Why Aragorn?

[Haradrim]

This is probably answered somewhere but why didnt Arathorn take up the throne. WHy didnt any of Aragorn's fore-fathers take up the throne? I mean Aragorn is a great first king and all but wouldn't it make sense for any of Aragorns fore-fathers to have reclaimed the throne. THis is probably answered somewhere very obviously but I cant find it so either someone tell me straight up what the answer is or discuss.

[Valandil]

Read Appendix A... one of his ancestors tried it a thousand years before... while they still had a country up in the North. After they were rejected then, there was no chance of Gondor giving the throne up to a wandering vagabond over a small, scattered people - just because his ancestors had once been kings. At least not until Aragorn came along and saved their skins.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Valandil

At least not until Aragorn came along and saved their skins.

That ussually tends to change people's perspective quite quickly enough, saving their skins from the evil hoards...

Imagine Aragorn had come before the Gondorean Council and Denethor the way he appeared to the Hobbits in the Prancing Pony. He wouldn't have had a chance.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Imagine Aragorn had come before the Gondorean Council and Denethor the way he appeared to the Hobbits in the Prancing Pony. He wouldn't have had a chance.

Not even with that fine broken sword of his...

[Haradrim]

so in fact the line of stweards and the people of Gondor were all snooty and upstuck and they didnt care if they would have been happier with a king. Especially when Aragorn came cuz he would have done something about that whole Sauron regrouping hsi froeces thing. SO in conclusion... blame GONDOR.

[Radagast The Brown]

Who says they would be happier with a King? Also, I don't think they counted the Dunedain of the North as their 'potential' kings.. I mean, it doesn't seem like Boromir knows what's going on in the outside world.

[Haradrim]

yeah I guess. But still its their own fault for secluding themselves ya know. So if they had opened up to outsiders then they would have heard rumours of the line of kings maybe met a couple of them and then gradually over the years the kingship could be reinstated. SO to reiterate Gondors fault.

[Valandil]

Guess they just expected more in the way of a visible, powerful appearance from a potential king (this is starting to sound familiar... ). Not looking for someone from what appeared to be a humble birth.

OTOH, I've wondered if Aragorn had a chance years earlier... in his days as 'Thorongil'! (more reason to check out Appendix A... good reading! )

[Haradrim]

Wow this kind of sounds like King Arthur where some people were on his side but not all and he had to prove himself in battle to get his followers. Kinda funny but then TOlkien was drawing on a lot of stuff from ancient tales and myths so its reasonable King Arthur would be in there.


Also its my 100th post! YEAH! Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo! Go HAradrim its your brithday, get funky ,put your thing down, go go go go go! YEAH!!!!!!

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Not even with that fine broken sword of his...

Ow, I wish I could forget all I read about medieval symbolism and hidden meanings regarding swords... Must get mind out of gutter, must get mind out of gutter, must get mind out of gutter ....

In any case, it was rather convenient for Gondor that the man who:

1. saved their hides from the Hordes of Evil;
2. rode at the head of the Undead army (in Pelargir, mind you, but the word would have reached Minas Tirith sooner or later anyhow);
3. was best friends with the only allied king they had left, not to mention friends with all the High Elves you could still find in Middle-earth;
4. and who would bring a killer queen to Gondor,

.... also was of royal blood so they didn't have to worry about putting a peasant on the throne.

You know, thinking back, this Aragorn fellow is just too good to be true...

[Haradrim]

Very good. However the king of the dead thing was open to anyone with the line of ISildur so that and kingship are one. But all the others are a littl etoo good to be true

[Attalus]

Aragorn was the only one left in Middle-earth of the Line of Isildur. Oh, and his healing the wounded after the battle won him many hearts.

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by Haradrim

WHy didnt any of Aragorn's fore-fathers take up the throne? I mean Aragorn is a great first king and all but wouldn't it make sense for any of Aragorns fore-fathers to have reclaimed the throne.

Because the Elves said that their time did not come, and did not move a finger to help them. So the heirs of Isildur lived all their lives and died as plain Rangers, because for the Elves it was not politicaly beneficial.
Don't forget that even Aragorn was told that he has yet to earn the heirloom of Arnor, and for 30 years he was recklessly tried to prove that he is worthy of honor. ( Like he doesn't have the lawfull right by being the heir of the last King of Arnor!) He, probably, would live and die, as his 15 predecessors, hoping that "his time will come", if he wouldn't hopelessly fell in love.This un undestructable love impelled him to take some actions to get Sauron out of his comfortable ignorance.
The *** hit the fan, speeding up the events. Suddenly, the 3 Rings turned out under the treat to be exposed. Elves had to turn to the "crisis plan" for their protection: work in direction of putting on the throne of the most powerful neighboring coutry a Man, who will be loyal and protective to the diminishing Elves.
Aragorn would never got to nowhere if the Elves would still thought that "the time did not come yet".
Without reforged by the Elves sword and ,the most important ,without the tip on the only true detector of his ligimacy as a successor of Numenorian Kings, the Stone of Erech, he would hardly win the battle for Gondor.

This is in the nutshell.The discussion in details probably will be too hard to stomach for the siding to "the nice elves" theory Mooters.

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by Attalus

Aragorn was the only one left in Middle-earth of the Line of Isildur.

Nope. All circumstance evidence is pointing out that he had a son or a brother.

[Beren3000]

I'd be interested to hear this evidence, Olmer.

[Haradrim]

Wait Olmer are you saying he had a son before Arwen. Also where was hi sbrother during all of this? Was he hiding in some hole iun the ground withthe other rangers or was he on some quest that Aragorn gave him. If he had a son and brother I would be upset with JRRT because that makes no sense unless there is some really good reason.

[Artanis]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Read Appendix A... one of his ancestors tried it a thousand years before... while they still had a country up in the North. After they were rejected then, there was no chance of Gondor giving the throne up to a wandering vagabond over a small, scattered people - just because his ancestors had once been kings. At least not until Aragorn came along and saved their skins.

Val has a good point. They couldn't just walk up to Gondor and claim the throne, in a country where the line of the Steward is proud and strong, where people are perfectly happy with the way things are. They didn't want to cause an uproar and mischief. The main point with having the rightful King back on the throne would be to unite the world of Men once more, not to divide them into one Steward camp and one King camp. Aragorn's ancestors wisely waited - and their life wasn't that miserable. What about being brought up in Rivendell? Something to envy, I would say.

Aragorn himself was very careful not to reveal his true identity and claim anything for himself. He didn't even want to enter the city after the Pelennor battle, the only reason he did so was to help Faramir, Eowyn and Merry.

[Haradrim]

Were all of Aragorns ancestors raised in Rivendell? I thought only Aragorn was raised there and that his mother brought him there to protect him.

[Artanis]

I don't remember the reference, but it is said somewhere that it was a tradition of Rivendell to take care of the families of the descendants of Isildur from the North Kingdom. I'll try to find the reference later today.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Artanis

I don't remember the reference, but it is said somewhere that it was a tradition of Rivendell to take care of the families of the descendants of Isildur from the North Kingdom. I'll try to find the reference later today.

Appendix A...