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Finwe · 09-19-2003, 04:59 PM

Just because a person was from Gondor wouldn't necessarily mean that they were of Numenorean blood. Most of them had the blood of "lesser men" in their veins, which resulted in a diminished life span.

We can't really use Aragorn as a standard because he was unique for his time, Tolkien states that outright. For someone with his degree of Numenorean blood, he shouldn't have lived for 210 years, and still retain all his faculties. I think that since he was destined to reunite the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, he was "given" a lifespan far greater than that of his kin.

Instead of using Aragorn, we should use someone like Faramir to compare people to. Denethor wouldn't really fit the description due to his "addiction" to the Palantir. Beregond says that his lord aged before his time, and also voiced his suspicion that something untoward was going on in the Steward's Tower. Faramir, on the other hand, was a relatively "clean" person, and Tolkien also states that he inherited the Numenorean blood, so we know that for a fact.

09-19-2003, 04:59 PM	#15
Finwe Deathless Sun Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Royal Suite in the Halls of Mandos Posts: 2,609	Just because a person was from Gondor wouldn't necessarily mean that they were of Numenorean blood. Most of them had the blood of "lesser men" in their veins, which resulted in a diminished life span. We can't really use Aragorn as a standard because he was unique for his time, Tolkien states that outright. For someone with his degree of Numenorean blood, he shouldn't have lived for 210 years, and still retain all his faculties. I think that since he was destined to reunite the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, he was "given" a lifespan far greater than that of his kin. Instead of using Aragorn, we should use someone like Faramir to compare people to. Denethor wouldn't really fit the description due to his "addiction" to the Palantir. Beregond says that his lord aged before his time, and also voiced his suspicion that something untoward was going on in the Steward's Tower. Faramir, on the other hand, was a relatively "clean" person, and Tolkien also states that he inherited the Numenorean blood, so we know that for a fact. __________________ But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark.