Gondorians

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Gondorians
People
Liz Danforth - Gondorian.jpg]
"Gondorian" by Liz Danforth
General Information
Other namesMen of Gondor, Stone-folk, Stonehouse-folk
OriginsDescendants of the Númenóreans in Gondor (partly Northmen and Pre-Númenóreans)[1][2]
LocationsGondor
AffiliationLast Alliance of Elves and Men, Host of the West
RivalriesCorsairs of Umbar, Easterlings, Haradrim
LanguagesNúmenórean Sindarin, Quenya, Westron
MembersDenethor, Boromir, Faramir, Imrahil
GalleryImages of Gondorians

The Gondorians were the inhabitants of Gondor. The Dúnedain of Gondor, also known as the Dúnedain of the South, constituted the ruling class and nobility of Gondor being descendants of the Exiles of Númenor who established the South-Kingdom. The history of the Gondorians is extensively dominated by the actions of the Dúnedain of the South.

History

Early History

After the Downfall of Númenor, the Exiles of Númenor, led by Elendil, established the Realms in Exile of Arnor and Gondor. Arriving at the mouths of the Anduin, Elendil's sons, Isildur and Anárion, ascended the great river and founded the realm of Gondor.[3]

In Númenorean colonies and outposts, such as Belfalas, Pelargir, Lond Daer and Umbar, there were many Faithful, fully or partially of Númenórean blood, who descended from Númenor long before its Downfall. The colonists welcomed Elendil's sons and allied themselves with the founders of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain.[3][4] Elendil made the Faithful nobles (kin of Elendil) who ruled Belfalas "Princes".[5] There were also many men of mingled blood, descended from the Men of the White Mountains during the Dark Years.[6]

Originally ruled by the High King of the Dúnedain, they were divided as the Dúnedain of Arnor and the Dúnedain of Gondor, following the death of Isildur, son of Elendil, in T.A. 2.[3][7] Isildur had relinquished the rule of Gondor to his nephew Meneldil who became the first King of Gondor to rule in his own right, and so the Gondorians became an independent people.[3][7]

Third Age

In the south, the realm of Gondor endured, and for a time the splendour of the Gondorians grew, until it recalled the wealth and majesty of Númenor during the reign of Hyarmendacil I by T.A. 1050.[3][8][7][8] High towers the people of Gondor built, and strong places, and havens of many ships; and the Winged Crown of the Kings of Men was held in awe by people of many lands and tongues.[3]

Yet at the last, in the later Third Age, the Dúnedain of Gondor waned for their blood became much mingled with that of other men, especially the Northmen of Rhovanion.[8] King Eldacar, who himself had Northmannish blood, showed favour to the Northmen who supported him.[8] This led to the Kin-strife, when many Dúnedain of Gondor were slain.[8] After his return from exile, many noble houses, including the royal House of Anárion, became more mingled with the blood of "lesser" Men.[8]

The Great Plague decimated the Gondorians with many, including King Telemnar, his kin, as well as many others of the Dúnedain of Gondor, being killed.[3][8]

After the reign of King Eärnur, royal descendants among the Dúnedain of Gondor had become few and no claimant for the throne could be found of pure Númenórean blood, or whose claim all would accept, and people were afraid of a new Kin-strife that would devastate the kingdom.[8] Thus, by default, Mardil began the line of Ruling Stewards of Gondor.[3][8]

After the Stewards picked up the southern rule, the Gondorians still defended the passage of the Anduin against the terrors of Minas Morgul and against all the enemies of the West.[3]

By the time of the War of the Ring, most Gondorians lived within Minas Tirith, or in the high vales of the mountain-borders, in Lossarnach, or further south in Lebennin.[6] The herdsmen and husbandmen that dwelt in the townlands of the Pelennor were not many.[6] The Dúnedain of Gondor lived in Minas Tirith and the adjacent townlands, as well as the tributary fiefs and royal lands of Anórien, Ithilien, and Belfalas.[4][9]

Later History

In the Fourth Age, the Dúnedain of Gondor and Arnor were reunited under King Aragorn II Elessar (who was also called the Dúnadan) so that the Gondorians became a part of a great Reunited Kingdom that spanned western Middle-earth.

Culture

Skills

The original Gondorians brought extraordinary knowledge of stonework with them from Númenor, and this skill was a vital part of the character of Gondor and its people. In the early years of the realm, the Gondorians worked to erect mighty cities and monuments throughout their new land.[3] Their original capital at Osgiliath had great stone bridges spanned the Anduin, as well as mighty houses and towers of stone.[3] Other works marvellous and strong they built in the land in the days of their power, at the Argonath, and at Aglarond, and at Erech; and at Isengard, they made the Pinnacle of Orthanc of unbreakable stone.[3] They also built great roads that ran both north and south of the White Mountains.[10]

The Gondorians were very skilled in the arts of healing and medicine, having preserved much wisdom of Númenor.[5] They were skilled in healing all such sickness Men were subject to.[11]

The Men of Gondor were noted for their great seafaring skills, especially naval warfare. They built navies and extended the sway of Gondor along the coasts west and south of the Mouths of Anduin for more than a thousand years.[3][8]

Customs

The high men of the South married late in their life and had few children.[8] Several of the Kings of Gondor were childless.[8]

