Editing Arwen (section)

== Fictional biography ==

=== Narrative ===

{{main|The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen{{!}}"The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"}}

Arwen was the youngest child of [[Elrond]], lord of the Elvish sanctuary of [[Rivendell]] and leader of the High Elves remaining in [[Middle-earth]] at the end of the [[Third Age]], and [[Celebrían]], daughter of [[Galadriel]], ruler of the Elvish forest realm of [[Lothlórien]]. Her elder brothers were the twins Elladan and Elrohir.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers</ref> Her name ''"Ar-wen"'' means 'noble maiden' in [[Sindarin]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=Wayne G. |last1=Hammond |author-link=Wayne G. Hammond |first2=Christina |last2=Scull |author2-link=Christina Scull |title=[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]] |publisher=HarperCollins |page=205}}</ref> She was given the name "Evenstar" as the most beautiful of the last generation of [[Calaquendi|High Elves]] in [[Middle-earth]].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}} book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"</ref>

{{Quote box |
 |quote  = Arwen said: "Dark is the Shadow, and yet my heart rejoices; for you, Estel, shall be among the great whose valour will destroy it."<br/>
But Aragorn answered: "Alas! I cannot foresee it, and how it may come to pass is hidden from me. Yet with your hope I will hope. And the Shadow I utterly reject. But neither, lady, is the Twilight for me; for I am mortal, and if you will cleave to me, Evenstar, then the Twilight you must also renounce."<br/>
And she stood then as still as a white tree, looking into the West, and at last she said: "I will cleave to you, [[Dúnadan]], and turn from the Twilight. Yet there lies the land of my people and the long home of all my kin." She loved her father dearly.
  |author = [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
  |source = ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Appendix A, part I (v) "[[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen]]"
  |width  = 40%
  |align  = right
}}

As told in "[[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen]]", an appendix to ''The Lord of the Rings'', in his twentieth year [[Aragorn]] met Arwen for the first time in [[Rivendell]], where he lived under Elrond's protection. Arwen, then over 2,700 years old, had recently returned to her father's home after living with her grandmother, Galadriel, in Lothlórien. Aragorn fell in love with Arwen at first sight. Thirty years later, the two were reunited in Lothlórien. Arwen reciprocated Aragorn's love, and on the mound of Cerin Amroth they committed themselves to marrying each other. In making that choice, Arwen gave up the Elvish immortality available to her as a daughter of Elrond, and agreed to remain in Middle-earth instead of travelling to the [[Undying Lands]].<ref name="Tale" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} Appendix A, part I (v) "[[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen]]"</ref>

Arwen first appears in the text of ''The Lord of the Rings'' in Rivendell, shortly after [[Frodo Baggins]] wakes in the House of Elrond: she sits beside her father at the celebratory feast.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}} book 2, ch. 2 "[[The Council of Elrond]]"</ref> When the [[Fellowship of the Ring (characters)|Fellowship of the Ring]] comes to Lothlórien, Aragorn remembers his earlier meeting with Arwen and pauses in reverence.<ref group=T name="lothlórien">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}} book 2, ch. 6 "Lothlórien"</ref>

Shortly before Aragorn takes the [[Paths of the Dead]], he is joined by a contingent of his people accompanied by Arwen's brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, who bring him a gift from Arwen: a banner of black cloth.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} book 5, ch. 2 "The Passing of the Grey Company"</ref> The banner is unfurled at the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] to reveal the emblem of [[Elendil]] figured in ''[[mithril]]'', gems, and gold; this becomes the first triumphant public announcement of the king's return.<ref group=T name="Pelennor Fields">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"</ref>

After the ring is destroyed, Aragorn becomes king of Arnor and [[Gondor]]. Arwen arrives at [[Minas Tirith]], and they are married.<ref group=T name="Steward and King">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} book 6, ch. 5 "The Steward and the King"</ref> She gives Frodo the Evenstar: her necklace with a white stone, to aid him when his injuries trouble him.<ref group=T name="Many Partings">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}} book 6, ch. 6 "Many Partings"</ref>

Arwen serves as inspiration and motivation for Aragorn, who must become King of both Arnor and Gondor before Elrond will allow her to marry him.<ref name="Tale" group=T/> "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" relates that Aragorn and Arwen had a son, Eldarion, and at least two unnamed daughters. One year after Aragorn's death, Arwen dies at the age of 2,901.<ref name="Tale" group=T/>

=== Relationships ===

Through her father, Elrond, Arwen was the granddaughter of [[Eärendil]] the Mariner (the second of the [[Half-elf|Half-elven]]), great-granddaughter of [[Tuor]] of [[Gondolin]], and therefore a direct descendant of the ancient House of Hador. Through her great-grandmother, [[Idril Celebrindal|Idril]], Arwen was a descendant of King Turgon of the [[Noldor]]. Through her mother, she was the granddaughter of the Elf-queen [[Galadriel]] of [[Lothlórien]].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}} "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age": Family Trees I and II: "The house of Finwë and the Noldorin descent of Elrond and Elros", and "The descendants of Olwë and Elwë"</ref> Through both of her parents, Arwen was a direct descendant of the ancient Elven House of [[Finwë and Míriel|Finwë]]. Furthermore, Arwen was a descendant of [[Beren]] and [[Lúthien]], whose [[The Tale of Beren and Lúthien|story]] resembled hers. Indeed, Arwen was held to be the reappearance in likeness of Lúthien, fairest of all the [[Elves (Middle-earth)|Elves]], who was called Nightingale (''Tinúviel'').<ref name="Tale" group=T/>

Arwen was a distant relative of her husband Aragorn.<ref name="Tale" group=T/> Aragorn's ancestor, Elros Tar-Minyatur, the first King of [[Númenor]], was her father Elrond's brother, who chose to live as a [[Man (Middle-earth)|Man]] rather than as one of the Eldar. Arwen became Queen of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor when she married Aragorn, who was of the line of the Kings of Arnor. By their marriage, the lines of the Half-elven were reunited. Their union served, too, to unite and preserve the bloodlines of the three kings of the high Elves (Ingwë, Finwë, and the brothers Olwë and [[Elwë]]) as well as the only line with [[Maia (Middle-earth)|Maiarin]] blood through Arwen's great-great-great grandmother, [[Melian (Middle-earth)|Melian]], Queen of [[Doriath (Middle-earth)|Doriath]].<ref group=T name="Temp RotK"/>

{{Half-elven family tree}}