The following sections discuss the accompanying PDF-file displaying the genealogical trees of the noble Mannish houses from the First to the Fourth Age of the Sun. Shown are: the Houses of the Edain, the Line of Elros (including a separate sheet showing the lords of Hyarastorni), the Heirs of Elendil, the noble Houses of Emyn Arnen and Dol Amroth, the Lords of the Éothéod, the Kings of Rohan, the Lords of Aldburg, and the Lords and Kings of Dale. In addition, each table is accompanied by short references to the main historical events that concerned the dynastic members.
The tables have been compiled from five main sources to which different weights of credibility have been applied. To distinguish them, the data are colour-coded in the following manner:
Black: (Tables 1-3) Data from S; (4-15) from LR
Blue: Data from WJ
Green: Data from UT
Red: Data from PM
Ruling kings or lords are set in bold and coloured frames, other members of the noble houses in normal frames. No frames are applied to members who entered a house by marriage.
For the sake of concise presentation, the nomenclature of the LR prologue was adopted, giving the age in Roman and the year in Arabic numerals, thus III 3019 corresponds to 3019 TA.
Note:
In the tradition of Rohan, the royal dynasties were treated as separate "lines" whenever the direct male descendancy was disrupted. To the Rohirrim this habit had quite a physical meaning for each time a new line began a separate row of mounds was opened on the cemetary. However, for the matter of presentation it has been found convenient to apply such distinctions in general to the recorded dynasties, though they were not officially given that way.
Because the Legends of the Elder Days were never published in a finished state, tables 1 to 3 only try to represent in the best possible manner the conditions in which they were "frozen" rather than completed. The chronological data of WJ were verified against those of the printed S and marked as such where not authentificated by the latter. They seem to confirm the calculations found in CG in a couple of issues, but for years later than 460, they shift increasingly off.
Bëor's date of death was independently guessed in CG but confirmed by QS. Based on this reference year, it is possible to calculate as well the years in which the Haladin and the People of Marach entered Beleriand.
The main source of information is S, with additional data supplied by QS. Unfortunately, in many cases the dates of death were not recorded.
All dates given are FA.
Bereg: After his leaving of Beleriand with 1000 people, nothing of his fate is known. Quite probably, he and his followers contributed to the pre-Númenoreans who were found by the Dúnedain in Eriador later in the Second Age.
Beren: The son of Belemir was called the fifth child only in an older genealogy of the House of Bëor (LQ); the reference was not deliberately rejected, however, and so still assumed here as valid.
This is the most complex genealogy of the First Age. In S and UT, it is also the most extensively treated with, so many data could be taken from there, in addition to - and often verifying - data supplied by WJ.
A particular phenomenon among the People of Marach is the militaristic baptizing of their sons: Magor "the Sword" - Hathol "the Axe" - Hador "the Warrior" - all do not sound as if their fathers had been very content with the Long Peace of Beleriand.
Unless otherwise stated, all dates given are FA.
Húrin: S states that he died at the age of 65 years. In GA this was correctly amended to 66, - in accordance with the genealogies in WJ - but Christopher Tolkien failed to adopt the change into the published text.
Aerin: She does not appear in any genealogical table, probably because she was changed very late from a "kinswoman of Morwen" (GA) to one "of Húrin" (S). In 495 FA, she was a white-haired Lady; Túrin called her his aunt in HH. It is therefore reasonable to assume that "kinswoman" meant she was of the same generation with Húrin, and that her father Indor, called in the UT Index only "man of Dor-Lómin", was probably a cousin of Galdor and Gundor. Aerin burnt Brodda's hall after the massacre in 495, but it is not known whether she herself died on that occasion.
Nienor: Received a child from her brother and husband Túrin but committed suicide before birth.
Dírhavel: Said in AD to be a descendant of the House of Hador. If so, Gundor would have to be his ancestor because all descendants of Galdor are accounted for. Perhaps this statement should read "House of Marach"?
With the marriage of Eärendil and Elwing, sole survivor of Beren's descendants, the Half-Elves of the First Age were united into a single line - the impending production of even further Half-Elves by Túrin and Finduilas of Nargothrond was prevented in time by Glaurung the Dragon. Their ancestry was absolutely unique: It included all three Houses of the Edain, the Noldor of Gondolin, the Sindar of Doriath, and, last but not least, a corporeal Ainu. The twin sons Elros and Elrond took fates much different from each other, until finally the separate lines were united once again by the marriage of Arwen to her own remote nephew - a remarkable incest separated by several millenia!
Unless otherwise stated, all dates given are FA.
Díor: The date of the second Sack of Menegroth and the perishing of Díor's family is in WJ once given as 506, another time as 511. S reckons the Fall of Gondolin in 510, explicitly stated to have happened after the ruin of Doriath. For that reason, 506 is the date accepted in this table.
These people evidently suffered from a considerably low fertility, so their genealogical tree is rather scarce. The main source of information is S, with additional data supplied by QS and WH. The notion that the ruling House of Haleth went extinct with Manthor (500 FA) is only found in WH. Afterwards, the Haladin of Brethil were ruled by "lesser men" (WH) about whom nothing further is known.
