Tar-Aldarion

Tar-Aldarion is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, appearing in Unfinished Tales: Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner’s Wife, which is the only story in the legendarium of Númenor before its fall.

He was the sixth King of Númenor, succeeding his father, Tar-Meneldur. He was a great mariner, and during his time Númenor started to invest more in its navy and strengthened its presence overseas in Middle-earth. He wedded Erendis in 870, but their relationship was troubled. He ruled for 192 years and surrendered the Sceptre to his daughter, Ancalimë, in 1075. He died in 1098.

Biography

Early years

At the time of his birth Númenor was still relatively “isolated”; it was only in relatively recent times that Númenórean seafarers had successfully made the journey back to Middle-earth.

In his early maturity Aldarion sailed with his maternal grandfather Vëantur to Middle-earth, and on this voyage he became enamoured of the Great Sea, in love with seafaring in itself and the thrill of new horizons and new lands over the horizon. During his first journeys to Middle-earth he made the friendship of Gil-galad and Círdan, from whom he learned much about both the making and management of ships. In 750 he founded the Guild of Venturers with like-minded young seafarers.