Tar-Palantir

From Tolkien Gateway
The name Palantir refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Palantir (disambiguation).
Tar-Palantir
Númenórean
Juliana Pinho - Faithful Family - Inziladun and Tar-Miriel.png
"Faithful Family - Inziladun and Tar-Miriel" by Juliana Pinho
Biographical Information
Other namesInziladûn (A)
Númellótë (Q)
"the Farsighted"
TitlesKing of Númenor
LocationNúmenor
AffiliationThe Faithful[1]
LanguageAdûnaic, Quenya and Sindarin
BirthS.A. 3035[1]
RuleS.A. 3177 - S.A. 3255 (78 years)[1]
DeathS.A. 3255[1] (aged 220)
Family
HouseHouse of Elros
ParentageAr-Gimilzôr and Inzilbêth[2]
SiblingsGimilkhâd[2]
ChildrenMíriel[1]
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Tar-Palantir

Tar-Palantir was the twenty-fourth King of Númenor,[1] who tried to restore the Númenórean traditions during the last dark years of the realm.

History[edit | edit source]

Tar-Palantir received the Adûnaic name Inziladûn from his father after his birth.[1] His father Ar-Gimilzôr was a bitter opponent of the Valar and the Elves, and had banished the speaking of the Elven tongues in his realm. However, Inziladûn's mother, Inzilbêth, was secretly a member of the Faithful and taught her son to be an Elf-friend.[2]

When Inziladûn took the Sceptre of Númenor it was a time of great darkness in Númenor. Ever since the time of Tar-Atanamir, every King had spoken against the Valar and questioned the Ban they had put upon the Númenóreans against sailing into the West. By this time, the Númenóreans's riches and power grew, but also did their fear for Death, and their joy and years lessened.[3]

Inziladûn sought to repent of these actions of his predecessors and took a royal name in the Elvish tongue Quenya in the tradition of his ancestors: Tar-Palantir. As a consequence, he let the Faithful live in peace. Once again the White Tree was properly tended, for Tar-Palantir's gift of foresight allowed him to ascertain that if the White Tree perished, then the line of Kings would also come to an end. The King also faithfully observed the ancient religious ceremonies of the Númenóreans at due times.[3]

The Valar did not respond to Tar-Palantir's repentance because of the insolence of the Kings before him, and because the greater part of the Númenóreans were still hostile to the Lords of the West. Nor did Elven ships ever come from Tol Eressëa to Númenor again. Tar-Palantir became filled with sorrow over the continuing rebellion of his people, and began to spend more of his time at the tower of Tar-Minastir in the west of the isle, looking to the West with nostalgia, maybe hoping to see a ship from there. But even the sight of it was withheld from him. His brother Gimilkhâd followed the policies of his father Ar-Gimilzôr and became the leader of the party that had been called the King's Men and opposed the will of Tar-Palantir both openly and in secret. After the death of Gimilkhâd, his son Pharazôn probably became the leader of the King's Men, because he was even more restless and eager for power and wealth than his father and used his renown as a captain both by land and sea and his great wealth to turn the hearts of the people to him.[3] As a consequence, there was strife and rebellion in Númenor during the reign of Tar-Palantir.[4]

Tar-Palantir married late and had only one child, a daughter named Míriel. According to the law of succession, Míriel would have succeeded her father as Queen of Númenor with the royal name Tar-Míriel. However, when Tar-Palantir died, Pharazôn, the leader of the rebellion,[4] married Míriel against her will and against the laws of Númenor, because she was his first cousin, usurped the sceptre and took the title Ar-Pharazôn (Tar-Calion). His wife Míriel was named Ar-Zimraphel.[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Palantir is a Quenya name. It means "Farsighted"[5] or "He who looks afar".[6] It is a compound of palan ("far") and a form of tir- ("to watch").[7] Like for all the rulers of Númenor whose name was inscribed in the Scroll of Kings, the prefix tar- ("high") was added to his name.[8]

Other names[edit | edit source]

Inziladûn is the name given to Tar-Palantir at birth by his father. It is Adûnaic for "Flower of the West".[9][10] It is a compound of inzil ("flower") and adûn ("west").[11] 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.[12]

The secret Quenya version of Inziladûn was Númellótë.[9]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Ar-Zimrathôn
2798 - 3033
 
 
 
14th Lord
of Andúnië
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ar-Sakalthôr
2876 - 3102
 
