Aratan

Aratan was the second son of Isildur.

Biography

Aratan did not take part in the invasion of Mordor or the Siege of Barad-dûr. Instead, his father sent he and his brother Ciryon to Minas Ithil with a force in case Sauron should break or escape the siege through Cirith Dúath, and assail the Dúnedain before he was yet defeated.^[3] He like his brothers Elendur and Ciryon, were slain at the Gladden Fields.^[4][2][5]

Etymology

Aratan translates from the High-Elven tongue (Quenya) into the Common Speech as "Royal Man". The second element in the name, atan, is the root of Atani, the ancient, Quenyan word referring to the whole race of Man.

Portrayals in adaptations

• In The Lord of the Rings Online the three elder sons of Isildur appear during an extended flashback set during the Siege of Barad-dûr in the year S.A. 3440. However, because the game's license does cover the works in which they are named, they are referred to only by their war-time aliases, meant to hide their kinship with the King. Aratan uses the name "Ornaher" as his alias.

See also

• Valandil, the other son, the King of Arnor after Isildur.

Earlier versions of the legendarium

The forerunning name for the character Aratan was Eärnur.^[6]

Translations

House of Isildur

References

1. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 12: The Peoples of Middle-earth, VII: "The Heirs of Elendil"
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"
3. ↑ Unfinished Tales, Part Three: The Third Age, I: "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", Notes
4. ↑ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
5. ↑ Unfinished Tales, Part Three: The Third Age, I: "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields"
6. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, Index