The great port of Gondor, Pelargir, was one of the first settlements of the Númenóreans founded in Middle-earth during the Second Age.
It was located above the delta of Anduin river south of the White Mountains.
History
Pelargir was built in SA 2350.[2] During the years of Númenor's fall it became the chief haven of the Faithful as they migrated to escape the persecution they faced from the King's Men. When Númenor finally fell the city became a part of the newly founded Kingdom of Gondor.[3]
As Gondor's power grew, Pelargir became the home of its navy. But during the civil war of the Kin-strife, the city was besieged by Eldacar, as it had become a stronghold of the sons and supporters of Castamir, The Usurper. The siege was partially a success, as Eldacar had driven his enemies out, but they escaped and set themselves up in Umbar. Their heirs became known as the Corsairs of Umbar.
With the decline of Gondor's power, Pelargir was attacked many times by the Corsairs, who were in secret allegiance with Sauron, but the forces of Gondor managed to defend the coasts. In TA 1634, however, the Corsairs ravaged and ruined the city, slaying King Minardil. The city was quickly regained by Gondor.
The Corsairs of Umbar advancing from the seige of Pelargir.
The conflict with Umbar finally came to a head during the War of the Ring, when a great Corsair fleet besieged the city. As Gondor's army was tied up at Minas Tirith, there were few troops to defend Pelargir or the coasts. Then Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, along with the Grey Company and the Army of the Dead, arrived and defeated the Corsairs. The heroes used the black ships to reach Minas Tirith and defeat Sauron's forces.[4]
After Sauron was defeated, the Corsairs no longer attacked Gondor.[5]
Etymology
Pelargir is a Sindarin word that meant 'Garth of Royal Ships'.[6]
Other Interpretations
In Games Workshop's The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game the garrison of Pelargir is the Wardens of Pelargir. They carry shields emblazoned with the original Men of Gondor heraldry rather than those seen in the War of the Ring. Games Workshop also name Corinir as the Lord of Pelargir.
Translations around the world
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Amharic | ጰላርጊር |
| Arabic | پهلارگیر |
| Armenian | Պելարգիր |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Пеларгир |
| Bengali | পেলারজির |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Пеларгир |
| Chinese | 佩拉格 |
| Georgian | პელარგირ |
| Greek | Πελαργυρ |
| Gujarati | પેલાગિર |
| Hebrew | פלרגיר |
| Hindi | पेलर्गिर |
| Kannada | ಪೆಲಗಿರ್ |
| Kazakh Cyrillic | Пеларгир |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Пэларгир |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Пеларгир |
| Malayalam | പെലര്ഗിര് |
| Marathi | पलालगिर |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Пэларгир |
| Nepalese | पेलर्गिर |
| Persian | پهلارگیر ? |
| Russian | Пеларгир |
| Sanskrit | पेलर्गिर् |
| Serbian | Пеларгир (Cyrillic) Pelargir (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | පෙලර්ගිර් |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Пеларгир |
| Tamil | பெளர்கிற |
| Telugu | పేలరెగిరి |
| Thai | ภเละรgิร |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Пеларгір |
| Uzbek | Пеларгир (Cyrillic) Pelargir (Latin) |
| Yiddish | פּעלאַרגיר |
References
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, Regional Maps, "The White Mountains"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Second Age"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapter IX: "The Last Debate"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Akallabêth (The Downfall of Númenor)
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Index of Names
External links
- Ports of Pelargir, discussing the port city's Gondor fleet
- Pelargir at The Thains Book