how old were the major characters

[afro-elf]

how old were the major characters in LOTR

[Comic Book Guy]

Frodo = 50
Aragorn = 87
Samwise = 35
Boromir = 40
Gandalf = Timeless
Merry = 27-30
Pippin = 27-30
Legolas = Debated
Gimli = Around 80 I believe, he said once he was too young to go with Thorin and Company.

[Grendel]

The War of The Ring began on June 20, III 3018. The age of the Fellowship of The Ring was as follows:

Frodo - 50 - Born III 2968
Sam - 35 - Born III 2983
Aragorn - 87 - Born III 2931
Gandalf - Immortal - Arrived III 1000
Boromir - 40 - Born III 2978
Gimli - 139 - Born III 2879
Merry - 36 - Born III 2982
Pippin - 28 - Born III 2990
Legolas - Unknown - Legolas's father is Thranduil, King of Mirkwood. Thranduil is mentioned as early as II 1000. No date for the birth of Legolas is given.

Grendel

[ArwenEvenstar]

I thought he was at least between 50-70, I never thought (or knew) he was 87! I mean that's older then my Grammie and Grampie

[ArwenEvenstar]

But then again I'm forgetting his of the Numanerians!(I know I didn't spell that right....)

[Grendel]

"I never thought (or knew) he was 87! I mean that's older then my Grammie and Grampie"

Yes, but the Dunedain have much longer lifespans than common men. Aragorn lived for another 124 years. He died in year 120 of the Fourth Age at 211 years old. At 87, Aragorn was equivalent to a 35-year-old man.

Grendel

[afro-elf]

thanks

what about faramir, eowyn, denethor, imrahil and theoden?


with boromir, denethor, faramir and imrahil i know they have numenorean blood but that it had decreased in potency over the ages

aragorn lived about thrice the age of mortal men AND could have lived long. i think he said something to arwen about being given the choice to end his life.

what was the life span of the dunedain of the late 3rd age?

dwarves are long lived what about their life spans

[Ñólendil]

I'm not sure but I think the Dúnedain of the late Third Age lived twice as long as that of 'lesser' Men. Dwarves usually lived 250 years.

[Comic Book Guy]

The reason Aragorn lived so long is because he was a Numenorean of pure lineage.

[Grendel]

"thanks ... what about faramir, eowyn, denethor, imrahil and theoden?"

http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/

The website above has a great wealth of Middle Earth information, including the birth and death dates for most of the characters.

Grendel

[afro-elf]

thanks

[afro-elf]

it seems that finduilas was his sister BUt he died quite young for one of such blood 99 maybe he died in one of Esselar's campaigns

eomer married his daughter

[arynetrek]

The War of The Ring began on June 20, III 3018. The age of the Fellowship of The Ring was as follows:

Aragorn - 87 - Born III 2931

i could have sworn he was only about 60 - i take it you looked in the Tale of Years? (my copy isn't accessible at the moment)

also, wasn't he about 20 when he met Arwen, and waited 29 years before they married? or am i skipping a few decades here?

aragorn lived about thrice the age of mortal men AND could have lived long. i think he said something to arwen about being given the choice to end his life.

He did - look at the last page or so of the Tale of Aragorn & Arwen, in appendix A. he tells Arwen that he's lived thrice the age of men of ME (exact words i believe) but doesn't want to die old & senile (paraphrase) - "old" in his case must mean more than 210, which was his age when he died.

it seems that finduilas was his sister BUt he died quite young for one of such blood 99 maybe he died in one of Esselar's (you mean Elessar's? :P) campaigns

eomer married his daughter

if you're referring to Imrahil, there's another thread about his age.

i think Imrahil has Elven blood as well as Numenorean, but he was mostly "normal man;" & Elven traits don't seem to last in children who are less than half-elven (did Eldarion, Dior, the early Numenorean kings, etc. have The Choice, for example? i don't think so but i could be wrong) so i don't think the extended age would effect him THAT much.

aryne *

[Tar-Elenion]

Imrahil was born in 2955. He died in what would have been TA 3054 (4th Age 34).

[Lelondul]

Well-met all,

I believe Tar-Elenion (though I've been wrong before), the choice of the elvish or mannish fate was only bestowed by the Valar in the most extentuating circumstances such as: Beren/Luthien, Elrond/Elros, and Aragorn/Arwen. The choice was also only offered to those who were of at least half-elvish origins. No Numenoreans were given the choice to my limited knowledge...

[afro-elf]

i think Imrahil has Elven blood as well as Numenorean, but he was mostly "normal man;"

I think with numenorean blood( and being a noble one at that) plus elvish blood(legolas' statment ) i still think he died quite young

[Ñólendil]

Lelondul you ol' dog! Welcome friend! What took you so long to get here?

[Bacchus]

Originally posted by Lelondul
Well-met all,

I believe Tar-Elenion (though I've been wrong before), the choice of the elvish or mannish fate was only bestowed by the Valar in the most extentuating circumstances such as: Beren/Luthien, Elrond/Elros, and Aragorn/Arwen. The choice was also only offered to those who were of at least half-elvish origins. No Numenoreans were given the choice to my limited knowledge...

Very close. Luthien was given the choice of living in Valinor (where Beren could not go) or of becoming mortal and rejoining him. This extraordinary option was offered to her because of her deeds against Morgoth. The others were given a choice because of their mixed heritage. Elwing and Earendil chose to be of the Eldar. Their sons, Elrond and Elros were also given this choice. Interestingly, Elrond's children were allowed to choose for themselves, while Elros' descendants were not.

[Tar-Elenion]

--------------------
Quothe Lelondul:
I believe Tar-Elenion (though I've been wrong before), the choice of the elvish or mannish fate was only bestowed by the Valar in the most extentuating circumstances such as: Beren/Luthien, Elrond/Elros, and Aragorn/Arwen. The choice was also only offered to those who were of at least half-elvish origins. No Numenoreans were given the choice to my limited knowledge...
------------------

You may wish to readdress this to who ever it was you were responding to. I don't recall having addressed this topic on this thread. Perhaps you meant 'arnyetrek'?

In any event Bacchus is fairly correct in his reply. Manwe was the arbiter of the Doom of those with mixed blood (that is those with mixed blood were mortal unless Manwe specifically granted them other Doom).

[arynetrek]

Originally posted by Tar-Elenion
You may wish to readdress this to who ever it was you were responding to. I don't recall having addressed this topic on this thread. Perhaps you meant 'arynetrek'?

if you were answering me, thank you. if you weren't, thanks anyway.

In any event Bacchus is fairly correct in his reply. Manwe was the arbiter of the Doom of those with mixed blood (that is those with mixed blood were mortal unless Manwe specifically granted them other Doom).

Manwe? or Mandos?

Originally posted by Lelondul
The choice was also only offered to those who were of at least half-elvish origins. No Numenoreans were given the choice to my limited knowledge...

now what about Tuor, a Man who i believe DID go to Valinor? there's a line in Sil. that talks about Elves who choose the fate of Men and Men who choose the fate of Elves (i get my copy back tomorrow, i'll find the quote & put it in here when i find it) - he is not a Numenorean but a Man who went to the Undying Lands for himself (theory: Frodo & co. went, lived out their days in a beautiful Elf-filled paradise but eventually died - Tuor did the same thing)

Interestingly, Elrond's children were allowed to choose for themselves, while Elros' descendants were not.

don't remember reading anywhere about the fate of Elladan & Elrohir - did JRRT write anymore about them?

aryne *

[rashbold]

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Equë

don't remember reading anywhere about the fate of Elladan & Elrohir - did JRRT write anymore about them?

----------------------------------------

I think it was implied that both of Elrond's sons went over Sea. But I could be wrong. Robert Foster in his Complete Guide to Middle-earth had the impression that they chose mortality. But let me close this post with this quote in FoTR "Note on the Shire Records":

...though Elrond had departed, his sons long remained, together with some of the High-elven folk. It is said that Celeborn went to dwell there after the departure of Galadriel; but there is no record of the day when at last he sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last living memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth.

[arynetrek]

thanks for the quote, i'm just wondering if they "remained" permanantly - the quote seems to imply that they eventually sailed.

aryne *