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Urambo Tauro
Ossiriand

Apr 9 2007, 12:10am
Post #1 of 9
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The Reign of King Elessar
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In The Return of the King, we read about the crowning of King Elessar in The Steward and the King. Aragorn is crowned, and Faramir cries out, 'Behold the King!' We also read: And in that moment all the trumpets were blown, and the King Elessar went forth and came to the barrier, and Húrin of the Keys thrust it back; and amid the music of harp and of viol and of flute and the singing of clear voices the King passed through the flower-laden streets, and came to the Citadel, and entered in; and the banner of the Tree and the Stars was unfurled upon the topmost tower, and the reign of King Elessar began, of which many songs have told. Did Tolkien write anything concerning Middle-earth taking place after The Return of the King? I find the matters leading up to his coronation to be more song-worthy than the little I know of his actual reign.
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Eledhwen
Forum Admin
/ Moderator

Apr 9 2007, 1:32am
Post #2 of 9
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There's a few "later events concerning the members of the Fellowship of the Ring" at the end of Appendix B, and the "Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" in Appendix A concludes with his death and what happened to her after that. And in one of the History of Middle-earth volumes - one of the later ones, I think, I don't have them handy - there is the beginning of a story about the return of the darkness, I think post-Elessar. Otherwise Tolkien is very quiet when it comes to post-Third Age events. A shame in one sense, because we don't get the canon about that time; but a major boon if you're a fanfic writer like me.
Karekare Beach, NZ
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Wynnie
Nargothrond

Apr 9 2007, 2:09am
Post #3 of 9
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a couple of quotes from Letters
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Did Tolkien write anything concerning Middle-earth taking place after The Return of the King? I find the matters leading up to his coronation to be more song-worthy than the little I know of his actual reign. Tolkien seems to have agreed with you. In Letter # 338 (to Fr. Douglas Carter, dated June 1972), he wrote: I have written nothing beyond the first few years of the Fourth Age. (Except the beginning of a tale supposed to refer to the end of the reign of Eldaron about 100 years after the death of Aragorn. Then I of course discovered that the King's Peace would contain no tales worth worth recounting; and his wars would have little interest after the overthrow of Sauron; but that almost certainly a restlessness would appear about then, owing to the (it seems) inevitable boredom of Men with the good: there would be secret societies practising dark cults, and 'orc-cults' among adolescents.) Letter # 256 (to Colin Bailey, dated May 1964) also refers to this abandoned LotR sequel: I did begin a story placed about 100 years after the Downfall [of Mordor], but it proved both sinister and depressing. Since we are dealing with Men it is inevitable that we should be concerned with the most regrettable feature of their nature: their quick satiety with good. So that the people of Gondor in times of peace, justice and prosperity, would become discontented and restless -- while the dynasts descended from Aragorn would become just kings and governors -- like Denethor or worse. I found that even so early there was an outcrop of revolutionary plots, about a centre of secret Satanistic religion; while Gondorian boys were playing at being Orcs and going round doing damage. I could have written a 'thriller' about the plot and its dicovery and overthrow -- but it would be just that. Not worth doing. The story was to have been called The New Shadow, and the beginnings of it were apparently published in HoME 12, The Peoples of MIddle-earth. I haven't read it. I know you were asking about further tales specifically during the reign of Elessar, but the King's Peace problem still applies, I think.
Flight to the Ford from LordofthePeeps.com
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N.E. Brigand
Gondolin

Apr 9 2007, 2:44am
Post #4 of 9
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As Wynnie notes, this very short unfinished tale was finally published in 1996 in The Peoples of Middle-earth. It received some discussion on TORN in early 2005 (n.b. the "fair use" reply contains several different posts) with a little follow-up two months later. In early 2006, dna elaborated on his theory about the identity of the villain.
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Tolkien Illustrated! Jan. 29-May 20: Visit the Reading Room to discuss art by John Howe, Alan Lee, Ted Nasmith and others, including Tolkien himself. Apr. 2-8: Ted Nasmith.
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N.E. Brigand
Gondolin

Apr 9 2007, 3:12am
Post #5 of 9
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Not much; I found a couple notes in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: From Letter #156, to Robert Murray, in 1954 before The Two Towers had been published:
It later appears that there had been a 'hallow' on Mindolluin, only approachable by the King, where he had anciently offered thanks and praise on behalf of his people; but it had been forgotten. It was re-entered by Aragorn, and there he found a sapling of the White Tree, and replanted it in the Court of the Fountain. It is to be presumed that with the reemergence of the lineal priest kings (of whom Lúthien the Blessed Elf-maiden was a foremother) the worship of God would be renewed, and His Name (or title) be again more often heard. But there would be no temple of the True God while Númenórean influence lasted. From Letter #244, to an unnamed reader, in 1963, at first concerning Faramir:
Also to be Prince of Ithilien, the greatest noble after Dol Amroth in the revived Númenórean state of Gondor, soon to be of imperial power and prestige, was not a 'market-garden job' as you term it. Until much had been done by the restored King, the P. of Ithilien would be the resident march-warden of Gondor, in its main eastward outpost -- and also would have many duties in rehabilitating the lost territory, and clearing it of outlaws and orc-remnants, not to speak of the dreadful vale of Minas Ithil (Morgul). I did not, naturally, go into details about the way in which Aragorn, as King of Gondor, would govern the realm. But it was made clear that there was much fighting, and in the earlier years of A.'s reign expeditions against enemies in the East. The chief commanders, under the King, would be Faramir and Imrahil; and one of these would normally remain a military commander at home in the King's absence. A Númenórean King was monarch, with the power of unquestioned decision in debate; but he governed the realm with the frame of ancient law, of which he was administrator (and interpreter) but not the maker. In all debatable matters of importance domestic, or external, however, even Denethor had a Council, and at least listened to what the Lords of the Fiefs and the Captains of the Forces had to say. Aragorn re-established the Great Council of Gondor, and in that Faramir, who remained by inheritance the Steward (or representative of the King during his absence abroad, or sickness, or between his death and the accession of his heir) would [be] the chief counsellor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tolkien Illustrated! Jan. 29-May 20: Visit the Reading Room to discuss art by John Howe, Alan Lee, Ted Nasmith and others, including Tolkien himself. Apr. 2-8: Ted Nasmith.
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Reptile
Ossiriand

Apr 9 2007, 3:44am
Post #6 of 9
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It wasn't all fun and adventure
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They had to deal with a lot of really boring issues. I found the attached memo in an old records room in Minas Tirith...
"If you listen closely, you can hear the gods laughing."
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Attachments:
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Middle Earth WQ.pdf
(23.2 KB)
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mae govannen
Dor-Lomin
Apr 9 2007, 6:43am
Post #7 of 9
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Good question... and great replies of texts brought together,
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that I too had all read and taken note of at one time or the other, but that it was wonderful to read again here, so nicely put together and typed up for all of us to enjoy... Thanks to all of you! TORn is such a great place to be in!!!
'Is everything sad going to come untrue?' (Sam, 'The Field of Cormallen', in 'The Return of the King'.)
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome

Apr 10 2007, 1:35am
Post #9 of 9
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what Philippa, Fran and Peter would come up with. That would be a tasty and fascinating as the years between the finding and destruction of the Ring. *twitch*
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming! "Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..." TORn's Observations Lists
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