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The Stewards of Gondor were firstly the chief high councillors to the Kings of Gondor and then the rulers of Gondor, until the return of the rightful ruler King Aragorn II.

History[]

First created by the powerful King Rómendacil I, Steward was the traditional title of a chief counsellor to the Kings of Gondor. He was usually an elderly man not from the Royal House chosen for his wisdom and integrity, and was never permitted to go to war nor to go abroad.[1] During the reign of King Minardil the House of Húrin was founded by his Steward, Húrin of Emyn Arnen and afterwards Stewards were usually chosen from his descendants. They were of high Númenórean blood, but not descendants of Elendil in the ruling line. During the time of the Steward Pelendur, the title became hereditary, passing the station of counsellor from father to son, much like the Kingship.

After the disappearance of King Eärnur, who left no heir to the throne of Gondor, the Steward Mardil Voronwë became the first of the Ruling Stewards in TA 2050. Mardil was the first of the Stewards to administer Gondor, and his descendants did so for 25 generations.

The Stewards watched over the throne until it could be reclaimed by a true King of Gondor, an heir of Elendil. When asked by his son Boromir how long a time must pass before a Steward could become a King, if the King did not return, Denethor II replied, "Few years, maybe, in other places of less royalty … In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice" (reported by Faramir in The Two Towers).

The Stewards never sat on the throne of the King; instead, they sat on a simple chair of black stone placed below it. The symbol of their office was a white rod and their emblem the letters R.ND.R surmounted by three stars. Their flag was pure white, without any charge or device.

The Quenya name for the title is Arandur , "Servant of the King".

Known Stewards to the King of Gondor[]

Stewards to the King of Gondor (Between TA 492 & TA 541 - TA 2050[1])
Possibly many such Stewards since the creation of the office by Rómendacil I, the eighth King of Gondor.[1])
1. Húrin of Emyn Arnen TA 1621TA 1634
Unnamed others that served the Kings up until Pelendur
2. Pelendur ? - TA 1998
3. Vorondil the Hunter TA 1998 - TA 2029
4. Mardil Voronwë TA 2029 - TA 2050
No others until Faramir, 969 years later
5. Faramir TA 3019 - FO 82
6. Elboron FO 82 - ?

Ruling Stewards of Gondor[]

The Ruling Stewards of Gondor (TA 2050 - TA 3019)
1. Mardil Voronwë "the Steadfast" TA 2050 - TA 2080
2. Eradan TA 2080 - TA 2116
3. Herion TA 2116 - TA 2148
4. Belegorn TA 2148 - TA 2204
5. Húrin I TA 2204 - TA 2244
6. Túrin I TA 2244 - TA 2278
7. Hador TA 2278 - TA 2395
8. Barahir TA 2395 - TA 2412
9. Dior TA 2412 - TA 2435
10. Denethor I TA 2435 - TA 2477
11. Boromir TA 2477 - TA 2489
12. Cirion TA 2489 - TA 2567
13. Hallas TA 2567 - TA 2605
14. Húrin II TA 2605 - TA 2628
15. Belecthor I TA 2628 - TA 2655
16. Orodreth TA 2655 - TA 2685
17. Ecthelion I TA 2685 - TA 2698
18. Egalmoth TA 2698 - TA 2743
19. Beren TA 2743 - TA 2763
20. Beregond TA 2763 - TA 2811
21. Belecthor II TA 2811 - TA 2872
22. Thorondir TA 2872 - TA 2882
23. Túrin II TA 2882 - TA 2914
24. Turgon TA 2914 - TA 2953
25. Ecthelion II TA 2953 - TA 2984
26. Denethor II TA 2984 - TA 3019


Soon after the death of Denethor II, Aragorn II was crowned King. The Steward Faramir, son of Denethor II, surrendered to the King his rod of office, but it was returned to him. Faramir nominally ruled briefly as Steward until Elessar's coronation, but since Faramir rested in the Houses of Healing, Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth took his place during much of that time. Though Faramir became Steward a month and a half before Elessar became King, Faramir is not considered one of the Ruling Stewards. King Elessar confirmed in Faramir and his descendants the office of Steward of Gondor, and granted him in addition the Principality of Ithilien, ensuring his line a position as counsellor of the King.

The original model for the Stewards of Gondor is probably the title of steward, a medieval king's follower in Europe. In England there arose a powerful office, that of Lord High Steward, which was the principle advisor to the monarch. The office has fallen into disuse, but remains to this day for coronations only. In France the Carolingian family were the Mayors of the Palace to the Merovingian Kings, ultimately usurping them to rule France.


See House of Hador and Húrin for information on the Húrin of the First Age.

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Arabic مضيفو جوندور
Bosnian Guverneri Gondor
Catalan Senescals de Góndor
Chinese 剛鐸宰相
Croatian Namjesnici Gondora
Czech Správci Gondoru
Danish Statholders af Gondor
Dutch Stadhouders van Gondor
Esperanto Intendantoj de Gondor
Estonian Gondori kojaülemate
Finnish Gondorin käskynhaltijat
French Intendants du Gondor
Frisian Steedhâlders fan Gondor (Western)
Galician Senescal Rexentes de Gondor
German Truchsessen von Gondor
Greek Επίτροποι της Γκόντορ
Hungarian Gondor Kormányzók
Indonesian Pengurus-pengurus Gondor
Italian Sovrintendente di Gondor
Japanese ゴンドールの執政
Norwegian Riksforstander av Gondor
Persian کارگزاران گاندور
Polish Namiestnicy Gondoru
Portuguese Intendentes do Gondor
Russian Наме́стники Го́ндора
Slovenian Skrbniki Gondora
Spanish Regentes de Gondor
Swedish Rikshovmästare av Gondor
Turkish Gondor'un Vekilharç Hükümdarlar
Ukrainian Cyrillic Намісники Гондору

References[]

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