Family Tree Trivia

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Indeed! Though Hurin arguably had the greater courage, staring down Morgoth and telling him he's a sorry idiot. Beren, if I recall, spent most of the time slinking in the corners or being unconscious. But still, his trip there and back again from Angband is his most famous deed.

Sure, and courage, heroism, glory, and tuppence will get you a tuppenny sweet. The Silm is really down on doing things that get you noticed, isn't it? Like, the #1 combat instruction it gives is "Don't Let The Enemy Notice You".

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Over to you!

Okay, let's talk inheritance. In general, titles in Middle-earth are passed down father to son - most notably in Aragorn's family, which is pretty much a straight shot back to Silmarien. But sometimes there's a break, and a more distant relative has to take the title.

Treating each title as a separate creation (ie, Elendil is not the heir of Tar-Miriel), and looking only at titles which did not fall into abeyance along the way (ie, Aragorn did not inherit from Isildur), and ignoring non-inherited titles (ie, Mayor of the Shire), who is the most genealogically distant confirmed inheritor of a title in the history of Middle-earth?

(I've found a couple of options, but if someone can outdo them I'll be delighted.)

hS

[Urwen]

Does 'Ring-bearer' count?

Cos if so, Deagol, from Isildur...

[Urwen]

Serious answer though. Since all three (four. ) are distantly related, the title of Numenorean Ruling Queen is shared between Ancalime, Telperien, Vanimelde and Miriel.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Does 'Ring-bearer' count?

Cos if so, Deagol, from Isildur...

But what was the precise relationship between the two...?

Anyway, no: the title was in abeyance [= disused] in between, not directly inherited. Also I don't think it was an official title, except as used of Frodo.

Originally Posted by Urwen

Serious answer though. Since all three (four. ) are distantly related, the title of Numenorean Ruling Queen is shared between Ancalime, Telperien, Vanimelde and Miriel.

Now that's clever, but I don't think it counts - leaving aside whether it's actually a different title to "King of Numenor" (they inherited from and were inhereted by kings), it would be in abeyance in between them.

hS

[Urwen]

By your initial wording, it does count, since you never specified it cannot be in abeyance in your initial post.


But I like a challenge, so I will keep looking anyway.

[Urwen]

So Earnil inherited the title from Ondoher, and they're distantly related.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

By your initial wording, it does count, since you never specified it cannot be in abeyance in your initial post.

But I like a challenge, so I will keep looking anyway.

I did in the final question, though not discussed in the preamble. It was the last bit I added in before posting. (The edit was because I'd spelt 'tuppenny' with one N.)

Originally Posted by Urwen

So Earnil inherited the title from Ondoher, and they're distantly related.

And that's the most distant answer I found too. Kind of disappointed it wasn't something more obscure! I was inspired by the time the crown of France was passed to a line that had split off three centuries earlier.

The other option, rather more dubious, is Gil-Galad: if he's the son of Orodreth son of Angrod, then he would be first cousin twice removed to the previous High King, Turgon.

hS