Aragorn
Aragorn | |
---|---|
Tolkien character | |
First appearance | The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) |
Last appearance | Unfinished Tales (1980) |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Aragorn II |
Aliases |
|
Race | Arwen Evenstar |
Children | Eldarion, daughters |
Aragorn is a fictional character and a
, forbade them to marry unless Aragorn became King of both Arnor and Gondor.Aragorn led the
Tolkien developed the character of Aragorn over a long period, beginning with a
Aragorn has appeared in mainstream films by Ralph Bakshi, Rankin/Bass, and the film trilogy by Peter Jackson, and in the fan film The Hunt for Gollum. He has also appeared in the BBC radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings.
Background
Following the defeat of Sauron and the deaths of Elendil, Anarion, and Isildur, Anarion's son, Meneldil, became king of Gondor and Isildur's son, Valandil, became king of Arnor. Many years later, the kingdom of Arnor was lost in battle with the evil land of Angmar, and Arvedui, the king of Arnor, died in a shipwreck. After that, the line of the kings of Arnor was maintained by the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, who were raised in Rivendell. The kingdom of Gondor continued, but years later, after the childless King Earnur was lost, Gondor was ruled by stewards. Eventually, Sauron returned to the land of Mordor and openly declared himself.[T 5] Each Chieftain was given a name with the Kingly prefix of Ar(a)-, to signify his right to the Kingship of Arnor.[T 6]
Fictional biography
Early life
Aragorn was the son of Arathorn II and his wife Gilraen. Gilraen's mother, Ivorwen, prophesied that if Arathorn II and Gilraen "wed now, hope may be born for our people; but if they delay, it will not come while this age lasts".
At the age of 20, after Aragorn had done great deeds in the company of Elrond's sons, Elrond
Aragorn undertook great journeys, serving in the armies of King Thengel of
At the age of 49, Aragorn visited Lothlórien, and there again met Arwen. He gave her the Ring of Barahir.[T 9] On the hill of Cerin Amroth, Arwen pledged her hand to him in marriage, renouncing her Elvish lineage and accepting mortality (the "Gift of Men"). Elrond withheld permission to marry his daughter from Aragorn until he had become the king of both Gondor and Arnor. Arwen's choice to embrace mortality would eventually require her to be separated from her immortal father Elrond. Elrond feared that in the end, Arwen might find the prospect of death too difficult to bear.[T 5]
Years later, Gandalf grew suspicious of a magic ring belonging to the hobbit
The War of the Ring
Aragorn met
At Rivendell, Aragorn was chosen as a member of the
The Fellowship attempted to cross the Misty Mountains via the pass of
Aragorn and two others set off to track the orcs, hoping to rescue Merry and Pippin. They learned that the orcs who kidnapped Merry and Pippin had been killed, and that no hobbits had been found among the remains.
'I serve no man', said Aragorn; 'but the servants of Sauron I pursue into whatever land they may go... I am not weaponless'. Aragorn threw back his cloak. The elven-sheath glittered as he grasped it, and the bright blade of Andúril shone like a sudden flame as he swept it out. 'Elendil!' he cried. 'I am Aragorn son of Arathorn and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!'
