The Love Story of Aragorn and Arwen

[Music] the next day at the hour of sunset aragorn walked alone in the woods and his heart was high within him and he sang for he was full of hope and the world was fair and suddenly even as he sang he saw a maiden walking on a green sword among the white stems of the birches and he halted amazed thinking that he had strayed into a dream or else that he had received the gift of the elf minstrels who can make the things of which they sing appear before the eyes of those that listen for aragorn had been singing a part of the lay of luthien which tells of the meeting of luthien and baron in the forest of naldurath and behold their luthien walked before his eyes in rivendell clad and a mansell of silver and blue fair as the twilight in elven home her dark hair strayed in a sudden wind and her brows were bound with gems like stars greetings and michael von and my dear friends joyce in here and i hope you all are doing well wherever you are in middle earth as it is valentine's day i've been planning to release this video on this day for quite some time and i'm excited to bring you all the love story of aragorn and arwen this was made in collaboration with nerd of the rings and his baron and luthien video as well as some other tolkien creators and their valentine-themed projects all of which will be linked in the description below and our valentine's day playlist so please check those out the greater part of the tale i share today comes from appendix a of the lord of the rings and the telling of the tale of aragorn and darwin therein so please check that out as well my friends get comfortable as we discuss the love story of aragorn and darwin our story begins in the year 2933 of the third age when aragorn ii son of aerothorn ii was taken to hemlodrus for safekeeping after the death of aerothorn by the arrow of an orc aragorn was the last descendant of a seal door and needed safe keeping for sauron the dark lord who would soon openly return to mordor was searching for the last descendants of the king if there were any left that yet walked upon the earth gilrine aragorn's mother would bear her son to rivendell and keep him from harm in that hidden refuge and lord elrond would be to the child as a father aragorn was called estelle meaning hope in sindarin as to hide the high etymology of his true name and so for years it was this way but when estelle was 20 years old in 2951 the same year that sauron returned to mordor estelle returned from the wild in the company of elrond's sons eledon and elrohir and they had accomplished great deeds elrond looked at his foster son and was pleased with him seeing that estelle was fair and noble and that he had come to manhood early though he would become greater in both body and mind in the years to come and so elrond called estelle by his true name aragorn and told him of his true lineage he gave to him as well the ring of barahir an heirloom from their kinship from afar and the shards of narcill which were his by right with these elrond foresaw that he could do great deeds and his life would be greater than the measure of men unless evil befell him or he failed at the test which would be hard and long elrond however withheld the scepter of enumenos for aragorn had yet to earn it the right to rule the next day aragorn walked alone in the woods of rivendell with a high heart within him for hope had come to him and the world was fair it would become even fairer for even as he sang of baronet luthien and their meeting in the woods of naldoreth he beheld luthien herself glad in silver and blue with gems upon her brows and her dark hair flowing in the wind aragorn gazed at her but feared she would pass away and never be seen by his eyes again so he cried out to her to nuvil signifying nightingale just as baron had done to luthian in the elder days the maiden turned and smiled asking who the young man was and why he called her by that name aragorn answered that he believed she was luthien of whom he had been singing but if she wasn't her she walked in her likeness arwen replied that many had said that but her name was not hers though maybe their dooms would not be unalike she asked the man who he was and he introduced himself spoke of his great lineage which seemed now of little worth for it was nothing compared to her dignity and loveliness she laughed and said that they were kin from afar and that she was arwen elron's daughter also called undomial which means evening star in quenya aragorn was taken aback for though he had spent most all his life in rivendell they had not met before this it seemed that elrond had hidden her as men hide their greatest treasure in dangerous days but she said that rather she had spent those years in lothlorian with her grandmother but had since returned she seemed no greater in age than he was but arwen saw this in his eyes and said that the children of elrond had the life of the eldar and aragorn saw such light in her eyes and knew this was so he loved her from that hour forth and in the coming days aragorn fell silent and his mother gilrein knew something strange had befallen him eventually he relented to her questions and spoke of his meeting with arwen gilrein said that her son's aim was high even for a descendant of kings for the lady he loved was then the most noble and fair of any that walked the earth it would not fit that immortal should wed with elf kin though aragorn replied saying that they had part in that kinship which gill ryan admitted was true but that was long before in the elder days before their race had been diminished she was afraid for her son for without the good will of elrond she feared the sildore's line would meet its end and she knew elrond would not give goodwill in this matter aragorn responded saying that bitter his days would be then and he would walk alone in the wild gilrin and her foresight knew that this would be true and though she spoke to none of what she had discussed with her son elrond could see and read much and before the fall of that year he called aragorn to him and spoke with him he said that a great doom laid before aragorn to rise above the height of his fathers since the days of elendil or fall into darkness with what was left of his kin years of trial the test he had spoken of before were laid before aragorn he