Arveleg I

From Tolkien Gateway
This article is about the eighth King of Arthedain. For the twelfth King, see Arveleg II.
Arveleg I
Arnorian
Arveleg rotwk.JPG
Arveleg from The Rise of the Witch-king
Biographical Information
TitlesKing of Arthedain
LocationArthedain
LanguageSindarin, Westron
BirthT.A. 1309
RuleT.A. 1356 - 1409
DeathT.A. 1409 (aged 100)
Fall of Amon Sûl
Family
HouseHouse of Isildur
ParentageArgeleb I
ChildrenAraphor
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Arveleg I

Arveleg I (T.A. 1309[1] - T.A. 1409[2]) was the eighth king of Arthedain, succeeding his father, Argeleb I.

History[edit | edit source]

During his lifetime, the father of Arveleg, Argeleb son of Malvegil, was the only King in Arnor that still had Isildur's heritage. As such, he claimed lordship over Rhudaur and Cardolan. The men of Rhudaur resisted this claim, and a captain of the Hill-men of that land formed a secret alliance with Argeleb's enemy, the Witch-king of Angmar. Thus Arveleg grew up in an era of War. The armies of Angmar and Rhudaur laid siege to the Weather Hills, and Argeleb fell. And so, in T.A. 1356, Arveleg became the eighth King of Arthedain.

With the help of the Dúnedain of Cardolan and the Elves of Lindon, Arveleg managed to drive out the enemies from the Weather Hills. Arthedain and Cardolan kept a guarded border along the Weather Hills, the East Road and the lower Hoarwell. This defence was apparently effective, as Angmar shifted its attention to Rivendell instead.

In T.A. 1409, the armies of Angmar and Rhudaur crossed the Hoarwell, occupied Cardolan, and closed in on Weathertop. In a bloody battle, both Arveleg and the last prince of Cardolan were slain.[3] The palantír of Amon Sûl could be saved, however, and was brought to the capital of Arthedain, Fornost.

After his death, Arveleg was succeeded by his 18-year old son, Araphor. Though this was a young age for one of Númenórean blood, he was valiant. With the help of the Círdan of Lindon, he repelled attacks on Fornost and the North Downs.[4]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Arveleg is a Sindarin name.[5][6][7][8][9][10] Its meaning its not glossed, but David Salo and the Association Tolkiendil suggest that Arveleg means "Mighty King".[5][6] David Salo, the Association Tolkiendil and Paul Strack suggests that it is a combination of ar(a)-[11] ("royal", "noble", "high") and a lenited form veleg of beleg ("mighty", "great").[5][6][7]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Malvegil
1144 - 1349
 
 
 
 
Argeleb I
1226 - 1356
 
 
 
 
ARVELEG I
1309 - 1409
 
 
 
 
Araphor
1391 - 1589
 
 
 
 
Argeleb II
1473 - 1670


Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:

The events surrounding Arveleg play a major role in the expansion pack, The Rise of the Witch-king. Arveleg, voiced by Cam Clarke, is portrayed as using the palantír of Amon Sûl to anticipate the Witch-king's plans. He survives the Fall of Amon Sûl and takes the palantír with him, but destroys it (and himself in the process) to prevent it from falling in the Witch-king's hands.

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", p. 194
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur"
  3. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 144-5; Index, 'Cardolan, last prince of'
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 David Salo (2004), A Gateway to Sindarin, p. 342
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Association Tolkiendil, "Compound Sindarin Names in Middle-earth", Tolkiendil (accessed 3 February 2022)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Paul Strack, "S. Arveleg m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 8 March 2023)
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of the Elves", footnote after "Eldarin form"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur", footnote after "Amlaith of Fornost"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", manuscript C, The Heirs of Elendil, The Northern Line of Arnor: the Isildurioni, 10. Earendur, "used Elvish names of Noldorin form"
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur", footnote after "Malvegil 1349,"
Arveleg I
House of Isildur
Cadet branch of House of Elros
Born: T.A. 1309 Died: T.A. 1409
Preceded by:
Argeleb I
16th Heir of Isildur
T.A. 1356 - 1409
Followed by:
Araphor
8th King of Arthedain
T.A. 1356 - 1409


The Northern Line and the Heirs of Isildur
Kings of Arnor: Elendil (S.A. 3320 - 3441) · Isildur (S.A. 3441 - T.A. 2) · Valandil (T.A. 2 - 249) · Eldacar (249 - 339) · Arantar (339 - 435) · Tarcil (435 - 515) · Tarondor (515 - 602) · Valandur (602 - 652) · Elendur (652 - 777) · Eärendur (777 - 861)
Kings of Arthedain: Amlaith (861 - 946) · Beleg (946 - 1029) · Mallor (1029 - 1110) · Celepharn (1110 - 1191) · Celebrindor (1191 - 1272) · Malvegil (1272 - 1349) · Argeleb I (1349 - 1356) · Arveleg I (1356 - 1409) · Araphor (1409 - 1589) · Argeleb II (1589 - 1670) · Arvegil (1670 - 1743) · Arveleg II (1743 - 1813) · Araval (1813 - 1891) · Araphant (1891 - 1964) · Arvedui (1964 - 1975) ·
Chieftains of the Dúnedain: Aranarth (1975 - 2106) · Arahael (2106 - 2177) · Aranuir (2177 - 2247) · Aravir (2247 - 2319) · Aragorn I (2319 - 2327) · Araglas (2327 - 2455) · Arahad I (2455 - 2523) · Aragost (2523 - 2588) · Aravorn (2588 - 2654) · Arahad II (2654 - 2719) · Arassuil (2719 - 2784) · Arathorn I (2784 - 2848) · Argonui (2848 - 2912) · Arador (2912 - 2930) · Arathorn II (2930 - 2933) · Aragorn II (2933 - 3019)
Kings of Arnor: Elessar (T.A. 3019 - Fo.A. 120) · Eldarion (Fo.A. 120 onwards)