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
Together, Gandalf and the Three Hunters travelled to
Aragorn's daring and success had brought him closer to his own kingship, which was his by right as a direct descendant of Isildur but had been left unclaimed for centuries by Aragorn's ancestors. Gondor had been under the rule of the
Despite his immediate success and popularity, Aragorn decided to lay aside his claim to the throne for the time being. To avoid conflict, he left Minas Tirith and refused to enter it again until he was crowned King. To give Frodo the best chance of fulfilling his quest, Aragorn led an army to make a diversionary feint on the
Upon Sauron's defeat, Aragorn was crowned as King Elessar ("Elfstone", a Quenya name given to him by Arwen's grandmother, Galadriel), and he married Arwen at midsummer. He became the twenty-sixth King of Arnor, the thirty-fifth King of Gondor, and the first High King of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor. His line was called the House of Telcontar (Quenya for "Strider": his name in Bree).[T 29]
Aragorn ruled the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor until year 120 of the
Concept and creation
Identity
The "first germ" of the character that later evolved into Aragorn or Strider was a peculiar hobbit met by Bingo Bolger-Baggins (precursor of Frodo Baggins) at the inn of The Prancing Pony. His description and behaviour, however, was already quite close to the final story, with the difference that the hobbit wore wooden shoes, and was nicknamed Trotter for the "clitter-clap" sound that they produced. He was accounted to be "one of the wild folk – rangers", and he played the same role in Frodo's journey to Rivendell as in The Lord of the Rings.[T 30]
Later Tolkien hesitated about the true identity of "Trotter" for a long time. One of his notes suggested that the Rangers should not be hobbits as originally planned, and that this would mean that Trotter was either a man, or a hobbit who associated himself with the Rangers and was "very well known" (within the story).[T 31] The latter suggestion was linked to an early comment of Bingo: "I keep on feeling that I have seen him somewhere before".[T 32] Tolkien considered that Trotter might be Bilbo Baggins himself, but soon rejected that idea after Aragorn identified himself.[T 31]
Another suggestion was that Trotter was Fosco Took (Bilbo's first cousin), who "vanished when a lad, owing to Gandalf".[T 31] This story was further elaborated, making Trotter a nephew of Bilbo, named Peregrin Boffin, and an elder cousin of Frodo. He was said to have run away after he came of age,[T 33] some 20 years before Bilbo left the Shire, and had helped Gandalf in tracking Gollum later. A hint was also given as to why Trotter wore wooden shoes: he had been captured by the Dark Lord in Mordor and tortured, but saved by Gandalf; a note was added by Tolkien in the margin, saying that it would later be revealed that Trotter had wooden feet.[T 34]
The conception of Trotter as a hobbit was eventually discarded. Another short-lived idea was to make Trotter "a disguised elf-friend of Bilbo's in Rivendell", and a scout from Rivendell who "pretends to be a ranger".
Development
The development of Aragorn's connection to Gondor was long and complex, as was his association with Boromir. Initially, it is said that Aragorn's forefathers were the exiles of Númenor who ruled over the people of Ond (the early name of Gondor) but were driven out by the Witch-king of Angmar "when Sauron raised a rebellion".[T 36] The story of the two branches of Elendil's descendants ruling over two kingdoms of Men through many generations only emerged gradually; at one time, Tolkien even seems to have conceived only three generations between Isildur and Aragorn.[T 37]
Aragorn's relationship with Arwen was established very late in the writing. When Tolkien first introduced Éowyn, the interest she showed towards Aragorn was not one-sided, with suggestions in notes that they would marry at the end of the story. Another proposal was that Éowyn would die to save or avenge Théoden, and Aragorn would never marry after her death.[T 38]
The first mention of Elrond's daughter, named Finduilas, was made in reference to the banner she made for Aragorn,[T 39] but Tolkien did not give any hint whether she had any further part to play. The references to her marriage with Aragorn came later,[T 40] but it was explicitly stated only near the completion of the book.[T 41] Only in his work on the appendices for The Lord of the Rings did Tolkien record the full Tale of Aragorn and Arwen.[T 42]
A passing idea was that Galadriel gave her Ring to Aragorn, and that he would accordingly be titled the "Lord of the Ring".[T 40]
Names
The original nickname "Trotter" was retained for a long time, and Tolkien decided to change it to "Strider" only after the story was completed. There were also several experimental translations of "Trotter" to
Tolkien hesitated for some time over Strider's "real" name. Although Aragorn was the first suggestion when his Mannish descent was determined, the name was changed a number of times. At one point Tolkien decided that an
Among other names, Tolkien considered "Elfstan", "Elfmere", "Elf-friend", "Elfspear", "Elfwold" and "Erkenbrand", with Elvish forms: Eldamir, Eldavel, Eledon, Qendemir. The name of Aragorn's father also passed through many transient forms: Tolkien paired Aramir or Celegorn with Aragorn before settling upon Arathorn; among the various pairings were "Elfhelm" and Eldakar with "Elfstone" and Eldamir; and Ingrim with "Ingold".[T 45]
Significance
