Dúnedain

The **Dúnedain** were Men who lived longer than average Men. They descended from the Númenóreans. They are also called the **Men of the West** and the **Men of Westernesse** (direct translations of the Sindarin term). They settled mainly in Arnor and Gondor.

## History

### Early History

After the Downfall of Númenor, the Exiles of Númenor, led by Elendil, established the Realms in Exile of Arnor and Gondor. There, many already dwelt who were in whole or part of Númenorean blood who welcomed Elendil and his sons.

Not all the Dúnedain in Middle-earth were descended from the followers of Elendil. Others had settled there independently before the Downfall, and later allied themselves with the founders of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain. The ancestors of the Princes of Dol Amroth were among the most prominent of these.

Originally ruled by the High King of the Dúnedain, they were divided as the Dúnedain of Arnor and the Dúnedain of Gondor, following the death of Isildur, son of Elendil, in TA 2.

### Division

#### Dúnedain of Arnor

Valandil, Isildur's youngest son, took up his rule in Annúminas, but his people were diminished, and of the Northern Dúnedain and of the Men of Eriador there remained now too few to people the land or maintain the places Elendil built; many of Dúnedain of Arnor had died in the War of the Last Alliance and the Disaster of the Gladden Fields.

After the reign of Eärendur, the seventh king that followed Valandil, the Dúnedain of the North became divided into petty realms and lordships, and the witch-realm of Angmar destroyed them one by one.

The remnants of the Northern Dúnedain were also heavily affected by the Great Plague; the joint garrison (of the North and South Kingdoms) at Tharbad ceased to exist, and the last of the Dúnedain of Cardolan died on the Barrow-downs.

After the Angmar War, the Dúnedain of the North were reduced to Rangers wandering secretly in the wild, and their heritage was forgotten, save in Imladris, where the Heirs of Isildur were harboured and their line, from father to son, remained unbroken.

#### Dúnedain of Gondor

In the south, the realm of Gondor endured, and for a time the splendor of the Dúnedain of the South grew, until it recalled the wealth and majesty of Númenor during the reign of Hyarmendacil I by TA 1050.

Yet at the last, in the later Third Age, the Dúnedain of Gondor waned for their blood became much mingled with that of other men, especially the Northmen of Rhovanion. King Eldacar, who himself had Northmen blood, showed favor to the Northmen who supported him. This led to the Kin-strife, when many of the Dúnedain of Gondor were slain. After his return from exile, many noble houses, including the royal House of Anárion, became more mingled with the blood of "lesser" Men.

After the reign of King Eärnur, royal descendants among the Dúnedain of Gondor had become few and no claimant for the throne could be found of pure Númenórean blood, or whose claim all would accept, and people were afraid of a new Kin-strife that would devastate the kingdom. Thus, by default, Mardil began the line of Ruling Stewards of Gondor.

After the Stewards took up the rule of the south kingdom, the remnant of the Dúnedain of Gondor still defended the passage of the Anduin against the terrors of Minas Morgul and against all the enemies of the West.

By the time of the War of the Ring, the Dúnedain of Gondor lived in Minas Tirith and the adjacent townlands, as well as the tributary fiefs and royal lands of Anórien, Lebennin and Belfalas.

### Reunification

Upon the reunification of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain after the War of the Ring, the Dúnedain were reunited under Aragorn II Elessar, Isildur's Heir, and their the might and dignity was lifted up and their glory renewed.

## Characteristics

The Dúnedain were lords of long life, great power, and wisdom; far superior to the Men of Middle-earth among whom they dwelt and whom they ruled. They were from the beginning far fewer in number than the lesser men. They were tall, pale-skinned, with dark hair, shining grey eyes, and proud faces.

### Waning of the Dúnedain

The Third Age marked the beginning of the waning of the Dúnedain, in which their gifts of wisdom, nobility, and long life were slowly withdrawn due to the Downfall of Númenor and their mingling with lesser men.

In the beginning of their history, the Dúnedain were blessed with a lifespan thrice the life of lesser men, yet this ever-diminished over the course of the Third Age.

In Arnor, the strife and dissensions between the kingdoms of Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur hastened the waning of the Dúnedain. Although, their lifespans ever continued to shorten, the Dúnedain of Arnor, especially their Chieftains, maintained significant longevity living to twice the age of lesser men.

In Gondor, after Gondor's numbers were replenished by lesser Northmen after the Kin-Strife, the mingling did not at first hasten the waning of the Dúnedain, as had been feared, but it still proceeded little by little as it had before. However, after the fall of the Kings, the waning was much swifter in Gondor than in Arnor. In fact, Hador the seventh Ruling Steward of Gondor was the last Man of Gondor to live 150 years and after his time the life-span of those with Númenórean blood waned more rapidly. By the time of the War of the Ring, none in Gondor had lived passed 100 years with vigour, since the death of the Steward Belecthor II.

Upon the reunification of the Kingdoms of the Dúnedain, the might and dignity of the Dúnedain were lifted up and their glory was renewed. Greatest among them was their High King Aragorn II Elessar who lived up to 210 years (the longest since King Arvegil), and he received in some measure their former gifts. He wedded Arwen Undomiel, daughter of Elrond, brother of Elros first King of Númenór, and so restored the majesty and high lineage of the royal House of Telcontar, but their life-span was not restored and continued to slowly wane until it became like that of other men.