Tar-Minastir

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Tar-Minastir
Númenórean
Peter Xavier Price - Tar-Minastir Upon Oromet.jpg
"Tar-Minastir Upon Oromet" by Peter Xavier Price
Biographical Information
TitlesKing of Númenor
LocationNúmenor
LanguageAdûnaic, Sindarin and Quenya
BirthS.A. 1474[1]
RuleS.A. 1731 - 1869 (138 years)[1]
DeathS.A. 1873[1] (aged 399)
Family
HouseHouse of Elros
ParentageIsilmo[2]
ChildrenTar-Ciryatan[3]
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Tar-Minastir

Tar-Minastir (S.A. 14741873, aged 399 years) was the eleventh King of Númenor, ruling for 138 years, from S.A. 1731 to 1869.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Tar-Minastir was the grandson of King Tar-Súrion. Before becoming King he used the name Minastir. He succeeded his aunt, Queen Tar-Telperiën.[2] He acquired his name Minastir after building a high tower upon the hill of Oromet near Andúnië and the west shores of Númenor, to spend time gazing westwards.[1]

During his time, in Middle-earth, the War of the Elves and Sauron began in S.A. 1693,[4] Sauron invaded Eriador in S.A. 1695[5] and the realms of Eregion fell. Sauron then advanced to Lindon and besieged Rivendell.[6] Minastir, who loved the Eldar, but envied them,[1] sent a navy under the command of Ciryatur to Lindon to aid the Elves in 1700.[7][6][2][8][9][note 1] Ciryatur's forces utterly routed Sauron's army in the Battle of the Gwathló and reinforcements from Lindon and Tharbad helped defeat the enemy. Sauron retreated back to Mordor.[6]

The Númenóreans who had tasted power in Middle-earth in the battles with Sauron, began establishing dominions on the coasts of Middle-earth starting around the year 1800.[10]

Tar-Minastir was one of the last "good" Kings of the realm, as his successors started becoming greedy of wealth and power.[11]

In 1869[1] his son, Tar-Ciryatan, constrained Tar-Minastir to surrender the sceptre before he would have done of his free will.[3]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Minastir is a Quenya name. Its meaning is not glossed, but Paul Strack suggests it might mean "Watch Tower" as a compound of a shortened form minas of minassë ("tower"), and a form of tir ("to watch").[12] Like all the rulers of Númenor who took their royal names in Quenya, Minastir added the prefix tar- ("high") to his name when he received the Sceptre.[13]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
Tar-Súrion
1174 - 1574
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Telperiën
1320 - 1731
 
Isilmo
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TAR-MINASTIR
1474 - 1873
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Ciryatan
1634 - 2035
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Atanamir
1800 - 2221


Notes

  1. In The Tale of Years it is stated that "Tar-Minastir", his name with the prefix Tar- of the King of Númenor, sent a great navy from Númenor to Lindon in S.A. 1700 (see citation 7). This event and date are restated in The History of Galadriel and Celeborn, mentioning "Tar-Minastir the King" (see citation 6). Yet in The Line of Elros Tar-Telperiën is said to have lived to S.A. 1731 and not have given up the sceptre until that time, which would mean she was the ruler of Númenor when the great navy was sent (see citation 2). Christopher Tolkien could not account for this discrepancy (see citation 8). It is possible to reconcile this discrepancy if Minastir sent the fleet in a capacity, such as Regent or Captain of the Queen's Ships before he ascended the throne and that later chroniclers simply referred to him as "Tar-" or "the King" without taking into account that he had not taken the sceptre and had not formally become the king when he sent the fleet to Lindon. In a Note on the delay of Gil-galad and the Númenóreans it is mentioned that the great host of "Minastir" landed in Middle-earth (see citation 9).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XI Tar-Minastir
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry X Tar-Telperien
  3. 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XII Tar-Ciryatan
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age", entry for the year 1693, p. 1083
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age", entry for the year 1695, p. 1083
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age", entry for the year 1700, p. 1083
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", "Notes", Note 9
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part Three. The World, its Lands, and its Inhabitants: XVIII. Note on the Delay of Gil-galad and the Númenóreans", p. 370
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age", entry for the year c. 1800, p. 1083
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Númenor", paragraph following the paragraph about Tar-Minastir, p. 1036
  12. Paul Strack, "Q. Minastir m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 22 December 2021)
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", first paragraph and entry I to XXV
Tar-Minastir
House of Elros
Born: S.A. 1474 Died: S.A. 1873
Preceded by:
Tar-Telperiën
11th King of Númenor
S.A. 1731 - 1869
Followed by:
Tar-Ciryatan


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