would not have a wife nor be betrothed to any woman until his time came and he was found worthy aragorn wondered if his mother spoke of what they had talked about and elrond said no that the man's own eyes had betrayed him and the elf lord spoke not only of arwen but of all maidens as for arwen herself elrond said she was of a lineage greater than aragorns that aragorn was as a small and young tree to a great one that had lived long he also said arwen was too far above aragorn as it would even maybe seem to her but even if she came to love him elrond would still grieve at the doom of the eldar laid upon them he went on to explain to aragorn that so long as elrond and his kin remained in middle-earth arwen would be young but he would depart and she would go with them if she chose to aragorn understood then better what he had hoped for that his eyes were turned to a treasure no less than that of thingle luthien he accepted that fate and foresight came to the young man knowing that the choice of the elves to leave middle earth was soon coming elrond agreed though he said that there were still many years of men yet to pass but there would be no choice for arwen not unless aragorn came between arwen and her father which would bring either elrond or aragorn to a bitter parting beyond the end of the world elrond claimed aragorn did not know what he desired of him the elf lord said the years would bring what they would for evil was to come aragorn took leave lovingly of his foster father and the next day he bade farewell to his mother gilrein and emmladrus and darwin herself he went out into the wild to take on the test that was before him for 30 years aragorn would scour the wild befriending gandalf and he would go on many perilous journeys and as he got older and stronger he often went more alone through ways difficult and long he became a grim man unless he happened to smile but he seemed to men as honorable as a king in exile if he revealed his true nature he went as many names to many lands and rode with the rohirrim and fought for the steward of gondor as the mantharongil and after achieving victory he passed out of the knowledge of the dunadine going alone far into the east and deep into the south exploring the hearts of good and evil men both and he uncovered many plots and devices of the servants of sauron his great enemy at some point even ventured through moria during that part of his life aragorn became the heartiest of all living men skilled in their crafts and lore but he was also elven-wise due to his heritage and upbringing there was a light in his eyes that few could endure due to the heavy doom and love laid upon him he was sad and grim but could be happy and mirthful for there was always hope within him when aragorn was 49 years old in 2980 he returned from the outskirts of mordor coming to lothlorion before going back to rivendell and arwen happened to be in lorian as well arwyn had changed little but her face was more grave and her laughter was more seldom heard but aragorn had grown to his full stature of body and mind and galadriel gave to him elvish raiment to wear of silver and white and an elven gray cloak and a bright gem upon his brow thus arwen beheld him after their long parting and he seemed rather as an elf lord of the west as he approached her her choice was made and doom appointed they wandered in lorien for a season together and on the evening of mid-summer upon the hill of kiran amroth they looked east to the shadow and west to the twilight and they were engaged and the ring of barahir aragorn gave to arwen for this betrothal arwen said that she knew estelle would aid in the downfall of the shadow but aragorn could not foresee it nor how it would happen but with arwin's hope he would hope he rejected the shadow but said the twilight was also not for him as a mortal and if arwen would cleave to him she would also have to reject it this she did turning from the twilight to be with him soon elrond would learn of his daughter's choice and aragorn came to rivendell and spoke with him elrond said a new shadow laid between them but it could be by elrond's loss that the kingship of men would be restored indeed he said though he loved aragorn he would not let arwen diminish her grace for any man less than the king of both gondor and arnor even if men would be glad for a time in victory he feared the doom of men would seem hard at the ending to arwen this stood afterwards between elrond and aragorn and they spoke no more of it aragorn went forth once more to danger and ever arwen remained in rivendell and watched over her beloved in thought making for him a kingly standard for he who claimed the kingship of the numenoreans and the inheritance of elendil gilrein would return to her folk in eridor leaving him ladriss and the chieftain of the dunadine aragorn would eventually see her one last time hoping she would stay to see the light beyond the darkness for she knew her time was fading in middle-earth she said to her son in sindarin ayasteladine estellanim which means i gave hope to the dunadine i have kept none for myself aragorn would depart from his mother with a heavy heart and gilrine would pass away soon after the man would forever keep trying to do great things for the world working towards achieving the heavy doom laid on him by his love for arwen though there was never assurance his marriage to her would come to pass only a hope and so it is told in aragorn's history how he would come to bring about the end of the war of the ring and the downfall of sauron but it was clear that at least in his mind arwen never left him for when aragorn brought the hobbits to rivendell he would reunite with arwen his beloved and elrond his foster father and in lothlorian in 3019 he would be in a great passion reuniting with kieran amroth where 39 years before he was engaged to arwen udomial arwyn would send the banner she made for aragorn with the grey company and her brothers who came to aragorn to aid him and upon the field of palonua aragorn was first recognized as the returned king of gondor and after the fall of sauron he would take up the crown of gondor arwyn would come south with her kin and on mid-summer of that year the anniversary of their engagement the hopes of estelle and the elf maiden were fully realized and the two were wed in