All dates given are FA.
Following the first lord, the names and dates of this line was lost in time till close to the end. Only the number of ruling lords remained.
The first Line of Elros has been recorded to some extent in AE. After that, our primary genealogical source is KR which gives the names of the kings but not their dates: these have mostly been applied according to LE, a few of them, however, can be verified against TY. These documents rarely list the kings' wifes, siblings or other relatives. It is only stated that after Tar-Anárion all heirs to the throne married other descendants of the Line of Elros. This inbreeding was meant to withhold the decrease of lifespan but in reality accelerated the decline.
Unless otherwise stated, all dates given are SA.
Elros: Both KR and LE state that Elros was born 58 years before the End of the First Age. His date of birth is given as 532 in WJ and, in agreement with the statements mentioned before, the End of the First Age was accepted as 590.
Silmariën: TY gives her birth-date as 548, LE as 521. Since she is attested as the eldest child of Tar-Elendil, accepting the peculiar TY value would influence the birth dates of her younger siblings as well.
Tar-Telperiën: Her death-date given by LE seems to be greatly at variance with the attested date of her nephew Tar Minastir's interference into the War of the Elves and Sauron (1700 SA). However, assuming a typing error of hundred years would turn her lifespan much shorter than those of all kings before and after her. Perhaps Tar-Minastir acted then as regent but was not yet king?
Hallacar of Hyarastorni: In the official records, only Hallacar is named "of Hyarastorni", but it is probable that the line continued backwards through the eldest male descendants.
This table continues from the genealogical tree of table 4 from the Coming of the Shadow to the Downfall of Númenor. The main sources are again KR and LE; additions to the final generations have been taken from HA.
Unless otherwise stated, all dates given are SA.
Tar-Atanamir: TY erroneously gives 2251 as date of his ascension.
Tar-Anducal: Acted as regent and assumed the throne after his wife's death. His reckoning as official king of Númenor, however, is contested (LE).
Tar-Ardamin/Ar-Abattârik is not attested by KR. CT wonders in a comment to LE whether he really belongs into the list because Ar-Adûnakhôr is attested as the first king who wrote his throne name primarily in Adûnaic language. But this problem is non-existent. In fact, it is seen that Tar-Ardamin's name was accidentally dropped from KR, for without him, KR and LE cannot reasonably agree upon that Ar-Adûnakhôr was the twentieth King of Númenor. KR thus has to be corrected: It was not after Calmacil but after Ardamin that the Kings named themselves in Adûnaic on ascension.
Gimilkhâd is additionally attested by A as having lived 98 years. He did not live to his 99th birthday in 3243.
Ar-Gimilzôr's date of death is given by TY as 3175 but by LE as 3177.
Inzilbêth: The official tables make her the daughter of Gimilzagar. This is not impossible as CT believes, but it means that she married Ar-Gimilzôr in her old age already. Maybe she was well-nigh 200 years his senior, and the influence of her memories may have been the secret behind Tar-Palantir's unexplainable repentance.
See the comment to table 4b.
This table displays the Heirs of the Northern Kingdom (also known as the line of Isildur) as far as the disintegration of Arnor. The sons of Isildur are attested by GF; after Valandil, the genealogical tree follows KR that records only the ruling (male) descendants.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
The Heirs of the Southern Kingdom (also known as the line of Anárion) succeeded Valandil who like Meneldil was the fourth child of his father. The sons of Anárion are attested by DG; after Meneldil, the genealogical tree follows KR that records only the ruling (male) descendants. The first line ended with the Ship-king Tarannon who had no offspring from his wife, the wicked Berúthiel.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
After the division of Arnor, only the kings of Arthedain have been recorded in the documents (KR). The royal lines of Cardolan and Rhúdaur descended from the younger brothers of Amlaith but both are recorded as having perished long before 1350 TA. The throne of Cardolan, it seems, was taken afterwards by an unrecorded line of dúnedainic Princes; their last member fell in battle 1409 (KR). After the extinction of the line of Isildur in Rhúdaur, this former kingdom was now ruled by an unaccounted hierarchy of the Lords of the Hillmen that survived till 1975.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
The second line ended with Narmacil I who was succeeded by his younger brother.
After Eldacar had married the daughter of (self-proclaimed) king Vidugavia, the disastrous Kin-strife led to the separation of the southernmost province of Gondor as a sovereign lordship. Its first ruler was the usurper and rebel Castamir who was succeeded by a dynastic line of dúnedainic lords. Their last living members fell in battle against Umbardacil of Gondor.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
The male line of Arthedain continued uninterrupted to Arvedui who - based on his marriage to Fíriel of the Southern Line - claimed the vacant throne of Gondor but was rejected. He survived the end of his kingship by a winter spent among the Lossoth. Whether Fíriel survived the war in which the North Kingdom perished is unknown.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
After the death of Ondoher and all his male heirs, and following the rejection of Arvedui's claim to the throne, the senate of Gondor installed a short-lived fifth line that lived only through two members. After Eärnur had vanished in Minas Morgul, rulership was granted to the House of Emyn Arnen who claimed descendancy from Elros but did not act as kings (see table 6)
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
The lines of Isildur and Anárion were now reunited in Aranarth, first chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North who were now called the Rangers. Recorders noted with surprise that the male descendancy still continued uninterrupted from Elendil to Aragorn II (KR) who re-established the kingship as the first ruler of the Reunited Kingdom. By marrying his aunt (much removed) Arwen Undómiel, grand-daughter of Eärendil, Aragorn also reunited the two lines of the Half-Elves that had begun with Elros and his brother Elrond. After his son Eldarion and daughters, no members of the line of the Reunited Kingdom have been recorded any more.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates, unless recorded in TY, according to HE.
