ARWEN EVENSTAR
Arwen Undomiel is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in
his best-known novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes.
Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.
In Sindarin Arwen's name signifies noble woman.
Her second name or epessë, Undomiel means Evenstar (Evening star)
Therefore she is also called Arwen Evenstar.
Arwen was the youngest child of Elrond and Celebran; her elder brothers were
the twins Elladan and Elrohir. Through her father, she was the granddaughter of
Erendil the Mariner (the second of the Half-elven), great-granddaughter of Tuor
of Gondolin, and therefore a direct descendant of the ancient House of Hador.
Arwen was also a descendant of King Turgon of the Noldor through her great-grandmother,
Idril. Through her mother, she was the granddaughter of Lady Galadriel and the
great-granddaughter of Finarfin. Aomer of Rohan said that the Lady Arwen was
more fair than the Lady Galadriel of Lorien, but Gimli son of Gloin thought
differently. Through both of her parents Arwen was a direct descendant of the
ancient Elven House of Finwë. Furthermore, Arwen was a descendant of Beren and
Luthien Tinuviel, whose story resembled hers. Indeed, Arwen was held to be the
reappearance in likeness of her ancestress Lúthien, fairest of all the Elves,
who was called Nightingale (Tinúviel).
Arwen was a very distant relative of her husband Aragorn. Aragorn's ancestor,
Elros Tar-Minyatur, the first King of Númenor, was her father Elrond's brother,
who chose to live as a Man rather than one of the Eldar. Elros died in S.A. 442,
some 3,240 years before Arwen was born.
Arwen eventually became Queen of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor when
she married Aragorn, who was of the line of the Kings of Arnor. After 120 years
of royal marriage, Arwen died of a broken heart a year after the death of
Aragorn.
After the War of the Ring ended, Arwen and Aragorn produced the future heir of
the throne, Eldarion.
By Arwen and Aragorn's marriage, the long-sundered lines of the Half-elven were
joined. Their union also served to unite and preserve the bloodlines of the
Three Kings of the High Elves (Ingwë, Finwë, and the brothers Olwë and Elwë) as
well as the only line with Maiarin blood through Arwen's great-great-great
grandmother, Melian, Queen of Doriath, and also on Aragorn's side, through the
line of kings of Arnor and Númenor to Elros, Elrond's brother, whose great-great-grandmother
was also Melian.
As told in "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen", found in Appendix A to The Lord of
the Rings (after the third volume, The Return of the King), during Aragorn's
twentieth year he met Arwen for the first time in Rivendell, where he lived
under Elrond's protection. Arwen, then over 2700 years old, had recently
returned to her father's home after living for a while with her grandmother
Galadriel in Lórien. Aragorn fell in love with Arwen at first sight. About
thirty years later, the two were reunited in Lórien; at that time, Arwen
reciprocated Aragorn's love; then they "plighted their troth" (promised
themselves to each other) on the mound of Cerin Amroth.
Arwen's first appearance in The Lord of the Rings proper was at Rivendell, when
the Hobbits arrived there, and Aragorn was seen with her — the first hint of
their relationship. Later, when the Fellowship of the Ring came to Lothlórien,
Aragorn remembered their earlier meeting and paused in reverence on Cerin Amroth.
Arwen entered the story again when, before taking the Paths of the Dead, Aragorn
was met by a group consisting of Dúnedain (his people, from the North), and
Arwen's brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. They brought to him a banner of black
cloth: a gift made by Galadriel, Arwen's grandmother, and a sign that encouraged
him to take the difficult path. When the banner was unfurled at the Battle of
the Pelennor Fields to reveal the emblem of Elendil in mithril, gems, and gold,
it was the first triumphant announcement of the King's return.
Finally, Arwen arrived at Minas Tirith after Aragorn had become king of Gondor
and Arnor, and they were married.
The four passages described above are Arwen's only appearances in the story as
it stands, not counting The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen. Judging only by
visibility, Arwen is mostly a minor character in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
proper, but she nevertheless appears in detail in its Appendices. Also, she
plays a role in the plot which is disproportionate to the number of scenes in
which she appears. When Éowyn fell in love with Aragorn it was his fidelity to
Arwen that prevented him from reciprocating. This motivated Éowyn's subsequent
heroism during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, which had major repercussions
for the defence of Middle-earth. Arwen served as inspiration and motivation for
Aragorn, who had to become King before he could wed her.
Arwen gave up her life in 121 of the Fourth Age, at Cerin Amroth in Lórien, one
year after the death of Aragorn. At the time, she was 2,901 years old. The story
of Arwen's death is told in Appendix A (v), "Here Follows Part of the Tale of
Aragorn and Arwen." In this tale, Arwen told Aragorn, on his deathbed, that the
last ship that could have borne her over the sea had already sailed. After
Aragorn died, she went to Lórien and died on Cerin Amroth, where she was buried.