ministereth elrond surrendered the scepter of enumenos to aragorn the numenorean king and the doom laid on him was fulfilled all except the most bitter part of it that was yet to come for the new king elrond and arwen would come to bid one another farewell until the breaking of the world and it was one of the most grievous partings of all time in middle earth happening between the two of them alone in the hills of rohan elrond would leave the world at the end of the third age in 3021 and though arwen had become as a mortal woman it was not her doom to die until she had lost all that she had gained as the queen of elves and men she dwelt with aragorn for many decades in the fourth age almost two lifetimes of normal men but the gift of a louvitar awaited aragorn they had a son named daldarion and a number of daughters but there came a time on march 1st of 120 of the fourth age on aragorn's birthday when he turned 210 years old that death called to him at last and he would answer arwen foresaw that day but still wondered if that time had truly come but aragorn knew it was so their son was ready for kingship aragorn had grown weary of this life and so king elisar went to the house of the kings in the silent street of ministereth for it was part of his gift that he could choose the time of his death and so he laid down saying farewell to alderion and giving to him the crown of gondor and the scepter of arnor for all of arwin's wisdom and lineage she wanted aragorn to yet to stay for she was not yet weary and so it was elrond spoke true and she felt the most bitter pain of mortality aragorn said to his lady in domiel that the hour was indeed difficult but it was made when they had first met and when they were betrothed she should take counsel with herself and ask if you would rather see him fall from the seat of kings unmanned and witless he was the last of the numenoreans and the latest king of the elder days and he had not only a lifespan three times as long as the men of middle earth but also the grace to go at his will to give back the gift he would therefore sleep he could not comfort her but offered her a choice to stay in middle-earth or repent and go west where the memory of their love would be ever green but never more than memory to which arwen responded the choice was long over and no ship could bear her hence she said to him that she finally understood the tale of men for she had once scorned them as wicked fools but finally she pitied them the eldar called death the gift of a louvitar to men but it was bitter to receive aragorn said it seemed so but they should not fail at the final test they of old who renounced the shadow and the ring in sorrow they would go but not in despair for they were not bound forever to the circles of the world and beyond them is more than memory thus king elizar aragorn estelle said a final farewell arwen cried at that and he kissed her hand and fell into sleep leaving behind a great beauty for any who saw him would see the grace of his youth the valor of his manhood and the wisdom and majesty of his age that were all blended together he was an image of the splendor of the kings of men and glory undimmed before the breaking of the world arwen went forth from the house the light in her eyes quenched and she became cold and gray as nightfallen winter with no star she paid farewell to her son and daughters and all whom she loved and went to lorien where the land was silent and then when the mallorn leaves were falling spring had not yet come she laid down upon kieran amroth and there is her green grave until the world has changed and the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men and eleanor and nephrodil bloom no more on these hither shores east of the sea wither went the spirit of arwen or that of aragorn i know not and it is not for this storyteller to know but indeed neither aragorn nor irwin had failed their tests and their love bloomed for many years their toil and dooms being unavoidable but they lived in love nonetheless and so we come to the end of our love story of aragorn and darwin from this tale of love happiness and sorrow we see that we must never turn away from who we are meant to be the trials we are meant to endure or the wisdom that our hearts tell us there come times for all things love hardship life and death and we must live with them all with what wisdom we can while we have such time thank you all so much for watching i hope you all enjoyed this love story if you did please be sure to hit that like button and share this with a friend what are your thoughts questions additions and corrections about the love story of aragorn and arwen let me know in the comments below it is quite an amazing heartfelt and even sorrowful story because of the humanity within it i think it is one of the best love stories out there next to baron and luthien of which this tale heavily reminisces although i would have loved to see more of arwen within the tale please don't forget to check out our tulkenian valentine's day playlist and especially nerd of the rings is baron and luthien video that pairs with this one and please enjoy and give them all a warm men of the west greeting to further support the channel please check out our music channel facebook twitter merch and patreon for podcast and discord server all of those links are in the description below i want to shout out our valar tier patrons over on patreon adrian de la tour chris ortner peter shepard jonathan putin and mark crawley blair scout and tobias goldner ryan ramsey adam rink martin john hume tom bombadil reggie 93 chip slade and our newest valor to your patron jennifer wood thank you all so much and thank you to all of my patrons finally don't forget to subscribe and hit that bell button to join the men of the west and all of the free peoples today and i'll see you all again next week with a video on the done lendings of middle earth everyone thank you all so much for joining me on this adventure until the next one my great friends

Channel: Men of the West

Views: 51,637

Keywords: Yoystan, Men of the West, Aragorn, Arwen, Valentine’s Day, Tolkien, Middle-earth, Lord of the Rings, Lore, Silmarillion, Elrond, Gondor, Arnor, Rivendell, Elvish

Id: 17Dhvv9BrW0

Length: 19min 11sec (1151 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 14 2021