Tar-Aldarion

Tar-Aldarion was the sixth King of Númenor, and succeeded his father, Tar-Meneldur. Tar-Aldarion was married to Erendis, a Númenórean woman, who was not a direct descendant of the house of Elros as Aldarion himself, and therefore had a shorter life-span. Aldarion's love for the sea ultimately caused a rift between the couple and they separated in SA 882.^[1] The tale of their marriage and estrangement survived the Downfall of Númenor as "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife".

Biography

Tar-Aldarion was called "The Mariner", and his name signifies "of the trees" because he was a noted tree steward and forester — trees were essential to the construction of his fleets, but he took great care to replenish what was being felled. His first love was the sea, and he was already a great explorer before he became king, founding the Guild of Venturers to promote exploration. He made several journeys to Middle-earth and established contact with Gil-galad in his realm in the Grey Havens making friendship and alliance with him. He also established the first Númenorean port in Middle-earth, named Vinyalonde, built on the river Gwathló, and during his reign the deforesting of Enedwaith and Minhiriath began.^[3]

His only child was a daughter, Tar-Ancalimë, so he changed the rules of succession, replacing the principle of agnatic primogeniture with that of fully equal primogeniture. She became the first ruling Queen of Númenor. If not for the change, the throne would have passed to his sister's son Soronto, heir presumptive at the time.

The partial story of Aldarion and Erendis can be found in Tolkien's Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, (ed. Christopher Tolkien). Though the actual story was left incomplete, the book does give some hints on how it continued. The story also contains the first hints of the return of the Shadow, i.e. Sauron, to Middle-earth.^[2][4]

Etymology

Aldarion is a Quenya word meaning "Son of trees" from alda ("trees")^[5] and -ion ("son").^[6]

House of Elros

Elros Tar-Minyatur

Vardamir

Tindómiel

Manwendil

Atanalcar

Tar-Amandil

Vardilmë

Aulendil

Nolondil

Eärendur

Tar-Elendil

Mairen

Yávien

Oromendil

Axantur

Lindissë

Ardamir

Cemendur

Írildë

Vëantur

Hallatan

Elatan

Silmariën

Isilmë

Tar-Meneldur

Almarian

Valandil

Erendis

Tar-Aldarion

Ailinel

Orchaldor

Almiel

Hallacar

Tar-Ancalimë

Soronto

Tar-Anárion

Tar-Súrion

Two daughters

Tar-Telperiën

Isilmo

Tar-Minastir

Tar-Ciryatan

Tar-Atanamir

Tar-Ancalimon

Unnamed child

Tar-Telemmaitë

Herucalmo

Tar-Vanimeldë

Tar-Alcarin

Tar-Calmacil

Tar-Ardamin

Gimilzagar

Ar-Adûnakhôr

Ar-Zimrathôn

Ar-Sakalthôr

Ar-Gimilzôr

Tar-Palantir

Gimilkhâd

Tar-Míriel

Ar-Pharazôn

Translations

Foreign Language	Translated name
Amharic	ጣር፡ዓልዳሪኦን
Arabic	تار إلاريون
Armenian	Տար-Ալդարիոն
Assamese	টাৰ-আলডাৰিয়ান
Belarusian Cyrillic	Тар-Алдарион
Bengali	টার্-আল্দারিওন
Bhojpuri	तार-अल्डारियन
Bulgarian Cyrillic	Тар-Алдарион
Catalan	Tar Aldàrion
Chinese	塔爾-阿達瑞安
Chinese (Classical)	塔爾-阿勒達瑞安
Danish	Tar-Aldarion (6. konge af Númenor)
Dogri	तार-अल्दारियन
Georgian	ტალ-ალდარიონი
Greek	Ταρ-Αλδαριον
Gujarati	ટાર-એલ્ડેરિયન
Hebrew	טאר אלדאריון
Hindi	टर्-आल्दरिओन
Japanese	タル＝アルダリオン
Kannada	ಟಾರ್-ಅಲ್ಡಾರಿಯನ್
Kazakh	Тар-Алдаріон (Cyrillic) Tar-Aldarion (Latin)
Konkani	तार-आल्डारियन
Kyrgyz Cyrillic	Тар-Алдарион
Macedonian Cyrillic	Тар-Алдарион
Maithili	तार-अल्डारियन
Malayalam	ടാർ-അൽഡാരിയോൺ
Marathi	टार-अल्डेरियन
Mongolian Cyrillic	Тар-Алдарион
Nepalese	टर्-आल्दरिओन
Pashto	طار-آلداریون
Persian	تار-آلداریون
Punjabi	ਤਾਰ-ਅਲਡਰੀਅਨ
Russian	Тар-Алдарион
Serbian	Тар-Алдарион (Cyrillic) Tar-Aldarion (Latin)
Sindhi	تار-الڊاريون
Sinhalese	තාර-ඇල්ඩාරියන්
Tajik Cyrillic	Тар-Алдарион
Tamil	தார்-அல்டாரியன்
Telugu	టార్-అల్డారియన్
Thai	ทาร์-อัลดาริออน
Ukrainian Cyrillic	Тар-Алдаріон
Urdu	تار الداریون
Uzbek	Тар-Алдарион (Cyrillic) Tor-Aldarïon (Latin)
Yiddish	טאַר-אַלדאַריאָן

King of Númenor
Preceded by Tar-Meneldur	Tar-Aldarion	Succeeded by Tar-Ancalimë
SA 883 - SA 1075

Rulers of Númenor

Elros Tar-Minyatur • Vardamir Nólimon • Tar-Amandil • Tar-Elendil • Tar-Meneldur • Tar-Aldarion • Tar-Ancalimë • Tar-Anárion • Tar-Súrion • Tar-Telperiën • Tar-Minastir • Tar-Ciryatan • Tar-Atanamir • Tar-Ancalimon • Tar-Telemmaitë • Tar-Vanimeldë • Tar-Anducal (Herucalmo) • Tar-Alcarin • Tar-Calmacil • Tar-Ardamin • Ar-Adûnakhôr • Ar-Zimrathôn • Ar-Sakalthôr • Ar-Gimilzôr • Tar-Palantir • Ar-Pharazôn • Elendil

References