Arthedain » Men

Master of Laketown

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:46:49 +0000

The Master of Lake-Town was the original leader of Laketown when Bilbo Baggins and his companions arrived. He is described as being greedy, but not undeserving of his position in terms of intelligence and charisma. Contrary to popular opinion, he was not a rival or enemy of Bard the Bowman, but rather a close companion of Bard’s, and he even allowed Bard to remain in Esgaroth while the Lakemen recovered from their ordeal with Smaug.

History

The Master of Laketown ruled from 2920 of the Third Age of Sun to 2941 of the Third Age of Sun, and he would have been approximately thirty years old when he began leadership. This would make him fifty years old at the time of the Battle of the Five Armies and The Quest of Erebor, as these events both occurred in the year 2941. The Master’s rule in Lake Town was rather amicable, and therefore under his dominion the Men of the Long Lake traded peaceably with the Elves of Mirkwood, creating a steady trade that was kept until 2941, when Thorin and his friends came to wrest dominion of Erebor and its riches from Smaug, who had arrived 120 years before the Master’s rule, in the year 2770.

When the dwarves arrived, the Master of Laketown greeted them generously, but only to keep public spirits up. After the destruction of Esgaroth and the slaying of the dragon by Bard, he was given money for the rebuilding of Laketown by Dain II Ironfoot, the ruler of the Lonely Mountain. He is therefore described as weak, because he is easily overcome by the lust of the treasure Smaug held, and by the dragon-spell. He flees into the wild with the gold, and is eventually abandoned in the waste and perishes there of starvation.

Legacy

Master of Lake-town is also the title given to the elected leader of Esgaroth – elected by the merchants of the town. The Master of the town when Bilbo and Thorin’s Company arrived in The Hobbit was portrayed as capable, but more than a little greedy and cowardly. His name was never given, although he earned the unpopular title “money bags” later. He was one of the few people in the town who did not eagerly welcome Bilbo and the Dwarves, fearing reprisal from the Wood Elf King. When Lake-town was destroyed by Smaug, the Master was largely held accountable, especially since he was one of the first to flee. Bard the Bowman, who had slain the dragon, was the hero of the people but he refused to seize control, insisting on working with the Master who did all he could to shift the blame onto the Dwarves.

The Master did not fight in the Battle of Five Armies, instead, he stayed behind to direct the rebuilding of the town. Afterwards Bard gave much gold to the Master for the people of the town, but the Master fell under “dragon sickness” and kept the gold for himself, fleeing Long Lake only to die of starvation in the wastes. It was afterwards stated by Balin that a new Master had been elected who was more wise

Axantur

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:39:01 +0000

A descendant of the royal line of Númenor, Axantur was the third child of Nolondil, grandson of Vardamir Nólimon, who in turn was the heir of Elros, Númenor’s founding King. Axantur was descended through Vardamir’s youngest son, Nolondil, and so belonged to only a minor branch of Númenórean royalty. However, he was to become the ancestor of Hallacar, who wedded Queen Tar-Ancalimë, and so from the time of Tar-Ancalimë’s heir Tar-Anárion, the blood of Axantur re-entered the royal line of Númenor. His cousin was Tar-Elendil, the fourth King of Númenor. We know almost nothing of Axantur’s life, but his descendants would return to the royal family: his great-grandson Hallacar married Tar-Ancalimë, the first Ruling Queen.

Afterborn

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:18:28 +0000

A translation of the Elvish name Apanónar, one of many terms used by them to refer to the race of Men. ‘Afterborn’is simply a reference to the fact that Men awoke into the World many thousands of years after the Elves, and for the same reasons they are also referred to as Hildor (‘Aftercomers’), and as the Younger Children of Ilúvatar.

Aftercomers

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:16:28 +0000

One of the many names for the race of Men, who awoke long after the Elves, the Firstborn. ‘Aftercomers’is a translation of the Elvish name Hildor, a word also seen in the name Hildórien, the Land of the Hildor, the eastern region where the first Men awoke into the World.