Conjectured historical basis
The Catholic author Joseph Pearce and others have conjectured, without direct evidence, that Aragorn's name is derived from the Kingdom of Aragon, and leaders such as Catherine of Aragon whose heritage is linked to the crown of Castile and crown of Aragon.[2][3]
The archaeologist Max Adams suggests that Tolkien may have based Aragorn on Oswald, a prince of the Northumbrian royal house exiled to the Kingdom of Dál Riata after Cadwallon King of Gwynedd and Penda King of Mercia laid waste to his ancestral homelands. Oswald returned years later with a raised army of Anglian exiles and retook his kingdom, slaying Cadwallon in the process.[1]
The French medievalist Alban Gautier, and separately the historian
Aragorn | Alfred the Great |
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Years in exile | Refuge in the wilds after Danes attacked him at Chippenham
|
Gathering of the Dead, the Oathbreakers, at the Stone of Erech | Gathered an army at Egbert's Stone
|
Defeated Mordor at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields | Defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington |
The fragmentation of the Dúnedain kingdoms, leading to Aragorn's small band of Rangers living in the wild, has been compared to that of the early
Christ-figure
Aragorn has been called a Christ-as-King character; Tolkien's use of prophecy has been compared to the Old Testament's foretelling of the coming of the Messiah.[8] It has been suggested that some of the Christian themes extrapolated from Tolkien's work were not intentional, but resulted from the interplay between the background he grew up in and the myths that inspired him.[9] However, aspects of Aragorn's character - his ability to heal, his sacrificial journey, and his experiences with death and the dead - have long been seen as clues to overt Messianic overtones.[10][11]
Karen Nikakis writes that Aragorn fits a "sacrificial king" archetype, noting the multiple sacrifices that Aragorn makes for the benefit of those around him and for his future people. Those sacrifices include waiting to claim his throne and to marry Arwen until the One Ring had been destroyed.[12]
Romantic hero
The Tolkien scholar
Literary mode | Middle-earth example |
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Mythic | Hints and allusions, e.g. Rohan cavalry arrives to save Gondor
|
Romantic | Aragorn's physical stamina, lifespan |
High Mimetic | Heroic figures like Éomer of Rohan, Faramir of Gondor |
Low Mimetic | Hobbits, especially at start |
Ironic | Bilbo Baggins, joking |
The Tolkien scholar
Adaptations
Film
Aragorn was voiced by
In
Fan film responses
In the 2009 fan film The Hunt for Gollum, Aragorn is portrayed by Adrian Webster. The film is set during the time of The Fellowship of the Ring. It takes place after Gandalf has discovered the true nature of Bilbo's ring and just before Frodo leaves the Shire for Rivendell.[21] Another fan film, Kate Madison's 2009 Born of Hope, imagines a time in the life of Aragorn's parents from shortly before they are married to his father's early death.[22]
The film scholar Maria Alberto writes that such fan films reveal one way that readers engage with Tolkien's writings. In her view, Born of Hope, six years in the making, comes close to a canonical narrative, while Hunt for Gollum expands a canonical incident. Alberto notes, too, that Born of Hope nods to Mortensen's physical appearance as Aragorn in both casting and costume. As for Hunt for Gollum, Alberto writes, the narrative arc requires the viewer to know from the Lord of the Rings why Aragorn would be searching for Gollum, while his meeting Gandalf in a pub plainly recalls "both Tolkien's and Jackson's" Prancing Pony.[23] Alberto states that the widely-scattered locations, from north Wales to Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath are meant to be seen as a measure of how far Aragorn travels, and in which part of the world, as he seeks Gollum. She cites the scholar Robin Anne Reid's remark that "Hunt is 'imitative' where Hope is transformative",[23][24] meaning that the former attempts to mimic Jackson and Tolkien, whereas the latter sees fans interpreting and adding to the canon.[23]
Other
In Brian Sibley's 1981 BBC radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn was played by Robert Stephens. Sibley writes that Stephens gave "a mercurial performance, combining nobility and humanity in his portrayal of the returning king whose fate, along with that of all Middle-earth, [hung] on the success or failure of Frodo's quest."[25] On stage, Aragorn was portrayed by Evan Buliung in the three-hour production of The Lord of the Rings, which opened in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[26] In the 1969 parody Bored of the Rings, Aragorn is portrayed as "Arrowroot son of Arrowshirt".[27][28][29]
References
Primary
- ^ Carpenter 2023, #131: Elendil and Gil-galad were "slain in the act of slaying Sauron."
- ^ Tolkien 1977, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", pp. 293–295
- ^ Tolkien 1980, part 3, 1. "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", pp. 271–287
- ^ a b c Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 2 "The Council of Elrond".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tolkien 1955 Appendix A "The Númenórean Kings"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, Appendix A, I (ii) "The Realms in Exile"
- ^ Tolkien 1977, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age": "He was Aragorn son of Arathorn, the nine and thirtieth heir in the right line from Isildur, and yet more like Elendil than any before him."