Arwen Undomiel is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in
his best-known novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes.
Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.
In Sindarin Arwen's name signifies noble woman.
Her second name or epessë, Undomiel means Evenstar (Evening star)
Therefore she is also called Arwen Evenstar.
Arwen was the youngest child of Elrond and Celebran; her elder brothers were
the twins Elladan and Elrohir. Through her father, she was the granddaughter of
Erendil the Mariner (the second of the Half-elven), great-granddaughter of Tuor
of Gondolin, and therefore a direct descendant of the ancient House of Hador.
Arwen was also a descendant of King Turgon of the Noldor through her great-grandmother,
Idril. Through her mother, she was the granddaughter of Lady Galadriel and the
great-granddaughter of Finarfin. Aomer of Rohan said that the Lady Arwen was
more fair than the Lady Galadriel of Lorien, but Gimli son of Gloin thought
differently. Through both of her parents Arwen was a direct descendant of the
ancient Elven House of Finwë. Furthermore, Arwen was a descendant of Beren and
Luthien Tinuviel, whose story resembled hers. Indeed, Arwen was held to be the
reappearance in likeness of her ancestress Lúthien, fairest of all the Elves,
who was called Nightingale (Tinúviel).
Arwen was a very distant relative of her husband Aragorn. Aragorn's ancestor,
Elros Tar-Minyatur, the first King of Númenor, was her father Elrond's brother,
who chose to live as a Man rather than one of the Eldar. Elros died in S.A. 442,
some 3,240 years before Arwen was born.
Arwen eventually became Queen of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor when
she married Aragorn, who was of the line of the Kings of Arnor. After 120 years
of royal marriage, Arwen died of a broken heart a year after the death of
Aragorn.
After the War of the Ring ended, Arwen and Aragorn produced the future heir of
the throne, Eldarion.
By Arwen and Aragorn's marriage, the long-sundered lines of the Half-elven were
joined. Their union also served to unite and preserve the bloodlines of the
Three Kings of the High Elves (Ingwë, Finwë, and the brothers Olwë and Elwë) as
well as the only line with Maiarin blood through Arwen's great-great-great
grandmother, Melian, Queen of Doriath, and also on Aragorn's side, through the
line of kings of Arnor and Númenor to Elros, Elrond's brother, whose great-great-grandmother
was also Melian.
As told in "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen", found in Appendix A to The Lord of
the Rings (after the third volume, The Return of the King), during Aragorn's
twentieth year he met Arwen for the first time in Rivendell, where he lived
under Elrond's protection. Arwen, then over 2700 years old, had recently
returned to her father's home after living for a while with her grandmother
Galadriel in Lórien. Aragorn fell in love with Arwen at first sight. About
thirty years later, the two were reunited in Lórien; at that time, Arwen
reciprocated Aragorn's love; then they "plighted their troth" (promised
themselves to each other) on the mound of Cerin Amroth.
Arwen's first appearance in The Lord of the Rings proper was at Rivendell, when
the Hobbits arrived there, and Aragorn was seen with her — the first hint of
their relationship. Later, when the Fellowship of the Ring came to Lothlórien,
Aragorn remembered their earlier meeting and paused in reverence on Cerin Amroth.
Arwen entered the story again when, before taking the Paths of the Dead, Aragorn
was met by a group consisting of Dúnedain (his people, from the North), and
Arwen's brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. They brought to him a banner of black
cloth: a gift made by Galadriel, Arwen's grandmother, and a sign that encouraged
him to take the difficult path. When the banner was unfurled at the Battle of
the Pelennor Fields to reveal the emblem of Elendil in mithril, gems, and gold,
it was the first triumphant announcement of the King's return.
Finally, Arwen arrived at Minas Tirith after Aragorn had become king of Gondor
and Arnor, and they were married.
The four passages described above are Arwen's only appearances in the story as
it stands, not counting The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen. Judging only by
visibility, Arwen is mostly a minor character in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
proper, but she nevertheless appears in detail in its Appendices. Also, she
plays a role in the plot which is disproportionate to the number of scenes in
which she appears. When Éowyn fell in love with Aragorn it was his fidelity to
Arwen that prevented him from reciprocating. This motivated Éowyn's subsequent
heroism during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, which had major repercussions
for the defence of Middle-earth. Arwen served as inspiration and motivation for
Aragorn, who had to become King before he could wed her.
Arwen gave up her life in 121 of the Fourth Age, at Cerin Amroth in Lórien, one
year after the death of Aragorn. At the time, she was 2,901 years old. The story
of Arwen's death is told in Appendix A (v), "Here Follows Part of the Tale of
Aragorn and Arwen." In this tale, Arwen told Aragorn, on his deathbed, that the
last ship that could have borne her over the sea had already sailed. After
Aragorn died, she went to Lórien and died on Cerin Amroth, where she was buried.