Why did Arwen do that?? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lost One · 09-03-2003, 03:36 PM

To follow up one remark, I don't think we can assume 'Queen Mothers' were unknown in Middle-Earth. We get very little insight into the workings of the Numenorean and Gondorian monarchies, but mothers of kings are always important (often more so than wives of kings, in early medieval monarchies for example). In a Roman or Byzantine like society such as Numenor and Gondor seem to be, there should be scope for this phenomenon. Among hobbits at least, dowagers were important, as Tolkien detailed in one of his letters (the survivor of a married couple retained headship of the family until he or she died). Obviously, hobbits aren't men, but the Shire society did evolve in the kingdom of Arnor.

09-03-2003, 03:36 PM	#11
Lost One Haunting Spirit Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 67	To follow up one remark, I don't think we can assume 'Queen Mothers' were unknown in Middle-Earth. We get very little insight into the workings of the Numenorean and Gondorian monarchies, but mothers of kings are always important (often more so than wives of kings, in early medieval monarchies for example). In a Roman or Byzantine like society such as Numenor and Gondor seem to be, there should be scope for this phenomenon. Among hobbits at least, dowagers were important, as Tolkien detailed in one of his letters (the survivor of a married couple retained headship of the family until he or she died). Obviously, hobbits aren't men, but the Shire society did evolve in the kingdom of Arnor.