Aerin

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:10:57 +0000

A woman of close kin to Húrin Thalion, who Brodda the Easterling took to wife after he claimed Hithlum. She secretly aided Húrin’s wife Morwen after the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

Aerandir

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:36:57 +0000

One of the three mariners who sailed the oceans with Eärendil. With his companions Erellont and Falathar, he was aboard the famed ship Vingilot when it travelled into the West and carried Eärendil and Elwing to Aman. Those two were allowed to remain because of their Elvish blood. Aerandir and his companions, however, were not permitted to remain West of the Sea, and were returned into the east by the Valar. The name Aerandir comes from the Elvish for ‘Sea-wanderer’.

Ar-Adûnakhôr

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:40:52 +0000

Adûnakhôr was born in the year II 2709, at the time when his great-grandfather Tar-Alcarin held the Sceptre of Númenor. When Adûnakhôr was twenty-eight years old, his grandfather Tar-Calmacil succeeded as King. Until that time it had been tradition for the Kings of Númenor to take their names in Elvish form, but Tar-Calmacil became the first to use a name in his native Adûnaic. Though he officially used the Elvish name Tar-Calmacil, privately Calmacil was known by the name Ar-Belzagar.

This convention was carried on by Tar-Calmacil’s son (and Adûnakhôr’s father), whose royal name was Tar-Ardamin, but who was referred to by the King’s Men by the Adûnaic name Ar-Abattârik.

When Adûnakhôr succeeded in turn to become Númenor’s twentieth ruler, he took this rejection of the Elvish tongues to an extreme degree. Not only did he publicly take a name in his native tongue – Ar-Adûnakhôr, ‘Lord of the West’- but he even went so far as to ban the use of Elvish languages from use in his kingdom. It was thus during his reign that the Elves no longer travelled openly to the land of Númenor, but came only secretly to its western shores, where still many of the Faithful were friendly to them.

Ar-Adûnakhôr ruled Númenor for sixty-three years, and was succeeded by his son, who ruled as Ar-Zimrathôn.

Adrahil, Captain

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15:11 +0000

When King Ondoher led his army to face the Wainriders who threatened Gondor, he commanded the army’s centre with his son and heir Artamir. The soldiers of the right wing were under the command of the King’s nephew Minohtar, while the left wing were under the captaincy of the Adrahil of Dol Amroth.

Ondoher’s enterprise came to a devastating end: he was surprised by the Wainriders, and his forces were overwhelmed. Adrahil’s soldiers, however, were shielded from the attack and survived it. Ondoher and Artamir had both been killed, and Minohtar took charge, sending Adrahil south into Ithilien to form a defensive line from Cair Andros to the Ephel Dúath.

Adrahil’s story was never completed, so his fate is uncertain. We know that the Wainriders eventually broke through Minohtar’s more northerly defence, but whether they penetrated to Adrahil’s position is unknown. If he survived the initial Wainrider assault, it seems likely that Adrahil would have joined with Eärnil in his counter-attack, seeing the ultimate defeat of the Wainriders at the Battle of the Camp.

Adrahil’s place in history is difficult to define: he seems to have been an ancestor of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth (especially since he shares his name with Imrahil’s father). If he belonged to this line, though, it seems strange that he lived more than a century before Galador, who is specifically named as the first Prince of Dol Amroth. The dating is consistent with Adrahil being the father of Imrazôr, and hence Galador’s grandfather, but the evidence on this point is slim.

Adrahil

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:08:00 +0000

(fl. TA 30th Cent.) Dúnadan of Gondor, the twenty-first Prince of Dol Amroth – and descended in direct line from Galador, the very first prince. Adrahil was the father of Ivriniel, Finduilas and Imrahil. Related posts:Adrahil, father of Imrahil Adrahil, Captain Adrahil, captain to Ondoher Related posts:

Adan

Kjell Arne Brudvik — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:05:47 +0000

Another name for “Men”. Related posts:Lord of Andúnië Related posts:

Lord of Andúnië