Arvedui
Arvedui was the fifteenth and final king of Arthedain. Arvedui was born in year 1864 of the Third Age. He was the son of King Araphant. Prior to Arvedui's birth, Malbeth the Seer warned Araphant that Arvedui would be the last king. Thus Arvedui's name means "last king" in Sindarin.
In 1940, Arvedui married Firiel, the daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor. In 1944, Ondoher and his sons were killed in battle against the Wainriders. Arvedui made a claim to the throne of Gondor, seeing as he was Isildur's heir and therefore the heir of Elendil, who had been High King of Gondor and Arnor before he split off to rule Arnor alone. Arvedui was also now the wife of of Firiel, who was the daughter of a king of Gondor. However, Arvedui's claim was rejected by the Council of Gondor, who believed that the bloodline in Gondor should continue through the descendants of Anarion, not Isildur. Additionally, Arvedui hoped that it would help his claim if he was the husband of Firiel, for in Numenor women were allowed to claim the throne and it could be passed maternally, but in Gondor this was not the case. So therefore Earnil, a distant relative of Ondoher, was made king.
In 1964, Arvedui's father Araphant died and Arvedui inherited the throne. Though he had hoped to become king of Gondor, Arvedui was content with his lordship over Arthedain. In 1973, Arthedain was troubled by the Witch-King of Angmar and Arvedui sent for aid from King Earnil II of Gondor. But the Witch-King attacked in 1974 before any help could come.
The Witch-King and his forces struck Fornost, the capital of Arthedain. They destroyed the city, but Arvedui and some of his people were able to escape to the North Downs. Arvedui took the Palantir of Amon Sul and the Palantir of Annuminas as he fled Fornost.
Trouble found Arvedui in the North Downs and he and his men settled in the Blue Mountains. The company ran out of food, and many died. They somehow travelled out of Arnor and into the far northern waste regions, and to the Icebay of Forochel. There Arvedui's people sought help from the Lossoth of Forodwaith, an indigenous tribal people living on the shores of the Icebay. The Lossoth, called Snowmen by the Dunedain, gave Arvedui's people food, water, and shelter.
The Elf Cirdan of the Grey Heavens sent a ship to aid Arvedui in March of 1975. But the chief of the Lossoth warned Arvedui not to leave until spring, when the ice that coated the ocean would begin to melt. Arvedui did not take the Lossoth chief's counsel, and he took the ship. As a token of appreciation and gratitude, Arvedui gifted the Lossoth chief with the Ring of Barahir as they parted.
Arvedui's ship sank due to a great blizzard from Forodwaith. The ship's hull was smashed. All of Arvedui's men drowned, including the king himself, earning him the title of "Last King." Additionally, the palantiri were both lost in the Great Sea.
Arvedui's eldest son Aranarth became the first Chieftain of the Dunedain and the Dunedain became Rangers.
In 1940, Arvedui married Firiel, the daughter of King Ondoher of Gondor. In 1944, Ondoher and his sons were killed in battle against the Wainriders. Arvedui made a claim to the throne of Gondor, seeing as he was Isildur's heir and therefore the heir of Elendil, who had been High King of Gondor and Arnor before he split off to rule Arnor alone. Arvedui was also now the wife of of Firiel, who was the daughter of a king of Gondor. However, Arvedui's claim was rejected by the Council of Gondor, who believed that the bloodline in Gondor should continue through the descendants of Anarion, not Isildur. Additionally, Arvedui hoped that it would help his claim if he was the husband of Firiel, for in Numenor women were allowed to claim the throne and it could be passed maternally, but in Gondor this was not the case. So therefore Earnil, a distant relative of Ondoher, was made king.
In 1964, Arvedui's father Araphant died and Arvedui inherited the throne. Though he had hoped to become king of Gondor, Arvedui was content with his lordship over Arthedain. In 1973, Arthedain was troubled by the Witch-King of Angmar and Arvedui sent for aid from King Earnil II of Gondor. But the Witch-King attacked in 1974 before any help could come.
The Witch-King and his forces struck Fornost, the capital of Arthedain. They destroyed the city, but Arvedui and some of his people were able to escape to the North Downs. Arvedui took the Palantir of Amon Sul and the Palantir of Annuminas as he fled Fornost.
Trouble found Arvedui in the North Downs and he and his men settled in the Blue Mountains. The company ran out of food, and many died. They somehow travelled out of Arnor and into the far northern waste regions, and to the Icebay of Forochel. There Arvedui's people sought help from the Lossoth of Forodwaith, an indigenous tribal people living on the shores of the Icebay. The Lossoth, called Snowmen by the Dunedain, gave Arvedui's people food, water, and shelter.
The Elf Cirdan of the Grey Heavens sent a ship to aid Arvedui in March of 1975. But the chief of the Lossoth warned Arvedui not to leave until spring, when the ice that coated the ocean would begin to melt. Arvedui did not take the Lossoth chief's counsel, and he took the ship. As a token of appreciation and gratitude, Arvedui gifted the Lossoth chief with the Ring of Barahir as they parted.
Arvedui's ship sank due to a great blizzard from Forodwaith. The ship's hull was smashed. All of Arvedui's men drowned, including the king himself, earning him the title of "Last King." Additionally, the palantiri were both lost in the Great Sea.
Arvedui's eldest son Aranarth became the first Chieftain of the Dunedain and the Dunedain became Rangers.
Names & Meanings
The name Arvedui means "last king" in Sindarin. The element ar comes from aran meaning "king" and vedui means "last." Arvedui was also called Arvedui Last-King of simply Last-King.
References
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: "The Realms in Exile," page 318; "The North-kingdom and the Dunedain," pages 321-323; "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion," page 329
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: "The Tale of Years," page 367
The History of Middle-earth, Volume XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "The Heirs of Elendil," page 195
The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: "The Tale of Years," page 367
The History of Middle-earth, Volume XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth: "The Heirs of Elendil," page 195
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