Lost Lore ~ Royal Ancestry

The Midsummer celebrations this year are wonderful, are they not? It’s been one year since High King Elessar and High Queen Arwen Undómiel were wed and the celebrations for their anniversary are magnificent. The City of Minas Tirith has once again been decorated with freshly bloomed flowers in vibrant shades, whilst the city folk and visitors from far and wide gather on every tier, singing and dancing to lively tunes, and perhaps having a little too much wine…

Tucked away in the Sages Tier, however, sits many a scholar pouring over books and maps in their own individual study. This is where I invite you today, to learn a little history behind the ancestry of King Elessar and Queen Arwen…

How have you been enjoying the Midsummer celebrations? I certainly have. Anyway, to the reason as to why I have brought you here to the Houses of Lore. When they were wed, you may recall that the union of Elessar and Arwen was too said to be the union of Eärendil’s descendants. Do you know who Eärendil was?

Well, Eärendil was a half-elven mariner who lived in the first age of this world. He was a great hero whose deeds where prophesised many hundreds of years before Eärendil was even born – which was in FA 503, if you didn’t know. His elven mother was Princess Idril, daughter of Turgon the Wise, meanwhile his father was Tuor, of the House of Hador.

It is not Eärendil’s parentage that is key when looking at Elessar and Arwen’s union, however, although I admit it is quite symbolic. In fact, it is Eärendil’s sons that are of importance here.

Eärendil was married to Elwing the White, a half-elven maiden descended from Beren and Luthien. Together, Eärendil and Elwing had twin half-elven sons. Elros and Elrond they were named. I assume you have heard of Lord Elrond, and perhaps have even met him during a visit to the Last Homely House. Elros and Elrond were taken into the care of Maglor and Maedhros, and it is believed that they both took part in the War of Wrath, which is quite likely considering their connection to the Sons of Fëanor. At the start of the Second Age, with the ruins that the War of Wrath left Middle-Earth in, the Valar gave the sons of Eärendil a decision to make…

Elros and Elrond were the only two descendants of the heroic tribes of Men from the First Age left and so the Valar gave them a choice. Elrond chose to live as an immortal elf, whilst Elros chose to give up his immortality and live as a mortal man, although he was blessed with a long life, far longer than any Man may live it today’s world. Elros has a long line of descendants, which eventually ends in the present day with King Elessar. Meanwhile, Elrond, gifted with elven immortality, lived on as his brother’s descendants were born, grew up, had children of their own and then died, in the continuing cycle that is mortality. Elrond, in his long lifetime, married the daughter of Galadriel, Lady of the Galadhrim, and Celeborn, Lord of Lothlórien, Celebrían. Elrond and Celebrían had three children, the twins Elladan and Elrohir, and of course, Queen Arwen.

Here… I have drawn a family tree for you…

Do you understand now the importance of the union of King Elessar and Queen Arwen? A long line of kings descended from Elros, the brother who became a Man, whilst a shorter family tree of Elrond, the brother who became an Elf, has rejoined after many ages of this world and thus is cause for this great celebration.

Thank you for coming along to this little history lesson, and I hope, as you go on to enjoy the festivities of Midsummer and the anniversary of King Elessar and Queen Arwen’s marriage, that you remember the history behind all the merriment and cheer…

Article written by Blodflaed, of the Laurelin Archives Reporter Team.