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Oropher was the Sindar King of the Silvan Elves of Greenwood the Great during the Second Age.[1] He was the father of Thranduil, who would succeed him, and grandfather of Legolas.

Biography[]

First and Second Ages[]

Oropher thranduil 1 by kazuki mendou-d51hj6p

Oropher with Thranduil, by Kazuki Mendou

Oropher was one of the Sindar of Doriath. After the War of Wrath, he declined to depart Middle-earth as many others did, and instead went over the Blue Mountains with his household. He eventually ended up in Greenwood the Great, where Silvan Elves of Nandorin descent lived, and he was taken by them as lord. His capital was at Amon Lanc.[1]

West of Oropher's realm was the realm of Lórinand across the Anduin, where Amdír, another Sindar, ruled over Silvan Elves.[1]

War of Last Alliance[]

Before the War of the Last Alliance, Oropher and his folk left their capital at Amon Lanc and crossed Anduin to live with their kin in Lórinand. Three times, he moved his people northwards, eventually settling around Emyn Duir, the Mountains of Mirkwood. His retreat northwards was because of his desire to move "out of range" from the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and avoid the threat of Mordor.[2]

ElvenkingoropherbyBenteSchlick1

Oropher, by Bente Schlick

Though he and his people had little relation with other peoples of Middle-earth, Oropher understood that there could be no lasting peace until Sauron was defeated. Oropher answered the summons for the Last Alliance of Elves and Men but marched as an independent force with Amdír, King of Lórien. He joined with Gil-galad's forces as they marched down the Anduin to Dagorlad. Oropher's force was lightly armed and untrained in fighting pitched battles in the open.[1]

In the Battle of Dagorlad, Oropher's company fought valiantly, but he was slain with the greater part of his people when he, with King Amdír and his warriors, called an early charge upon the enemy without orders from the Ñoldorin High-king Gil-galad. After Sauron was defeated, Thranduil, Oropher's son and heir, returned to Eryn Galen with the shattered remnants of his people's grand army. Nevertheless, while depleted, his army was still large enough that the Orcs hiding in secret in the Misty Mountains did not dare attack them.[1]

Etymology[]

The name Oropher probably means "Tall beech-tree" from oro ("up, rise, high"). In Doriath, the term orn refers to trees, especially beeches. The terms pher or pheren both mean "beech-tree".[3][4]

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Amharic ዖሮጰር
Arabic أوروفير
Armenian Որոպհեր
Belarusian Cyrillic Оропhер
Bengali ওরফের্
Bulgarian Cyrillic Орофер
Cambodian អូរូហ្វ័រ
Georgian ოროფჰერი
Greek Όροφερ
Gujarati ઓરોફર
Hebrew אורופר
Hindi ॐरोफेर्
Japanese オロフェア
Kannada ಓರೋಫರ್
Kazakh Оропһер (Cyrillic) Oropher (Latin)
Korean 오로페르
Kyrgyz Cyrillic Оропhэр
Macedonian Cyrillic Оропхер
Marathi ऑरोफर
Mongolian Cyrillic Оропhер
Nepalese ॐरोफेर्
Pashto وروپهېر
Persian وروپههر
Punjabi ਓਰੋਫੇਰ
Russian Орофер
Sanskrit ॐरोफेर्
Serbian Орофер (Cyrillic) Orofer (Latin)
Sinhalese ඕරොඵෙර්
Tajik Cyrillic Оропҳер
Tamil ஓரொப்ஹெர்
Telugu ఓరోపేర్
Thai โอโรแฟร์
Ukrainian Cyrillic Оропгер
Urdu اوروفار
Uzbek Оропҳер (Cyrillic) Oropher (Latin)
Yiddish אָראָפער
King of the Woodland Realm
Preceded by
None
Oropher Succeeded by
Thranduil
SA 750 - SA 3434

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Unfinished Tales, Part Two: The Second Age, IV: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn, and of Amroth King of Lórien", Appendices: Appendix B, The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves
  2. Unfinished Tales, Introduction, Part Three, I: "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", Notes
  3. The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"
  4. Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
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