- ^ a b Tolkien 1954a, book 1, ch. 10 "Strider"
- ^ a b Tolkien 1955, Appendix B
- ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 1, ch. 2 "The Shadow of the Past".
- ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 1, ch. 12 "Flight to the Ford"
- ^ a b Tolkien 1954a, book 3, ch. 3 "The Ring goes South"
- ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
- ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 6 "Lothlórien"
- ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 9 "The Great River"
- ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 1 "The Departure of Boromir"
- ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 2 "The Riders of Rohan"
- ^ Tolkien 1954 book 3, ch. 5, "The White Rider"
- ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 6 "The King of the Golden Hall"
- ^ Tolkien 1954, book 3, ch. 7 "Helm's Deep"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 2 "The Passing of the Grey Company"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 9 "The Last Debate"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 7 "The Pyre of Denethor"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 8 "The Houses of Healing"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 9 "The Last Debate"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 10 "The Black Gate Opens"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 4 "The Field of Cormallen"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 5 "The Steward and the King"
- ^ Tolkien 1988, pp. 137–138
- ^ a b c Tolkien 1988, pp. 223–224
- ^ Tolkien 1988, p. 208
- ^ Tolkien 1988, pp. 371, 385
- ^ Tolkien 1988, pp. 401, 413
- ^ a b Tolkien 1989 pp. 6–7
- ^ Tolkien 1989, p. 116
- ^ Tolkien 1989, pp. 360–361
- ^ Tolkien 1989, pp. 445–448
- ^ Tolkien 1990, p. 307
- ^ a b Tolkien 1990, pp. 425–426
- ^ Tolkien 1992, p. 52
- ^ Tolkien 1996, pp. 262–270
- ^ Tolkien 1988, pp. 476, 478, 488–489
- ^ Tolkien 1989, p. 499
- ^ a b Tolkien 1989, pp. 277–278
Secondary
- ^ ISBN 978-1781854181.
- ISBN 978-1-302-40980-7.
- ISBN 978-1-58617-944-1.
- S2CID 170794160.
- OCLC 857109677.
- ^ a b Porck, Thijs (1 April 2016). "The Medieval in Middle-earth: Aragorn and Exiled Anglo-Saxon Kings". Thijs Porck (medievalist, Leiden University).
- ISBN 978-1-135-88034-7.
- ISBN 0-567-04142-5.
- .
- ISBN 978-0664226107.
- ISBN 978-0227174012.
- ^ Nikakis, K. S. (2007). "Sacral Kingship: Aragorn As the Rightful and Sacrificial King in the Lord of the Rings". Mythlore. 26: 83–90.
- ^ ISBN 978-0261102750.
- ^ a b Flieger 2004, pp. 122–145.
- ^ "John Hurt, Oscar nominated for 'The Elephant Man' dies at 77". CNBC. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Aragorn". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Matilainen, Ville (23 June 2015). "Taru sormusten herrasta kääntyi Suomessa kesäteatteriksi ja lopulta Ylen tv-sarjaksi" (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
Kari Väänänen uusi kaksoisroolinsa Klonkkuna ja Aragornina ja velho Gandalfina nähtiin Vesa Vierikko.
- ^ Spencer, Anthony (7 August 2020). "Here's What Viggo Mortensen's Been Up To Since 'Lord Of The Rings'". TheThings.
- ^ ""All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us": The Profundity of Viggo Mortensen". The Daily Free Press. 8 March 2012.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Movie Characters" Archived 29 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Empire, 29 June 2015
- ^ Grassi, John (20 April 2010). "'The Hunt for Gollum' Is a Fabulous 'Lord of the Rings' Fan Film". PopMatters. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ Lamont, Tom (7 March 2010). "Born of Hope – and a lot of charity". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ Journal of Tolkien Research. 3 (3). article 2.
- ISSN 1941-2258.
- ^ Sibley, Brian. "The Ring Goes Ever On: The Making of BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings". Brian Sibley. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Coulbourn, John (19 March 2006). "Meet the LOTR cast: Evan Buliung". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017.
- ISBN 978-0330293136.
- Journal of Tolkien Research. 4 (1): Article 4.
- ISBN 9783905703351.
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