The next people settled in the White Mountains, and became known as the Men of the Mountains. [T 6] Tolkien denied that the name Gondor had been inspired by the ancient Ethiopian citadel of Gondar, stating that the root Ond went back to an account he had read as a child mentioning ond ("stone") as one of only two words known of the pre-Celtic languages of Britain. (Steward of Gondor) Since the death of their King and the loss of his line, many ages of Men past, the land of Gondor has been without a ruling monarch. There was war with the Easterling Wainriders, and Gondor lost its line of kings. [T 13] They became subject to Sauron in the Dark Years. Time of the Trees April They built a subterranean complex at Dunharrow, later known as the Paths of the Dead, which extended through the mountain-range from north to south. Post Month 2 May For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
----------- Researchers Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have proposed a Quenya translation of Gondor: Ondonórë.
Fragments of pre-Númenórean languages survive in later ages in place-names such as Erech, Arnach, and Umbar. The kingdom's ascendancy was restored only with Sauron's final defeat and the crowning of Aragorn. February
The Steward Denethor's hall is large and solemn, but dead, colourless, in cold stone. [1] [20] The film critic Roger Ebert called the city a "spectacular achievement". [T 17][T 28] Later the forces of Gondor, led by Aragorn under an alias, attacked Umbar and destroyed the Corsair fleet, allowing Denethor II to devote his attention to Mordor. -- Denethor . He captured Minas Ithil, but Isildur escaped by ship to Arnor; meanwhile, Anárion was able to defend Osgiliath. November In the diagram, names shown in bold are those who held the office of Steward. Akallabêth/Last Alliance Scholars have noted parallels between Gondor and the Normans, Ancient Rome, the Vikings, the Goths, the Langobards, and the Byzantine Empire.
[T 9], Gondor's geography is illustrated in the maps for The Lord of the Rings and Unfinished Tales made by Christopher Tolkien on the basis of his father's sketches, and geographical accounts in The Rivers and Beacon-Hills of Gondor, Cirion and Eorl, and The Lord of the Rings. 3rd Age - The Kings In the citadel, atop the spur, were the Court of the Fountain with the White Tree and the White Tower. [T 32][d] After several attacks by evil forces the province of Ithilien[T 11] and the city of Osgiliath were abandoned. ', Contributors: Select Event Type Isildur and his three elder sons were ambushed and killed by Orcs in the Gladden Fields. [T 25] His sons Isildur and Anárion landed in Gondor after the drowning of Númenor, and co-founded the Kingdom of Gondor. [T 30] The Ringwraiths captured and occupied Minas Ithil[T 25] which became Minas Morgul. [T 16][T 17][T 18][T 19] June Note that the marginal numbers shown starting with Mardil refer specifically to the Ruling Stewards of Gondor. On the surface, Denethor dislikes his second son, Faramir because Denethor sees Faramir as weak and lacking the boldness of his oldest son, Boromir. [12] The Byzantine Empire and Gondor were both, in Librán-Moreno's view, only echoes of older states (the Roman Empire and the unified kingdom of Elendil), yet each proved to be stronger than their sister-kingdoms (the Western Roman Empire and Arnor, respectively). [T 17], Sauron survived the destruction of Númenor and secretly returned to his realm of Mordor, soon launching a war against the Númenórean kingdoms. Historical names from these peoples were used in drafts or the final concept of the internal history of Gondor, such as Vidumavi, wife of king Valacar (in Gothic). Between the two hills is a rocky islet, Tol Brandir, which partly dams the river; just below it is an enormous waterfall, the Falls of Rauros, over which Boromir's funeral-boat is sent. [T 27][8], Denethor sent his son Boromir to Rivendell for advice as war loomed. It had seven walls, the gates facing alternately somewhat north or south, so the main street up to the citadel wound in zigzags up the hill, each time passing through a tunnel in the central spur of rock. [T 26], Both Elendil and Anárion were killed in the war, so Isildur conferred rule of Gondor upon Anárion's son Meneldil, retaining suzerainty over Gondor as High King of the Dúnedain. They were pushed aside by later settlers and came to live in the pine-woods of the Druadan Forest[T 6] by the north-eastern White Mountains. Without kings, Gondor was ruled by stewards for many generations, father to son; despite their exercise of power and hereditary status, they were never accepted as kings, or sat in the high throne. [18] The production team noted this in DVD commentary, explaining their decision to include Byzantine domes into Minas Tirith's architecture and to have civilians wear Byzantine-styled clothing. 