Before a meal, the Gondorians had a little ritual called the Standing Silence: they looked towards the West in silence, towards Númenor, and beyond to Aman, and to that which is beyond Elvenhome.[12]

Gondorian ships were usually black and silver in colour.[13]

The people of Minas Tirith used horses very little and they were rarely seen in their streets, save only those ridden by the errand-riders of their lord.[6]

Politics

Gondor was divided into regions described as 'fiefs', each under the control of a lord who in turn owed their allegiance to the Ruler of Gondor, whether the King or (in later years) the Ruling Steward.[14] Many of these fiefs were dominated by the Dúnedain, notably the royal lands of Anórien and Ithilien, as well as the shoreland fief of Belfalas.[4]

The Númenórean King of Gondor governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker.[15] In all debatable matters of importance domestic, or external, however, even Denethor had a Council, and at least listened to what the Lords of the Fiefs and the Captains of the Forces had to say.[15] Aragorn re-established the Great Council of Gondor, and in that Faramir, who remained by inheritance the Steward (or representative of the King during his absence abroad, or sickness, or between his death and the accession of his heir) was his chief counsellor.[15]

Language

Westron, or the Common Speech, was the main language of the people of Gondor. An antique, more formal and terse, form of the Common Tongue was spoken by the Gondorians.[16]

Many of the Men of Gondor could also speak the Elvish tongues, a notable distinction and characteristic among the Dúnedain of the South.[4] Sindarin had long ceased to be a "first language" in Gondor, but was learned in early youth (by those claiming Númenórean descent) from loremasters, and used by them as a mark of rank and high-blood.[17] It had changed very little since the Downfall of Númenor and though the Men of Gondor altered some of the sounds, they could still understand the Elves and be understood by them.[17] Westron became used more and more by the Dúnedain of Gondor themselves, so that at the time of the War of the Ring, Sindarin was known to only a small part of the peoples of Gondor (and spoken daily by fewer); they dwelt mostly in Minas Tirith and the adjacent townlands, and in the land of the tributary princes of Dol Amroth.[4] Sindarin was used to be polite, especially in Minas Tirith.[18]

Quenya was known to the learned of Gondor, a tradition which has continued from the loremasters of Númenor, to be used for places of fame and reverence in addition to the names of royalty and men of great renown.[18][4] All the royal names of the Kings of Gondor as well as all the Stewards until Mardil Voronwë were Quenya names.[4][19] At the end of the Third Age, there were more Men (those of Minas Tirith and its fiefs) that knew Quenya or spoke Sindarin than there were Elves (those of Lindon, Rivendell, and Lórien) who did either.[18]

Characteristics

Appearance and Traits

The Gondorians of Númenórean descent were tall, pale-skinned, with dark hair, shining grey eyes, and proud faces.[20][6] They were a proud and noble people, valiant in the face of hardhsip.[6] The Men of Gondor whose blood is more mingled with the people of the White Mountains (such as those of Lossarnach) were grim-faced, shorter, and somewhat swarthier than many others in Gondor.[6]

Lifespan

In the beginning of their history, the Dúnedain (including those of Gondor) were blessed with a lifespan thrice the life of lesser men, yet this ever-diminished over the course of the Third Age.[21][4]

The Third Age marked the beginning of the waning of the Dúnedain, in which their gifts of wisdom, nobility, and long life were slowly withdrawn due to the Downfall of Númenor and their mingling with lesser men.[8]

After Gondor's numbers were replenished by lesser Northmen after the Kin-Strife, the mingling did not at first hasten the waning of the Dúnedain, as had been feared, but it still proceeded little by little as it had before.[8] However, after the fall of the Kings, the waning was much swifter in Gondor than in Arnor.[21] In fact, Hador the seventh Ruling Steward of Gondor was the last Gondorian to live 150 years and after his time the life-span of those with Númenórean blood waned more rapidly.[17] By the time of the War of the Ring, the lifespan of the Gondorians had waned to little greater than that of lesser men.[11] Only few among the Gondorians passed 100 years with vigour, except in the more pure and noble houses.[11]

Upon the reunification of the Two Kingdoms, the life-span of all Dúnedain (including those of Gondor) was not restored and continued to wane until it became as that of other men.[17]

Portrayal in adaptations

1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:

Gondorians, or Gondorian Commoners, are one of the cultures, suitable for player characters, that are given a detailed description. The Gondorians contain varying degrees of blood from Dúnedain, Northmen and Men from Harad and Dunland.[22][23]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 64, (dated 30 April 1944), also Letter 144, Letter 256
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Men"
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Minas Tirith"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Ride of the Rohirrim"
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Houses of Healing"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Window on the West"
  13. Daniel Helen, "Tolkien’s annotated map of Middle-earth transcribed" dated 10 November 2015, The Tolkien Society (accessed 5 August 2018)
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages", §41, p. 45
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 244, (undated, written circa 1963)
  16. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "On Translation"
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil"
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 347, (dated 17 December 1972)
  19. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Southern Line: Heirs of Anarion"
  20. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit"
  21. 21.0 21.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  22. S. Coleman Charlton (1993), Middle-earth Role Playing (2nd edition, softcover) (#2001), p. 168
  23. Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Martin Rundkvist, Erik Ragvik, Olle Sahlin, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The People (#2020)