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Alcuin · 12-31-2006, 07:12 PM

Boromir88, thank you for your kind words.

I think that Arvedui, Fíriel, Araphant, and the rest of the Council of Arthedain were on solid legal ground. They probably checked and rechecked their case with Elrond as well, who had from far or near kept up with the whole history of the Númenóreans from the day he and his brother Elros parted company in Lindon among the ruins of Beleriand.

I also think it very likely that well before the Council of Gondor made its decision, Pelendur the Steward had made his. As acting regent and provisional head of the Council, he fashioned and guided the debate.

There are clues that each side realized a bad decision had been reached as the War of the Ring drew near. First, the Chieftains of the Dúnedain never rescinded their claim, although they must have known it would never be met. (Aragorn’s situation must be seen as something miraculous: like Frodo, his deeds put him in the same league as Elendil and Eärendil and Tuor; but in addition, his claim to the crown was not based upon those put forward by Arvedui and Fíriel.) In such situations, intransigence and fortitude combine, as generation after generation refuses to surrender the cause despite overwhelming odds. (E.g., the periodic lawsuits still filed against the City of Boston or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by descendants of Loyalists exiled to Canada following the American Revolution: they will never prevail, but neither will they ever stop, persisting as much in protest as any other reason.)

There is an interesting twist in this situation: the Stewards could never become kings of Gondor, either, despite their lineage through their foremothers to Elendil: by their own actions, their own claims were eliminated by the Council’s ruling. For this reason, and no other, I believe they lost their claim to the throne. They did, however, exercise royal authority in the absence of the monarch, and it was desire this power that first began to twist Denethor, even in his youth, I believe; it also created animosity on the part of Boromir towards Aragorn, although in the end, Boromir repented of this, assented to Aragorn’s authority and by giving his life for Merry and Pippin, died in peace.

There is a difference between doing what is lawful and doing what is both right and lawful. Laws can be (and too often are) twisted to the purposes of those who judge them. It was perfectly lawful for Gondor to choose either Fíriel and Arvedui as its rulers in III 1975 or to choose Eärnil. It was not right to choose Eärnil, and for its prideful decision Gondor paid by losing its king the following generation, terminating the House of Anárion.

Last but not least, remember in my earlier post (sorry for the length: I am verbose) that I mentioned that one of the seven claims to the throne of Gondor set forth by Faramir was that Aragorn was “bearer of the Star of the North,” that is, rightful King of Arnor, and so by implication, Faramir, speaking both as Ruling Steward and as head of the Council of Gondor (until Aragorn became king), politely but formally set aside Gondor’s age-old rejection of the High Kingship of the rulers of Arnor: Aragorn took the throne not as King of Gondor, but as High King of Arnor and Gondor.

12-31-2006, 07:12 PM	#14
Alcuin Haunting Spirit Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Nurn Posts: 73	Boromir88, thank you for your kind words. I think that Arvedui, Fíriel, Araphant, and the rest of the Council of Arthedain were on solid legal ground. They probably checked and rechecked their case with Elrond as well, who had from far or near kept up with the whole history of the Númenóreans from the day he and his brother Elros parted company in Lindon among the ruins of Beleriand. I also think it very likely that well before the Council of Gondor made its decision, Pelendur the Steward had made his. As acting regent and provisional head of the Council, he fashioned and guided the debate. There are clues that each side realized a bad decision had been reached as the War of the Ring drew near. First, the Chieftains of the Dúnedain never rescinded their claim, although they must have known it would never be met. (Aragorn’s situation must be seen as something miraculous: like Frodo, his deeds put him in the same league as Elendil and Eärendil and Tuor; but in addition, his claim to the crown was not based upon those put forward by Arvedui and Fíriel.) In such situations, intransigence and fortitude combine, as generation after generation refuses to surrender the cause despite overwhelming odds. (E.g., the periodic lawsuits still filed against the City of Boston or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by descendants of Loyalists exiled to Canada following the American Revolution: they will never prevail, but neither will they ever stop, persisting as much in protest as any other reason.) There is an interesting twist in this situation: the Stewards could never become kings of Gondor, either, despite their lineage through their foremothers to Elendil: by their own actions, their own claims were eliminated by the Council’s ruling. For this reason, and no other, I believe they lost their claim to the throne. They did, however, exercise royal authority in the absence of the monarch, and it was desire this power that first began to twist Denethor, even in his youth, I believe; it also created animosity on the part of Boromir towards Aragorn, although in the end, Boromir repented of this, assented to Aragorn’s authority and by giving his life for Merry and Pippin, died in peace. There is a difference between doing what is lawful and doing what is both right and lawful. Laws can be (and too often are) twisted to the purposes of those who judge them. It was perfectly lawful for Gondor to choose either Fíriel and Arvedui as its rulers in III 1975 or to choose Eärnil. It was not right to choose Eärnil, and for its prideful decision Gondor paid by losing its king the following generation, terminating the House of Anárion. Last but not least, remember in my earlier post (sorry for the length: I am verbose) that I mentioned that one of the seven claims to the throne of Gondor set forth by Faramir was that Aragorn was “bearer of the Star of the North,” that is, rightful King of Arnor, and so by implication, Faramir, speaking both as Ruling Steward and as head of the Council of Gondor (until Aragorn became king), politely but formally set aside Gondor’s age-old rejection of the High Kingship of the rulers of Arnor: Aragorn took the throne not as King of Gondor, but as High King of Arnor and Gondor.