Aragorn the story
Son of Arathorn II and Gilraen. Husband of Arwen Undómiel. Father of Eldarion and many daughters.
Last Chieftain of the Dúndedain and
King of the Reunited Kingdom. Ranger of Eriador and member of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Aragorn was born on March 1st in the year T.A. 2931, the son of Arathorn II and Gilraen the Fair.
When he was only two years old his father was slain by orcs
and he became the Lord of the Dúndedain and the last
Heir of Isildur. He and his mother were taken into
the care of Elrond in Rivendell.
To hide his heritage from the enemies of the Dúnedain,
Aragorn was known in Rivendell by the name Estel, which means ‘Hope’. Not until he was twenty years of
age (T.A. 2951) was he told his true lineage and name. At that time, Elrond gave to him the heirlooms of the Heirs of Isildur - the Ring of Barahir and the shards of Narsil, Elendil’s
sword. But he withheld the Sceptre of Annúminas until
‘he had earned it’.
The next day Aragorn met Arwen while walking in the
gardens of Rivendell, and he soon fell in love with
her beauty and wisdom. But his love for Arwen went unrequitted for many years because she was an Elf already
many centuries old and he was still quite young and but a mortal. He then took
leave of Rivendell and journeyed out into the wild of
Middle-Earth for thirty long years, labouring for the cause against Sauron.
During these years he befriended Gandalf the wizard
(T.A. 2956) and served in disguise the lords of Rohan
and Gondor where he was known as Thorongil
(T.A. 2957-80). His services brought him into the far
East and the deep South where he learned the ways of the servants of Sauron. While in Gondor he led a
small fleet to Umbar where he burned most of the
ships of the Corsairs and personally overthrew the Captain of the Havens.
When he was forty-nine years old Aragorn sought a rest from his journeys in the
Elven realm of Lothlórien
(T.A. 2980). Unknown to him, Arwen was staying for
there for a time, and they met again. During his long years Aragorn had grown
into a man of great stature and power so that he appeared almost as an
Elf-lord. Arwen at last returned his love and on
Midsummer’s Eve they plighted their troth on the hill of Cerin
Amroth. As a token of his love he gave to her the
Ring of Barahir.
Though it saddened Elrond greatly, he was silent when
he heard of the promise between his daughter and Aragorn. Being Half-Elven and having lost his brother to mortality in the
Second Age, he knew only too well the sorrow that loving a mortal could cause.
He refused to allow his daughter to marry a Man, even one as great as Aragorn,
unless he be no less than the King of both Gondor and
Arnor. He would not allow her to sacrifice her
immortality for anything less.
So Aragorn returned to the wild more determined than ever to regain the kingdom
lost so long ago by the Dúndedain. He wandered again
for many years until Gandalf came to him in T.A. 3001
and asked for his aid in seeking and capturing Gollum.
The hunt proved long and seemingly hopeless, for he lost the trail of Gollum. It was not until T.A. 3009 that he once again
searched for Gollum, this time in the vales of Anduin, Mirkwood and Rhovanion, finally seeking all the way to the borders of Mordor. Finally in T.A. 3017 he found and captured him in
the Dead Marshes and took him to Thranduil in Mirkwood where Gandalf questioned
him.
He then sent more years as a Ranger in the wilds of Eriador
where he was known as Strider. He became a rugged, wood crafty man, the most
skilled huntsman of his day, and also skilled at avoiding the traps of the
enemy. He knew all of the lands for hundreds of miles and all of the peoples
living in them. In the last years before the War of the Ring he spent much of his
time patrolling the borders of the Shire.
Told by Gandalf of Frodo’s
journey and warned by Gildor that the hobbits were
leaving the Shire, Aragorn was waiting for them when they arrived at Bree He helped them avoid the attack of the Black Riders
and later used his knowledge of the land to avoid the Riders for the many miles
between Bree and the Weather Hills.
At Weathertop he drove of the attacking Black Riders
and used his extensive knowledge of ancient healing techniques to find and use athelas on Frodo’s wound.
His Ranger skills once again proved invaluable in the journey through the hard
lands between Waethertop and Rivendell.
At Rivendell he participated in the Council of Elrond and was chosen as a member of the Company of the
Ring. But while the other members of the company rested and prepared for the
Quest, Aragorn accompanied the sons of Elrond on a
scouting mission down the
When the passage over the Redhorn Gate proved
impossible, Aragorn counseled against the mines of Moria, having once entered the mines himself, long ago.. But he submitted to the leadership of Gandalf.
When the wizard fell at the
Unsure of Gandalf’s intentions for the Quest beyond Lórien, Aragorn took them by boat to the lawn of Parth Galen beneath Amon Hen, the
Hill of Sight. There, while he pondered the future of the Company in the Seat
of Seeing, a force of orcs attacked. Frodo and Sam escaped but Merry and Pippin were taken
prisoner, but Boromir was slain. Aragorn came too
late from the high seat to save the man of Gondor,
and he greatly rued his decision to climb Amon Hen.
After giving Boromir’s body to the Anduin, Aragorn led the chase across the Wold of Rohan to rescue the
captured hobbits. The Three Hunters raced for days but were unable to overtake
the orcs that were running towards Isengard. Instead they met Eomer,
who lent them horses, and finally Gandalf returned as
‘The White’. The wizard told them that the two young hobbits were safe with Treebeard and urged them to accompany him to Edoras in Rohan.
Aragorn proved a valiant warrior at the Battle of Helm’s Deep,
facing the enemy army alone atop the Deeping Wall and
slaying many orcs. After receiving the palantir or Orthanc he
returned to the
He fearlessly led the way through the Paths, calling the Oathbreaking
Dead to him at the Stone of Erech. The army of ghosts
followed him to Pelargir, passing him at the last and
overwhelming the ships of Umbar. Aragorn and the
people of the harbours then manned the ships and, with a sudden change in the
winds, sailed quickly up the Anduin to Harlond.
Aragorn thus arrived at the last moment at the
At the Black Gate of Mordor Aragorn parleyed with the
Mouth of Sauron, defeating the sorcerer in a short
battle of wills. As the Mouth retreated and the armies of Sauron
sallied forth from the Morannon,
So it finally came to pass that Sauron was destroyed
and the King was returned. Aragorn and the triumphant armies returned to Minas Tirith where he was crowned by Gandalf
as King Elessar, taking the surname of Telcontar which was Elvish for
‘Strider’. Then Arwen arrived with Elrond who now gave his blessing. And on Midsummer’s Eve of
the year 3019 of the Third Age Arwen and Aragorn were
wed.
As Elessar he ruled the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor for many years.
And Arwen bore him a son, Eldarion,
and several daughters. But at last, though his lifespan was three times that or
normal Men, Aragorn grew tired and knew that his time had come. On the 1st of
March of the year 120 of the Fourth Age he laid himself down on a bed of stone
prepared for him in the House of Kings in the
Aragorn had many names including Elfstone by Arwen, Strider by the people of Bree,
the Renewer by the healers of Minas Tirith, The Dunadan by Bilbo, Longshanks by Bill Ferny,
and Wingfoot by Éomer.
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