Tar-Aldarion
| Tar-Aldarion | |
|---|---|
| Tolkien's legendarium character | |
| Aliases | Aldarion, Anardil, 'The Mariner', King of Númenor |
| Race | Men |
| Book(s) | Unfinished Tales |
Tar-Aldarion is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, appearing in Unfinished Tales: Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner’s Wife, which is the only story in the legendarium of Númenor before its fall.
He was the sixth King of Númenor, succeeding his father, Tar-Meneldur. He was a great mariner, and during his time Númenor started to invest more in its navy and strengthened its presence overseas in Middle-earth. He wedded Erendis in II 870, but their relationship was troubled. He ruled for 192 years and surrendered the Sceptre to his daughter, Ancalimë, in II 1075. He died in II 1098.
At the time of his birth Númenor was still relatively “isolated”; it was only in relatively recent times that Númenórean seafarers had successfully made the journey back to Middle-earth.
In his early maturity Aldarion sailed with his maternal grandfather Vëantur to Middle-earth, and on this voyage he became enamoured of the Great Sea, in love with seafaring in itself and the thrill of new horizons and new lands over the horizon. During his first journeys to Middle-earth he made the friendship of Gil-galad and Círdan, from whom he learned much about both the making and management of ships. In 750 he founded the Guild of Venturers with like-minded young seafarers.
During this time he also met Erendis, a Númenórean lady of great beauty and intelligence, but who was not descended from the Line of Elros. Encouraged by his mother, Erendis and Aldarion began a long and troubled courtship, each harbouring doubts about the idea of marrying the other, yet drawn to each other in their hearts. Erendis desired the whole loyalty of the man to whom she would be wed and feared that she could never overcome Aldarion’s love of seafaring and travel, and her fears were well-founded. Aldarion was reluctant to marry at all, feeling little pressure of time because of his long life as a member of the Line of Elros. Yet almost against his will he was drawn to Erendis.
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