Last prince of Cardolan

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The unnamed last prince of Cardolan was the last ruler of Cardolan during the war against Angmar. He fell on the war of T.A. 1409.

History

Rulers of Cardolan

After King Eärendur died in T.A. 861, his second son assumed the throne of Cardolan as an independent king, in contrast with his brother Amlaith, who took the crown of Arthedain. While in Arthedain the blood of Isildur survived, in Cardolan his line soon failed. Cardolan then accepted Argeleb I as King of Arnor, but it probably retained its prince as a vassal ruler.[1]

War against Angmar

The last prince of Cardolan died during the war of T.A. 1409, a fierce conflict against the Witch-kingdom of Angmar and its ally Rhudaur. He was then buried in the Barrow-downs.[2][3]

Mentions

On 28 September 3018[4] Frodo Baggins and his comrades were trapped in the Barrow-downs by a wight, probably in the same cairn which held the grave of the last prince of Cardolan.[5][6][7] According to the rare manuscript The Hunt for the Ring: Time Scheme - Black Riders, the Witch King had already risen and empowered the Barrow-wights of Cardolan[8] and slain the Rangers in order to trap the bearer of the Ring.[9][10] While Merry was trapped in the mound, he dreamed that he and others were attacked and defeated by “the men of Carn Dûm” at night and that his heart had been pierced with a spear.[11]

According to The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, Merry could not have seen the memories of the Barrow-wight, since it was sent to the Barrow-downs by the Witch King of Angmar only in T.A. 1636, while the last prince was slain in T.A. 1409. Therefore, he was dreaming the last hours of the last prince of Cardolan and his men, specifically their last night, when they fell after valiantly defending their kingdom from the forces of Angmar (“the men of Carn Dûm” are the servants and warriors of the Witch King).[12]

Family

After freeing the Hobbits from the cairn of the last prince, Tom Bombadil took for Golberry a blue-jewelled brooch belonging to a “fair” woman he seemingly knew long ago.[13][14] Considering that the kings were very often buried with their wives in the barrows, it has been speculated that the brooch belonged to the wife of the last prince (or, potentially, his daughter), met by Tom centuries before.[15]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Realms in Exile", "The Northern Line: Heirs of Isildur"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur", The North-kingdom and the Dúnedain, entries about the war with Angmar in 1409
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", paragraphs about the war of 1409; Index, Barrow-downs, the Barrow where Frodo was buried
  6. 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, Barrow-downs, Barrow of the last prince
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil"
  8. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", p. 146
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Hunt for the Ring"
  10. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Flight to the Ford", p. 180
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", statements of Merry after waking up from his sleep in the barrow
  12. 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
  13. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 146
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", statements of Tom Bombadil regarding the blue-jewelled brooch
  15. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Fog on the Barrow-downs", pp. 146-7