Arhendhiril (S. “Lady [of the] Lofty Eye”) was the wife of King Thranduil of Mirkwood and mother of Legolas. She was Sindarin, kin to the House of Thingol through the family of Elmo, his brother in Beleriand. She was thought to have counseled and guided her husband in the delving of Aradhrynd, for she had dwelt in Menegroth ere its fall. Arhendhiril’s father, Amdír, was the grandson of Elmo, brother of Thingol. Amdír ruled Lórinand until the War of the Last Alliance, in which he was slain. Arhendhiril consented to wed the son of Oropher to renew the kinship of their two houses. Arhendhiril’s name meant “Lady of the Lofty Eye” in the tongue of the Grey Elves; but when she became Queen of the Green-wood, she followed Thranduil’s example by altering her name to its Silvan form, Arthinheryn, but among the Tawarwaith she was also known as Telfindine, “Woman of the Silver Tress”. She stood as tall as Thranduil, who was taller than his Nandorin subjects, her hair cascaded about her like a river of silver, reflecting the purity of her Sindarin ancestry. Arhendhiril eventually died in the Third Age, when the Tawarwaith fought in the mountains of eastern Angmar, defending Rhovanion from Orcs who had taken the High Passes. Arhendhiril was taken captive during an orc-raid and possibly died in the dungeons of Gundabad. When the city was retaken by the Dwarves no corpse could be found. There was no grave nor memorial and Thranduil never spoke of her.
Family[]
In the MERP canon, Arhendhiril is introduced as daughter of Amdír and sister to Amroth. Her mother is not mentioned, but she is said to be a descendant of the House of Elmo. Most fanfic authors accept that she was a Sinda, however a few made her a Noldo or Nando. No other children besides Legolas II Greenleaf are mentioned, though some fanfic stories mention several brothers and sisters to Legolas.
Names[]
No canonical name for Arthinheryn or Arhendhiril is given in the books, nor was her background story ever fleshed out. Among the other names given to the invented character of the Queen of Mirkwood, Thranduil's wife and Legolas' mother are:
- Aeglos
- Almwen
- Anfin
- Arthinheryn
- Aseawen
- Calithilien
- Edheltari
- Elerrian
- Elmmeth
- Eluviel
- Estiriel
- Glawar
- Gwilwileth
- Idril
- Linwë
- Loki
- Lomelindi
- Manwathiel
- Nellas of Doriath
- Telfindine
References[]
- MERP: Halls of the Elven-king
- MERP: Mirkwood and the Wilds of Rhovanion
- Other Hands #28