3rd Age - Ring War Denethor was the Steward who ruled Gondor during the War of the Ring, and whose sons Boromir and Faramir each had a great part to play in that War. Its entrance was once the northern border of Gondor, and is marked by the Gates of Argonath, an enormous pair of kingly statues, as a warning to trespassers. (A period of at least 1,080 years from c. This was the seat of the Kings or Stewards of Gondor. These remain on the field for ten seconds and automatically attack nearby enemies. 1st Age Rohan is, Shippey suggests, the "bit that Tolkien knew best", [9] Anglo-Saxon, full of vigour; Gondor is "a kind of Rome", over-subtle, selfish, calculating. Day The title became hereditary from the time of Steward Pelendur of the House of Húrin. The Tolkien scholar Judy Ann Ford writes that there is also an architectural connection with Ravenna in Pippin's description of the great hall of Denethor, which in her view suggests a Germanic myth of a restored Roman Empire. After an early period of growth, Gondor gradually declined as the Third Age progressed, being continually weakened by internal strife and conflict with the allies of the Dark Lord Sauron. Denthor II, the Steward of Gondor acted as the King of the country after the last ruling king of Gondor went missing, as no one was entirely sure the King was dead, the stewards started to rule in perpetuity until time “the return of the king” of Gondor. Denethor: The rule of Gondor is mine! Isildur's remaining son Valandil did not attempt to claim his father's place as Gondor's monarch; the kingdom is ruled solely by Meneldil and his descendants until their line dies out. "[13], Tolkien visited the Malvern Hills with C. S. Lewis,[14][15] and recorded excerpts from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in Malvern in 1952, at George Sayer's home. [9], The critic Jane Chance Nitzsche contrasts the "good and bad Germanic lords Théoden and Denethor", noting that their names are almost anagrams. Denethor replies "Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty. All rights reserved. [T 41][11] Fimi further compares the helmet and crown of Gondor with the romanticised "headgear of the Valkyries", despite Tolkien's denial of a connection with Wagner's Ring cycle, noting the "likeness of the wings of a sea-bird"[T 42] in his description of Aragorn's coronation, and his drawing of the crown in an unused dust jacket design. Denethor: No tomb for Denethor and Faramir. Elendil, who founded the Kingdom of Arnor to the north, was held to be the High King of all the lands of the Dúnedain. Near the mouths of Anduin was the island of Tolfalas.
At this time Minas Anor was renamed to Minas Tirith. January Both realms were threatened by powerful eastern and southern enemies: the Byzantines by the Persians and the Muslim armies of the Arabs and the Turks, as well as the Langobards and Goths; Gondor by the Easterlings, the Haradrim, and the hordes of Sauron. Faramir, son of Denethor II, becomes the 27th Steward of Gondor, the last of the Ruling Stewards: [ Éomer and Imrahil ] greeted Gandalf and said: 'We seek the Steward, and men say that he is in [the Houses of Healing ]. Shippey notes that while Éomer is "compulsively truculent", Faramir is courteous, urbane, civilised: the people of Gondor are self-assured, and their culture is higher than that of Rohan.
There was a civil war, giving Umbar the opportunity to declare independence.
Tanaqui 15May05 4th Age, Start: Gandalf: Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the king, *Steward*. The capital, Minas Tirith, lay at the eastern end of the White Mountains, built around a shoulder of Mount Mindolluin. [T 28] The kings of Harad grew stronger, leading to fighting in the south. Along with Arnor in the north, Gondor, the South-kingdom, served as a last stronghold of the Men of the West. Start Age/Era [17] Further down the river are the hills of Emyn Arnen.[3]. April ArtifactsCultural/SocialEnvironment/DiseaseGenealogicalGeneralMilitary/StrategicPolitical [13], The Malvern Hills may have inspired Tolkien to create parts of the White Mountains. Pre Month The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 5, The Steward and the King, Faramir met Aragorn in the midst of those there assembled, and he knelt, and said: 'The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office. Gondor lies in the west of Middle-earth, on the northern shores of Anfalas[T 10][T 11] and the Bay of Belfalas[T 12] with the great port of Pelargir near the river Anduin's delta in the fertile[T 13] and populous[T 11] region of Lebennin,[T 14] stretching up to the White Mountains (Sindarin: Ered Nimrais, "Mountains of White Horns"). And no other's!