Lindórië
unknown
 
Eärendur
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ar-Gimilzôr
2960 - 3177
 
Inzilbêth
unknown
 
16th Lord
of Andúnië
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TAR-PALANTIR
3035 - 3255
 
Gimilkhâd
3044 - 3243
 
Númendil
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tar-Míriel
3117 - 3319
 
Ar-Pharazôn
3118 - 3319
 
Amandil
Sailed west 3316
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elendil
3119 - 3441


Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

Television[edit | edit source]

2022: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power:

9 September: Adar:
Tar-Palantir appears off-camera at the end of the final scene, when his daughter ascends the King's Tower to inform him that his warning of the appearance of Galadriel was accurate.
16 September: The Great Wave:
When Galadriel breaks into the King's Tower, it is revealed by Míriel that he is ill and not fully aware of himself or his surroundings.
23 September: Partings:
When Míriel informs him of her plan to aid the Southlands in Middle-earth, he warns her not to go as all that awaits her there is darkness, foreshadowing Míriel's blindness later on.
14 October: Alloyed:
Upon his deathbed, he speaks with Eärien, mistaking her for Míriel. He instructs her to look into the Palantir, but warns her not to look for too long as he did - now he cannot tell the difference between what is and what was and what will be. Tar-Palantir dies shortly afterwards.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XXIV Tar-Palantir (Ar-Inziladûn)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", entry XXIII Ar-Gimilzôr (Tar-Telemnar)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Akallabêth: The Downfall of Númenor"
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Númenor"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Númenor", paragraph after These are the names of the Kings and Queens of Númenor:
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index, entry Tar-Palantir
  7. Paul Strack, "Q. Palantir m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 13 January 2022)
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", first paragraph and entry I to XXV
  9. 9.0 9.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index, entry *Númellótë
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor", "Notes", note 13
  11. Paul Strack, "Ad. Inziladûn m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 13 January 2022)
  12. Paul Strack, "Ad. Ar- pref.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 12 January 2022)
Tar-Palantir
House of Elros
Born: S.A. 3035 Died: S.A. 3255
Preceded by:
Ar-Gimilzôr
24th King of Númenor
S.A. 3177 - 3255
Followed by:
Ar-Pharazôn


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
Númenor
Andor · Atalantë · Elenna · Mar-nu-Falmar · Númenórë · Westernesse
Regions Andustar · Arandor · Emerië · Forostar · Hyarastorni · Hyarnustar · Hyarrostar · Mittalmar · Nísimaldar · Orrostar
Towns and cities Almaida · Andúnië · Armenelos · Eldalondë · Moriondë · Nindamos · Ondosto · Rómenna
Buildings Calmindon · Eämbar · King's Court · Temple · White House of Erendis
Natural features Bay of Eldanna · Bay of Rómenna · Firth of Rómenna · Hallow of Eru · Meneltarma (mountain) · Nísinen (lake) · North Cape · Nunduinë (river) · Oromet (mountain) · Siril (river) · Sorontil (mountain) · Tarmasundar (ridges) · Tompollë
Plants and trees Fragrant Trees · Lairelossë · Laurinquë · Lavaralda · Nessamelda · Nimloth · Oiolairë · Taniquelassë · Vardarianna · Yavannamírë
Heirlooms Aranrúth · Bow of Bregor · Dramborleg · Elendilmir · Narsil · Palantíri · Ring of Barahir · Sceptre of Annúminas · Sceptre of Númenor · Tile and Textiles · Helmet
Concepts Adûnaic · Ban of the Valar · Council of the Sceptre · Downfall of Númenor · Great Bear-dance · Heirship · Númenórean Sindarin · Three Prayers (Eruhantalë · Erukyermë · Erulaitalë)
Key people Aldarion · Amandil · Anárion · Captain of the King's Ships · Elendil · Elros (House of Elros) · Erendis · Faithful · Great Armament · Guild of Venturers · Guild of Weaponsmiths · Isildur · Kings and Queens of Númenor · King's Archers · King's Men · Lords of Andúnië · Meneldur · Miriel · Palantir · Pharazôn · Sauron · Silmariën
Main texts The Silmarillion ("Akallabêth") · Unfinished Tales ("A Description of the Island of Númenor" · "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife" · "The Line of Elros: Kings of Númenor") · The Lord of the Rings ("Appendix A" · "Appendix B") · The Nature of Middle-earth ("Lives of the Númenóreans" · "Of the land and beasts of Númenor")