Stewards of Gondor
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The Stewards of Gondor were rulers from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth.
Steward was the traditional title of a chief counsellor to one of the Kings of Gondor. During the time of the Steward Pelendur, from the famous House of Húrin, this title became hereditary, passing the station of counsellor from father to son, much like the Kingship.
The House of Húrin was founded by one Húrin of Emyn Arnen, Steward to King Minardil, the twenty-fifth King of Gondor. They were of high Númenórean blood, but not descendants of Elendil in the ruling line. Húrin was infact the great-great-great-grandson of Eldacar through a female line.
Although not formally a Ruling Steward, Pelendur was the first to effectively rule the kingdom, doing so for one year after the death of King Ondoher and his sons while fighting the Wainriders. He played a key role in influencing the Council of Gondor to choose Eärnil over Arvedui of Arthedain, thus maintaining the line of the heirs of Anárion. Incidentally, Pelendur's actions were also influential in the rise of the office of Stewards to power, as Eärnil's son Eärnur left no heir.
After the death of King Eärnur, who left no heir to the throne of Gondor, the Steward Mardil Voronwë became the first of the Ruling Stewards. Mardil was the first of the Stewards to administer Gondor, and his descendants did so for 25 generations. When the Stewards ruled in place of a King, they sat on a simple chair of black stone placed below the throne and ruled their office with a white rod.
The Stewards watched over the throne until it could be reclaimed by a true King of Gondor, an heir of Elendil. When asked by his son Boromir how long must pass before a Steward could become a King, if the King did not return, Denethor II replied, "Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty...In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice" (reported by Faramir in The Two Towers, "The Window on the West"). After generations of rule by the Stewards, they hardened their hearts against the return of an heir of Elendil.
The seal of the Stewards consisted of the leters R.ND.R surmounted by three stars.
The family tree of the Stewards of Gondor can be found here.
[edit] Ruling Stewards of Gondor
The following is a list of the Ruling Stewards of Gondor. (All dates are from the Third Age.)
- Mardil Voronwë "the Steadfast" (2029–2080)
- Eradan (2080–2116)
- Herion (2116–2148)
- Belegorn (2148–2204)
- Húrin I (2204–2244)
- Túrin I (2244–2278)
- Hador (2278–2395)
- Barahir (2395–2412)
- Dior (2412–2435)
- Denethor I (2435–2477) - sister-son of Dior
- Boromir (2477–2489)
- Cirion (2489–2567)
- Hallas (2567–2605)
- Húrin II (2605–2628)
- Belecthor I (2628–2655)
- Orodreth (2655–2685)
- Ecthelion I (2685–2698)
- Egalmoth (2698–2743) - grandson of Orodreth's sister, Morwen.
- Beren (2743–2763)
- Beregond (2763–2811)
- Belecthor II (2811–2872)
- Thorondir (2872–2882)
- Túrin II (2882–2914)
- Turgon (2914–2953)
- Ecthelion II (2953–2984)
- Denethor II (2984–3019)
- Faramir (3019-3082)
Soon after the death of Denethor II, Aragorn Elessar was crowned King. The Steward Faramir, son of Denethor II, surrendered to the King his rod of office, but it was returned to him. Faramir nominally ruled briefly as Steward until Elessar's coronation, but since Faramir rested in the Houses of Healing, Húrin Warden of the Keys officially took his place much of that time although at this time Minas Tirith was actually under the de facto rule of many people including Aragorn, Gandalf and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. Though Faramir became Steward a month and a half before Elessar became King, Faramir is not considered one of the Ruling Stewards. King Elessar confirmed in Faramir and his descendants the office of Steward of Gondor, and granted him in addition the Princedom of Ithilien, ensuring his line a position as counsellor of the King.
[edit] Trivia
- The Quenya name of the title is Arandur: "Servant of the King".
- The original model for the Stewards of Gondor is probably the title of steward, a medieval king's follower in Europe. In England there arose a powerful office, that of Lord High Steward, which was the principal advisor to the monarch. The office has fallen into disuse, but remains to this day for coronations only. The hereditary stewards of Scotland's monarchs eventually became the royal family themselves, as the House of Stuart.
