Arvedui Last-king
Quick Facts
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| Dates: | III 18641 - III 19742 (110 years) Wedded Fíriel in III 1940 (aged 76) King of Arthedain from III 1964 to III 1974 (reigned 10 years) |
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| Race: | Men | ||||||||||||||
| Division: | Dúnedain | ||||||||||||||
| Culture: | Arthedain | ||||||||||||||
| Family: | House of Isildur | ||||||||||||||
| Pronunciation: | arve'd[ui] ([ui] is pronounced like the vowel-sound in the word 'ruin') |
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| Meaning: | 'last king'3 | ||||||||||||||
| Titles: | Heir of Isildur, King of Arthedain, Last-king | ||||||||||||||
Last of the Kings of Arthedain
The son of Araphant, Arvedui became the fifteenth and last King of Arthedain. When the forces of Angmar overran the last remnant of the North-kingdom, Arvedui fled into the far north, but perished in the Bay of Forochel. His eldest son, Aranarth, became the first Chieftain of the Dúnedain.
Footnotes
| 1 | The date of Arvedui's birth is not found in canonical sources. This date shown is based on the best available information. |
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| 2 | The Appendices to The Lord of the Rings are apparently ambiguous on the date of Arvedui's death. Appendix A gives it as III 1974, the same year Arvedui's kingdom fell, but the Tale of Years in Appendix B gives the following year, III 1975. Fortunately, the fuller story of Arvedui's defeat in Appendix A has enough detail to solve the mystery. The invasion of Arthedain took place in III 1974 'before winter was ended' (which can only mean very early in the year). The ship sent to rescue Arvedui only arrived 'after many days', and when it reached him 'it was then March'. So, this places all the action - including Arvedui's death aboard the stricken ship - during the first few months of the year III 1974. |
| 3 | It may seem strange that Arvedui was named 'last king' from the time of his birth, but there is an explanation for this. He was named by the famous seer, Malbeth, who foresaw that either his kingdom would be ruined, or Arvedui would reunite the Two Kingdoms of the Dúnedain. Either turn of events would see Arvedui as the last King of Arthedain - in the the event, the kingdom was destroyed and Arvedui drowned in the cold northern seas. |
