwilling to submit to the supreme command of Gil-galad and as such they suffered heavy losses in the War of the Last Alliance. In the very first assault upon Mordor, Oropher and other brave and hasty Silvan Elves rushed forward before Gil-galad gave the signal to charge. Oropher himself was killed soon afterwards, whilst two-thirds of his army perished throughout the course of the war. Upon Sauron's defeat the remnants of the army returned to Greenwood under the command of his son Thranduil.[1]
Etymology
The name Oropher probably means 'tall beech-tree'[5] from oro meaning 'high' and fêr meaning 'beech'.[6]
Oropher hailed from Doriath indicating his name could be Sindarin (Doriathrin specifically) but upon merging with the Elves of the Wood, the Sindar of his household adopted their language and took names of Silvan form and style so, it seems likely that his name is styled in Silvan Elvish.[1]
Other versions of the legendarium
The canonicity of Oropher is disputed as he only appears in the Unfinished Tales. In fact, according to Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings, it was his son Thranduil that was among the wave of Sindar who, before the building of Barad-dûr c. S.A. 1000, established the Woodland Realm among the Silvan Elves and became the king in the north of Greenwood the Great.[2] In one draft from the article The Tale of Years of the Second Age from The Peoples of Middle-earth, Thranduil was said to have founded his kingdom in S.A. 750.[3] In both of these accounts, Oropher does not exist and his son Thranduil was the first king of the Wood-elves.
This article and the wiki reconciles these three stories as: Oropher and his household of Sindar (including his son Thranduil) from Doriath established the Woodland Realm in the south of Greenwood the Great in S.A. 750.
Genealogy
OROPHER d. S.A. 3434 | |||||||
Thranduil Unknown | |||||||
Legolas Sailed West Fo.A. 120 | |||||||
See also
- Amdír (and his son Amroth)
- Elves of Mirkwood
- Woodland Realm
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix B: The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VI. The Tale of Years of the Second Age"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", note 14
- ↑ The Encyclopedia of Arda, "Oropher", dated 21 April 2003 (accessed January 13, 2011)
- ↑ The Thain's Book, "Elves of Middle-earth#Oropher" (accessed January 13, 2011)