Summary
Aragorn, son of Arathorn, is one of the best characters fromThe Lord of the Rings. He begins his journey in the story as Strider, a Ranger from the North and hesitant heir of Isildur, and ends it as King Elessar, the ruler of the Númenorian kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. But before he claimed any of these names and titles, he had another: an Elvish name which foreshadowed the role he was to play in the story. In fact, so iconic was this name that even Peter Jackson’sReturn of the Kingcouldn’t resist giving it a subtle nod.
InThe Lord of the Rings, Tolkien often gave his characters, especially elves, more than one name. These names were on their actions and feats, what they represented, or their appearance. For example, Gandalf was called Mithrandir, aka the Grey Pilgrim. Arwen was called Undómiel, which meant Evening Star or Evenstar in Elvish. And Aragorn, the heir of Isildur and a mortal man, had a secret Elvish name that he went by when younger. But what’s interesting is how perfectly it suited the part he played in the War of the Ring, and how it aligned with the story’s central themes.
What is Aragorn’s Elvish Name, and Who Gave It To Him?
In Appendix A ofThe Lord of the Rings, Tolkien reveals that when Aragorn was only two years olf, his father, Arathorn, went to fight Orcs alongside the sons of Elrond and was slain. Aragorn, now the only Heir of Isildur, had to be protected from Sauron. And so,Aragorn and his mother, Gilraen, came to live in Rivendell. Elrond loved Aragorn like his own son, and it was he who gave Aragorn the name ‘Estel’ to protect his identity and the truth about his lineage.
Elrond had foresight and chose the name well.“Estel” means “hope” or “trust,“and is the same word in both the High Elven Quenya language and the common Sindarin language of the Grey Elves of Middle-earth. It was an apt name for the only remaining heir to a line of kings that had in themthe power to defeat Sauron. Estel was the hope of his people to reclaim their kingdom and their lost honor. It wasn’t until Aragorn had turned twenty and accomplished a few great feats that Elrond revealed to Aragorn his true name. He also gave him the shards of Narsil, the broken sword of Elendil that Isildur used to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand, along with a few other tokens of his royal lineage, like the Ring of Barahir.
While this exact moment couldn’t have been represented in the movies,The Return of the Kingfilm does incorporate elements of this story into the scene where Elrond gives Aragorn the sword Andúril, forged from the shards of Narsil, and asks him to finally become who he was born to be:the Heir of Isildur. He even utters a line in Elvish about giving hope to Men, to which Aragorn replies,“I keep none for myself.“In the books, these are the final words of Aragorn’s mother, Gilraen, to her son, before she passes away:“Ónen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim.”
I gave Hope to the Dúnedain [Men of Númenor], I have kept no hope for myself.
Estel as a Theme in Tolkien’s Works
In author J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, “estel” is an underlying concept in the philosophy of the universe he created. It stands for the “trust” or “faith” thatEru Ilúvatar (God in Tolkien’s world)expects all his creations to have in him, that he knows what he is doing and whatever designs he has for his Children will eventually turn out to be for their good.
In other words, “estel” is a spiritual faith that, when kept by the characters of Tolkien’s story, enables them to keep carrying on, keep fighting the good battle, and trust in God’s plan for them. Often, the heroes in Tolkien’s stories have their “estel” tested. Those who fail, their stories end in tragedy; whereas those who keep their “estel” and continue to walk the good path laid out by God, triumph. A great example would be Morgoth, Sauron, or Saruman, who lost their “estel,” while Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo kept theirs until the end, thus becoming the heroes of the story.
Aragorn as Estel
Once the meaning of “estel” becomes clear, it is apparent why it makes for the perfect name for Aragorn, who represented hope for the people he met. He savedthe hobbits in Bree from the Nazgûl, and he let Boromir die in peace knowing his city was in the hands of his king. Aragorn led the battles at Helm’s Deep, Minas Tirith, and before the Black Gate of Mordor. In all these moments, Aragorn was a beacon of hope that the race of Men hadn’t completely failed, and there were still those who were capable of the heroism and valor of old. This is important, since Men were the inheritors of Middle-earth as the Eldar Days were ending. To have Estel return as the King of Men is the return of hope that the people are saved.
The story of Aragorn and Arwen is also deeply entwined with the idea of “estel.” Arwen had forsaken her mortal life in the hope that Aragorn would be able to defeat the Shadow and the two could have a happy future together, putting her faith in that which was foreseen. Aragorn, too, had to keep his faith and hope that if he kept resisting the Shadow, he wouldn’t fail like his ancestor Isildur did, and then he could restore both his family’s name and make Arwen’s sacrifice worth it. Until the end of his days, Arwen calls Aragorn “Estel.” It would be interesting to have these stories told in future outings ofThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise, likeThe Hunt for Gollum.