Only HE records that the male line of Emyn Arnen was twice interrupted. No members of this dynasty are recorded prior to Húrin. He is known to have been "of royal descendancy" (KR) but not an offspring of the house of Elendil. In other words, his ancestors descended at some unknown time from the Line of Elros.
According to HE, the second line began with Denethor I., son of Rían daughter of the Ruling Steward Barahir. Ecthelion I died childless and was succeeded by his nephew Egalmoth, founder of the third line.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates according to HE.
Death dates are given according to KR, birth dates, where not recorded in TY, according to HE.
Belecthor II: His date of death is recorded in KR and HE as 2872, but in TY as 2852.
When Ithilien was deserted in 2901, the house of Húrin lost its old residence in Emyn Arnen. After more than a century, it was re-established by Faramir, last Ruling Steward (for a short time) and founder of the house of the Princes of Ithilien. None of his descendants were recorded after his grandson Barahir.
Barahir: is not explicitly stated to have been the son of Elboron. But since no other children of Faramir are known, this interpretation is likely.
The origin of the house of Dol Amroth is contested. The oldest ancestor recorded is one Adrahil who participated in the Battle of the Camp, 1944 TA (CE). If so, he was probably the father of Imrazôr the Númenórean who, however, is otherwise stated to be the founder of Dol Amroth - and giver of the name itself (CE, HE)! His wife was the Elf Mithrellas whose physical features were still visible in her remote descendant Imrahil.
The record of the Princes (HE) provides a curious phenomenon: in most cases, the dates are known but not the names! For convenience, they have here been numbered in sequential order. It may be noted that it was Prince IX who witnessed the Oath of Eorl (CE).
Morwen Steelsheen was born and raised in Lossarnach but descended from one of the Princes of Dol Amroth (KR). His identity or sequential number in the dynasty is not attested.
Finduilas: A slightly variant death date is given in HE that is here recorded in brackets.
The Lords of the Éothéod claimed descendancy from Vidugavia, self-proclaimed "King of Rhovanion", of whom they were, however, removed by many generations. In CE, Marhari is explicitly named "a descendant of Vidugavia". Vidugavia must have been a very prominent character: Gondor even sent its throne heir as ambassador to his (unlocated) residence. Yet his claim may have been exaggerating.
The line of the Lords is only known in fragments. The descendants of Marhwini (CE) ruled not only the Éothéod but a confederation of Mannish tribes in Rhóvanion. There were probably two or more generations between his line and Frumgar who led his people to the upper vales of Anduin in 1977. His son Fram founded Framsburg, capital of the Éothéod till 2510.
Cirion of Emyn Arnen granted the province of Calenardhon to Eorl who established himself not only as Lord of the Mark but as a sovereign king - probably modelled on the extinct royal line of Gondor. Was this intended as a pun against the Ruling Stewards?
The first line ended when Helm Hammerhand and his heirs were killed in the Long Winter, during the fight against the usurper Wulf whose father claimed descendancy from king Fréawine.
The origin of the Lords of Aldburg is attested only by CE.
All dates are given according to KR.
The second line ended with Théoden whose son and heir fell with him in the War of the Ring. The third line was established by the Lord of Aldburg, Eacute;omer (not named such, but he evidently was after his father's death), who happened to be the king's nephew through his mother. No successors to his son Elfwine have been recorded.
All dates are given according to KR.
Walda: his death date is recorded in KR as 2851 but as 2861 in TY.
The earliest record of Men of Dale dates from 1944 TA (CE). The building of the town so named, however, is apparently contemporary to the kingship of Thrór II in the halls of Erebor 2590 to 2770 TA (H, KR). Only the last Lord of Dale is recorded by name, and how many preceded him is unknown. His wife and children (at least one of them adult) outlived his death in the assault of Smaug the Golden. It is remarkable that his name is Elvish, probably related to Gnomish gîrin, „bygone, old, belonging to ancient days, etc.“ It may thus seem that this is not his actual name but a postumous epithet which escaped Bilbo Baggins' notice.
Though it is commonly believed that the Lords also used the title of kings it is not attested that they ever did so. Rather, Bard I., his direct descendant, was the first proclaimed King of Dale and founder of the dynasty that succeeded him. Of this line, TY records only the death dates.
None of the tables displayed is capable to accept the ominous king Bladorthin mentioned in H. Most probably, he was the only king of his realm who was ever recorded by name. For where it was likely located, see The mysterious king Bladorthin.