Tar-Calmacil

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This article is about the King of Númenor. For the King of Gondor, see Calmacil (King of Gondor).
Tar-Calmacil
Númenórean
Biographical Information
Other namesAr-Belzagar (A)[1]
TitlesKing of Númenor
LocationNúmenor
AffiliationKing's Men
LanguageAdûnaic; used Quenya out of custom
BirthS.A. 2516[1]
RuleS.A. 2737 - 2825 (88 years)[1]
DeathS.A. 2825[1] (aged 309)
Family
HouseHouse of Elros
ParentageTar-Alcarin[2]
ChildrenTar-Ardamin[3], Gimilzagar[4]
Physical Description
GenderMale

Tar-Calmacil was the eighteenth ruler of Númenor.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Calmacil was the son of Tar-Alcarin. He was a great captain of the soldiers of Númenor and conquered wide lands along the coasts of Middle-earth in his youth. As a consequence, Sauron withdrew from the coasts and built his power in the East far from the coasts.[1]

After the death of his father, he chose the name Tar-Calmacil when he took the Sceptre, because of his conquests in his youth.[1]

During his reign the King's Men called him Ar-Belzagar. This was the first time that the king's name was spoken in Adûnaic.[1]

He was succeeded by his son Tar-Ardamin.[3]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Calmacil is a Quenya name. Its meaning is not glossed, but as Paul Strack suggests it means "Sword of Light" or "Shining Sword" as a compound of cala ("light") and macil ("sword").[5] Helge Fauskanger suggests that the name means "light-sword".[6] Like all the rulers of Númenor who took their royal names in Quenya, Calmacil added the prefix tar- ("high") to his name when he received the Sceptre.[7]

Belzagar is an Adûnaic name. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it means "Sword of Light" if his Adûnaic and Quenya names have the same meaning. Andreas Möhn suggests that the first element bel might mean "light", but the element bel elsewhere means "to love". It is possible that the two meanings coexisted or that J.R.R. Tolkien changed the meaning from "love" to "light". The second element zagar most likely means "sword".[8] The meaning of the Adûnaic prefix Ar- is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it means "king" and is a prefixal form of ârû ("king") or derived from the same root.[9]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Tar-Vanimeldë
2277 - 2637
 
Tar-Anducal
2286 - 2657
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Alcarin
2406 - 2737
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TAR-CALMACIL
2516 - 2825
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Ardamin
2618 - 2899
 
Gimilzagar
b. 2630
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ar-Adûnakhôr
2709 - 2962
 
 
 
 


Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings, Ar-Adûnakhôr was listed as following Tar-Calmacil[10] while in the more detailed The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor from the Unfinished Tales the next ruler was Tar-Ardamin. According to Christopher Tolkien, Tar-Ardamin was simply omitted and did belong in the list.[11]

References

Tar-Calmacil
House of Elros
Born: S.A. 2516 Died: S.A. 2825
Preceded by:
Tar-Alcarin
18th King of Númenor
S.A. 2737 - 2825
Followed by:
Tar-Ardamin


Kings of Númenor
Elros Tar-Minyatur (S.A. 32 - 442) · Tar-Vardamir* (442) · Tar-Amandil (442 - 590) · Tar-Elendil (590 - 740) · Tar-Meneldur (740 - 883) · Tar-Aldarion (883 - 1075) · Tar-AncalimëQ (1075 - 1280) · Tar-Anárion (1280 - 1394) · Tar-Súrion (1394 - 1556) · Tar-TelperiënQ (1556 - 1731) · Tar-Minastir (1731 - 1869) · Tar-Ciryatan (1869 - 2029) · Tar-Atanamir (2029 - 2221) · Tar-Ancalimon (2221 - 2386) · Tar-Telemmaitë (2386 - 2526) · Tar-VanimeldëQ (2526 - 2637) · Tar-Anducal (2637 - 2657) · Tar-Alcarin (2657 - 2737) · Tar-Calmacil (2737 - 2825) · Tar-Ardamin (2825 - 2899) · Ar-Adûnakhôr (2899 - 2962) · Ar-Zimrathôn (2962 - 3033) · Ar-Sakalthôr (3033 - 3102) · Ar-Gimilzôr (3102 - 3177) · Tar-Palantir (3177 - 3255) · Ar-Pharazôn (3255 - 3319)
* Immediately abdicated in favour of his son · Q Ruling Queens · Usurped throne. Later struck off the Line of Kings · Usurped throne from his cousin Tar-Míriel