Rangers of the North
The Rangers of the North are an organization that features in Middle-earth.
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History
The Rangers of the North were a group of Dúnedain warriors from Arnor that was a lost kingdom of Man on Middle-earth and were distant cousins of the Rangers of Ithilien. The Dúnedain of Arnor dwindled after the breaking of Arnor into three kingdoms and the wars with Angmar. Cardolan and Rhudaur soon fell and only the petty-kingdom of Arthedain maintained the royal line of Isildur. Arthedain too was destroyed in the Battle of Fornost and Arvedui, the last King of Arthedain, was lost at sea. Arvedui's son and heir, Aranarth, claimed the title of Chieftain of the Dúnedain, sixteen Chieftains in total ruling the remnant of the Dúnedain. For safekeeping, Elrond was given the heirlooms of the House of Isildur: the shards of Narsil, the Elendilmir, the Sceptre of Annúminas, and later the Ring of Barahir, ransomed from the Lossoth. Each of Aranarth's heirs would be secretly fostered in Rivendell.
The remaining Dúnedain became the Rangers, a secretive wandering and nomadic people around Eriador, far from Sauron's spies, little known or remembered, and their deeds seldom recorded. The Watchful Peace followed the loss of the North-kingdom and after its end, the Rangers' enemies concentrated attacks mostly against Rhovanion and Gondor. During that time, the Rangers fought minor battles and skirmishes against Orcs and wolves in order to keep the scattered peoples of their former realm safe. The hobbits of the Shire flourished under their protection. During Arassuil's reign, the Orcs of the Misty Mountains became more bold, daring to invade Eriador. The Rangers fought many battles trying to hold them back, but one party managed to reach the Shire, and were fought off by a party of brave Hobbits under Bandobras Took in TA 2747. Soon after, the Long Winter arrived, many lives were lost, and Gandalf and the Rangers helped the Hobbits of the Shire survive.
In TA 2911, during Argonui's rule, the Fell Winter began with the Brandywine freezing over. This was a catalyst for White Wolves invading Eriador from the North which must have harassed the Rangers. The following year, great floods devastated Enedwaith and Minhiriath leaving Tharbad ruined and deserted. The next century was mostly peaceful although Arador was killed by hill-trolls and his son Arathorn II was killed while hunting Orcs. Arathorn's son, Aragorn II succeeded him, who between 2957 to 2980 took great journeys, serving in the armies of King Thengel of Rohan, and Steward Ecthelion II of Gondor. In the following decades of the Third Age at the behest of Gandalf, the Rangers maintained a guard on the Shire to keep at bay the malign influence of Saruman and protect the One Ring. The Rangers guarding Sarn Ford were either driven off or killed when the Nazgûl entered the Shire in TA 3018.
During the War of the Ring, the Rangers of the North were led by Aragorn.
Overview
In appearance, the Rangers of the North were Dúnedain whose menfolk ceaselessly patrolled the boundaries of Eriador and were by necessity skilled with the sword, bow, and spear. Typically, they were grim in life, appearance, and dress, choosing to wear rustic green and brown. They were said to be lonely men who were of the wild and served as hunters that tracked down servants of the 'Enemy'.
They were grim in appearance and were usually dressed in grey or dark green, with a cloak-clasp shaped like a seven-pointed star.
They were led by a series of Chieftains who were the heirs and direct descendants of the first King of Arnor.
A sub-division of the Rangers included the Grey Company who dressed in dark grey cloaks and openly wore a silver brooch shaped like a pointed star. These Rangers rode rough-haired, sturdy horses, were helmeted and carried shields. Their armament included spears and bows.
Similar to their southern cousins, these Rangers spoke Sindarin in preference to the Common Speech.
Members
- Aranarth : would have been King of Arnor at the death of his father Arvedui in T.A. 1975. When Aranarth was still a youth by the standards of his people, the Witch-king of Angmar destroyed the Northern Kingdom, overrunning Fornost. Most of the people, including Aranarth, fled to Lindon, but the King Arvedui went north to the Ice-Bay of Forochel. At Aranarth's urging, Círdan sent a ship to rescue Arvedui, but this ship never returned. It was later learned that the ship had sunk with Arvedui on board. By right, this made Aranarth now King of Arnor, but since his Kingdom had been destroyed he did not claim the title. Aranarth rode with the army of Gondor under Eärnur and saw the destruction of Angmar. Aranarth's people became known as the Rangers of the North (or Dúnedain), and he was the first of their Chieftains. In time, their origins were generally forgotten by the common people of Arnor. While the Rangers defended Arnor from the remnants of Angmar's evil, the Wizard Gandalf went to Dol Guldur, and drove out Sauron the Necromancer. Thus began the period known as the Watchful Peace, a time where attacks by the enemy were few and far between. All of Aranarth's successors were raised in Rivendell by Elrond while their fathers lived in the wild; each was given a name with the Kingly prefix of Ar(a)-, to signify his right to the Kingship of Arnor.
- Arahael : succeeded his father Aranarth in 2106. During his rule evil lessened, as it was the time of the Watchful Peace, and the Dúnedain slowly recovered. However, Arnor remained mostly unpopulated, and the city of Fornost was not resettled, going to ruin.
- Aranuir : third Chieftain of the Dúnedain who led the Rangers of the North.
- Aragorn :
- Halbarad :
Notes
- The Rangers of the North were created by J. R. R. Tolkien and featured in the setting of the Middle-earth universe.
In other media
Films
- In Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, the Rangers of the North appeared in the setting of the live-action film.
Video games
- In The Lord of the Rings Online, the Rangers appeared in the setting of the 2007 MMORPG video game. There were some scattered about Middle-earth, but there were also many who were organized. There was a group that Aragorn led to keep track of the Enemy's movement during "Stirrings in the Darkness". The main Ranger factions in the game are the Rangers of Esteldín, the Wardens of Annúminas, and later they merge into the Grey Company.
- In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, the Rangers of the North appeared in the setting of the 2011 action role-playing hack and slash video game. They have set up several barricades at Sarn Ford to prevent the Nazgûl from entering the Shire. They, however, fail to maintain their positions and are defeated. Many Rangers are killed, some have reorganized their camp at Sarn Ford while others are patrolling and scoutring the surrounding lands.
Other
- In Lord of the Rings: Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, the Rangers of the North appeared as playable units in the setting of the tabletop RPG game. They were represented by the Rangers in Middle-earth that stood in for both the northern Rangers of Arnor and the southern Rangers of Gondor.
Appearances
- Lord of the Rings:
External Links
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