Coming of Age

For discussion of Dunedain culture, what it might have looked like and how it worked.

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Elegost
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Elegost »

I'm sure I read somwhere that A Dunedain came of Age at 33.
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Ranger of Arthedain »

Elegost wrote:I'm sure I read somwhere that A Dunedain came of Age at 33.

I thought so too, which is why I've always thought of the 30-35 grouping. Whatever source this bit of information came from, I can never find again no matter how hard I search. :|
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Ernildir
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Ernildir »

Hobbits come of age at 33. Perhaps that is what you were thinking of.
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Elegost »

Ernildhir wrote:Hobbits come of age at 33. Perhaps that is what you were thinking of.
Thats it! Thanks, must of got a bit mixed up, who can't with so much lore in Middle earth!
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Ranger of Arthedain »

I knew of the hobbits coming of age, but I still want to say I read about the Dunedain's coming of age somewhere. Ah well, I quite like the answers the others have formed on here about their coming of age.
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Mirimaran
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Mirimaran »

Just from extrapolation, around 20-21. My example is Valandil.

"Son of Isildur; third King of Arnor. Valandil was Isildur's fourth and youngest son. He was born in Rivendell in 3430 of the Second Age. That same year, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed to oppose Sauron. Isildur and his three eldest sons Elendur, Aratan, and Ciryon marched to Mordor to fight the War of the Last Alliance, while Valandil remained in Rivendell with his mother.

Isildur and his sons survived the war, but on the way back to Rivendell in the year 2 of the Third Age they were slain by Orcs in the Gladden Fields. Isildur's esquire Ohtar brought the shards of Narsil to Valandil in Rivendell.

Upon coming of age in the year 10, Valandil became the King of the North-kingdom of Arnor. Valandil did not claim the title of High King of both Gondor and Arnor as his father had done. Instead, the South-kingdom of Gondor was ruled by Valandil's cousin Meneldil - the son of Isildur's brother Anarion - and the two kingdoms became separated." http://www.tuckborough.net/dunedain.html

The Second Age ended in the year 3441, which means he was 11 at the time.

So, by my math, that made him 21 at the time of his coronation. Coming of age, for the Dunedain, seems to be at that age. Any thoughts?
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Hereward the Wake »

Well that pretty much sews it it up :lol:
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Eledhwen »

About what I thought.

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Chris Russo
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Chris Russo »

Great text-work, Mirimaran!
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Mirimaran »

Thanks Chris!
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Elegost »

Very well done Mirimaran, 21 huh? well glad thats sorted.
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Ernildir
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Ernildir »

Good work, Mirimaran! Although just to be safe, it might be a good idea to check the sources given by Tuckborough.net to see if any of Tolkien's texts actually state that Valandil "came of age" at the year 10, or if the article's author(s) just came up with that concept independently. I couldn't find it anywhere in lotr or the appendices, but it's quite possibly in Unfinished Tales or The Peoples of Middle-earth. I haven't gotten around to checking those yet, though.
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Ranger of Arthedain »

http://www.grijalvo.com/Hfz002/hfz002_a ... ent_gb.htm

here's an interesting article that discusses the life span of a Dunedain. Around the 8th paragraph it talks about when they might have came of age. Ernildhir, the only information on Valandil in LotR is in Appendix B: Tale of the Years in the timeline given (Where he became king of Arnor in the year 10). I've been reading up in the appendixes and couldn't find anymore information either, but I do remember reading it in Tolkien's works; in either Unfinished Tales or The Peoples of Middle Earth (and I actually think there may be information on him in both, I can't remember), but I can't check those as I have to finish buying the rest of my books back.
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Ernildir
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Ernildir »

Thanks for sharing that article, Beth. Very enjoyable and interesting. It made me laugh at myself, too, because it led me to compare how much I know of Númenórean history and the genealogy of its rulers to how much I know of the same aspects of any real-world culture. It was pretty sad. Biblical history aside, I'm not much of a history guy... so it was a pretty pathetic comparison.

Let's just say you know there's something wrong with you when you know more about the history of Númenor than that of America. :lol:
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Re: Coming of Age

Post by Jon »

Yea, well who cares about American history when you can learn Numenorian history? :mrgreen:

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