Elfstone, Aragorn?

[cortezthekiller]

I'm reading LOTR all the way through for the first time in years...I don't have my copy on me right now, but last night I was reading ROTK (I believe "Houses of Healing"), and it mentions that the people of Gondor had come to call him Elfstone and something about thus he took the name that was foretold for him. I apologize for my admittedly poor memory of what is said exactly, but could anyone shed some light on how Aragorn was foretold to take this name?

[Prince Legolas]

Originally posted by cortezthekiller
I'm reading LOTR all the way through for the first time in years...I don't have my copy on me right now, but last night I was reading ROTK (I believe "Houses of Healing"), and it mentions that the people of Gondor had come to call him Elfstone and something about thus he took the name that was foretold for him. I apologize for my admittedly poor memory of what is said exactly, but could anyone shed some light on how Aragorn was foretold to take this name?

From what I recall it was Galadrial (Arwen's Grandmother, Lady of the Golden Wood) who gave Aragorn the name Elfstone (the name fortoled for him).
The 'Elfsone' itself (and I expect to be corrected if I get this wrong) is an Emerald (green gem) set into a brooch wrought like an eagle.
From what I gathered it had been kept by the Elves in safety to be given to Aragorn when he when he decided to go and claim his throan if he passed through Lothlorien. (Which the company did when they escaped from Moria).
I expect that if by some chance they hadn't Galadriel would have kept it and given it to Aragorn when she came to Gondor for his and Arwen's wedding.

[ssgrif]

Elfstone - Elessar

High title and surname of Aragorn son of Arathorn. It was given to him in Lórien by Galadriel. She granted him a gift of a green stone set in a silver brooch in the shape of an eagle. 'In this hour,' she said, 'take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house of Elendil!'

When Aragorn took up the kingship of Gondor, he assumed the name Elessar...

[Elfarmari]

I don't have my book with me, but I seem to remember Aragorn's mother fortelling the name Elessar for him. Galadriel reminds him of this name that was fortold when she gives him the stone.

[Andquellewen]

?I'm just making sure about this...

Aragorn has elven blood in him right?

[Dhôn-Buri-Dhôn]

Originally posted by Legolas Lover

Aragorn has elven blood in him right?

Yes, but it goes back pretty far, back to the First Age. Luthien and Beren were his distant ancestors, and so were another human/elf couple, Idril and Tuor. Elwing, granddaughter of Luthien and Beren, married Earendil, son of Idril and Tuor. The sons of Earendil and Elwing were Elrond and his brother Elros, who chose mortality and was the first King of Numenor. Thence through many kings to Elendil, Isildur, and ultimately the Dunedain.

Aragorn/Arwen was only the third union of Elves and Men, although Arwen was the daughter of Elrond and thus not pure Elf, and Aragorn had a bit of Elvish blood.

This is also why Elrond calls Aragorn Arwen's kinsman (in the appendix). They are umpteenth-removed cousins.

[tasar]

I think I've read that elfstone was more than just an emerald. It had the light of the sun shining through the leaves in it. Really beautiful, when I try to imagine it.

[Elanor2]

Hi,

I just found in UT something regarding the Elessar.

The Elessar was a green stone created by a powerful Elven smith in Gondolin and was given to Princess Idril, Turgon's daughter and Tuor's wife. It had strong healing powers and that's how she survived the burning of Gondolin. She gave it to her son, Earendil, to help him in his travels. With Earendil, it went to the Blessed Realm.

There are two versions next. In one, Celebrimbor, who had been a friend of the orginal smith, made a second Elessar for Galadriel because she was weary of her works in ME, to help her. From Galadriel it would have passed to Aragorn and Arwen.

The second version, that I prefer, is that the original Elessar was given to Gandalf to pass it to Galadriel with concrete instructions:
Quote:
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And Olorin said: This I bring to you from Yavanna. Use it as you may, and for a while you shall make the land of your dwelling the fairest place in Middle-Earth. But it is not for you to possess. You shall hand it on when the time comes. For before you grow weary, and at last forsake ME one shall come who is to receive it, and his name shall be that of the stone: Elessar he shall be called.
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So, the Valar foretold Aragorn's name and Gandalf and Galadriel passed it on. His healing powers explain also why Lorien is a place of healing and why Aragorn suddenly becomes such a great healer (he could not cure Frodo, only help him a bit, but in Gondor he did much better).